Claiming her babies

Nicholas POV

In that moment, the fear and doubt that I thought I had conquered resurfaced once again. I stared at her, my heart pounding, hoping desperately that what I feared wasn’t what she was about to say.

“What do you mean?” I stammered, my once bold voice trembling with fear.

Monica looked away, her gaze fixed on the beeping machine by her side as if gathering the strength to continue. “Let’s end the contract, Nicholas. It’s not working. Everything isn’t going as planned. This is my request, and I hope you grant it,” she said, her voice trembling.

Her words hit me like a punch, the air rushing out of my lungs. The contract, the arrangement that had brought us together, was supposed to help with the company and it did but somewhere along the way, I started having feelings and my feelings had become real.

“Monica, please,” I began, my voice desperate, “don’t do this. We can make it work. I know I’ve been cold and harsh, and I haven’t been the husband or partner you deserve, but I’m trying. I want to try.”

She shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Nicholas, it’s not just about you. It’s about me too. I can’t keep pretending. It’s hard for me. It hurts too much to think that you like someone and they like you too but find them in the arms of_” she sighed then closed her eyes before continuing “I thought I could handle this contract but I can’t.”

I felt a lump in my throat, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts. “I understand that you’re hurting,” I said, my voice thick with fear. “But please, give me a chance to make it right. I care about you, Monica and I’m sure about what I’m saying right now. More than I ever thought I could. Don’t walk away from this Monica, don’t walk away from our contract and the company, from what we could be. I want to fix things, to fix everything” I said desperately, hoping she could see my reasons and listen to me.

She finally met my gaze, her eyes filled with sadness and pain. “Nicholas, it’s not just about fixing things. It’s about trusting each other, about feeling secure. And right now, I don’t feel that with you. I can’t continue living in a state of constant doubt, fear, and yelling. It breaks my heart whenever you yell at me”

Her words cut deep, each one a reminder of the ways I had hurt her with my actions and words. I wanted to reach out, to hold her and promise her that I’d changed, but I knew words alone wouldn’t be enough.

“Monica,” I whispered my voice breaking, “I love you. I didn’t realize it until now, but I do. Please, don’t leave. Let’s try to start all over please”

She looked at me, her expression torn. “Nicholas, I can’t. I’m tired of your constant coldness towards me” she uttered as she turned to stare at me “I need time. Time to heal, time to figure out what I want. Maybe one day, we can try again, but right now, I need to be alone.”

The finality in her voice was like a dagger to my heart. I nodded slowly, tears blurring my vision. “If that’s what you need, I’ll respect it. But know that I’ll be here, waiting, hoping that you’ll change your mind about all of this.”

She nodded, taking a deep breath as if summoning the strength to talk “Thank you for at least letting me do what I want”

The silence that followed was deafening as I sank into the chair, the weight of the loss pressing down on me, realizing that I messed up big time. I rose to my feet as I paced about the room thinking about what I could lose if this contract was cancelled.

I could lose my position, the company, or even my reputation and all these were one of the reasons I had the contract in the first place.

“What about the contract?” I asked in a panic

“I want it cancelled Nicholas ” she replied softly.

I instantly walked up to the bed and summoned up the courage to hold her hand “Monica I know I’m asking for too much but I can’t lose my company please” I said desperately

“Your company? That all you care about and you’re saying you want me to believe that you’ve changed when all you think about is yourself?” Monica uttered angrily as she tore her hands off my grip.

“Monica please you’ve got to understand me. This is my father’s company, my inheritance. I can’t lose it to my stepbrother”

“Why? Isn’t he your brother? Why can’t he be the CEO just like you? Why do you have to be the only one that controls the company? Why can’t Greg also become _”

“Because my mother died because of him” I yelled in anger as pain filled my heart, remembering the pain and agony my mother passed through day and night ” His mother had an affair with my father and the result of that affair is Greg. When my mother found out about my father’s affair, she became miserable and eventually had a heart attack which later led to her death. I cannot and will not let the reason for my mum’s death be above me. Greg will never become CEO not when am alive” I said in one go and when I was done, I breathed in and out heavily.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know about that”

“I know you didn’t but I need your help in securing the company Monica so I ask again, please Monica don’t cancel the contract” I uttered, her eyes flashing with a mixture of pity and sadness.

“I…need time Nicholas” Monica struggled to say as she avoided my gaze.

“Okay,” I responded, my voice slowly dropping “I understand but don’t end the contract Monica please,” I said desperately.

“I can’t promise that Nicholas” Monica’s response only made the fear in me skyrocket.