A Life Unplanned

by Rose von Barnsley

  "Slow down, Kitten. We'll have time for that after work."

  "Are we working late again this evening?" she asked. Her hand slid down between them. We didn't see where it went, but it was obvious where it stopped by the way Roger shifted and jumped a little.

  He grabbed it and brought to his lips and kissed it. "Yes, it'll be just us again tonight. We can take our time then."

  "When are you going to leave her? You're not happy. I can make you happy." She ground her hips down on him.

  "Do you really want me, Kitten? I want the truth. I need to know before I make any final plans. I don't want to leave her and have you run off."

  "It's not you I'm running away from. I promise to stay with you." She leaned in and kissed him.

  He kissed her back and then cradled her face in his hands. "Who are you running from?"

  She looked down, not answering him. "I found something else I wanted." She pulled the coloring book over. She flipped to the page where a cat was driving a car. "If you really love me, you'll get me this car. Do you love me?"

  "Yes, you know I do. Whatever you want, it's yours."

  "You promise?" she asked wide-eyed.

  "Anything for you, Kitten." He kissed her forehead and hugged her tighter. She cried into his shoulder.

  "I need help, Roger."

  He leaned back to see her face. "Of course, anything for you."

  "He's going to sell me again. I need to get away. Can you get us a place, please? I don't want to be with anyone but you."

  I think we all were shocked at her words.

  Roger hugged her, and you could see the sincerity in it this time. "I promise to never let them hurt you. Who is selling you?"

  "My dad, I don't want him to get in trouble. He lost a lot of money, and some bad people are coming after him. He used me to hold them off. Please, Roger, can you help him? Can you pay them, so they'll leave my family alone?"

  "Yes, yes, of course. I don't want anyone else touching you, either. I'm so sorry, Sabrina. I wish you would've told me sooner."

  "I had to be sure that you loved me more, that you'd choose me over your wife. I promise to make you happy, Roger."

  "You've always made me happy, Kitten."

  "Now that I know you picked me, I need to tell you something."

  "What is it, Beautiful?"

  "I'm pregnant, Roger. We're gonna have a baby," she looked up at him nervously.

  He played his part well. He smiled and kissed her cheek softly. "I'll bet she's going to be a beautiful little girl. Thank you for having her."

  Something in what he said changed Sabrina's demeanor. She suddenly looked panicked. "Roger, they have her. They won't let me see her. I'm so sorry. I didn't know you loved me more. I didn't know you were choosing us. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. They think she's Trent's. She's not. I promise she's not. I was just trying to get the money to help my dad, so he wouldn't use me again. Please, please help me get my baby back. I'm sorry I lied. Please, don't be mad. I didn't want them to touch me again."

  "Shush, I'm not mad, Kitten. Now that I know why you said Trent raped you, I'm not mad at all. He didn't really hurt you, did he?"

  "Trent?" she sounded confused.

  "Did Trent rape you, Kitten? If he did, I'm going to be very angry with him."

  "No, no, he didn't. I just needed you to give me money to help my dad."

  "Okay, I promise to take care of it. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you."

  "Can you get our baby back? She's beautiful, Roger. She has your hair. I want to be a family. Promise me that we can be a family."

  "Yes, of course. I love you. I'll get her back."

  She started crying and hugged him tighter. He looked over her shoulder at Mr. Hamilton, who looked downright broken.

  The truth was finally out. The real villain had been exposed. I think we were all sick to hear about Sabrina's father.

  Mr. Hamilton pulled out a chair and sat at the table. Sabrina heard it and turned to look at him. She climbed off Roger's lap and sat back in her seat. You could tell she was studying him, trying to place him.

  "I like the colors you used," he said pointing to the picture in her coloring book.

  She nodded at him. I didn't think Roger's presence registered anymore.

  "You're very pretty," he said with a small smile.

  Her smile was genuine. "Thank you. You're very handsome."

  "Can I hold your hand?" he asked, holding out his, ready to take hers.

