The lady in Red (REWRITTEN!)

Chapter 55

This was supposed to be one of the most incredible days of my life. The tears in my eyes were meant to be happy tears. The beat of my heart in my chest was supposed to be good. Yet none of this made me feel happy. I was thrilled for my unborn child, but not for my future. My future was uncertain, and I grew more and more scared as the seconds passed. Greta did everything in her power to uplift me. She made me feel hopeful and comforted. Although she did everything a best friend would have done, my mind was elsewhere. There was pain in my heart.

Sometime in the afternoon, I arrived at the headquarters and stood outside staring at the building for a long time. It was the first time I was afraid to enter the building. My mind was filled with uncertainty. I was afraid of what would happen. Protectively, I placed my hand over my stomach. I certainly wasn't ready to give birth to a child. I knew I wasn't ready for childbirth. The only mother I had wasn't there for me; I don't even remember what motherhood was like. It wasn't a tangible experience for me. Even if I knew anything about children, I had no idea how to raise them. Was I capable of doing this? Did I have the strength to handle it? Could I keep this child safe from my family?

Oh my God...my family. To try and hide for my own protection was difficult, but now...now I wasn't alone. I considered bolting for both of us' sake. Yet, I couldn't because he needed to know. Therefore, I mustered all my strength, courage, and bravery as I entered the building. I felt my heart hammering against my chest as I took my first step. The heads of everyone turned to me at the same time. While I've been acknowledged, the looks of many did not ease my anxiety.

"Catherine! Glad you're back!" Somebody shouted, heels clicking on the floor. As I turned around, I was greeted by a very cheerful Brenda. She embraced me tightly and squeezed. How far along was I? The doctor never told me. Probably because I...ran away from the clinic. With a tight smile on my face, I returned the hug. Others came forward to greet me, but none of it calmed me down. I felt restless.

"Reec—Mr. Dean. Is he busy?" I asked, my voice breaking.

"He's in another meeting right now but it should be coming to an end. Are you coming back to—"

"I promise I'll catch up with you, Brenda, but for now I have to leave." I did not give her the chance to speak since I was already walking toward the elevators. With my entire body trembling, I pressed the button. I couldn't determine whether I was about to have an anxiety attack or a heart attack. However, something was slithering inside me in an unsettling way. I couldn't stop the irrational tears from falling down my cheeks. I climbed inside, and the elevators took me all the way up; however, when the elevators opened and I stepped out, everything ceased to exist. I could not discern whether time had slowed down or stopped here. People either stopped moving, or went extremely slowly. As I went deeper, my steps faltered. Because of the passing of time, no one really noticed me.

Reece's office, which kept him hidden from everyone else, showcased everything I needed to know about him. Reece Dean was very successful, very beloved, very powerful, and very intelligent. All the men around him were astonished and in awe of what he projected to them. His audience was listening, and all of them were nodding their heads in agreement. A business tycoon like him...how could he possibly find time for a child? If only I knew how he would react. I wondered if he would really be happy. I just got him. What if I lose him to the unborn he bestowed inside of me? I put my hand on the glass and leaned forward.

His smile made me fearful. I feared it would disappear because of me. It was a nightmare for my heart. It hurt even more that one day...or maybe very soon, I would turn out to be the biggest downfall for both of us. As Reece finished up with the meeting, the pain intensified. All stood, shook hands with him, and then stepped out. I stepped back, prepared to walk away, but Reece noticed me first. He motioned for me to come in with a tilted head, which I did despite my reluctance. He opened his arms to me and I stepped into them. His warmth, his scent, and his comfort towards me made me feel utterly broken. His kindness hurt my heart and broke my soul. I was left utterly troubled. I didn't know what to do.

"I thought I told you to rest," he murmured into my hair.

"I'm fine," I replied weakly. But that was a lie. I wasn't fine in the slightest. The unknown tormented me.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, raising me and placing me on top of his desk. He pressed himself between my thighs and kissed my forehead.

"Reece. There's something I have to tell—" He kissed me deeply, cutting me off. Although I was surprised at his response, I returned the kiss, pouring all of my feelings into his mouth. However, the kiss became torturous. The pain was too much for me to bear. I was burning. I pushed him away before he could go any further, and he looked startled by my action.

"Catherine, what's wrong?" The edge in his voice made me shudder.

"I need to..." I couldn't finish my sentence again. A knock on the glass interrupted our conversation, and I climbed off the desk, blushing. I hated they caught us like this. Four men in crisp suits entered. Why couldn't I finish what I had to say?

"Mr. Dean, may I interrupt you?" one of the men said. Reece's jaw tightened, obviously annoyed by the interruption, but his lips quickly curled into a tight smile.

"Mr. Smith," he replied, shaking the man's hand. Other men gathered around Reece to make themselves comfortable.

"Quite a success! I must say, it was a pleasure to be here today. Would you mind telling me when..." inaudible dialogues. I tuned them out. Reece's mood changed from being annoyed to being elated with the way the conversation was going. I realized the most important thing among all of this was when the men pulled his attention away from me. This man had no one standing in the way of his success. Neither his parents nor I, nor any of his other family members or friends. However, this child would. This child would take up his time and attention. I made myself smaller by taking small steps away from them. Reece was unperturbed by my tiny presence. No one noticed me. I glanced down again at my stomach.

I couldn't possibly bear the pain that would follow if this child were to tear us apart. But that didn't mean I didn't want this child. This child was a part of him. So I slowly opened the doors and slipped out without him noticing.
Reece was focused on his work and did not notice me. His legacy was his work. It was an important part of him. I knew for certain that Reece Dean would not let anything get in the way of his dream of keeping the entire Boston thriving.

However, this baby took priority for me. Motherhood would always come first to me, and I would never let anything or anyone rob me of it.