242 Good News Turned Bad


    Back at the hospital, doctor Julie sank into her seat after receiving E’s call. She massaged her throbbing head and drank a ss of water to calm her strained nerves and erratically beating heart.


    Even though her office was air-conditioned, she was sweating profusely. Ever since she resumed work, she had locked herself in her office, pacing up and down, drinking ss after ss of water, and using her private convenience.


    She had been dreading this day ever since Leon first told her that she would be the one to conduct the pregnancy termination procedure. This was meant to be her punishment for keeping him in the dark.


    Leon had been furious at her for keeping E’s pregnancy a secret from him. He med her for talking his wife into keeping the pregnancy. He banned her from evermunicating with E and he also threatened to deal with her ruthlessly if E opposed the pregnancy termination.


    Even when she made ns to take an unnned study leave just to flee this day, she was stopped by a simple message from Leon.


    Although Leon was more than a hundred kilometers away from her, she felt as though he was standing right behind her, breathing down on her neck.


    In the message, Leon simply wrote;


    [Empty threats are for dreamers and I fancy myself as a realist. Take that study vacation if you dare.]


    This message taunted her for days as she was perplexed about how Leon got the information that she nned on traveling out of the city.


    .....


    Hence, since the walls had ears, she was careful about anything and everything. She minimized talking to people except on professional grounds. She also decided that if E ever called her, she would be careful about anything she said to her.


    Just before E’s calls registered on Dr. Julie’s phone, she received a brief message from Leon which simply told her to get everything ready for the discussed procedure.


    “Why did I get myself entangled in all this mess?” Dr. Julie mentally stroked herself.


    “If I had known that Leon would react so negatively to his wife’s pregnancy, I would have stayed away from encouraging her to keep it. How do I convince her now to go ahead with the termination procedure? Will she ever forgive me if she found out that Leon and I have been nning all this behind her back?”


    While Dr. Julie was busy brooding on her misfortune, she received a message from E and it simply read;


    [E: Good morning Dr. Julie. I trust you’re doing great. I’m sorry for interrupting your work and I hope it didn’t cost you anything. I’ll being to the hospital with my husband today and I would like to find out the reason behind my visit in order to prepare myself. Please, if it’s not too much trouble, can you just give me a heads-up? Thanks in anticipation.]


    Dr. Julie chuckled feverishly after reading E’s message twice.


    “If it’s not too much trouble, she says,” Dr. Julie shook her head and wiped off the cold sweat that head beaded her forehead.


    “How can I tell her that her husband has set a ticking time bomb under my seat? How can I tell her that her husband doesn’t want me tomunicate with her ever again? How can I tell her that my life depends on her terminating her pregnancy? What am I going to do?” She ced her head on her desk and started praying for a miracle to happen.


    ————-


    After bathing, dressing, anding downstairs, E decided to visit the kitchen and make one of Nana Esther’s recipes as she was craving it. On her way, she ran into Paul, the mansion butler.


    “Good morning, madam E, you look amazing today,” Paulplimented politely.


    There was an ongoing rumor in the house that E was pregnant and Paul was eager to put the rumors to rest by getting answers directly from E.


    “Good morning, Paul,” E beamed. “Thanks for thepliment.”


    “By the way, I’m sorry for the loss of the boss’s father and grandma. I know the boss doesn’t feel like talking about it but I felt obliged to say something on behalf of everyone.”


    “Oh, Paul, that’s so sweet of you. Thank you so much.” E replied.


    “Is there something you would like me to get for you from the kitchen section? You don’t have to trouble yourself with anything. I’m at your service.”


    E chuckled before responding to Paul.


    “Don’t trouble yourself, Paul, I’ll be fine. I just need to cook something for myself this morning. It’s a special recipe that Leon’s granny, bless her soul, taught me. Maybe I’ll teach the chef so that he can make it next time.”


    “Oh!”


    Paul scratched his head as he felt tongue-tied to ask the next question.


    “Paul,” E called softly. She could read the excitement and hesitation in his eyes. “Is there something else you like to find out? Don’t worry, you can ask me anything, I won’t be angry. Don’t forget, you are like a father to me in this house.”


    “Umm... Okay... It’s just that...umm...there is a spection that...what I’m trying to find out is...” Paul felt heat rise to his cheeks as he thought of all the things Leon would do to him for having the temerity to interrogate his wife.


    E smiled as she guessed what Paul was trying to ask. She had earlier seen the level of excitement in everyone’s eyes the previous night as they attended to her. She even caught some of the house staff members stealing furtive nces at her belly bump.


    “Yes, I’m pregnant! Now, can I be released to go make something to eat?”


    “Yes!”


    Paul shot both hands in the air and did a small victory dance to celebrate the good news, thereby causing E tough out her heart.


    “Congrattion ma’am!” Paul made an attempt to hug her but quickly cautioned himself and kept his distance.


    “A big congrattion! I’m so happy for you! This is the best news ever! We can’t wait to have little Treshvires running around the house.”


    “Thank you, Paul,” E smiled and left for the kitchen while Paul also left to spread the good news.


    Inside the kitchen, every staff treated E like a goddess. They had all received the good news thanks to some eavesdropper, who beat Paul to share the news before E got to the kitchen.


    E, seeing that there was no use trying to stop the dotting house staff members from proactively attending to all her needs, decided to leave the kitchen and allow the chef toplete the dish after giving a few instructions.


    –


    –


    E was at the dining table enjoying her meal and waiting for a reply message from doctor Julie when she got wing that Leon had arrived.


    When Leon walked into the sitting room, Paul happily weed him with the most infuriating statement that almost cost him a p and his job.


    “Congrattions, Sir!” Paul beamed as he collected Leon’s suitcase.


    “Congrattion!” Leon raised an eyebrow in slight confusion. “What’s the asion?”


    “We got the good news that madam is expecting a child.”


    “You got what!” Leon thundered, sending electric shivers down Paul’s spine.