Twisted Pursuits

by Krystal Morrison

  “Hmm”, he said between mouthfuls, “tastes great, you should try some”, he added indicating to a heavily laden tray in the center of the table.

  She shook her head, struggling to calm her stomach and hoping that her unease was not evident on her features. What had brought about such a drastic change in him, she wondered, almost certain now that her secret was safe as she was sure that had he known he would not be so calm.

  He frowned, “why not. If my memory serves me right, it was one of your favorite meals”.

  Her heart warmed at the knowledge that he remembered such an inconsequential thing. She smiled and relaxed for the first time since he had summoned her; maybe he just wanted to talk. He had been somewhat supportive throughout the arrangements for Nana’s funeral. Though he had not made any physical appearances he had inquired of the arrangements on several occasions and had offered monetary assistance which she had declined. Now she knew where all that money from Grandpa Mack and Lauren’s own small earning over the years had gone as they had found a chest stashed away in a secret corner of Nana’s closet with a substantial amount of money, coupled with what she had in a her bank account. Aunt Dorothy had offered to share it but Lauren had declined.

  “Thanks you”, she murmured, “but I’ll just have some dried toast”, maybe it would settle her stomach somewhat, she decided. Something shifted in his hazel eyes but it was gone before Lauren could decipher what it was.

  She had barely said the words before Mrs. Stewart appeared, toast and orange juice in hand, “I thought you might want your usual”, she said.

  Lauren accepted the meal and thanked her before she began to nibble at a crunchy slice.

  “So what are your plans for the near future”, Jordan asked out of the blue.

  She was taken aback by the question. “I don’t know”, she stuttered, “Finish college. Prolong my music career”, she lied. What was she supposed to tell him that she was going to run off and raise their children by herself?

  He made no response. He just stared at her with fathomless light brown eyes that seemed to strip her to her very soul. Panic stricken she pushed aside her unfinished meal and steeled herself for what was to come. She felt as if she was going to be sick.

  She was utterly shocked when he merely glanced away from her face to her clothes and muttered, “Why the grubby, loose fitting attire? Am I to assume that you’ve lost your recently discovered appreciation for fashionable clothing already?”

  She made no comment. She was too busy trying to make sense of the situation. Why was he stringing her along? Why not just say what he had to and get it over with? Besides she needed to leave before she lost the battle with her stomach.

  “Tight budget constraints”, he jeered, a dark expression crossing his features, “pity, you threw away your stick before you crossed the waters as my grandmother would say”.

  She colored bright pink at his insinuation, “did you call me here to insult me or did you have another reason”, she asked through clenched teeth. His lips merely curled with sadistic satisfaction. “I’m sorry I got carried away for a moment there”, he murmured, “I merely wanted to inquire after your health”

  “I’m fine”, she quickly assured him.

  He frowned, “Are you sure. I mean even now you look a little pale to me”, he said, stroking his chin leisurely, “You know I was speaking to one of my friends who is a doctor the other day and he found your situation quite puzzling. He even suggested that I take you to see him…”

  “You spoke to someone about me without my consent”, she interrupted, her rage as a result of fear rather than actual anger. She refused to even consider what else the doctor might have told him.

  “Don’t you want to get better” –

  “I am fine and that is beside the point”, she interrupted, feeling cornered, she resorted to rage in an urgent bid to save herself. Perhaps if she pretended to be angry he would become convinced that whatever notion he had was untrue.

  “I merely…” he tried to defend himself before she blasted on.

  “Save it. My health is my responsibility, not yours”, she shouted and pushed back her chair and stood, “this conversation is over”.

  She prayed that he bought her little act and would not follow her as she marched from the room and rushed upstairs where she was violently sick.

  JORDAN WATCHED HER RETREATING back and swore under his breath. He had hoped to goad the truth from her but his plan had failed miserably, if anything, it had only made her suspicious of him. He had used the better part of the night before, after he had left her room to do a little research and as such he was positive that she was pregnant and had been for some time now. But why would she hide such a thing from him? He had to consider the possibility that it was not his child; after all they had been separated for about a month.

  Shrugging aside his sordid thoughts he retrieved his cell phone from his jacket pocket and proceeded to call Daniel, his driver slash bodyguard slash Private Investigator whenever the need arose. Plan A had failed hence it was time to move on to plan B.

  “Good Morning Mr. Myles”, he answered promptly after the first ring.

  “Good Morning Daniel” Jordan responded, “Meet me at the house in five minutes”.

  “Ok. I’ll be there”.

  Always the reliable, he was at Jordan’s door in exactly five minutes.

  “I have an assignment for you”, Jordan began as soon as they were seated in his office at home, “Although not as tedious as ones past, it is very important and no less technical”.

  “Ok Sir”, Daniel replied, a puzzled expression crossing his usually expressionless features, “have I not always been efficient?”

  “Yes, of course”, Jordan muttered, “I want Surveillance Cameras placed in all the main rooms of the house as well as the areas outside that were not covered before.”, he added matter of factly, “also the phones, bug them and I want you to keep an eye on Lauren. If she so much as opens the front door I want to know about it”.

