The Confident Woman

by Nikkea Sharee

  Sick of Nigel and all of his cockiness, Herschel walked out of the man’s home as he pondered his next move.

  20

  The sun was shinning brightly through Vera’s spacious home. She was at peace as she looked on at her son building what looked like a toy skyscraper in his play room with over sized Legos. One day she would tell him about all she had done to secure their future.

  She had always planned to use a surrogate to have a child with Nigel, however, first she wanted to enjoy her youth. Nigel was the perfect prey for a woman with money on her mind. He over compensated for lack of personal attention with things that she enjoyed such as exotic trips, cars, jewelry and access to a near endless cash flow.

  Originally her con called for her to wait out the prenuptial agreement before seeking a surrogate. Even though he had brought up the suggestion of using a surrogate, she had planted the idea in his mind. But alas, the stars did not align for plan A. That plan would allow for after the children were born, she would leave him and take Nigel for all she could get.

  Instead she had to move to plan B. It was a break the glass in case of emergency type of plan. One that she wouldn’t have had to employ if her ex husband hadn’t been such an asshole.

  A knock came to her front door causing her to break from her trance. Ensuring her son was settled before moving towards the door, Vera fixed up her appearance as she walked down the hall. Looking at her watch she noted the time was a few minutes before noon. The extra money she had paid for expedited shipping was well worth it. That and the fact that she had maintained such a great relationship with the lab over the years meant having the upper hand that Nigel had no idea about.

  Every single detail was essential to the plan. It wasn’t about the threat of paternity. It was about controlling the outcome down to the molecule. In this case she was certain what the outcome would say. However, it still made her feel good to have control.

  She was so grateful that she didn’t have to wane off any confusion from the lab tech with Nigel’s comments the day of testing. It appeared that as long as they were paid, they just did the work and didn’t get involved in any conflicts or family drama.

  They were definitely at the drama stage, Vera thought, as she opened the door to the messenger who stood on the other side of her door. Accepting the sealed envelope and providing a tip, she closed the door almost as fast as she had opened it.

  Turning on her heels, she walked back towards the interior of her home. It had been a long time coming, but the play was finally in place. She was so close to success she could taste it.

  Slapping the envelope on her kitchen table, Vera picked up her cell phone to text her brother letting him know the job was done. It was time to go to the next step. There was no need to look at the contents of the paperwork. She knew what was inside. It was only a few moments before she would be able to sense Nigel’s anger from the other side of town.

  A smile slid across her face. It had all been worth it. There were times that she wanted to leave her husband before the con was finished. Instances where she found out about his poorly hidden extracurricular activities and she was appalled that he felt he could do whatever he wanted without consequence. Then she remembered her job was to make him think that he was smarter than her.

  As far as Nigel was concerned, their entire relationship sat on his shoulders. Her only job was to stay as his trophy and not question him or his moves. There was no place in her heart for love. That was an antiquated emotion. While she was able to make him believe that was what they had together, the truth was she despised everything about him. Nigel was simply tolerated.

  The only good thing that would come out of this ordeal was her son and the money she was long overdue. Things were about to get very real for her ex. All the things that he thought he got away with when they were together was about to catch up with him. Her only regret was that she could not be a fly on the wall to witness his reaction.

  There was only one concern she had as it pertained to the situation. Now that she had her son, there was a bond that had been built that she was not prepared to share. Once Nigel accepted paternity and found out that the child they shared was a son, she was almost certain that he would want to be a part of the child’s life.

  For the past four years she had pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. The what ifs seemed to be so far away. During those times she just took the time to enjoy what they had as much as she could. However, just as the results were delivered to her, she knew there was a courier on their way to him as well.

  Soon enough hard decisions would have to be made. And the truth was she was raising a son. His son. And she made a promise to herself that she would not allow her son to have the same disposition as his father. Thankfully he had grown to take after her so far. He was the sweetest little boy that she had ever met. Was she ready for that spirit to be tainted?

  That question swirled in her head as her cell phone rung. “Hello?”

  “Everything is prepared. I had my clerk file the subpoena for financial records and I’m drafting up the preliminary custody agreement. We are going for full custody and full financial support with request for immediate back pay.”

  “Perfect. I also want you to prepare for an assault case. Don’t file it just yet however. I want to prepare to play hard ball if needed.”

  “Are you sure you want to take it there if need be? We would need to pull the suspect in as well if we do.”

  “I know.”

  “You do know that Herschel may file a suit for assault due to your recent activity.”

  “I’m not worried about Herschel. If he could be paid to commit the act, he can be paid to turn on Nigel.”

  “Okay, I see your angle. I’ve got a feeling that we may have a bit of an uphill battle the higher our demands. Do you want to consider any type of settlement or negotiations?”

  “Absolutely not. I will bring down his entire empire first.”

  Knowing how serious his sister was Vernon moved on. “No problem sis. Well, I’ll be buried in paperwork from now until eternity if you need me.” He let out a brief laugh. “How is my nephew doing?”

