Not his baby: A BWWM Billionaire Romance

by Rebecca Dupree

  Unexpectedly, she saw the door open.

  “Hey, babe, forgot the…” He stopped mid-sentence. He looked at her, her eyes all ballooned from the crying. He looked at the suitcase that was right by his leg. He looked at their bed, with the note stuck to his pillow.

  “What’s going on?” He gestured at the suitcase, then at the pillow. “Where are you going?”

  Gina was standing there, at first, unable to move, as if she was frozen in that spot. She still felt like crying, but the tears stopped flowing. There was only immense pain, deep in her soul, which she knew would grow once she told Tyler what she was about to do. Once she closed that door, she knew there would be no way back into Tyler Reid’s heart.

  “I’m sorry you had to find out this way…” she started, hoping she would be allowed to say what she had to say and then leave. That was what she was hoping, but as it usually is in life, things rarely go the way someone planned them.

  “Find out what?” His voice was unremorseful, fuming, and wild. She had never heard him speak like this. This Tyler Reid was reserved for work, when someone was trying to move in on his territory or steal his contract. This was Tyler Reid, King of the Jungle, and if circumstances were any different, Gina would have been happy to meet this side of his personality.

  “Find out that you are leaving me?” He took one step towards her. “That you are pregnant with my child and that you are taking my baby away from me?” There was something in his voice that she had never heard. A hurt, a madness that was locked up deep inside his heart, and that was never let out again. Until now.

  “You don’t understand…” Her entire plan went haywire. She lost her train of thought. She couldn’t remember her practiced speech anymore, and it all went to hell much earlier than she had anticipated.

  “Oh, I don’t? Then, explain it to me, if you please.”

  “I can’t do this anymore…” This was the only part of her memorized speech she could remember, and she decided to go with it. “This whole thing, you and me… I can’t.” She regained a part of her composure.

  “What whole thing?” All of a sudden, he didn’t sound angry anymore. He was hurt. He was in pain. “I thought you were happy.”

  “I was…” She swallowed heavily before continuing. “But this life isn’t for me,” she managed to say, as if this was the most normal explanation in the world for leaving someone.

  “This life where you have everything handed to you?” He really didn’t understand and it made it all the more difficult for her.

  “Yes, this silver spoon.” She gestured at the entire room, where she wasn’t meant to do anything there, clean or order or anything. Tyler had made sure of that. “I don’t want it. And I didn’t know how to tell you this.” She sighed. “I know this was the worst way to tell you, and believe me, it hurts me more than it hurts you, but this is something I have to do. There is no other way.”

  “Can’t we talk about this?” There was begging in his voice. His eyes pleaded with her, and she had to turn her back to him so that he wouldn’t see she was on the verge of tears. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to push it until the end. But then she remembered what was at stake, and she knew she had to find a way.

  “I’m sorry,” she said coldly, turning back towards him. “I tried to give you subtle hints that I was unhappy,” she lied, “but you never took any notice of them. Now, it’s too late for everything, Tyler.”

  “Please…” He took one step closer to her, afraid if he touched her, she would disappear into thin air. “If you don’t want this, I’ll give you whatever you need. Space? You want to see less of me?” he cried loudly, and it tore her heart. “Done. I’ll spend so much time at the office you won’t even know you’re married. You want to live in a smaller house? You want to do your own cooking and cleaning? By all means!” At this point, he would have agreed to anything and she knew it. That was why this entire scene was so devastating and she just wanted it to be over as soon as possible.

  “No, no, no…” She shook her head. She knew she had to use plan B. “I didn’t want to tell you this, but…the silver spoon was just an excuse. That’s not the real reason.” She paused, looking at him. She knew she was looking at a man who was about to become dead inside. She wondered if anyone would ever be able to revive him. “I’m in love with someone else. With my ex. I want to get back together with him.” In her mind, it all sounded much more convincing, but when she said it out loud, it sounded hollow. She just hoped he wouldn’t analyze it too much.