  She slipped her hand into his and their smiles widened. He ran his finger over where her wedding ring should have been. Her brow furrowed, and she looked down at where his thumb was.

  "I'm supposed to have a ring," she said focused on her finger.

  "Yes, you have a ring, but the doctor is worried you'll hurt yourself with it."

  "You gave it to me," she said finally putting some pieces together.

  "Yes, you're my wonderful wife."

  "I…I think I miss you sometimes. I'm not sure if I remember everything. Can you tell me?"

  "Always," he promised.

  Brian and Mr. Hamilton's lawyer ushered Trent out and waved for Roger to follow. The sad life Mr. Hamilton had lived unfolded before us. He loved his wife more than anything, but he couldn't have her. She was trapped in her own mind, out of his reach.

  Chapter 31 – Code Pink

  I didn't think anyone was surprised, when Maylene got a separate hotel room for herself. We were all a little sick to our stomachs from watching Roger with that woman and knowing she had been just a girl, a trapped, abused girl no less, and he had taken advantage of her. Her desperation was clear, and her actions were almost understandable…almost. There were so many other ways she could have handled things, but she had chosen wrong, and Trent had paid for it.

  When it came time to leave Boston and head back to Texas, Roger stayed behind. I was pretty sure he and Maylene were getting divorced. I didn't think anyone could blame her after watching him with Sabrina.

  If there had been any doubt that Mr. Hamilton had been behind all the lawsuits, it was gone after that day in the mental hospital. It was only hours later that all of the lawsuits and charges were dropped against Trent. Brian planned to have Kelly find connections between it all and use the paper trail to file a suit against Mr. Hamilton for damages. I didn't think they'd have any trouble doing that.

  I did ask that Trent have Brian wait until after Mr. Hamilton had gone after Sabrina's father. I think we all wanted that man to pay, and it was her husband's place to foot the bill for it, especially since he was loaded, and we weren't.

  Finally back home, the time had come to address the suit against Dr. Mathias Harding. We sat in front of the medical review board, and it was strange being the one accusing as opposed to being on the side of the accused. Trent had been innocent, but Mathias was not. Dr. Coust had gone the extra mile for us and had gotten in good with his nurses. He had mistreated the nurses he had worked with, and she found one who would testify against him.

  Kelly had also been working on that case as well. It was sad to hear that fifteen other cases had been brought to the board's attention, only to have them all be dismissed, because of the lack of medical knowledge of the accusers. In other words, Mathias had been able to smooth talk the board, insisting the families were just distraught and looking for a scapegoat.

  In the end, I was thankful I had forgotten to change doctors, so Trent was able to testify against him and really make a difference, as did Dr. Coust, who had come in early to check on me and had witnessed some of Mathias' behavior herself. It was because of me that two medical professionals had observed his neglect and endangerment, making them credible witnesses.

  We weren't pushing for financial restitution, but to get his license revoked. I think that was what really surprised the board. We wanted no compensation; we just wanted to stop Mathias from hurting anyone else.

  The nurse who testified on our behalf had also been present for two of his other cases. She ha
d never been brought before the board, when they had reviewed Mathias in the past. Mathias held his own with a charming smile, but he had lost his shine in the board's eyes, and Brian not only cross-examined the nurse and asked about my case, but previous cases that Trent and she had reviewed and found that Mathias had been negligent.

  Ultimately, Mathias didn't have a chance. He was ruined as a doctor. I think the most shocking thing about the whole mess was his reaction. Once his license was revoked, he just rolled his eyes and said, "Whatever." I could only guess that it hadn't really sunk in.

  There was an older woman in the back of the room who stood up abruptly. She was glaring hard at the board members and seemed to be waiting for everyone to leave. I saw Kelly pause, but I didn't know what she was doing, until she rushed us out to her van. She flipped a switch and turned on a screen. We could see the underside of a bench in the room we had just left.

  "Beverly, there was just too much evidence this time. There were three medical professionals present."