  Looking onto her son as he enjoyed himself in his playroom she smiled, “He’s still the sweetest thing I’ve ever known.”

  “Good, I’ll be over later to spend some time with him. I love you both.”

  “We love you too.”

  21

  Nigel didn’t want to answer his ringing phone just as he hadn’t wanted to answer the doorbell. They both carried news that he would rather disregard. He privately wished that this nightmare would just go away. He didn’t want to have to deal with any of it and did not understand why Levi couldn’t comprehend that.

  “Yeah?” He answered the phone agitated.

  “The results are in.” Levi felt a small amount of joy in knowing that there was a possibility of Nigel’s world shattering with the results inside the envelope he was holding. While he was tempted to open it before placing the call, he felt it prudent that he wait.

  “I know, I’ve got an envelope as well. So, what does it say?” Nigel didn’t want to open the mail. He didn’t want to hear the news in person or over the phone, but he knew it had to be dealt with.

  Hearing through the phone paper being ripped, the man held his breath. Beads of sweat started to trickle down his forehead. All of a sudden the temperature in his living room seemed to skyrocket. This was taking too long. It was as if Levi was moving in slow motion on purpose and that only annoyed him that much more.

  “Well, what the hell does it say?”

  Levi stopped to stare at the letter before responding just a second longer than he knew he should have. It was just that he wanted to take it in for himself before sharing the news. “It is 99.9 percent conclusive.”

  “What the fuck does that mean? Conclusive?” Nigel knew what it meant. He felt it in the pit of his stomach, however, he still wanted to hear the words.

  “It means you are the
father.”

  For a moment everything around him seemed to fade into blackness. How could this possibly be? It had to be a mistake. Did she pay off the lab? There were a lot of questions that flooded his mind. The room started to spin as he was thrown through a loop.

  “Hello?” Levi said on the other end of the phone. He could only imagine what Nigel was going through and he couldn’t be more elated. It was time that the man that was such a pain in the ass to so many be paid back. “Nigel, are you there?”

  “Yeah… I uh…. I need to call you back.”

  Nigel disconnected the phone before Levi could suggest once again that he consult an attorney that specialized in family law. Knowing his friend and how private he liked to keep legal matters he knew that somehow he was going to be roped into every single task that pertained to this case.

  Nigel couldn’t believe his ears. Walking over to his wet bar he prepared a stiff drink, a double.

  A father.

  There was a time when he wanted nothing more than to be a father. However, the more he grew to become selfish and set in his own ways, the more he pushed the thought of children out of his head. Yet here he was, in a situation that he could not possibly wrap around his mind.

  The truth had jumped up and smacked him in the face. Nigel had no time to determine the hows and whys behind it. He had to decide how was he going to deal with it.

  One thing that he knew was that Vera would be looking for financial support next. She wasn’t a cheap wife, so he knew she was not going to be an inexpensive mother to his child. And while money was not necessarily an issue for him, the principle was the bigger deal.

  It was time to place a call to the one person he dreaded breaking the news to. Now that the truth was standing in front of him, there was no reason to hold on to it.

  He waited with bated breath as he listened to the tone of the placed phone call. Calls of this nature typically only happened in extreme circumstances. This was extreme. He couldn’t hold a family secret back this big.

  “Nigel, honey is that you?”

  Hearing her voice, he immediately clamored into a child. She did it to him every time without effort.

  “Yes mummy. How’ve you been?”

  “Things are fine. I hadn’t expected to hear from you until the holidays. Is everything okay?”

  That part was true. Sad as it may be, Nigel seldom called home for any reason other than a special occasion. It was a habit he had adapted when he was in boarding school growing up. He had become accustomed to being away from his family and not speaking to them often. During those formative years of his life was when his personality developed to be self centered and egotistical. Spending enough time alone could have that effect on anyone. He had only ever known to be out for himself, protect himself.

  “I uh, I’ve got to tell you something.”

  “Well that part is obvious. I’m sure you wouldn’t be calling me for no reason. So, get on with it, yes.”

  For some reason he stalled before breaking the news to his mother. In her eyes he always seemed like a disappointment. No matter how successful Nigel was, it never seemed to be enough.

  Clearing his throat, he took more time to determine just how to say what he had to say. It was as though he felt he would be chastised like a child. He never wanted to disappoint her, but that was exactly what he expected the news to do.

  “It’s Vera.”

  “What about that shameful woman. I thought I’d never hear her name again. You never should have married her you know? But your father and I just let you do what you wanted to because you are a grown man.”

  Hearing his mother mention his father was disheartening. The elder man had passed on years earlier. He had left an inheritance to him that only made his finances that much more stable. However, it was controlled in an estate administered by his mother. She was adamant about approving every single coin that went in and out of the account. For that reason, he had worked even harder over the years to have his own wealth intact. What he would say next could impact them both.

