9
New York, Sebastian
My phone was blowing up with notifications and calls, each one a reminder of the whirlwind my life had become. It was my brother, Patrick, who was the first to call, his voice filled with a mixture of curiosity and amusement.
“What do I read on the internet, lil bro?” he asked, and in the background, I could hear Sophia giggling. “I’m so excited,” she chimed in, her enthusiasm unmistakable.
I let out a sigh, realizing that there was no avoiding the truth any longer. “Yes, it’s true,” I confirmed, my emotions a tangled mess.
Patrick’s curiosity got the better of him, and he delved into the details. “You really had a one-night stand with her?” he asked, his tone incredulous. “Where and when?”
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at his relentless questioning. “It happened at your wedding,” I admitted, deciding to be upfront about it.
There was a short silence on the other end of the line, followed by a loud and emphatic “Ew, what the fuck” from Sophia. I couldn’t help but chuckle at her reaction, even in the midst of the chaos.
Patrick’s tone grew more serious as he asked the next inevitable question. “What are you going to do now?”
I sighed, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. “Her brother wanted to revoke all my parental rights,” I explained, my voice filled with determination. “Her family and friends want to raise the child alone, and even though she is very much capable of doing that, I won’t allow it.”
Patrick’s support was unwavering as he replied, “Yes, don’t let them do that. You have a responsibility as a father.”
His understanding and encouragement meant the world to me in that moment. I had been prepared for judgment and criticism, but Patrick’s acceptance was a breath of fresh air.
As the conversation continued, Patrick brought up the inevitable topic of our parents. “Have you called Mom and Dad already? You know what they are going to say.”
I hesitated, torn between the desire to shield my parents from the truth and the need to be honest. My parents were deeply religious, and I knew they would have strong opinions on the situation.
“I’m still young to do that,” I replied, avoiding the topic for the time being.
Patrick chuckled, his tone lightening. “I’m not going to say much. Only congratulations.”
I ended the call with Patrick who had been surprisingly understanding and supportive. But now, a more daunting conversation awaited as my father’s name flashed on my screen. I took a deep breath before picking up the phone.
“Hi, Dad,” I greeted him, my voice steady.
“My son, what am I hearing? You impregnated the daughter of the Anderson family?” My father was direct and unapologetic, wasting no time in addressing the situation.
I let his words sink in before responding, choosing honesty over evasion. “Yes, Dad,” I admitted, the weight of the truth heavy on my shoulders.
“Is what I read true? A one-night stand?!” My father’s disappointment was palpable through the phone. “I raised you better than that, Sebastian. Clean this mess up.”
I swallowed hard, aware of the expectations and values my father held dear. “My PR team is working on it,” I assured him.
There was a brief pause before my father continued, his voice taking on a more serious tone. “So she’s pregnant. You already know what the next step is.”
I knew all too well what he was implying, and it was the very reason I had been reluctant to involve my parents in this situation. “Marriage,” my father declared firmly. “Your mother is on the phone with the pastor right now. He can squeeze you in next Saturday.”This content belongs to Nô/velDra/ma.Org .
My heart raced at the thought of such a rushed decision. “I don’t think marriage is a good idea, Dad,” I protested, my voice strained.
“Why not?” My father questioned, his tone unyielding. “You need to get married. What will people say?!”
My frustration and resistance bubbled to the surface. “I don’t care about what people will say,” I admitted, my voice tense with defiance.
My father’s response was immediate and unwavering. “I don’t want to hear anything about this, son. You are going to get married. The fact that it is all over the news is already sickening. Don’t make it worse.”
I pressed my fingers to my temples, trying to find a way to convey my reservations. “I don’t think marriage will solve all the issues going around right now,” I tried to explain, my words falling on deaf ears.
My father ignored my protests and laid out his plan. “I’ll send your great grandma’s ring to you with Clyde, the chauffeur. The next thing I want to see on the news is your proposal.”
I let out a deep, frustrated sigh, feeling the weight of my father’s expectations pressing down on me. “I’m too young to get married,” I protested, trying to make him understand the gravity of the situation.
But my father’s response was unwavering. “Deal with the consequences like a man, Sebastian,” he retorted, leaving little room for negotiation.
He then dropped another bombshell on me. “And we also want to meet the girl. How about dinner in three weeks?” he suggested casually, as though arranging a family gathering.
I didn’t know what to say. Mia and I were barely communicating, if at all. The idea of bringing her into my family’s scrutiny at this point seemed like an impossible task. “I’m not sure if she’s up for that,” I replied cautiously.
My father’s tone turned stern. “What do you mean? Isn’t she going to be your wife? The mother of your child?”
I struggled to find the right words to explain the complicated situation. Mia had never been meant to be my wife or the mother of my child. Ours had been a one-time encounter, an unexpected twist of fate that had thrown our lives into disarray.
“It’s a little complicated,” I admitted to my father, choosing not to disclose the full extent of our arrangement.
His response was far from sympathetic. “I don’t know what is and what isn’t,” he huffed in frustration. “The only thing I want to see next on these gossip channels is a mind-blowing proposal from you to her!”
With those words, my father abruptly ended the call, leaving me with a sense of hopelessness and a slew of problems that seemed insurmountable. The pressure to conform to my family’s expectations and the demands of the public eye weighed heavily on my shoulders, and I couldn’t see an easy way out of the predicament I found myself in.
As I stared at my phone, contemplating the challenges that lay ahead, I couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of unease. Mia and I had never signed up for any of this, and yet, our lives had become entangled in a web of expectations and obligations.
“Motherfucker!” I cursed as I threw the vase next to me on the wall.