My ex-husband's nightmare - Chapter 79: Chapter 79

Mason
I couldn't wrap my head around what I just heard. Julia is pregnant. And he would only help me if I got married to Julia.
I wasn't aware till he mentioned it.
I tried to laugh at first, thinking he was telling a joke; maybe he wanted to scare me. But when he kept a straight face, I knew he wasn't joking.
“That's the only option. If you don't get married to my daughter before the end of this month, then forget about getting help from me; I'll even ensure your company gets wiped out of history.”
“Are you threatening me?” I asked.
One side of his lips pulled to the side, “no, it's just a warning,” he stated.
I clenched my hands together.
“You've been with my daughter for five years. Your first marriage didn't even last that long.” He paused and continued, “Julia is precious to me, and if you knew you didn't want her, then you should have let her go earlier, not get her knocked up and toss her to the side.”
He slowed and then inhaled sharply, all this while I bit the inside of my mouth.
“What I'm saying is it's high time you get married to her. Don't you think so? Especially now that she has your child.”
I closed my eyes, this can't be happening.
There was no way Julia was pregnant. I grabbed the glass of water from the table and downed it in one go.
“You should say something.” He said.
I rose to my feet, “Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Everett; I'll get back to you; I need some time to think about it.”
After saying that, I left his office.
I still couldn't wrap my head around this news. If Julia was pregnant, then Mom knew, why didn't she tell me?
Why did no one tell me and make me the fool in front of Mr. Everett?
I stopped in front of the red light and grabbed my phone; maybe this was what she was trying to tell me.
I have been ignoring Julia, so I can't blame her for not telling me. But Mom knew as well.
I toss my phone to the empty passenger seat.
Things were getting complicated. I wanted to scream and pull my hair. This is messed up. I wanted to end things with Julia and maintain my business relationship with her father.
It was clear that won't be happening. In place of a breakup, I never expected marriage.
The loud horn of the car behind me jolted me out of my reverie; I pressed the accelerator and drove on. I took a sharp turn, changing lanes.
Immediately, I pulled over to Mom's house, and my phone rang. It was Daniel. I held my jacket in one hand.
I took the call. He wanted to know how the discussion with Mr. Everett went, but upon sensing my mood, he didn't press on when I had nothing to say to him.
I stepped in, slamming the door behind me. Zoe was in the sitting room.
“Where is Mom?” I asked; the words came out angrier than I had intended.
“Hey, chill, what's wrong?” I flung the jacket I held on the couch by the side.
I pushed my hair back and began walking up to her room.
Zoe footsteps resounded behind me. I climbed the stairs two at a time, “calm down Mason, what's going on?” She kept asking.
I tugged on my tie, removing it from my neck and holding it in one of my hands. I was now in the hallway that Mom's room was in.
I stopped in front of the door. “Mom.” I knocked and tried to open it, but the door was locked.
“Mason, talk to me,” Zoe said, holding my hand back, stopping me from banging on the door again.
“I don't think she is in.” She said; I stopped knocking and turned to her—a look of concern in her eyes. My chest rose and fell, and slowly, I tried to calm my breath.
There was no use trying to take the anger out on my Mom, “where is she?” I asked Zoe, and she let go of my hand.
“I have no idea, I just stepped out of my room.” She said.
We walked to the sitting room together, and a cold breeze pushed into the room through the window.
“Do you want water?” Her voice was swallowed by the pitter-patter of rain, and she didn't wait for my reply.
Two maids rushed to close the windows, and at the same time, loud thunder cut through the sky.
Zoe returned with a glass of water. I wasn't thirsty but I took a sip from it. I sat in front of her tapping my legs on the floor.
She was sitting on the edge of her couch when I settled the glass on the table.
“What's wrong?” She asked. My gaze is lowered.
“Julia is pregnant.” The word came out of my lips as a whisper, as I had yet to wrap my head around that possibility. Why is she suddenly pregnant?
“Huh? I didn't hear you.”
I raised my eyes to hold hers.
“Julia is pregnant,” I repeated.
“Her parents want me to take responsibility by marrying her.” I want to scoff or sneer or do something to make this seem like a joke.
“Oh my goodness.” Zoe covered her mouth with both hands.
“That's good news. Congratulations,I suppose,” She said.
She has never hid the fact that she didn't like Julia.
“You should be happy.” She stated, “Not looking for Mom.” I should be happy.
“Why are you looking so angry?” She questioned. “It's not like Mom is pregnant or Mom got her pregnant.”
She has a point. Mom isn't Julia, and Mom didn't get Julia pregnant.
“I don't know.” I couldn't give her an answer. “Because she knew but she didn't tell me?”
“Mom knew?”
“There's no way she didn't.”
Zoe nodded.
Zoe stood and sat close to me, “what do you want to do? Do you want to marry her?” She questioned.
I shook my head and then nodded “You need to know what you want; this is the big 21st century; you don't have to marry her if you don't want to. I don't want you to marry her, but then, what I want doesn't count.”
“I have to marry her.” I placed my hand over my face. This is a dilemma.
“Why?”
I inhale sharply, thinking of her father's words. Do I really want to make an enemy out of the Everetts?
I couldn't tell Zoe the reason, “I have to.” I sat straight.
“You don't have to worry about anything. I'll handle all this.”
“I will support any decision you make only if it is what you want,” Zoe said.
“I'll leave you to think about this.” She returned to her initial position. I didn't return to the office; aside from the rain, I didn't feel like going.
I need to speak to Mom first. Or Julia.
I placed a call across to Julia. She picked at the fourth ring.
“Can we meet?” I went straight to the point immediately after the call connected. “Where are you?” I asked.
“I'm with Victoria; we are on our way home.”
“Perfect, I'm home. Let's talk.”
When she returned, her eyes brightened immediately when she saw me, and she walked over before pulling me into a hug.
“Mason, how have you been? I've been trying to reach you. I have big news for you.” Mom just smiled at us and excused us.
I pulled her to my room.
“Why didn't you tell me you are pregnant?” I asked after shutting the door.
“You know?” Maybe she didn't see the annoyance in my eyes or notice the irritation in my voice. How could she still look so cheerful?
“I wanted to surprise you when we next meet.”
“Is that why you didn't tell me?” I asked as she touched her stomach and lovingly looked down before she nodded.
“How is this possible?” I asked.
We always use protection whenever we have sex.
“How is ‘what’ possible?” she asked.
I bit my lower lips. I didn't want her to take this the wrong way, but I needed to ask.
“How are you pregnant when we always use protection?”
“Huh?”
“You know…” I began, but she cut me off.
“Are you doubting me?”
“I asked a simple question.”
“We had unprotected sex two months ago in your penthouse.” She stated, “But the fact that you think for a moment that I have been unfaithful to you is heartbreaking.”
Shit, that day.
But I had dropped her off so she could have some after-sex pills since she wasn't on birth control.
“I just need to be sure that it is…”
“Yours? It is yours, Mason.” She has never yelled at me. I felt bad, “and I am not aborting it.” With that said, she left, stomping out of the room and leaving me to myself.
I don't go after her.
A few minutes after she left, there was a knock on the door. And Mom came in, “Mason, what did you do to Julia?”