  “Mother, just listen. There is no easy way for me to say this, but it seems that Vera had a child and… I’m the father.”

  “What!” He heard her shrill through the phone. Holding the phone away from his ear, he shook his head as she continued. “How is that possible? You’ve been sleeping with that woman after you divorced? What’s wrong with you? Haven’t I trained you better than that.”

  Perhaps that was the problem. His mother hadn’t taught him many things at all let alone how to love. She always passed him off to others. The boarding school, nannies in the summer, whoever could tolerate her son could have him. The only thing she taught him was that women loved things as she spent his father’s money well. It was through watching her that he learned that most women could be happy by being financially taken care of.

  “No, she kept this from me. All I know is that the child is four and absolutely mine. I took a DNA test which came back conclusive.”

  “Four years old! Conclusive! What the hell have you gotten yourself into? I knew she walked away a little too easily. She didn’t fight for any alimony. I knew she had something up her sleeve. First to cheat on my son in his own bed and then to pull something like this. The minute you told me that she was an orphan I just knew this was a disaster. But do you listen to your mother? No! You go out and marry a harlot!”

  Nigel tuned his mother’s ramblings out. There was some truth to his words but also a few lies. Lies that he had to live with. What if he simply divorced her without setting her up? Would they have worked through things for the sake of the child? He didn’t hate Vera, he just had lost interest in her and wanted to enjoy the company of other women. He simply grew bored of being married. Nigel no longer wanted to sneak around to cheat, he wanted to be single again. However, he also wanted to do all of that without having to pay her anything.

  Now his selfish ways were catching up to him. Then there was the matter of Herschel that he was almost certain would have to be properly dealt with sooner than later. Things were off kilter.

  “So, you don’t have anything to say for yourself, Nigel?” He had just about forgotten that his mother was on the other end of the phone. His silence only pissed her off even more. “I swear, your father must be rolling over in his grave. After all we have invested in you only for you to be so careless.”

  “I only found out about this a few days ago and called you after getting the confirmation of the test. I thought you would want to know.”

  “Of course I need to know. I just wish this could have been handled a better way. Well you know what’s going to happen next. No one introduces a child to a wealthy benefactor for no reason. You need to be prepared. She is going to come after you with everything she’s got. Are you ready?”

  The answer to that was no. He was not ready. He didn’t know when he would be ready. One thing for certain was that karma was kicking his butt and his skeletons were falling out left and right.

  “I’ll handle it. Like I said, I just wanted to make sure you knew what was going on.”

  “Well that’s the least you can do. You are aware that a child impacts your inheritance, right? Your father had that in his will.”

  Yes, he was aware of this. He only hoped that Vera was not. Knowing how much Nigel was really worth could make just about anyone flip on him. Her child was an instant millionaire.

  “I’ll contact my lawyer and have a trust set up. This child is a Washington by blood. We have to do right by it. What’s the child’s name anyway?”

  “Ugh, I don’t know.”

  “Honestly Nigel! Just get Vera to call me will you. There are things that we need to handle and it’s best that we do them directly or end up dragged through court. And that would only cause further embarrassment to this family.”

  With those final words his mother disconnected the call from him. This left Nigel to ponder all the wrongs he needed to get right, but with news that Vera was aware of exactly how
this divorce came about and him not bringing those details up to his mother, he only imagined exactly how things were going to work out. A long road indeed.

  22

  Herschel smiled at the patrons walking around the show room floor of his place of employment in a polite manner. He wondered how long he would continue to be at the piano shop before retiring indefinitely. He had saved well but not enough to say it would carry him for the rest of his life. There also was the fact that having an every day job helped to cover the true origins of the source of his income. Not that he had put himself in a position where he had to speak to it, but one could never be too careful.

  Still, on a day like this he desired to be anywhere but there. Fate would have it that a few of his co-workers had beat him to the punch of calling out and he had no choice but to be there. Thankfully it had been a slow day. He loved days like this because he didn’t have to put on airs for many. And in a few he would be free to leave after a day that had been slow moving.

  He couldn’t help but to think about the dilemma at hand. His visit to Nigel had not been what he desired. He assumed that it would be easy to get what he wanted out of the man, assumed that once he told Nigel about the information his ex-wife now held, he would be eager to ensure an alliance. Alas that did not happen.

  Worse than that, Herschel had been looking over his shoulder much more than he had ever had to before. He didn’t know if that crazy woman would turn back up. He was tempted to tell Nigel what happened to him, but the callous demeanor of the man told him that he would not appreciate the heads up that a storm was on the horizon.

  Now, he just had to figure out a way to make the man pay enough money to secure a future for Herschel far away from that crazy family.

  As closing time approached, Herschel retired to his office. He thought about all the choices he had made in his life to get him to where he was. Sure, there were some things that he had done that were considered unsavory but for the most part he simply enjoyed the finer things in life by any means necessary. It wasn’t a secret that he lived above his means, but his extracurricular activities financed things he desired that were above his pay scale.