In Love With My Bully-Chapter 84: Weight of a Choice II

The moment I stepped into my apartment, a wave of exhaustion crashed over me. I shut the door and leaned against it, exhaling slowly as if that would make the weight in my chest any lighter. My body ached in places I didn’t know could hurt, but it wasn’t just physical. It was emotional and mental.

I fished out my phone and dialed Papa Numero.

"Hello, my dear," his voice came through.

"Hey Dad, I’m not feeling too well,"

"Have you seen a doctor?" Concern laced his words.

"I just need rest."

Papa Numero sighed, "You shouldn’t be doing this by yourself, Sweetie. I’m sorry."

"Its okay. I will see you tomorrow at the final hearing."

"Alright, but don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything."

After ending the call, I headed to the nursery to see my baby. Her nanny was in there too taking a nap. Queen can be a handful during the day especially now that she is gaining some movements.

She lay in her crib, her perfect little lips slightly parted as she breathed in peaceful slumber. My heart clenched at the sight of her. She was everything to me. Our love child, as Richard had once called her. Back when he still loved me.

I used to think love like ours was untouchable. That it could withstand anything. But love, as I had learned the hard way was glass, beautiful but fragile. It shattered with just the right amount of pressure.

And now, here I was—alone, pregnant again.

I had sent the nanny home earlier than usual, needing solitude to process everything. But instead of clarity, all I felt was loneliness. The evening stretched into night and I was still sitting in a place, thinking, processing.

Then my phone rang. A video call from Richard.

I hesitated for a brief moment before answering. His face appeared on my screen, his eyes scanning my face.

"Hey, hi," he said as if we were old friends catching up.

I swallowed hard. Small talk would betray me. I couldn’t risk blurting out the truth. "Queen is asleep already. Do you want to see her?"

"Actually, I thought we could talk," he said instead.

My heart clenched. Now he wants to talk.

"About what?" I asked.

"Everything. Anything," he shrugged. "My dad said you aren’t feeling too great. How’s work going?"

"It’s fine."

An awkward silence stretched between us, filling the space with everything left unsaid.

"Is everything alright?" he asked eventually.

"Yes. Why wouldn’t it be?"

"I don’t know... I get this weird vibe that you’re mad at me."

Mad? That didn’t even begin to cover it.

"When are you coming back?" I asked, changing the subject.

He hesitated. Too long. Too noticeable.

"Uh... well... about that," he exhaled. "I’m not coming back, Nita. I plan on moving Numero Headquarters here, so I can handle things from here."

Everything after I’m not coming back blurred into white noise. The room tilted, the walls closing in. My fingers clenched around the phone as the reality of his words sank in.

"So let me get this straight," I said, "You trick me into getting pregnant, dump me, and run away, saddling me with a child."

"That’s not what it is."

"Then tell me exactly what it is, because that’s what it looks like."

He exhaled sharply, "I was thinking of making an arrangement for Queen to come here and stay with me for a while when she stops breastfeeding."

I laughed.

"You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you? It’s long-distance co-parenting now, isn’t it?"

"Nita, we have a private jet. It’s not so difficult."

"Right. Right..."

"Are you crying?" he asked suddenly, his voice softer now.

I hadn’t even realized.

"No," I lied.

"Nita, I’m sorry."

I sucked in a shaky breath. Don’t fall apart. Not in front of him.

"I’m not crying because of you," I shot back. Perish that thought, Richard. If he didn’t want me, then I sure as hell wouldn’t sit here crying over him.

"Then what is it?"

Maybe I should tell him. Maybe if he knew, he’d come home. Maybe if he realized I was carrying his child, we could co-parent here instead of thousands of miles apart.

"I’m..." I started.

"Yeah?" he pressed.

"I’m dating Victor."

Silence.

A heartbeat.

Two.

Then..."Wow... uh... congratulations."

Congratulations?!

