Page 40 of Fateful Exposure

I really needed new friends. "If I say yes, will you drop it?”

"Fuck no." She scoffed, falling back against her chair and regarding me through squinted eyes. "So? Was it him?"

Honestly, was there any point in denying it? I nodded with a sigh. "Fine. Yes, it was him. He moved into the apartment next to mine over the weekend, and one thing led to another, and we ended up having sex."

"Oh, my God." Maria laughed. "You've got to be shitting me. I thought you hated him?"

"I did," I countered. "I mean, I thought so too. This doesn't mean anything. He's just another guy, and it'll be over pretty soon."

Maria gave me a dubious look. I didn't blame her. I wasn’t even convincing myself.

"I'll admit that I'm shocked,” she said. “So the rumors are true, then?"

"What rumors?"

"The women he’s been with say he's an amazing fuck. It must be true, seeing as you went back for seconds, and I think it's safe to say that you’ll probably be going back for thirds."

She laughed, but I didn't find it funny. As a matter of fact, it pissed me off. I didn't let my annoyance show though. If I did, Maria would think I liked him or something.

What women, anyway?I almost asked.Women as in plural?

Of course, I didn't expect Ashton to be a virgin, not when he was quite adept at the intricacies of sex. But now I wondered how many women he'd been with to have become so proficient at the act. I didn't care one bit, but the thought of him fucking other women left a sour taste in my mouth. I almost asked Maria if she had been with me and only managed to stop myself because of how crazy asking such a question would make me look. It wasn't my business what Ashton did with his dick.

I shrugged one shoulder, reaching forward to unlock my iPad. "Probably not. I needed an itch scratched, and he was right there."

I had no idea why I was suddenly pissed off. Maybe it was the hormones. I'd awoken this morning with a terrible case of morning sickness and had to fix up a quick ginger tea to help keep the nausea down. This pregnancy fiasco was turning out to be a pain in the ass. Not only had I gotten stuck with Ashton, but my mother wasn't talking to me because of it.

After Friday night when I broke the news, she’d never called back. I tried calling numerous times the next day and the day after, but it went straight to voicemail.

The only reason I hadn't driven to her place was because I couldn't bear to see her right now. I couldn't handle the weight of her judgment without breaking down, and I feared that if I broke down, I wouldn't know how to stop.

My door suddenly burst open. With a startled gasp, I lifted my gaze, about to tell whoever it was off for barging into my office when I saw my mother marching toward me clad in a denim,waterfall dress and black flats, one hand gripping the Hermes handbag I'd bought her for her birthday two years ago.

I immediately sobered up, getting to my feet. "Mama?"

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Maria swing her head around. "Miss Volkov?"

My mother's face set into a deep frown as she stopped just before my desk and dropped her bag on the table. Standing beside Maria, she did not even bother to acknowledge her.

"Who is he?" she suddenly asked.

My heart began to race. I risked a glance at Maria, whose eyes remained fixed on her. "I don't understand, Mama. Who's who?"

Was it too far-fetched to hope that she would not mention the pregnancy out loud because I hadn't told Maria yet?

If I'd ever doubted the origins of my birth, all uncertainties immediately disappeared at the look my mother shot me. A look I recognized because I'd thrown it to numerous people numerous times when they said something foolish.

"Don't play around with me, young lady,” my mother demanded. “Who's responsible for the child you're carrying?"

"What?" Maria coughed and spluttered, her eyes bulging so widely that I expected them to fall out. I licked my lower lip, tasting my expensive lip gloss. I would deal with her later. Ihad an angry mother on the loose, and she was taking all my attention.

My mother's gaze darted between Maria and me before she let out a scoff. "You haven't even told your best friend. How stupid of you."

"Mama." Tears swelled up in my eyes. I knew she was angry and disappointed, but I didn't expect her to go this far. "Please stop."

But she wasn't listening. "After years and years of toiling away to put food on your table—to make sure you lacked nothing—I'd hoped you'dat leastlearned something from my mistake. Your father was a good-for-nothing piece of shit who couldn't be bothered. And yet…" She shook her head, her eyes a mixture of despair and resentment, the latter directed at my father. "And yet, you went and let history repeat itself. So, tell me who the son of a bitch is that got you pregnant because I deserve to know."

One hot tear fell down my face, burning my skin with guilt. For the first time in my life, I wondered how deeply my father's betrayal had eaten into my mother's heart. Was that why she never got married or even had a boyfriend?

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