  “Your ex?” he exclaimed. It was the second blow he’d received today, neither of which he was ready for. He wasn’t expecting her to have another reason for leaving him. He thought it would be his overzealous work habits, anything other than this. He had never lost any woman to another man. It was the first time for him, and even though he didn’t want to admit it, his pride was hurt. He could give her the world, the moon, and the stars.

  “Are you sure of this?” he asked. “Are you sure of your feelings?” He took her by the hand. She knew he was surrendering to her, and this was his way of showing that he was waving the white flag. “Because just a few weeks ago, you were telling me that you loved me and our child more than anything else in the world. I can’t believe this changed in just a week or two.” Something didn’t add up, he suddenly felt.

  “Is there any way we could work this out?” he asked her, seeing that she was contemplating her decision, and perhaps even rethinking it. He knew he had to push just a little longer, and maybe he could get her back. “Stay…” he whispered, her hands still in his. They were ice cold. “Stay a little longer.” He kept on pleading from the bottom of his heart. “I will give you whatever you need, and if after a week you still feel this way, I will let you leave. I promise. No fuss.”

  “Promise?” she asked. She wasn’t sure if she was doing the right thing, but leaving Tyler proved to be ten times more difficult than she originally thought. They both loved each other even more than they were showing, and now she knew that something earth-shattering had to happen.

  “Yes.” He kissed the palms of her hands. “I’ll do anything. Just stay. For now. Please?” He looked at her with the eyes of a deserted puppy who desperately wanted to be taken to a new home.

  She would talk to Jill. Jill would help her create a new plan, one that wouldn’t backfire. For now, she decided to stay. But in the long run, staying would be the wrong decision. Plus, she had only a week to pay that rat or to make sure his words never reach Tyler.

  The bad Gina sitting on her right shoulder was deep in thought. We can handle the weasel. Find out stuff about him! Tyler must have some dirt on him too. Fight fire with fire! We can do this!

  The pep talk worked. Gina felt self-assured. Perhaps she could actually get out of this whole mess unscathed, and maybe, just maybe, still have Tyler by her side.

  Chapter 19

  The morning promised a nice day outside, but this meant little to Gina. It had been three days since she and Tyler had a very serious conversation about their future together, and despite all Gina’s hopes, it didn’t seem like things could improve any time soon, no matter how much she wanted them to.

  She wanted to stay with Tyler. Of course she did. He was her everything. She had gotten used to all his mannerisms, all his habits, all his sweet little quirks. She knew and loved them all. There was nothing about him that was unappealing or unattractive to her, but that was beside the point. It was he who had to make the decision for both of them, and he wasn’t even aware of this fact.

  Gina was sitting in her fluffy pink house robe, gently resting her hand on her belly. The window was big, illuminating the entire room, and it was her favorite spot in the entire apartment. She loved it, though she couldn’t really explain why. Perhaps it was because the window overlooked a little garden, and right next to it was the metro station. Sometimes she would just stare out the window for half an hour or more, just looking at the passersby, busy and rushing on their way somewh
ere. Many of them had a deeply brooding look on their face, and only a handful had a gentle, barely noticeable smile on their face. It could almost go unnoticed, but it was there nonetheless. A smile that was there despite everything bad that happened to them, despite all the hurt and pain they went through. A smile that was stronger than all that. A smile that could never die.

  These were the people Gina envied from the bottom of her heart. She wanted to be like them so much. She had wanted this ever since she was a little girl, and she promised herself this wish would come true once. With everything bad that had happened to her, she actually started doubting whether happiness was meant for her. It seemed that her life was set on a downward spiral and there was no way of changing her path. But then something happened. She met Tyler Reid, and through this chance encounter, her hopes and dreams became something more, something tangible. They became her reality. And now, this reality was being threatened, and with it her entire future happiness.

  This was what she was thinking about as she gazed out the window, long after Tyler had kissed her goodbye and left for work. She knew she had promised him to stay another week and see how things would go. She also knew she hadn’t told him the truth about many things, including the reason for her wanting to leave.

