Four Brothers and a Bride-Chapter 116

DEMI

"She said nothing. She did nothing. She just stood there and instead of baring her teeth and clawing at me with those fangs she calls nails, she smiled warmly and hugged Ashton like she didn’t just find him in the nook of a café with the woman his heart beats for."

I detangle my hair from the bristles of the hair brush and dump the brush on the dresser. A frustrated breath leaves my lips as I stare at my disgruntled face in the mirror. Behind me, Anna stands with tensed shoulders.

"I lured her there to create a scene, Anna. She said she wanted to talk about what happened at the wedding shop and I texted her the address of the café I knew Ashton was going to come see me at. Why didn’t she lose it when she saw our hands intertwined? That was so unlike her."

"Maybe she’s trying to win Ashton’s heart by learning to trust him a lot more now. You recall how he scolded her the last time when she flipped at the sight of the both of you at the blue cove? Maybe she is learning her lesson and trying to depict a secure fiancée to win points for good behavior."

Now? Why would Mila choose to be mature, trusting and secure now that I want to use her fragile ego and hot head against her?

Ashton had looked suspicious at first when she merely hugged and kissed him. Then, his suspicious eyes had lighted to a smile. He had looked impressed with her, especially when she proceeded to greet me gaily and hug me too. I don’t know what game she is playing. Did she catch on that I had tried to set her up to explode in front of Ashton and further strain their relationship?

Well, I won’t stop. Ashton has promised he would talk to me every day so I don’t indulge in self-harm. I plan to nurture our relationship till he can no longer deny his feelings for me, not even for his brother who has clearly wronged me over and over again.

"Where are you going?" Anna quizzes.

I tie my hair in a high bun and secure it with a hair tie. "My husband’s ex wants to have a conversation with me. I’m guessing there’s been a new development. I hope she fell for my trap and went on to broadcast her pregnancy to put Ashley in a tough spot." Hair and face done, pretty much, I slip my shoes on and spritz a cologne on my body.

"Wish me luck. I’m hoping this one is not also disappointing." I peck Anna’s cheek before leaving.

I guess I find it strange that Nicola has invited me to her apartment. When she ushers me in, I take one cautious step after another, sizing up her cozy space. It’s grander than I thought. I’m guessing Ashley got this for her and not her modeling pay check. I eye her couch.

"We’ve done it on literally every furniture in this house if that’s what you are wondering." Nicola quips with hands folded across her chest. I turn to find her still standing by the door, observing me. She’s still in her nightdress and flip flops.

"I guess I’ll stand then." We lock eyes for a humming minute. "Why am I here, Nicola? I think I am up to speed on your affair with my husband. If you called me here to apologize, might as well get on with it even though it won’t change anything."

She smiles. "I have nothing to apologize for. Ashley was mine first. I didn’t force him to keep me by his side after he got married. If you’re looking for someone to blame for my pregnancy, you should start with your sex deprived husband who can’t get enough of his ex because apparently, his wife doesn’t do it for him."

I grit my teeth and strap down on the need to stream across the living area and leave an indelible mark on her cheek with a hard slap.

"I’m trying to see what he sees in you."

"Don’t be naïve. You didn’t think romping naked with him in the sheets and being his booty call was going to earn you a place at his family table, did you? That’s not how it works, Nicci, not for a powerful man like Ashley. If that were the case, then he’d marry every woman he’s had a fling with. You’re simply a pick off the litter. You’re easy, used. For the title of a wife, a man like him usually goes for more than a voluptuous body and a pretty face."

Nicci edges close to me. "At least you admit you’re not his type. Tell me, is that why you seduced him at the club that night and deceived him into marrying you? That must be it. You knew that there was no way in hell that he would even give you a second look. You don’t even qualify to have a fling with him. You’re just one of those girls in a crowded room whom Ashley never notices. He wouldn’t have married you if you didn’t craftily involve the entire country in your plan."

"You’re welcome to wrack that tiny brain of yours and torture yourself with how a nobody like me got the revered position of the daughter-in-law of the Rollins family. Better yet, you could ask Ashley. I can tell you free though that I didn’t have to open my legs once for him before we tied the knot. Ashley might be a womanizer but even he can distinguish between a valuable woman and a sex toy."

Nicci’s face contorts with anger.

"Did you call me here for this pissing contest? I have other places to be so if you’ll excuse me..." I brush past her to head for the door when she yells at me.

"You lost your baby, didn’t you?" She turns to face me at the door. Ashley told her? He had no right to use my miscarriage to placate his bitter and pregnant ex.

"You lost your baby. That must have hurt a lot." Nicci continues. "I am just wondering how a woman who has recently come to know the pain of losing a child would be complicit in the plot to make me lose mine."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your husband made a proposition after threatening my life and that of my father’s. I thought he loved me enough to have my back but I was so wrong. In the end, he chose his family. He chose you."

"What proposition? Did he ask you to get an abortion?"