  They went over the intricate details of what it was that was expected of Daniel to ensure that there were no glitches in Jordan’s plans. If Lauren would not give him answers he would simply have to get them himself by any means necessary.

  “Is that all boss”, Daniel inquired without batting an eyebrow at the odd request.

  “Yes; for now at least. I’ll inform you if I have any further requests. Remember to keep me posted, regularly”, the entire situation left a sour taste in his mouth.

  Daniel nodded and silently left the room.

  CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

  LAUREN LOUNGED ON HER BED, trying earnestly to make sense of what had transpired between Jordan and herself earlier. She sighed heavily; what a muddle she had made of her life. She was still not sure if Jordan knew her secret or not. Now that she thought about it Jordan had said nothing out of the ordinary to hint that he knew anything of her pregnancy, maybe he wanted her out of his house, she thought.

  Her presence must be causing a damper on his plans. She had been so engrossed in her own chaotic existence that she had never considered how her being there had been affecting him. She had been dragging her foot about leaving for some time now but the time was finally upon her. Jordan needed space so he could move on with his life and sadly she hers. She had hurt him enough as it was.

  It was absurd to think that Jordan would know about her pregnancy, she told herself, but she would stay a few more days to ensure that all was well then she would leave quietly. She did not think that she would have the nerve to say goodbye to Jordan face to face so she might just leave him a note. Tears blurred her vision as she wished for the millionth time that she had stood her ground and not given in to Nana’s prodding. Why couldn’t she have trusted Jordan as he had asked? She cried even harder as she recalled the look on his face as he had proposed.

  The next few days were the worst Lauren had experienced in a long while. She was so sick that she could hardly eat, she could not sleep and Jor
dan appearing at odd hours of the day was doing nothing to ease her stress. Even her babies, it seemed, were perturbed as they had become quite active.

  Almost a week after her altercation with Jordan at the breakfast table she saw an opportunity to leave and she grasped it with both hands. She had not seen Jordan in two days and she supposed it was as good a time as any. Her suitcase was already packed and she had written a note and given it to Mrs. Stewart to give to Jordan when he returned later on. She called a taxi and trudged down the stairs to await its arrival, refusing to face the emptiness inside her heart. She felt so sad she wanted to curl up in a ball and cry until she had no tears left. Soon she consoled herself; she could allow the darkness to close in on her when she got to her own house.

  She glanced around the sitting room one last time, she would miss the place. She had already said her goodbyes to Mrs. Stewart so she made her way to the front door, opened it and stepped out into the brilliant sunshine. She made her way to the waiting car in a trance like state, mourning the man she loved dearly but would have to leave behind.

  She was so distraught that she never heard another car as it drew to a halt a few paces behind her until she felt a steely grip on her left arm.

  “Where the hell do you think you’re going”, she felt as if ice water was trickling through her veins as she realized that it was Jordan.

  She glanced at his face, livid with rage and knew her day of reckoning had come. Her knees buckled but his grip on her arm kept her upright as he practically dragged her towards the house. God, why had she bothered with this foolhardy plan in the first place and now Jordan was going to kill her. She wished she was a snail so she could crawl under her shell and hide from his wrath.

  Upon reaching the house he propelled her towards his office, firmly shut the door and shoved her unto a lounge chair and towered over her.

  “Talk, now”, he commanded, his tone brooked no argument as he moved away from her to prop himself against his desk.

  Anger began to replace the nostalgia inside her. He had no right to treat her like this or speak to her in such a manner.

  “I’m telling you nothing”, she retorted, standing, “in fact I’m leaving”.

  “Sit. Down!” he roared, his eyes resembled embers of fire and his dark expression grew cruel. She flopped to her seat, fear knotting her insides.

  A muscle twitched in his left cheek as he edged towards her, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. She sensed a violence exploding in him and she had the distinct thought that he was going to hit her. Her blood ran cold as she imagined his fist striking her over and over. She scanned the room for an escape or something to defend herself with but the door was too far away and there wasn’t even a figurine in sight.

  She cowered away from him, her hands enveloping her stomach in an attempt to protect her babies.

  “Don’t hit me please”, she begged. He paused for a second, an odd expression crossing his features before he continued.

  She closed her eyes; tensing for his onslaught when it was evident he would not be dissuaded. Jordan brushed aside her hands, grabbed her baggy sweater and ripped it down the middle. Still not satisfied he went on to rid her of the offensive garment entirely. She sagged in relief when it became evident that he meant no harm. When the evidence he had sought became apparent in the slight bulge of her abdomen he stood and lugged behind his desk and sank into his chair, numb to the very core of his being.

  He had started second guessing his discovery over the past few days as nothing in her actions had suggested that she was pregnant and she never spoke about it, not even to Anna. He had come this close to confronting her when her phone calls had yielded no results and then she had called a taxi and Daniel had seen her on the surveillance cameras saying goodbye to Mrs. Stewart. He had not given any thought to what would happen now that he knew for sure.

  “Is the child mine?” he asked in a monotonous voice.