  "Your son's an idiot. He's careless and reckless. His bad practicing isn't our fault," another voice said.

  "No, but your lack of funding will be yours. Reinstate Mathias' license immediately or I'm pulling my donations from the eight hospitals and clinics I support on his behalf. How well do you think Waco residence will survive, when you have to downsize and possibly close several medical care facilities?"

  "Your son has nearly killed people with his carelessness and permanently damaged others! We've overlooked it in the past because of the funding, but we can't this time. Do you really think those people won't keep tabs on your son?"

  "I did NOT raise a loser! He will not be a worthless bastard like his father. You will re-instate him now!"

  Trent was out of the van and running back into the building. I stuck my head out and called to him, but he told me to just wait where I was, as he pressed his phone to his ear.

  It was pretty obvious what was going on, and I wasn't sure how Trent was going to affect the outcome.

  We could hear the door slam open as he entered, and I was shocked to hear him say the words, "Thanks, Dad."

  "Dr. Carrington, what brings you back and in such a rush?" one of them asked.

  "I just got off the phone with my father. He's decided he wants to make a sizable donation to eight of your medical facilities."

  "Donations from the families of doctors can be-"

  "Oh, can it, Greg. Just because the last time donations were accepted in such a way turned out badly, doesn't mean they will this time. Dr. Carrington is an excellent doctor. His abilities have never been called into question, and from what I understand, you were able to track down the source of harassment and stop it for good, correct?" someone asked Trent.

  "Yes, Ma'am, I was able to do that, and there'll be no more false accusation brought against me."

  "That's great to hear, Dr. Carrington. It looks like our hospitals will be falling under a deficit shortly, so any way your father could help would be greatly appreciated."

  "So you've made your choice?" Mathias' mother snapped.

  "There was never a choice to make. It was done the moment you threatened us, Beverly. I believe it's time for you to go, or do I have to call security to escort you out?"

  Reality sank in, as Trent returned to us. He had just made another very rich enemy. I looked at Kelly and Brian, hoping they already had a plan of attack. "You're going to stop her before she can do anything to him, right?"

  "Already on it," Kelly said with a smile. She had her laptop open and was shooting out a profile to some people. I could only assume it was her employees.

  When Trent made it back to the van, I punched him in the shoulder. "You just pissed off another rich person," I scolded.

  His smile fell a little. "I couldn't let them reinstate Mathias."

  "So what did you tell your father to get him to agree to the donations?"

  "Nothing yet, but he owes me."

  Roger was a bit of a sore spot. No one talked about him, but since he had been gone so much before, I didn't think anyone really missed him, other than Maylene. I think she had it the hardest of all. She was alone in her big house, with no one coming home to her.

  Trent cleared things up with the hospital in Livingston, and we finally made the official move to his little house. He was happy to be back, especially since the bitch who had been sexually harassing him there was finally gone.

  I hadn't found a job yet, and Trent mentioned offhandedly that I could stay home with the kids if I wanted. It was tempting, but I didn't want to be dependent on him. I didn't want my world to revolve around him any more than it already did.

  Maylene called and asked if I'd like to visit with her. She was going to be baking bread and thought it'd be fun for me to help. I'd made bread with my mom before and thought it'd be fun for little Tyler to knead a loaf.

  Maylene might have been depressed and stressed, but she was still Maylene. We were elbow deep in dough, when she finally asked the question I was sure she and my mother were dying to know the answer to. "Have you and Trent talked at all about marriage?"

  I shrugged. We hadn't really discussed it. He'd asked me, but I'd told him a crazy man was getting out of jail. What I should have said was maybe or yes…I think I would have said yes.

  "Clara?" she asked, noticing I was distracted.

  "He asked me." I figured honesty was the best policy, and Trent hadn't brought up his proposal since that night. He might not have really meant it for all I knew.

  "I didn't see a ring. Are you not ready yet?" she asked delicately.