  But the worst thing was that Gina was finally sure what she wanted: to finally allow herself to be loved and to be able to return it. For the first time ever, she knew. She could feel it deep in her gut, and she knew that a feeling that strong could never be wrong. It couldn’t be anything other than fate. And fate always knew how to get her way. Gina knew she was in love with Tyler and that she loved him more than anything else in the entire world. She knew she wanted him to be both her husband and the father to her child. But she didn’t know how he would react to finding out that the child’s real father was some crook who was locked up in the big house for years to come, or how he would react to finding out that the only reason she started dating him in the first place was to make him her baby daddy. It all sounded so horrible now, and she couldn’t believe there ever was a time when she wasn’t in love with him. It was difficult to believe, but it was so, and this was what might push him over the edge. She couldn’t predict his reaction, and she thought it would probably be best not to even try.

  Suddenly, she heard the doorbell. She was shaken out of her thoughts, but she didn’t mind. She welcomed the distraction, as she knew exactly who it was. She rushed to the door in her slippers and opened it wide.

  “I’m so happy you came,” she told to the smiling face holding a bottle of wine in her hand.

  “What else are friends for?” Jill replied, winking mischievously.

  Gina welcomed Jill inside and sat by her on the sofa. Jill had been busy with one of her latest conquests, but she knew she had to make time for her best friend. She rested her hand on Gina’s.

  “How have you been?” she asked, though she could guess the answer just by looking at Gina’s worn out face and big bags under her eyes. Gina hadn’t been sleeping too well, and it wasn’t only because of the baby.

  “Fine,” Gina answered shortly. “I just keep thinking about it, and can’t think about anything else. Not even the baby. It’s driving me crazy. I wake up in the middle of the night and I just stare at the ceiling. I keep playing old scenes in my mind, wishing I’d made the right choice, but it’s always the same…”

  “You poor thing,” Jill sympathized with her. “How is Tyler acting?”

  “He’s actually been so good…too good.” Gina sighed. “He’s making it all the more difficult. I don’t know what to do.”

  “Well, is there any way you could deal with that guy?” Jill wondered. “Maybe find out some dirt on him and return the favor?” Jill suggested the same thing Gina had thought about. That weasel Benjamin Williams wasn’t going to ease up on her, she knew that much. Blackmailers never did. He had her in the palm of his hand and knew she was helpless. She hated being helpless. She knew she had to find a way to turn the tables and make herself the one holding all the strings.

  “Maybe,” Gina replied. “But I’m not sure I’d be able to do it all in time.” She shook her head. “I mean, I only have a couple of days left before he tells Tyler everything, and then I’ll be even worse off than I am now.” She sighed. “Maybe it would be best just to go, without any word, and disappear. Just tell Tyler it’s over. I don’t know…” She shook her head and buried her face in her hands. She was completely out of ideas. She had never dealt with blackmail before and she was more afraid than she was willing to admit.

  “I think that’s what I’d do,” Jill revealed matter-of-factly. “This is all too much to handle. At least it would be for me.” She shook her head. “I don’t know how you do it, Gin-Gin. My hat’s off to you. But me…” she pointed at her chest with her thumb, “…I’d bail.”

  “Really?” Gina asked, looking at her, though Jill’s words didn’t really come as a surprise. Jill had always been a little selfish, thinking more of herself than of others, and she saw nothing wrong in it. Gina, on the other hand, was much more altruistic.

  “Totally.” Jill nodded. “Just look at this mess. If you stay and Tyler finds out about everything, he could get real vindictive. I mean, I’m sure he’s not the type, but you never know what will push someone over the edge. People can go crazy for less than this. Maybe this is it for him. And then he’d go out of his way to hurt you, to get even, to have his revenge, and he could even try to take the baby away from you.”

  Gina gasped. He wouldn’t…would he? The bottom line was that she didn’t know. She wasn’t sure. And there was really no way to be sure until it was too late. She was unwilling to go down that path if she didn’t need to.

  “I don’t want to scare you, Gin-Gin. You know I wish you well. But maybe it’s best to bail,” Jill concluded. “I mean, if you’re out of the picture, then the weasel has nothing to gain by telling Tyler anything. Meaning, you’re off scot-free,” Jill explained. “You just have to live differently than you expected. Can you do that?”