  “Of course”, Lauren answered in a trembling voice, taken aback by the question, “I have not been with anyone else”.

  The anger he had felt ever since he found out that she was pregnant returned with a vengeance.

  “And you hid it from me, why?” he exploded, “Were you planning on throwing it away?”

  She recoiled as if slapped, cradling her stomach with her hands as if to protect the baby from his harsh words, “How could you even think such a thing after what happened last time”, she said, her voice cracking with emotion.

  He had the nerve to look abashed, but only for a moment.

  “Then what is the meaning of all this?” he asked, his cold voice rising an octave.

  “What is the meaning of what”, she responded with a calmness she was far from feeling, “I merely wish to raise my children on my own”.

  “Did I just hear you say children?” Jordan asked in shock.

  “Umm… I’m having twin babies…” Lauren murmured folding her lips together, not trusting herself to speak as every time she opened her mouth she seemed to make him angrier. Apparently she had a death wish.

  “You were going to take my kids to God knows where and allow them to starve, that is if they survived long enough to be born.”

  “How dare…”-

  “Silence”, Jordan barked, slamming his palms unto his desk with a deafening thud and she jumped.

  He rose from his chair and came around to the front of his desk, “You know, I’ve always thought you were sensible but know I realize that you are an utter fool”.

  She reddened at the insult, “women raise kids on their own all the time”, she mumbled almost inaudibly.

  Jordan laughed harshly, “do you have any idea how those women struggle even when they have a job. What if, God forbid, they are born with some incurable illness…the possibility of things going wrong are endless”, he noticed that the more he said the paler she had gotten.

  He had to do something to prevent her from running away from him, “we’ll have no choice but to marry”, at least that way she would be under public scrutiny at all times so she wouldn’t be able to do anything without him knowing.

  Lauren shot up from her chair so fast that her head spun, “over my dead body”, she spat.

  “We can divorce after a few years but at the moment I have to protect my children from your rash ways”, Jordan continued ignoring her comment altogether, “and of course I cannot have my commitment to family questioned. Not to worry you’ll get a handsome settlement upon our divorce”.

  “I am not marrying you”, she repeated forcefully.

  “So help me God you will”, he said coldly, “and if you so much as attempt to escape me you’ll never see my children beyond the time it takes you to bring them into this world”, he threatened.

  Lauren fell back into the chaise dejectedly. He meant every word; she could see it in the hard jut of his chin. He would take her babies from her without a second thought. Her stomached roiled at the thought.

  “Do I make myself clear?”

  She nodded reluctantly, accepting defeat none too gracefully.

  “I should have allowed you to leave”, Jordan said gruffly, his eyes goring her “perhaps the harsh reality would have taught you a little selflessness but someone must think of the children because apparently you won’t”.

  He spoke the last words with scorn as he glanced away from her his face creasing with disgust as if he could not bear the sight of her.

  “You may leave”, he said dismissively as he spun his chair so that his back was to her.

  She rose and left the room, feeling as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Slowly she made her way to her bedroom and crawled into bed.

  CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

  JORDAN HUNG HIS HEAD IN DISTRESS. He had thought a confrontation with her would bring him a modicum of peace, yet he was more haunted than ever. She had looked so ill when she was leaving the room earlier that he had instantly regretted his cruel treatment of her. He had to remember that she was pregn
ant with his child, no children he reminded himself and stress was not good for either the babies or her.

  He had called Doctor Hedley and after telling him exactly what he thought of him for endangering his children’s lives all because of an alleged doctor-patient confidentiality he had demanded to know every last detail of her condition. He had been contemplating a DNA test but after his conversation with Doctor Hedley and based on his calculations he was certain that she had been pregnant when she had left his estate.

  Then it was onto the unpleasant affair of their wedding. He had decided that there was no reason to prolong the inevitable, the sooner she had his name, the better. He made a mental note to provide a press release of his marriage to as many media houses as possible, that way she could not so easily disappear into thin air.

  He shook aside his morbid thoughts and climbed the stairs to her bedroom. She bade him enter after the third knock. The sight of her curled up in the middle of the bed, her features pale and drawn tugged at his heartstrings. He hardened his heart, he had to remember that this woman had almost ruined him, it was ironic but sometimes he thought she had succeeded.

  “What do you want?” she asked dismally

  “I’ve made arrangements for us to be married tomorrow afternoon”, Jordan said brusquely chiding himself for his foolishness, "I also made an appointment for you to select a dress at two o’clock. Daniel will take you, that this if you’re feeling up to it”.

  She laughed without humor, “so you really mean to carry out this silly plan of yours”, she murmured.

  “I do not bluff”, he replied in a clipped tone, “I leave that to people who have nothing better to do”.

  “You are so heartless”, she said as tears filled her eyes.

  Rage exploded inside him. What right did she have to cry? As if he was the one who had hurt her.

  “Do you want to know what is heartless”, he said disdainfully, “heartless is when your fiancé ditches you a week before your wedding, force you to endure whispers behind your back and curious stares, heartless is when the woman you care about pretends to feel the same then throws your sentiments in your face and heartless is when someone denies you the right to know your own damned children”.