Picture Perfect

Chapter 9

"What are the chances we'll be successful?" asks Ken, folding his arms over his chest as he leans back in his chair. With a skeptically raised eyebrow, he silently dares someone to tell him anything other than what he would like to hear at this moment.

"I'm confident that I can win this case," Andrew answers, the unfaltering tone of his voice affirming the statement.

Ken gives a slight nod before saying, "Okay. I expect to be kept up to date on your progress. Let me know if you need any assistance securing the deal, and I'll assign someone for you."

Maria enters the meeting room with a tray of coffee for the group of lawyers, and Andrew pointedly ignores her. Silently infuriated by the lack of recognition from the man she loves, Maria does her best to restrain her growing temper. Struggling to maintain her self-control in Andrew's presence, she forces herself to avoid glancing at him, returning his level of disconnection as she continues to fume.

Setting the tray on the table before her, Maria turns to take her leave. Stumbling, she catches herself on the edge of the table and leans against it as she places a hand against her increasingly dampening forehead. Her eyelids flutter closed as dizziness suddenly washes over her, consuming her senses quickly.

As she is preoccupied with whatever warning signs her body is currently giving her, Maria doesn't hear the words spoken to her as the men begin to gather around her. Her face is flushed and clammy with sweat, and the room appears to be spinning. Whatever is wrong with her right now, Maria hopes that splashing some cold water on her face will alleviate the problem. As she tries to escape to the bathroom, Maria faints, her body flailing uncontrollably toward the floor. Luckily, one of the lawyers catches her before impact, lessening the damage received to her body.

Andrew stops by the hospital after work to check on his secretary, although he can't honestly say it's concern leading him. After her fainting spell at the office, one of his coworkers had called 911, and Maria was taken away by ambulance. Approaching her room, Andrew can faintly overhear the doctor telling Maria she's pregnant. Seething with rage, his nostrils flare as he tries his best to contain the overflow of negativity rushing through him at the moment. Is Maria seeing someone behind his back? She must be. That baby can't be his; it'll ruin his life!

Taking several deep breaths, Andrew manages to somewhat control his emotions. For now. This must be a misunderstanding. Yes, he must be mistaken. Even if Maria is pregnant, the baby couldn't be his. He's been diligent. Careful. He always uses protection. He believes that he would much prefer that Maria had been seeing someone else than to be the father of her baby.

Deciding to push those thoughts from his mind, he tries to focus on more important things. Like the big case that's coming up. Cora and their baby. Andrew smiles gently, true happiness glimmering in his eyes. He can't wait to see his wife round with his child. Pregnancy has been kind to her so far; the lovely glow it casts on her perfect skin, the swell of her breasts, and the protruding baby bump that will soon be appearing. He didn't realize it was possible that Cora could look even more beautiful.

The door swings open behind him, and the doctor emerges from Maria's room, nodding in his direction. "Are you here for Miss Ortiz?" the young man asks.

"Yes, I'm her boss. I wanted to make sure she was okay after the incident at work earlier," Andrew replies smoothly, leaving no reason for the doctor to question him further about his intentions. After receiving permission, he enters Maria's room, a fresh wave of emotion crashing into him. "What's this I hear about a pregnancy?" he asks, unable to contain the anger he feels as it seeps into his words.

Maria's face pales temporarily; she had not yet been expecting to tell her lover about their new addition. "I'm pregnant with your child," she tells him meekly, hating herself as the words slip past her lips. She shouldn't be feeling afraid of this; this is precisely what she wanted. Everything will work out perfectly in the end.

Andrew doesn't react the way she had hoped; in fact, his reaction is the extreme opposite of what she had expected. He demands a paternity test and informs Maria that she'll be doctoring with Meyer from now on, as he's an old family friend. Andrew wouldn't want gossip being spread around, tarnishing the reputation he has worked so diligently to achieve. No one is to know about this situation; he'll ruin her life if she tells a single soul.

Upset at the harsh words thrown at her, Maria asks, "You're happy about Cora's baby; why not ours?"

"Cora is my wife!" Andrew snaps, no longer able to prevent the violent surge of damning emotions so feebly contained within his chest. "You're just the slutty secretary I was screwing on the side! This wasn't supposed to happen; I can't believe I've made such a mistake."

With tears hurriedly collecting in her brown eyes, she asks, "You... you think our baby is a mistake?"

"Of course, I do!" he shouts viciously. "This entire affair was a mistake, Maria!"

"The truth will come out eventually, Andrew," Maria responds, finally able to regain some semblance of composure, although her eyes are still damp with unshed tears. "Don't come crawling back to me when your wife learns of your infidelity."

With a level of fury that he's never experienced before, Andrew menacingly approaches the hospital bed where his secretary lays. "Are you threatening me?" he says, his words comparable to a growl. With rage boiling within his stomach, scorching as it works its way up to his throat, Andrew has never been so unhinged before. With his eyes alight with anger and steam practically coming out of his ears, Maria believes he appears similar to a fire-breathing dragon.

Afraid for her life and fighting back tears, Maria pulls her quivering lip between her teeth to prevent herself from crying. Her fingers tremble as she hesitantly moves back on the bed, adding distance between herself and the man beside her. "I'd never threaten you," she whispers, denying the accusation.

"Let's keep it that way," Andrew states before thundering out of the room.