Responsibilities.

Cara turned to stare at her in utter shock.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Everly apologized, sensing Cara's discomfort. "I'm only a mother concerned for her son's well-being. You see, I have been watching you for a while now and you're very different from the other young ladies I've seen around my son. You're quite hardworking and conservative. You have some self-respect and you are raised in a disciplined home. I understand that you had some difficulties in the past that led you to meet the side of my son you shouldn't have, and I apologize for that."

Cara stared speechlessly at her as she spoke.

"You see, Dom is…a very complicated young man. Ever since his father's death, he has been so broken and the only way he finds solace is to have relationships with multiple women and break each one's heart. I'm sick and tired of having to contend with his wild behavior and I know that getting him a partner for life will change him. You can change him, my dear. That's my only wish as a mother. So please, will you consider my request?"

Cara didn't know what to say or how to feel. It was so disturbing that Dom's mother had come out of nowhere and suddenly expected her to marry her son whom she barely knew, except for that one-night stand encounter. What bothered her, even more, was the fact that she was already pregnant with her son. Perhaps she should tell her about it too, she reasoned.

"Well…ma'am I…I don't know about that…" she muttered. "But…there's something important you need to know.

"Which is…?" she inquired curiously and Cara hesitated a bit. She parted her lips to speak but hesitated for a while.

"I…I'm pregnant, and your son is the father."

Everly gaped at her in surprise.

"You're…pregnant?" Everly muttered in shock.

"I just found out today. I'm terrified. I don't know how to feel about it. Most of all, my mother would be sad."

"How far gone are you?"

"I…I tested manually. I haven't gone to a hospital yet."

A wide, joyful smile abruptly appeared on her face and it surprised Celine a bit.

"I can't believe it! I'm going to be a grandmother! I'm finally going to have a grandchild…!" she beamed excitedly and Cara was a bit startled by her cheerful jubilations.

"Shouldn't you be upset or something? I'm not from a prestigious family like you and your likes. Shouldn't you be mad that your son got involved with a pauper like me?" she questioned but Everly only laughed.

"That's nonsense, my dear. I don't know about the other moguls in this country but that's not me. I stand for equality and I follow people for their personalities, not wealth." she elaborated with an innocent smile, but Cara wasn't convinced.

Rich people always had a bad, nasty attitude towards the lower class. What could be different about her?

"Cara dear, you carrying my son's child is an even bigger advantage for us! Dom will have no choice but to accept you as his wife. You get to be a part of the Harrington family and I get to have a grandchild. Everyone gets what they want, don't you see?" she muttered, grasping her hands with excitement. Cara took a deep breath and looked at her, trying to gauge if she was sincere.

"No…you don't understand. I don't want to marry your son, and neither have I planned on having a child now. I'm just not ready for any of this yet…I have a life to live. I…I don't plan on keeping the baby," Cara finally admitted, looking down at her hands.

"You want to get rid of this child? No, you can't, this child is important to me. You can't…you can't get rid of it. Cara, please try to understand." Everly pleaded.

"I know that it must be a difficult decision for you, but I urge you to reconsider," Everly said empathetically. "This is your chance to have a family with my son. You don't have to do this alone."

Cara was surprised by Everly's suggestion. She had never considered marrying Dom, especially since their relationship had been purely physical. There was no love between them.

"I appreciate your offer, Mrs. Harrington, but I can't marry Dom. We don't love each other," Cara explained.

"I understand that, but please think about the child. It deserves a chance to grow up with both parents around," Everly pleaded.

Cara was torn. She had never thought about the child's future, but Everly's words made sense. The baby deserved a chance to have a family, a stable one.

"I'll think about it," Cara replied, still unsure.

"That's all I ask," Everly beamed, her voice full of hope. "I want to help you, Cara. You don't have to go through this alone."

Cara felt a lump form in her throat, and tears stung her eyes. She had been so alone and confused, trying to figure everything out by herself. Everly's kindness touched her, and for the first time, she felt like she had someone on her side.

"Thank you," Cara whispered and feigned a smile, her voice breaking.

As they left the café, Everly put her hand on Cara's shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm here for you," she said, her eyes filled with compassion."You can have my private phone number and call me if you finally make a decision. I will be waiting for your response."

