CHAPTER TEN

<p>WHO IS THE FATHER?!!!! <br/><br/>Rhida woke up and saw herself in a very spacious ward. She stood up and went out, she saw two bodyguards in front of her ward and she looked at them <br/>" Who are you?" She asked but they remained silent. She went back in, trying to figure out what happened <br/><br/>"She will be suspicious of you if you keep doing that," Donald said, sounding worried<br/>" Are you telling me I don't have the right to even take care of the woman carrying my baby? Is this not your plan from the beginning? Why are you like this? I'm not going to do that. In fact, I'm going to tell her that I'm the father of her baby" Iver said <br/>" But..." <br/>" No buts, that's what I'm going to do," Iver said and he stood up and turned to leave <br/>" Did you want to repeat what happened five years ago?" Donald said and Iver stopped in his tracks, Donald knew saying this was like opening up his very painful wound but he was scared that what he had been planning will ruined and another life will be wasted <br/><br/>what Iver did not want to hear. Those words cut through him like a knife. <br/><br/>Iver's face turned pale as the memories flooded back. He remembered the hurt he had caused, the trust he had betrayed, and the damage he had done to his relationship with Donald. It was a wound that had taken years to heal, and he had vowed never to make the same mistake again.<br/><br/>Donald's words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of their shared history. Iver felt a mix of guilt and anger welling up inside him. He couldn't bear the thought of repeating his past mistakes, especially not with something as precious as his child's future at stake.<br/><br/>Donald sighed, a mixture of regret and worry evident in his eyes. " I'm sorry to say that boss but I was scared that's all. What I planned was that after three months of her pregnancy discovery, I will then tell you about her. I knew after three months, aborting pregnant will be illegal and even if she was threatened to abort it, it will be illegal. I never knew you did get attached to her this way"<br/><br/>Iver signed and turned to him <br/>" I'm sorry, I forgot about her," He said, his voice full of sadness and regret as if was battling and holding himself from bursting and crumbling. <br/>" It's okay, I set her up with you so you can forget about her and move on," Donald said, fighting back his tears and bowed before leaving. <br/><br/>Iver sighed and stare at the window, he bring out the handkerchief in his pocket and the familiar chain was tangled with it. He looked at the two objects that held those memories he cherished. What he wondered was the most important and precious one to him between them. <br/><br/>The doctor walked up to Rhida at her VIP ward and he bowed <br/>" This is the result we obtain after the test," He said and handed over the report to her <br/>" Congratulations ma'am you are three weeks pregnant," He said with a smile and Rhida's eyes opened wide <br/>" A... Did you just say A... A pregnant?" she said her voice coming in a quivering whisper <br/>" Yes Ma'am," The doctor said again with a smile and a familiar voice roared from the back. It was Elina's voice. She was sure of that. <br/>" Did you just say pregnant?" She hollered and Rhida gestured the doctors to leave and he left <br/><br/>" A what? Pregnancy? Where did you get it? Who is the father?" Elina asked, her voice shaking and Rhida looked down at her fingers, in short of words, she didn't know where to start <br/>" Can't you say it! Who is the father!!!!" Elina shouted and Rhida closed her eyes, scared <br/>" Father of who?" <br/>That voice she has been praying not to hear at this moment. It was Anne, her friend. <br/>Elina turned and rushed to her <br/>" The doctor just confirmed that she was pregnant and she refused to tell me the father" Elina explained and Anne went to her <br/>" Who is the father? Is it Jade?" Anne asked and Rhida quickly shook her head <br/>"I and Jade broke up five weeks ago," She said and Elina sit beside her <br/>" Then who? You need to tell us so we can know the next thing to do" Elina said and Rhida looked down at her hand, twisting her fingers <br/><br/>" Actually... That night when I called you that I will get over Jade, I went to the bar where we meet and I got drunk then I... I... I... I.. I.. Have a one night with a strange man" She said and Elina shouted <br/>" HUH... UH?" <br/>Anne looked at her <br/>"Then you don't know the father? " Anne asked and she nodded <br/>" Then we are going to abort it," She said and Rhida shook her head, covering her stomach <br/>" No, I will keep it, it is my baby and I will take care of it" Rhida covered her tummy <br/>" Did you want to be a single parent?" <br/>" I will make sure to do that. I will take good care of it. Please I don't want to kill it, it is innocent" She said, touching her tummy and Anne sit down <br/>" Did you want him to grow up like Ken? He was always bullied and made jest at by his classmates at school for not having a father. He always makes sure to keep it from me so I won't feel bad. See how much he is pulling up on his