I stared at the screen in disbelief. Did he just...

Something inside me snapped.

"I have to catch some sleep. Good night, Richard."

I ended the call before he could respond. My phone slipped from my grasp, landing softly on the couch beside me.

"Congratulations?! What the fuck."

*****

This was it. The day was finally here. The final hearing for Chayara’s custody battle.

We already knew how it would end. Papa Numero would win. The law was on his side and morally, there was no argument. Chayara belonged with him. But knowing the outcome didn’t make this moment any easier.

What none of us expected was Sam.

He was led in under armed guard, his hands and feet bound in cuffs. The chains rattled with every step he took, an eerie reminder of how far he had fallen. The once-proud man was now just a prisoner.

Lilian rushed to him the moment he entered. Her voice cut through the hushed murmurs of the courtroom.

"You still have time, you stupid bastard! You can fix this!" she hissed, gripping his arm. "Don’t throw everything away!"

He didn’t answer her. Didn’t even look at her.

But I saw it then. What everyone had been saying. She was the mastermind. The one pulling the strings. The one who had led her son down this path. She should be in cuffs beside him.

I turned around and saw my mother’s eyes were on me. She had been looking at me suspiciously since I arrived at the courthouse. I knew she sensed something was off. She always did. She knew I was hiding something.

The judge entered, and we all took our seats. The room fell into a hush, the kind that always comes before something life-changing happens. The closing arguments came with a brief speech from the judge about doing what was best for the child. And then the moment we were all waiting for came.

The judge’s voice was steady and final.

"I hereby grant full custody of Chayara to Mr. Numero. It will be at his discretion whether her grandmother is allowed visitation rights."

That was it.

It was over.

For a second, no one moved. Then Lilian exploded.

"This is ridiculous! You crazy woman! Have you experienced what I have before? You stupid bitch!"

"Enough!" The judge banged her gavel. "Don’t let me hold you in contempt of court, Miss. Moore."

A soft murmur of congratulations filled the space as we turned to Papa Numero. The relief on his face was clear. We had won. We had fought for this, fought so hard. But the victory was bittersweet.

We had lost someone along the way.

Abby. The brightest star of a mother-in-law. Her absence was a wound that would never fully heal.

Papa Numero took Chayara in his arms and walked her over to Sam.

This was his first time meeting Chayara and I held my breath as Sam’s eyes landed on her. His child. His daughter. His lips parted slightly but no words came. Then a single tear slipped down his face.

It was silent. Just one tear, one tear that carried heavy emotions.

And it was enough.

"Do right by her," Sam said.

"Always," Papa Numero responded, his grip tightening around the little girl in his arms.

Sam nodded. Then turned and followed the guards out.

Papa Numero still had Chayara in his arms when I turned to him. Without thinking, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around them both.

"We did it," I whispered.

"Yes," he said. "We did."

I quickly kissed my dad and muttered a rushed goodbye.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" he asked.

I forced a smile. "I just have somewhere to be. Say goodbye to Mom for me, okay?"

He didn’t look convinced, but he nodded. I was a grown woman and I was still running away from my mother.

*****

One week later, I picked up my phone and called Dr. Sanders.

I had made my decision.

She scheduled me in. The appointment was set.

There was a dull numbness in my chest as I ended the call, but I ignored it. I had no other choice. Or maybe... I was just taking the coward’s way out.

Either way, I was done being strong.

I had no energy left in me to be a single mother to two children, even though their father was one of the top ten most influential businessmen in the country. Money didn’t raise children. People did. And I didn’t have it in me to raise another one alone.

If I called him up and said, "Hey, I’m pregnant," he’d probably think it was entrapment. He’d say I planned this.

I wasn’t Gwen. I wasn’t going to use a child to keep a man. Queen was all the baby I needed.

Besides, I had just gotten my career back on track. This pregnancy would only complicate everything. No. I had made the right choice.

At least, that’s what I told myself.