After handing her a card with her number written on it, she got into her black Mercedes Benz S-class with her bodyguards and Cara watched the car drive away from the parking lot and into the highway.

She was grateful for Everly's words and felt some relief, but she was still unsure about what to do.

'I'm not even sure that Dom would want me or this child in his life. He made his feelings towards me clear that night. This sucks…' she thought to herself as she boarded a taxi.

——————————————————

Everly drove in her sleek black Mercedes down the winding road, lined with lush greenery and towering trees, until she reached her son's luxurious mansion. The residence was an architectural

masterpiece, with towering pillars, ornate carvings, and sparkling chandeliers visible from the wide windows. As she stepped out of the car and made her way inside, she was greeted by his butler who led her upstairs to his study.

She walked in to find him in the middle of a Zoom meeting with several business partners. Dom looked up from his laptop screen and was surprised to see his mother walking into his study.

"Mother, what are you doing here? I'm in the middle of a meeting," he uttered, trying to hide his frustration.

"I'm sorry, Dominic, but this couldn't wait. I have some news," She responded, her voice sounding serious.

"What news?" Dom asked, barely concentrating with his attention focused completely on his laptop.

"Cara, the girl you encountered a month ago…she's pregnant," Everly blurted, her eyes fixed on her son's face, studying his reaction. Dom's eyes moved away from the screen to glance at her, then he returned his gaze to his work again.

"What are you talking about?"

"Cara got pregnant after your first encounter. I met her earlier today and she told me everything." Everly explained after taking a breather.

He abruptly closed his laptop and burst into a peal of cold laughter, startling his mother. "How do you even know that she's telling the truth?"

"Cara told me, Dominic. She's carrying your child," Everly responded sternly. "I know women lie about a lot of things, but the look in her eyes when we talked…that girl's just too innocent. She's merely a victim of circumstance and you're too hard-hearted to see it."

Dom was silent for a moment, his mind racing with thoughts. "I don't understand. How is that possible?"

Everly shook her head, "I don't know the details, but that's not important right now. What's important is that you take responsibility for your actions. You can't just abandon your child, Dominic. You need to do the right thing and marry her."

Dom was overwhelmed by the news.

"I barely know her, Mother. How can I just marry her like that?"

Everly's face hardened. "You had sex with her, Dominic. You made a baby. That's a serious responsibility. You can't just walk away from it."

Dom, however, was not convinced.

"I barely even know her, Mother. And besides, she's not the first girl I've been with. Why should I marry someone I don't love just because of a mistake?" he retorted, his voice laced with frustration and anger.

Everly sighed, knowing that her son could be stubborn. "Because it's the right thing to do," she replied firmly. "You have a responsibility to your child, and to the woman who is carrying it."

But Dom was unyielding.

"I won't be forced into something I don't want, Mother. I'll take care of the child, but I won't marry Cara. It's not going to happen."

Everly looked at her son with a mix of disappointment and frustration. She knew that he was a man who could be ruthless in business, but she had hoped that he would show some compassion and empathy when it came to matters of the heart.

"Fine, Dom. But just remember, every action has consequences," she warned before storming out of the room, leaving him to ponder his next move.

As Everly stormed out of the room, Dom slumped back in his chair, deep in thought. He couldn't believe that he was being asked to marry someone he barely knew, all because of a one-night stand that had been loveless and devoid of passion. It all seemed so absurd to him.

His mind wandered back to the night he had spent with Cara. He could barely remember anything about her, except for her name and a few fleeting details. He had been a bit upset and drained at the time, and the encounter had been nothing more than a temporary escape from his problems.

But as he sat there, lost in thought, another lady popped into his mind. Scarlett. She had been all over him ever since their breakup, trying to rekindle the relationship she had single-handedly shattered with her mischievousness. He had resisted her advances continually, still upset and enraged by what she did a month ago.

With a heavy sigh, Dom realized that he needed to sort out his priorities. He couldn't let his mother pressure him into doing something that he wasn't comfortable with, and he couldn't let his past mistakes dictate his future. It was time to take a step back, reassess his life, and figure out what he truly wanted. Then the next instant, an idea clicked.

He didn't want to marry Cara and yet, he wanted to please his mother at the same time, so he devised a plan that would work for everyone—a short-term contractual marriage.