Page 19 of Begin Again, Part 1

Silent all along, Erica finally had something to say, "tell me you're not planning to keep that child!"

"I am." Eden scratched her neck and hands, a terrible habit she regressed to whenever she was anxious.

"What will our social circle say? You can't bring a bastard child—"

"Whoa!" Eden stopped scratching her hands long enough to give her a piece of her mind. "First of all, my baby is not a bastard. He has a father, and I don't care what you or anyone thinks. In exactly six months, he'll be here, and I'll love him with everything in me."

"Unless you tell us who the father is, that baby is not welcome here." Steve roared back to life with his unreasonable demands.

"I guess this is it then." Eden stood up and grabbed her purse. "Be well, Mom and Dad."

With her back stiff as a board and her head held high, she headed for the front door.

Her heart was smashed into irreparable shards. But as shattered as it was, she couldn't cry. Not even when she was in the safety of the elevator as it swept her off to the ground floor. She knew her parents were still disappointed over the end of her engagement, but she never would have thought they'd reject her baby.

"We'll be okay." She patted her tummy as she dashed to the waiting Uber.

Back at her apartment, Eden locked herself in her room, refusing to come out at dinner time. When everyone got ready for work the next morning and had breakfast, she stayed in her room. Her heart was still so heavy with sadness, she couldn't bear to face her friends.

After the morning traffic rush, she called her manager and asked for some time off. Her boss didn't care how long she took, but she reminded her it would be unpaid leave since she was still on probation.

Eden didn't care about losing money for a few days. Holding on to the last bit of sanity she still had was far more critical.

She took a shower, got dressed, and headed to Anderson Logistics. Her friends were right. Liam deserved to know about his baby. But she'd make it clear to him that she didn't expect anything from him. She had no intention of disrupting his life.

She paced a few feet from the entrance for some time, thinking about the best way to break the news to Liam.

Two SUVs, followed by a long line of dark luxury sedans with tinted windows, drove in as she was about to head inside. She hid behind a potted palm tree and watched the fanfare as the doors of the first two vehicles spilled outward, and an impressive number of guards jumped out and ran to clear the entrance.

Looking devilishly handsome in a black suit and white shirt with the top two buttons left open, Liam came out of one of the cars moments later. His cufflinks glistening in the sunlight blinded her as much as his smile when he glanced at the woman on his arm.

She was dressed in a red fitted pantsuit and chic heels. Massive shades hid her heart-shaped face, and her long black hair flowed down her slim back. She was a vision of elegance. Exactly the woman her baby's father would go for with his high standards.

A tall, regal-looking woman of around fifty or so approached the couple. "Mr and Mrs Anderson, the board is waiting."

The raven-haired beauty Eden assumed was the mystery wife said something to Liam. He guffawed, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

He looked so content, Eden couldn't bring herself to do it. She had no right to destroy his happiness. Her heart, as heavy as a rock, she watched him vanish inside the air-conditioned building.

"You are doing the right thing. He didn't sign up for a baby," she convinced herself as she returned to her apartment.

Deflated, she slipped under her duvet, only to be startled awake hours later by her grandma's call. She'd heard the news from her mom.

"Do you want to come up for a few days?" she asked.

"I'd love to, Grammy."

A few days away from Rock Castle sounded like a good idea. The mountain air would be good for her.

Eden's friends came to see her off at the airport, promising to pick her up in a week. After a round of teary hugs and kisses, she headed to the boarding gates.

The few days she was supposed to stay with her grandmother in the Blue Mountains turned into weeks.

Then months.

Then a year.

And finally, two...

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