Now and Forever novel Chapter 37

"Finally! You said you'd be here twe- uh, what is she doing here?" Excuse me?

"First of all; that's non of your business and second of all; you do not to talk to me like that, do you understand? You lost that privilege a long time ago." Alexander pushed passed Leila which made her scoff and cross her arms.

Okay hold up... when did this happen?! And why didn't I get to hear such good news?

"I lose track of a small % of the company's money and forgot to book a meeting and now I'm suddenly at the top of the people you hate list?" Leila then turned around to face him to which he just looked like he wanted to strangle the living hell out of her.

Oh how I'd love to see that...

"If you call 70% a small percentage of profit loss and forgetting to book a meeting with a multi million dollar company something that wouldn't take you to the very top of my 'hate list', then I don't know what-"

"I told you I was sorry a thousand times!" Okay, I'm starting to believe they think I'm not here anymore. I just stood there awkwardly, suddenly taking interest in the city view behind Alexander.

"Well I don't care. So, What was so urgent I had to come here at one am?" He asked and sat down on his chair, putting his elbows on the desk and intertwining his fingers together.

"About that, did she really have to come?" Leila crossed her arms and jolted her head in my direction without actually looking at me. How rude!

"Hey! I-"

"Like I said, Amelia being here is none of your concern. And again, what was so urgent it couldn't be said on the phone, Leila?" Alexander cut me off and looked Leila dead in the eyes. If it made me shiver, how about her?

She was quiet.

Like she didn't know what to say quiet.

She looked down to the floor like she was ashamed. Wait, was she ashamed? Alexander must have noticed this too because he put his palms on the table and stood up, slowly.

"You. Have. Got. To be kidding me. There wasn't anything urgent was there?" She nodded her head 'no' slowly, still looking at the floor. "Leila, you dragged me- and Amelia, out of bed, at 1 am in the morning for no reason?" He was oddly calm which made him the more scarier.

"Yeah well I didn't tell you bring along your pregnant wife with you now did I?!" Leila burst out and stomped her foot on the ground like she was a five year old.5

"She's not-"

"Wait- is that what this is about? You're being a bitch right now because you think I'm pregnant?" She turned around to look at me and her facial expression softened, just a little bit, but softened, "wait, you're not pregnant?" She uncrossed her arms and faced me fully.

"Well if it makes you feel any better, no, I'm not pregnant." Her face lit up like she was relieved and I just looked at her like her change in emotion did not affect me one bit.

"Wait, really?" She bit her bottom lip, trying so hard not to smile and turned to face Alexander as if looking for confirmation and when he nodded, her lips broke into a huge grin.

This girl makes me sick.

"So you mean to tell me.. you lost 7 million dollars worth of profit, 'forgot' to book a meeting with Kordin Inc because you thought Amelia was pregnant?" Her smile was immediately wiped off her face and she was suddenly interested in the floor again, making Alexander's eye twitch in agitation.

"Oh and if I may ask, what is it to you that my wife is pregnant or not?" When Leila flinched at the word 'wife', it finally hit me like a truck.

"Huh.. Don't you see it?" Leila looked up from the floor and Alexander looked at me, confusion stretched across his face, "how didn't I see this earlier?" I tilted my head to the side chuckled bitterly, "what?"

"It's so obvious-"

"Spit it-"

"She loves you!" Alexander's eyes widened in surprise and Leila stood there like she knew that's exactly what I was going to say.

Un shed tears burnt the back of my eyes which was funny because; I shouldn't care anyone loves Alexander because last I checked: we weren't an actual couple.

Alexander chuckled and we both turned to him, clearly he found something amusing in this newly found piece of information, right? "What? You find this funny?" Leila asked like she had the right to.

Oh how I would love to just-

"As a matter of fact, I do. You," he gave a pointed look to Leila, "have the audacity, to act like a child- keep in mind, robbing my company the greatest deal it would ever get just because you think you love me? Well forgive me if I find this amusing."