"Don’t act ignorant, Demi Rollins. I’m sure you helped him come up with that sick plan just so you can have the baby you lost and be the perfect daughter-in-law the family wants." She marches up to me. "You are planning to steal MY baby, aren’t you? Ashley promises to get my career out of the mud and help my father be reinstalled in a fitting political seat on the condition that I secretly have my baby and hand it over to you to raise as yours!"

"What?"

"Your entire family is in on it. Don’t pretend to be clueless." Tears glisten in her eyes. "How could you be so greedy and selfish that you want to rip my child off my arms the second it’s born to play pretend mom in front of the whole country? You already have his last name. All I want is my baby and my baby’s father present in my life. Ashley was already thinking of divorcing you so I was helping him achieve that. How am I the only one left to hang dry?"

I stumble backwards. What sick proposition is this? Ashley hasn’t even said a word to me. Did Ashton know about this while he was comforting me at the café? What the hell is going on?

This isn’t what I wanted to happen. I wanted to expose Ashley and Nicci’s pregnancy so he gets a bad social rap which will eventually ricochet and affect the family business. I wanted a lot of tension on the home front, enough to distract everyone from my schemes. I never asked to raise Nicci’s child! What the hell is Ashley thinking?

"Nicci...this isn’t...there has to be a misunderstanding." I stutter.

"There is no misunderstanding. Ashley didn’t mince his words when he clearly threatened me. This is the only option he set before me. I have to surrender my child to the both of you and go on with my life like nothing happened. How do you think that makes me feel? It’s one thing to lose a child you’ve never met. It’s a whole other ballgame to lose a child you’ve bonded with during your pregnancy and birthed. How will I cope watching you and the man I love raise my child without me?"

Nicci sinks to the floor, weeping heavily.

"How can you be that callous, Demi? I know you put him up to this. Is this your revenge? This is how you plan to get back at me for everything? All I did was love a man whom I believed loved me back. Please, don’t let him do this to me. I can’t live like that."

Trembling with shock, I stagger to her door while she continues to weep and plead with me. I don’t understand anything. This is a huge shock. inside my car, I take deep breaths to calm myself. I don’t know if I should call Ashley or Ashton or Liam. After a brief debate in my head, I pick up the phone and dial a number.

"Hey."

"I’m just leaving Nicola’s place and she had a shocking revelation for me. Apparently, my husband is planning on hiding her pregnancy in the most inconvenient way possible. He wants her to have the baby secretly and then hand it over to me to raise as mine and Ashley’s child. Can you believe that?"

"What? Liam gasps in shock. "He wants to saddle you with the responsibility of raising the child he made with his side chick? That’s an insult on top of the injury he’s inflicted on you."

"Nicci mentioned that the entire family is in on it. She was surprised that I appeared clueless. Liam, what am I going to do if they mean to foist that responsibility on me. I know Mrs. Rollins wants to keep her grandchild so I get why she’ll be down with this idea. Given the sadness looming over the mansion with the loss of my baby, everyone else might be open to this arrangement. I can’t do it, Liam. You have to find a way to foil this plan of theirs."

"Shit. Look, we have two options in front of us. We can either use billion-err to leak your miscarriage or Nicci’s pregnancy. It’s up to you, Demi. Which is it going to be?"

***

It’s a little shy of seven thirty when I pull into the driveway of the mansion. The house seems to have grown double in size since I left or maybe staying at Anna’s humble space is messing with me. I survey the cars in the driveway. Everyone is home by my count. Good. I need everyone present for this. I glower at one of the men in suit at the entrance for informing father of my arrival.

When I get in, the family is at the dining room for dinner. I bet it makes no difference to them that their daughter-in-law is absent. Mother hasn’t even called me in the last two days. My eyes alight on Mila who’s perched close to Ashton at the table. Did she already move in or is this purely a visit?

Ashley smiles and shoots to his feet when he sees me.

"Demi, you didn’t inform me you were coming back." He marches towards me with outstretched arms and a big smile. All I think about as he closes the distance between us is Nicola weeping on the floor. How could he use two women so shamelessly and have the stomach to eat? I flash five fingers in his face and give him a searing look that makes him halt in his track. Everyone at the table seems alerted to the frostiness between us.

"Something wrong?"

"Did you really just ask me that?" I lash out. "Has anything been right lately, Ash? With us? With this family? With Nicci?"

The rest of the quads lurch to their feet. Mother turns to me too. Ashley feigns a smile as he tries to coax me not to divulge our issues in front of Mila but I don’t care what anyone thinks or wants right now. I am too livid to care.

"Don’t shush me. She’s going to be a part of the family soon so what’s the big deal if she’s apprised of the hellish condition I’ve been put through?"

"Demi!" Father growls.

To everyone’s surprise, I totally ignore him and face Ashley.

"It wasn’t enough that everyone turned a blind eye to the fact that Asher killed our unborn baby or the fact that you cheated on me repeatedly and now your ex is expecting your child. You, Ashley, have the guts to add insult to all the injury you’ve inflicted on me by planning to make me raise your bastard child?"

"What?" Father rises in shock. Ashley instantly goes pale. The flushed look on his brother’s faces hint at their shock at my revelation. Are they pretending to be oblivious or was Ashley truly acting alone?

