Chapter 4 – Desperation
Ella
My hands are shaking as I dial Kate’s number. Have I ever been this angry? If I have I certainly can’t remember it now.
“Hello?” Kate answers almost immediately, using a sickly sweet tone that screams of fakeness.
“Kate?” I state bluntly. “Are you with Mike right now?”
There’s a pregnant pause on the other end of the line, before she weakly responds, “What? Of course not.”
“Come off it Kate, do you really think I don’t know about your sh it?” I demand. “I’m not a complete idiot.”
“Ella listen–” She begins, obviously gearing up to give me some sort of excuse.
“No, I don’t even care about your little affair anymore – but I need to talk to him right now.” I declare fiercely.
There’s another pause, and then Kate’s voice drops its innocent tone. “You don’t care?” She repeats, sounding truly shocked. “ You know I’m already pregnant?”
of news. I clench my hands into fists, feeling so furious I think I might actually break the phone with my tight grip, “And what, you think that’s some sort of
know you’re pregnant?” I ask sharply, “because a man who’s so afraid of responsibility that he’d poison me for years is probably willing to do it
loves me, he would never
“At least he said he did. It’s amazing how charming he can be, considering what a bas ta rd he truly is. How do you think he’s going
She objects, “He just didn’t tell you about it because he didn’t want you to bleed him
gullible, stu pid Kate. He’s as much a stock broker as I
He’s got money, he lavishes it on me all
cards he took out in my name!” I
“What?” She squeaks.
me. I’m calling the police and if I were you,
weakly, “you’re wrong,
thick with emotion now, but I can’t help it. “And frankly I don’t really care what happens to you Kate, but if you’re really pregnant then your baby deserves better than to be raised in a homeless shelter, and that’s
to respond. Why did I buy his lies about looking for work for so
I won’t ever let myself be fooled that
the police and see if I can resolve these financial issues… I can’t have a baby if I’m bankrupt, and I can only pray the police will
________________________
but if your ex-partner has left the area, there’s not much we can do about this.” The police officer breaks this news to me about as gently as he might smash
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!