  “I don’t know.” Gina sighed. She had no idea what life without Tyler, now that she had known him and loved him, would be like. Especially with a child to bring up. She couldn’t even imagine it. But it turned out she would have to.

  “So…go?” Gina asked quietly.

  “I can’t make that decision for you, Gina,” Jill said. “I’m just telling you what I would do. And do consider, we are two different people, you and me. We think differently. We act differently. This is how I would act. And I would stick by it, no matter what. If you do that, could you claim the same?”

  Gina wasn’t sure. She didn’t want to leave Tyler. She didn’t want to be forced to do this. But maybe Jill was right. Breaking his heart would be better than destroying him. Or would it actually be the same?

  “Did you hear that?” Gina suddenly jumped from her seat and rushed to the door. Jill quickly followed.

  “What? What did you hear?” Jill asked, not really sure what had just happened. She didn’t hear anything.

  Gina was just standing there in front of the apartment door. There was no key on her side, and she usually left it there for security purposes. But she couldn’t remember if she left it there this morning. Or did she take it out when Jill arrived? She wasn’t sure. With all that was going on, she couldn’t be sure of anything she did anymore.

  “I thought I heard the door close,” Gina finally said, leaning on the doorknob. The door was locked.

  “I didn’t hear anything.” Jill tried to calm her down. She was sure it was just Gina’s nerves and nothing more. It was perfectly understandable, given her condition and all. “I’m sure you just imagined it. Or maybe one of the neighbors slammed their doors too hard and you thought it was yours.” Jill placed her hand gently on Gina’s shoulder. “It’s fine. Let’s go back and sit down. I’ll make you a nice cup of tea.”

  Gina allowed Jill to lead her back to the living room. It was true she had been edgy and a nervous
wreck in the last couple of days. Jill was probably right. Perhaps she heard nothing, or just the neighbor’s door. Was it her door? Was someone in the apartment? Could it have been Benjamin? She wasn’t sure what she heard. But she was sure of one thing—she was terrified.

  Chapter 20

  Tyler Reid was in his office. It was the first time in his life that he was late, but that wasn’t the reason why he was sitting in his chair, brooding. His shoulders were slumped down heavily, as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders, and his face was buried in his hands. His eyes were closed. It seemed that his eyes had been closed for quite some time, and only now did he realize this. His heart felt heavy inside his chest. Like burning coal, jumping to get out, scorching everything along its path. Tyler was in pain.

  “Mr. Reid?” his secretary shyly asked over the intercom. “Your nine o’clock is here.”

  “Tell him the meeting is cancelled,” Tyler swiftly replied, his voice glum and deep.

  “Oh…alright.” Jeanie sounded confused, having received this instruction for the first time since she started working for him. But something told her this was not the right time to be asking any questions. It was the time to follow orders.

  Tyler Reid had left his home happy that morning. He had woken up like every other morning, he had breakfast like every other morning, and he kissed his wife goodbye like every other morning. Despite everything that had happened, he truly believed that his marriage could be fixed somehow. He just had to find a way. But he wasn’t worried. He loved his wife, and he was sure she loved him. They were going to have a child together. Taking all this into consideration, wasn’t it only natural of him not to worry too much about everything?

  Then he realized he had forgotten something. A stupid thing. The lighter his father had given him for his twentieth birthday, the lighter that was always in his pocket, even though he didn’t smoke anymore. It had become more of a habit now, to feel it inside his pocket, to play with it a little at times when he was feeling nervous or just plain bored. He liked to feel like his father was still there. He remembered that morning he had left it in his other jacket, and naturally, since he was a bit early for work, as usual, he thought it would be a breeze to quickly rush back home and get it. What he didn’t think was that he would find his wife there, with her best friend, thinking of ways to leave him. And worse yet, there seemed to be more secrets in his home and in his marriage that he was unaware of. His wife sounded like a completely different person, someone he didn’t know. It frightened him to hear her talk this way about them, about their marriage.