"Ashley, what the hell is she talking about? Nicci is pregnant with your child?" Father enquires.

Ashley runs a hand over the band of neck and exhales. He avoids everyone’s eyes but mine. When he looks at me, there’s a mixture of anger and frustration in them.

Father turns to survey the room. "You all kept this from me?"

"We just found out too. We didn’t want to hassle you with another complication." Mother placates him.

"How was keeping me in the dark going to help? It’s Nicola Grey for goodness’ sake."

"Calm down, Brett. Please, we can talk about this later. Let’s try to figure out an amicable solution first."

"Ashley already made Nicci a proposition. I’m going to fake the pregnancy I just lost for the cameras while Nicci goes on hiatus to have her baby. When it’s born, I’ll take the baby from her and present it as mine while the mother goes on living her life like nothing happened. Nicci explained everything to me while accusing me of trying to snatch her child. Can you imagine that, Ashley? This is your solution? You’re tampering with the lives of two women, two hurting mothers." Tears flow down my eyes.

"Why do you hate me so much? How could you think that raising the child you had with your ex would heal the wound left by my lost child? How could you insult me like that?"

"I am doing it for you, Demi, and for our family. I can’t think of a better way to resolve this. I know you’re still hurting. I am certain that raising the baby would be good for you."

"I DON’T WANT NICCI’S BABY. FRANKLY, I DON’T WANT ANY BABY, NOT AFTER MINE WAS BRUTALLY KILLED." I glare past him to Asher who has a steely expression at the dining table. "I won’t raise a child in this house, not like this. I don’t need any favors, Ashley. Find a way to sort your mess with Nicci without involving me. Please, leave me out of it." When I turn to leave, father’s voice echoes round the room.

"You’re wrong, Demi. In this family, everyone works together to clean up messes that have the ability to affect us as a whole. Mila, you should learn this too. We are a unit. We work as a unit. If Nicci insists on having her baby, then Ashley’s idea isn’t bad at all."

"What? Father!" I shriek.

"Would you prefer to have another baby with him?" He inclines his head when I stare at him with shock written all over me. "that’s what I thought. This way, Ashley gets to be a dad again. You get to have a child without going through the rigors of making and birthing one. Nicci disappears from our lives and the whole of Danvarr applauds the arrival of a new generation of Rollins. The news of your pregnancy and delivery could do our stock prices a lot of good."

I shake my head. "You want me to lie about being pregnant and having a baby just to perk up your stock prices?"

"I want you to do everything necessary to prevent the tarnishing of this family’s image. That’s what it truly means to be a part of this family. If you aren’t up for it, you’re welcome to sign the divorce papers!"

"Brett." Mother nudges him but he remains unfazed. Ashley coaxes me with his eyes. I stare from one family member to the other, my eyes full of tears.

"Do it, Demi." Mila chimes in. "If you consider this your family, it shouldn’t be that hard to make sacrifices for them." Father and mother turn in her direction and give her nods of approval. She’s not even officially married into the family and she’s already gunning for my position and licking asses.

I turn to Ashley and grab his shoulders.

"I know you don’t love me but Nicci? If you have a shred of love in your heart for her, you wouldn’t cause her the pain of losing a child. She might have hurt me but I could never wish such sorrow on her. You can’t do that to her, Ashley."

"He can and he will. That child is his and deserves the best that only this family can give such as a great last name for starters." Father replies.

"Mother, you are also a woman. You must understand how devastating all of this must be for Nicola. I don’t want any part in this. Please, make everyone understand. I’ll forgive Ashley if that’s what you’re worried about but we don’t need that baby to save our relationship."

Father scoffs. "You think your marriage to Ashley is what anyone is worried about here? This conversation is about my grandchild and a rightful heir of this family. Ashley can always remarry. You’re not special in any way, Demi. Don’t flatter yourself."

"Father, enough." Ashley utters with sagged shoulders.

"Talk some sense into her, Ashley before I lose it." Father warns him. When Ashley tries to console me, I refuse his touch and head for the door. Three bodyguards block my path.

"What’s going on? Ask them to let me through." I bark, staring at Ashley who only dips his eyes.

"You’re not leaving this mansion until we know whether you’re with us or against us." Father thunders. With the subtlest of hints, my phone is snatched from me. "Take her to her room and see that she is monitored."

"What? Why?" Arms link between mine and forcefully steer me towards the staircase while everyone watches.

"Father, is this really necessary?"

"Stay out it, Ashton." Father bellows at him with a sizzling look.

"Mother, please. Don’t let them do this! ASHLEY! HELP ME!" I cry out but no one moves a muscle to help me even when one of the bodyguards eventually throws me over his shoulder and carry me up the stairs. Mila watches with a lopsided grin on her face. I kick and scream until I am carried over the stairs and curved towards my room.

I can’t believe this is happening. I am shoved into my room and the door slammed shut in my face. My security code is changed. I keep banging on the door and yelling at the top of my voice but no one comes to help me.

Oh God! What if they go through my phone and my call logs, my chats with Liam and Anna. How do I stop that from happening while locked in my room? My secret will be revealed soon. What do I do?