"I don't think- I know I love yo-"

"Oh this is just bullshit. Are you even hearing yourself right now?" I laughed bitterly and took a step back, aiming for the door. "Well your just jealous that-"

"That what? The fact he's married to me? Or-"

"That's enough. Amelia, let's go." Alexander grabbed the car keys off his desk and walked past Leila, not forgetting to ignore her (which secretly made me very happy).

"No it's fine, I was just leav-" I was shoved out of the door before I could say another word and into the elevator faster than I could count to twenty.

Alexander pressed the button for the basement parking and the doors slid closed.

"Here's a bright idea; why don't you just fire the stupid bitch?!" I threw my hands up in the air for more emphasis, "I can't." Oh he's got to be kidding me right now. "What do you mean you can't?! You're the CEO! You can fire and hire whoever you like! So why not-"

"Well that's because if I fire her, the company would lose 20 million dollars." The elevator 'dinged' and the doors slid open, revealing the parking lot.

"Wha.. how.. why?"

"Well first of all; Leila's father invested-"

"What? When?" I opened the door after he had unlocked the car climbed into the passenger seat.

"My father was still the CEO and the company was apparently in great devastation at the time. So Leila's father invested a lot of money -20 million dollars to be exact- so my father owed him. And that-"

"Is where Leila comes in. So, long story short; Leila's father invests in the company, your father owes him and now Leila working here is a way of repaying him?"

"And if I fire Leila-"

"She leaves with 20 million dollars."

Oh how I loathe that blood sucking parasite...

***

"She real.. that bitch really said that?!"

"Shh, Bella!" I smiled apologetically at the people that looked at us like we were crazy people in the hospital waiting room.

"I swear to god I'm-"

"Mrs Knight?" A nurse in light blue scrubs called out a little too cheerful for my liking. Bella and I stood up, of course not missing the whispers and pointed looks between the other people in the room.

"Please wait here, Dr Mikaelson will be here shortly." She straightened out the blanket on the bed and fluffed out the pillow and stood there like she didn't want to go. "Okay thanks, that'll be all." Bella literally shoved her out the door without even touching her but giving her look that scared her.

"When did you become-"

"Okay, what do we have here... Amelia Kni-" someone who I'm guessing was Dr Mikaelson walked in holding a folder in her hand, not looking up, "Amelia Knight- holy shit! Your Amelia Knight!" Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw me sitting on the bed.

"Oh my.. oh my god!" I looked at Bella and she looked back at me and we both looked at the woman who looked like she was going to have a panic attack by the door. When she saw us looking, she cleared her throat and immediately composed herself, going back into her professional state.

"Good afternoon ladies, uh.. how may I help you today?" She put the board down and the foot of the bed and smiled politely while looking between me and Bella.

"Uh hi, she would like to get an ultrasound.." Bella looked down at me and when I nodded she confirmed, "yeah an ultrasound."

"Sure no problem, uh how long-"

"I'm not pregnant." I cut her off before she could finish her sentence. "Oh, then why do you need the ultrasound if-"

"She's trying to prove to people she's not pregnant- which is stupid because we-"

"I'm not going to tell the whole of New York City I'm on my period Bella! And even though I do tell them, they're going to want proof and there's no way in million years will I show-"

"Okay! I get it! Now, you see, that's why we're getting an ultrasound." Bella turned to Dr Mikaelson who just nodded and walked away to get everything she needed.

"Okay, just lie down and pull up your shirt- which I love by the way..." I smiled and put my head on the pillow then pulled up my shirt, just enough to show my stomach, "okay this gel is going to be a bit cold.." even though she told me it would be cold, I still flinched.

She put the wand on my stomach and moved it around while looking at the screen, "okay and... see, you're not pregnant," she pointed at the screen that showed my empty uterus, "would you want me to print out the film?" She gave my tissue to wipe of the gel.

