The Married Billionaire's Surrogate An African American Pregnancy Romance For Adults(26)

“What are you talking about, madam?” Alicia was now alarmed.

“I was waiting and waiting for Steven to tell you this himself, but I had a feeling this morning that if he wouldn’t I would have to be the one to tell you. I think there have been enough secrets hiding in this God-forsaken mansion,” Elizabeth said.

“Oh, please tell me,” Alicia replied, playing with her fingers to hide the anxiety.

“Since Steven’s parents came, there has been a cloud over this family. His father is dying and he needs an heir. A boy, preferably, who will take on the family business.”

“Okay?”

“Alicia,” Elizabeth said, lowering her gaze, “Steven doesn’t love you. He said it himself. I heard him talking to his friend.”

“That’s not possible.” Alicia stood up. Everything became a whirl of shock and puzzlement before her eyes. “He couldn’t have lied to me all this time! He-he wouldn’t do that.”

“It’s true, Alicia. I have been living with this family for ten years now. I know. The sooner you realize the better. Alicia… Steven has no feelings for you. He used you!”

“No! That’s not true.” Alicia caught her head between her palms.

“Alicia…”

“SHUT UP!” Alicia shouted. “You liar! Steven… He… He loves me!”

“Now you shut your filthy mouth and listen to me!” Elizabeth took her shoulders in her hands that seemed to be huge claws and shouted in her face, “He is a hypocrite and a liar! He lied to you, you na?ve girl! He only used you as a vessel to bring a child into the world! Do you think that he loves you? You silly girl!”

Alicia felt her throat dry. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably. Could it be possible that this woman that stood before her was telling the truth?

“It’s insane! I can’t believe this.” Alicia fell on the wet grass, all in tears and sobs. She ruined her white dress, but it didn’t matter to her then. Her life was one big fat lie. That was what mattered. Her loved one, Steven was a world-class liar who tricked her.

“He doesn’t love you, Alicia. And you better accept that,” Elizabeth said and left the garden, leaving Alicia horrified and destroyed on the ground. Then all of the time they spent together blended in before her eyes. The Bahamas. The dinners and parties. Everything was just to get Alicia pregnant. What a son of a bitch, Alicia thought.

Now there was no desolation and depression in her heart, but only rage and anger. If he stood there, right in front of her, she would, swear to God, strangle him. Strangle him with her own two hands and smile at his dead body lying next to her feet. The immeasurable love was gone and never to return, or so she thought.

*****

Victor Brown was shouting something to him, but Steven seemed not to care. Everything was clear already. The company was facing the hardest times in its history, his father’s condition was worsening and Alicia had apparently lost all her trust in him. Her scent was still felt in the room though. A touch of vanilla and rosemary.

Not much time had passed since she had stormed into Steven’s office, throwing all insults she could think of at his face. Someone had obviously told her the whole truth. The one Steven had decided to keep until the baby was born to protect it and its mother.

“How could you do this to me?” She had yelled and pointed to her stomach. “To us!” Even in the seventh month of her pregnancy, she had looked so gorgeous and sweet.

He was scolding himself for not telling her what was hiding beneath the surface as the well-known saying ‘Dirty little secrets always come out’ came to his mind. Instead he had tried to soothe her. He had told her that she had been right and that he had deserved everything she had been throwing at him. He had said that he was a jerk and an idiot and a moron who still loved her and forever would. But of course she hadn’t believed him. He would have done the same thing if he had been in her shoes. Who was he in her life, after all, except the father of her child?

Steven didn’t know if his father’s call had saved him or doomed him more, but it certainly had chased Alicia away of the office leaving Victor in her place. A not so pleasant replacement, Steven had to admit.

“Victor, you need to hear something,” Steven said.

“Shoot, pal!”

And that’s how he told the whole story to Victor Brown, his best friend since his childhood days. How Alicia was mad at him, how she hadn’t believed him and accused him of lying and manipulating her.

“Why is this happening to me, bro? You know how much I love her and look what she thinks of me now. That I am some liar that wanted to use her. God knows that isn't true.” Steven fetched two glasses and placed them on his desk sighing.

“Don't know what to say, bro. I thought that she knew you well enough and that she trusted you,” Victor said empathetically.

“She does, Vic. She loves me, I am sure of it, but someone is filling her head with nonsense.” Steven poured whiskey into the glasses and handed one to his friend, the content of the other finishing in his throat all at once. He wanted to tell her everything, to do something for her and prove how much she meant to him. However, his father's voice didn't leave his mind. The man was dying and he wanted to see an heir, but that wasn't all. It had to be Elizabeth holding it as a seal of his deal with her father. The reason the both families arranged the marriage being to keep the wealth among themselves and Steven had to take care of that. Who knew that Alicia would come in between and trigger feelings that he hadn't known existed before?