  "Um…no, I just didn't answer him. It was the night we found out Hamilton wasn't going to be charged with kidnapping. Trent took off, and that was the end of it. He hasn't mentioned it since."

  "Do you want him to mention it?"

  "Maybe he's not ready. He's been through a lot. We all have. I don't want him to feel pressured."

  "So you'd say yes," she said with a wide grin.

  I shrugged, blushing.

  "Well, being ready to say yes is half the battle now, isn't it? When he asks you again, do you think you'll be ready to say yes then?"

  "Probably, hopefully another stupid life event won't interfere with it," I grumbled.

  "How about we practice? I'll play Trent, and you be you. Clara, my love, you are a ray of sunlight in my dark life, will you marry me?"

  She had done her best to imitate Trent's voice. She was a horrible actress, and it was hilarious.

  I decided to ham it up for her in return. "Oh, Trent, I'd love nothing more than to be your wife. You are my sunrise, and I want to spend the rest of my days birthing your babies and baking you pies."

  "Excellent, I love apple. So, when's the date?" Trent asked from behind me. I nearly jumped out of my skin, and the kids all screamed excitedly for their daddy.

  Tyler jumped into his arms, and Katie was squealing at him from her bouncer. He went over and picked her up, before he came over to me, holding both of our kids. "So, we got the birthing thing down, how about that pie and a wedding date?" he asked a little too seriously.

  Maylene shocked me by passing me a recipe card for apple pie. I looked down at it and started laughing. "Did you guys set this up?"

  "No, I'd mentioned you were coming over to help bake bread, and if he had a chance, he should come for lunch," Maylene confessed.

  "Well, you have to propose with a ring if you want a pie."

  He set Tyler down and used his now-free hand to cup my cheek and kissed my lips. Tyler groaned and called us gross. When Trent stepped back, he pulled a ring box out of his pocket. "I've been carrying this thing around for a while now. Any chance I can talk you into wearing it and being my wife?"

  I took the box from him and opened it. The ring was beautiful. "Do I really have to make you pie?" I asked.

  He shrugged. "I can live without it. Though I think I might want you to birth a couple more of my babies," he said the last part with a bit of southern t
wang, like I had used when I'd played with Maylene.

  I reached up and pulled him down for another kiss. "You got yourself a deal."

  We heard a squeal, and Maylene excitedly shouted into her phone, "Code pink, Karen, we have a code pink! The wedding is on! He just asked her right here in the kitchen! It was so cute. I wish I'd videoed it."

  Trent and I burst out laughing, and he slipped the ring on my finger. We were done kneading dough for the day, anyways.

  Now that it was done, and I had said yes, I knew it was the right answer and would be the best decision of my life.

  Chapter 32 – A Lot Can Happen in a Year

  It took some time, but Kelly nailed Beverly Harding, Mathias's mother, with tax fraud and bribery. She also dug up more dirt on the board, as well as looking into other medical cases that had been dismissed. When further research had been done, they found Mathias had really done only minimal damage. Thankfully, nothing permanent had happened to any of his patients, and no one had actually died from his negligence. I could only speculate that was why the board had let him get away with practicing for so long. Needless to say, the board was fired, and the hospital insurance paid out the nose to the families who had been hurt.

  I would have thought Mathias would have been out for revenge, so I was nervous, when we bumped into him and a red-headed woman at a caterer's event for a tasting. Trent actually pulled me behind him, ready to protect me. Mathias, on the other hand, wore a big smile. "Trent, good to see you. This is my girl, Nicole. Nicki, this is Dr. Carrington. He's the one who got my medical license revoked."

  We were confused, when she smiled so widely we thought her face would bust. "Oh, my gosh! Thank you so much! We're so glad he was finally able to get out of that profession. He's wanted to be an artist all his life, but his mother wouldn't let him. She wouldn't release his trust fund and said he couldn't have it until he was married with kids. She was sure they'd make him responsible. That and she wanted to get rid of me. I can't have kids," Nicki said frowning.