"Yes please-"

"Dr Mikaelson! Dr Mikaelson! There's a herd of paparazzi making a commotion at the entrance of the hospital!" A nurse ran in sounding out of breath. "What? What do they want?" She took off her glasses and put them on the table beside the bed.

"They heard Mrs Knight had come to the hospital- specifically the maternal ward." She jolted her head in my direction.

"How did they hear that?! This is a private hospital!"

"There's a picture going around on the internet showing Mrs Knight and her friend sitting in the waiting room.." she pulled out her phone and showed us the picture, "see? The picture of the pregnant woman behind shows that they were in the maternal ward." She zoomed in on the poster.

"Please wait here, I'll be right back." Dr Mikaelson took off her scrub cap and put it next to her glasses then walked out of the room with the other nurse, not forgetting to close the door behind them.

"I think you should look at this..." Bella's voice turned my gaze to the other side of the room where she was looking out of the window.

"What. The. Hell." My eyes widened in horror when I saw the butt load of paparazzi standing outside the hospital.

"But.. but.. but I'm not even famous!" I walked back to the bed and screamed into the pillow. "You get married to one of the top three richest men in New York City and when people think you're pregnant, paparazzi wouldn't be all over it. Sure, you're not famous."

"Now's not the time to be sarcastic Bella," I sat up and sighed, "how are we going to get out of here?" I looked ahead at nothing like all hope was lost.

"We have an idea of how to get you out of here." Dr Mikaelson walked in, the nurse behind her with scrubs? in their hands.

Is this even legal?" I asked while checking myself out in the floor length mirror in the bathroom.

"It's legal if no one sees who you are." The nurse handed Bella and I masks and scrub caps. "And what if someone sees us?" I pulled the scrub cap over my head and tied it at the back.

"No one will see you because we'll be walking with you up to your car." The nurse said a little too cheerful. "You just want to see my car don't you?" She nodded her head and I smiled then put on the mask.

"I can't believe that worked." I whispered while backing out of the parking space. "Yeah, me neither." Bella laughed and I just smiled.

"Bella are you sure you won't get in trouble? I mean, look at the time, you're a whole 30 minutes late!" I stopped just outside her workplace and looked at the time anxiously. "Relax, I'll call you later, yeah?" She opened the door and stepped out of the car, "sure." She closed the door and walked up the steps of her office building.

***

Ding dong...

"Coming!" I screamed from where I was in the kitchen even though I knew that person couldn't hear me; what's that saying? old habits die hard?

"Bethany? What are you doing here?" Was the first thing I said when I opened the door. "I came to congratulate you in person for your baby." She smiled at me; Bethany never smiled at me.

"But I'm not pregnant."

"You don't have to hide it from me silly! You told me yourself! Remember?" Her face fell, just the tiniest bit. "Of course I don't remember because I didn't call you, let alone tell you I was pregnant."

"Then.. then who called me? Because I remember pretty well that it was your voice on the phone." Her voice wavered, "Bethany, are you okay? Do you feel sick?" I looked at her, real concern lacing my voice.

"Of course I'm okay! You called me, remember? I even apologized to you and you said it was okay!" She raised her voice, "okay Bethany, calm down. I think I'd remember- wait, hold on." My phone ringing interrupted our conversation.

"Hello?" I said into the phone when Sophia's caller ID popped up.

"Am.. Amelia?" Her voice cracked like she had been crying, "Sophie? Sophie are you okay?" I motioned for Bethany to enter and close the door behind her.

"It.. it's mom..."

"Sophie, what's wrong with mom?"

"She.. she's gone Amelia. Mummy's gone." And she broke into sobs.

I froze.

The world froze.

My phone slipped through my fingers and fell on the floor with a loud crack and the sound of a million pieces breaking scattered across the room.

"Are you- oh Jesus Christ Amelia!" Bethany rushed to my side when I fell on my knees.

The only two words I could say were:

"She's gone." I broke into loud sobs; sobs that filled the foyer.