The Billionaire's Unwanted Bride novel Chapter 20

Anna's POV

I stir in my sleep, remembering I have an errand to run for mom. I've been absent from school for more than a week now. I have been sick. Today is Friday and I have been doing nothing all day but to sleep.

I stretch with a yawn and turn to check the clock. It is 6 pm already.

"Shit", I scramble out of my bed. Mom asked me to go get groceries, we are out of milk, eggs, and bread. These past few days, I have been taking more milk than usual and we have no more milk in the house anymore.

I spend most of the time alone at home, doing absolutely nothing. I am always sleeping or watching a movie. I did nothing today other than take a bath and sleep after taking lunch.

I intended to take a nap for a few minutes before going to the grocery shop, a few distances away from here. It is quite near, so I don't need to take a cab.

I dash out of my room and rush to the kitchen, where mom kept the money for groceries. I pick it up and run back to my room.

I am thinking of changing my dress into something more decent. I am wearing a short and a small top. I throw my closet open and pick out a pair of long trousers. I wore it and move out, with my phone.

I feel refreshed from sleeping for hours. Mom usually comes back late ever since she got her new job. I am grateful to Pamela for the help. It's been a week now since I fell sick, mom thought I was attempting to abort the baby.

I thought of it but I would never do that with my own hands. Mom saw a bottle of drugs in front of me and jumped to conclusions. I got the drugs from a pharmacy the day before and it turned out to be fake.

I want the baby to be alive and I also want to be free from the shackles of having a baby without a father. When mom mentioned the idea of meeting with him, I kicked against it.

I know how stubborn my mother can be and I am sure she went ahead with it. She didn't say anything to me about meeting with Aidan Alvarez, my baby father but I have a feeling she did meet him but it didn't end well.

I am patiently waiting for when she would bring up the idea of aborting the baby again, I will gladly do it since the father doesn't want it.

I am three months gone already and I have made a decision not to tamper with the pregnancy once it is four or five months. I asked the doctor that attended to me some questions and he made it known to me that it is risky to abort a baby after 3 months.

I have no intention to meet with the father, I have no courage to do that. Even if my mother insists on keeping the baby, I will do as she says without looking for the father. He doesn't need to know he has a baby somewhere. I am capable of taking care of my baby, without his help.

I once thought of dropping out of school and getting a job to help mom out with everything but I know she would never allow that. She will insist I continue school but I am ashamed of myself.

Ever since the incident with Tony, I have been self-conscious of my pregnancy and what people will think of me when my belly begins to protrude.

I sigh heavily as I get to the grocery shop. I have never been so indecisive in my life, this will be the first hard decision in years. I haven't concluded on what to do with my life and the baby. I am just waiting for my mother's order, even if it is against what I want. She is my mother and I need to obey her.

I get all the things we need in the house and within 10 minutes, I am done. I pay the cashier and walk out.

The cold air hit my face, making my hair fly across my face. It is getting dark already and I am in a haste to get home and wear a cardigan.

I hope mom will be back home now. I am already used to not having her around most of the time, because her former job takes up much more of her time than the present one but these past few days, I miss her absence so much. Maybe it's because I have been indoors for a week now.

A few distances away from home, I feel a strange feeling and observe that I am being followed.

At first, I wave the thoughts away thinking it is one of my wild imaginations but when the thoughts persist and I notice I am right, I begin to shiver, not because of the cold but out of fear.

Am I going to get kidnapped? I shudder in fear, increasing my pace. My stalker increased his pace too. My heart is pounding wildly in my chest and I am afraid it will burst out soon.

I slow down and he did the same, then I begin to run. He follows.

When I get to an alley, I decide to seek cover there so I can see who is stalking me. I hurry into the alley, breathing heavily.

I stand still, waiting for him to appear. I know the stalker is a guy because I looked back when I first notice someone was following me. The guy is wearing a black hood, covering his face.

I scold myself mentally for not coming out with my bag. I always have pepper spray in my bag whenever I am out of the house. I learned how to protect and defend myself with pepper spray as my weapon.

Mom taught me how to do it ever since the night I almost got raped right in front of the house.

Even when I am in college, there is always a bottle of pepper spray in my bag.

It is my little weapon and it gives me a sense of protection and confidence. It helped me out during high school to defend myself from bullies.

Right now, I feel vulnerable and unprotected without it.

I am thinking of how to escape from being kidnapped by my stalker. I know how to throw a few kicks and punches, maybe this will do. I put down the bag of groceries gently and put my arms out ready to punch him the moment he shows up.

He shows up almost immediately, looking around for me. His head is forward, looking towards the direction I am supposed to take home.

Who is he?

I decide to use that to my advantage. I will punch him and when he is down, I will kick his balls and run home before he is back up again.

I take a step towards him but before I can throw him a punch like I anticipate I will, he grabs my hand. I shout and he quickly clamped my mouth shut with his hand. I struggle to get out of his hold.

"Quiet!" He says softly. I stop struggling. The voice sounds familiar.

He let me go. I move away from his reach.

"Who are you and why are you stalking me?" My hand is out again, ready to punch his face if he is truly a kidnapper.

"I am not a stalker", he replies and moves away. The hood is still covering his face. I realize from his voice that he is Tony.

"Tony?" He stops. I am silent, wondering why he is stalking me. He takes another step and I stop him.

"Tony, why are you stalking me? I know it's you." He stops and turns to look at me.

"I am not stalking you", he answers softly.

"You were, I was damn scared", I put my hands on my chest to calm my racing heart.

"Sorry, I scared you. I was worried about you", he confess.

I almost smile at the thought that he still cares. I didn't answer.

"Are you married?" He asks me.

"What? Of course not." I chuckle and pick up my bag of groceries. He nods.

Why the hell will he think I am married?

"Why have you been absent from school?" He demands.

"I've been sick", we stand a few meters away from each other, his face is still not showing well but I am relieved because I recognize his voice.

"Get well soon"_ he moves away.

"Tony?" I call. I bit my lower lips and ask. "Why did you give me that look?"

I am referring to the day he threw me a disgustful look making me feel like a cheap slut.

He says nothing and continues to go the way he came.

"Tony?" I call him again. He didn't answer and he didn't stop walking. I wonder why he is behaving strangely. I wonder why he is stalking me if he doesn't want to talk to me.

Is he doing this to know where I live? Or is it because he just wants to be sure I am fine? How did he even know I am here?

I keep asking myself questions that I can't even provide answers to.

Tony is the only one who can provide the answers but he is already out of sight.