own, struggling on his own, he is just seven years old! Did you want your child to also suffer like that?" Anne said tears blurred her vision and Rhida was speechless she touch her tummy and sighed <br/>" Let abort it before leaving here, the more you keep it and feel it, the more desperate you feel when you want to abort it" Anne said with an emotionless expression on her face <br/>" Just one day, I promise I won't be desperate. Just one-day" Rhida said, tears blurred her vision and Anne hugged her, making her burst into tears. <br/>" I'm sorry Rhida" Anne said and pat her back, also crying <br/>" Rhida, we just want the best for you," Elina said, touching her shoulder. <br/><br/>Elina left the ward, needing some time alone. She felt bad about Rhida aborting her pregnancy but she has no choice she can't watch Rhida suffer alone while raising her child. She exhale through her mouth, trying not to cry and then she bumped into someone, making her bag fall. All her ID and the books fall. <br/>" I'm sorry" The person bends and helps her to pack it. <br/>She also bend down and pack her things, a tear fell from her eye. The person help her with it and he hand over her bag to her and she collected it. She was about to leave when the person gave her a handkerchief for her to wipe her tears. She looked at the person and he smiled at her before leaving. <br/>She looked at him as he left <br/>" Isn't that Donald, Iver's girlfriend?" She looked at him as he enter a ward. <br/><br/>Iver watched from the hospital window as Rhida and her friends left the hospital. <br/>Donald came in <br/>" I will do as you say and show up after three months," Iver said and Donald's eyes brightened <br/>" But what if she thinks of aborting it?" Iver asked, turning to him <br/>" Then I prepare a plan two," Donald said, half smiling and Iver stare at him <br/><br/>Rhida and her friends got home. Elina went to her room, staring at the handkerchief <br/>" He is gay but why is he so caring?" She wondered <br/><br/>Anne left for the hospital and Rhida lay on her bed, touching her tummy, she couldn't believe a living soul was there. But how can she kill it when she was the one that called it? It is so innocent but she wants to kill it...She is a murderer. She rolled to the other side of the bed and sighed, feeling as if all the world's grief were lifted to her shoulders. <br/><br/>At night, Anne came home to cook for her son, and Elina and Rhida were also in the kitchen, trying to forget what has happened earlier until the doorbell ring <br/>Elina went there and she saw a delivery truck. <br/>" Who...." <br/>" I'm asking of Miss Rhida," The delivery man said and Elina called Rhida. Anne joined them too. The three of them watched as they bring out the things from the trunk; Energy drinks, clothes for pregnant women, drugs, food, snacks, Gold, silver, accessories, and others<br/>" I was told to deliver this to you Mrs," The delivery man said, referring to her as a married woman and they were speechless <br/>" I was also told to give this letter to you" The delivery man gave Rhida and they watched as the truck exited from their view. <br/>Elina was the first person to snap from her daze and then Anne and they stare at her with an unbelievable look <br/>It took them almost thirty minutes to move the goods in and they rounded each other as Rhida opened the letter; it was anonymous <br/><br/>" I don't know where to start but I did like to apologize for showing up now. I have my reasons. I'm sorry but it did take me a while to show up, please take care of my child in your womb, I will continue sending this to you, you are free to send the delivery man back to me if you are curious or craving for anything. Once again, I'm sorry, please take care of my child, I'm ready to hold any responsibility" <br/> Regards to you and my child <br/><br/>Rhida stares at her friends and they stare back at her. They held each other gaze for some while before the three of them jumped up and shouted together <br/>" it has a father! A responsible father!" Anne screamed <br/>" You don't have to abort it again!!!!!!" Elina also screamed <br/>" I don't have to abort it again!!!" Rhida said and they all jumped up, rounding themselves. <br/><br/>Iver got home and saw a small box at the entrance of his house and he enters, closing the door, and sat on a chair. <br/>He opened the box and saw an envelope, he touched it, feeling sensitive. <br/>He saw a picture there and he recognise the picture, it was Rhida's picture, socked in blood, he threw it away, scared and shifted to a corner, sweating profusely. Then he saw a letter beside him, he knew it fell from the box and he opened it with trembling hand, it was written in blood <br/><br/> "I know she is pregnant, that person you care for... " <br/><br/>He threw it away and scurried to the dark corner, shaking, and scared. He stare at the papers full of the smell of blood and he screamed again, covering his ears as he keeps hearing the loud voice <br/>" Why did you murder me? How can you kill me!!!!" He covers his ears, sweating and shaking his head. <br/>" That can never happen, I can't kill you, I can never!"</p>