Love, Lies and Billionaires

“I’m going for a DNA test, mom,” Maren said, running her fingers around the tips of the glass of wine in front of her.

“That seems like the only thing to do right now though”

“I’m scared mom”

“Why?” her mom asked, as she divided an apple with the golden table knife in her hand.

“I mean, I really have no memory of having sex with anyone aside from William. And Irene sounded so serious. I don’t think she was lying, Mom.”

“Well, only a test would prove that at this point.” She lifted a saucer of apples, which were already sliced into chunks, to Maren. “Apple?”

Maren looked at the apples and then at her mom. She just told her she was scared that Nathan’s mom was a whore and all she could do was offer her apples?

She loved her mom, but sometimes her confused emotions in critical times were just annoying. She was the same way when her husband, Maren’s dad, died. Mrs Sharppe was indifferent for the first few days after he died. But later on, the grief picked up and began to mourn.

Maren picked a chunk from the saucer and tossed it into her mouth.

“Whatever comes out of this, you’ll be fine,” her mom added.

“The DNA…”

“What DNA?”

Maren’s heart skipped a beat as she rose her eyes to meet Alexander, who had just walked into the dining room.

“You’re back early,” Maren said quickly, trying to change the subject. She paused as she noticed his fallen demeanour. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s my dad” he scratched the back of his neck. “He slumped in his office again”

“Oh, my god!”

“Again?” her mom asked, completely in the dark.

“Where is he?” Maren asked, worry and fear plastered on her face.

“He’s at the hospital. I came to get a few things. I’m heading back now”

“Can I come?” Maren quickly asked as Alexander hurriedly climbed up the stairs.

“Whatever” Alexander replied.

“I’ll come too,” Mrs Sharppe said, popping a chunk of apple into her mouth.

“What about Nathan?”

“Oh, he’ll be fine. He’s got Rose and the tutor’s still around. There’s a lot of things to keep him distracted. He won’t notice we’re gone.” She said and walked past a worried Maren. “Let’s go”

The sick and deathly smell of the hospital ended behind the door of Mr. Blackwood’s private ward as it was well ventilated and lots of bouquets of flowers stood on a table at one corner of the room and provided a fresh smell to the room.

They all stood around the bed on which he lay, except Maren’s mom, who saw standing as a task and found a chair to sit on.

As everyone watched in silence, Mr. Blackwood lay motionless, with only a few tubes attached to his body, which Maren guessed were for his stabilization. The only sound that could be heard was the beeping of the monitor.

Of all the faces in the room, Alexander was the most disturbed, and he seemed to avoid looking at his dad. Maren noticed and walked over to where he stood resting on a wall.

“What did they say happened to him, exactly?” she asked, standing in front of him.

“Well, he never fully recovered the previous time. He has asked to be discharged so he could go back and work. It was all the stress and every other thing that made him slump again today.”

“Gosh,” Maren could only say. As she had a lot of words to used to scold both Alexander and his dad, but she remembered how he always when anyone talked ill of his dad.

“Will he be alright?” Her mom asked, ‘really?’ stare from Maren. “What? I’m just asking,” she mouthed, making sure Alexander didn’t see her.

Alexander ran his hand through his hair and scratched his neck. “I hope so. I really don’t know.” He replied, and Maren had never seen him look so helpless and confused.

“We just have to-”

“Mr. Blackwood-” a short man in a white coat came through the door and paused as she walked in. “Well, I see the entire gang’s here. Welcome,” he said and adjusted his glasses.

Maren was the first to say, “Is he going to be alright?”

The man, obviously the doctor, just walked over to the white liquid packed in a bag which was hung and connected to Mr. Blackwood’s body and examined it.

He then turned to the monitor, which was beeping steadily and took a clipboard from the platform which it stood and took down some records.

“All I can say is he’s responding slowly to treatment but his health is in a really unstable state and it’s not been ascertained for days now”

“Days?” Maren asked and turned to Alexander. “He’s been like this for days?”Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

“Yes, about four days,” the doctor said, not taking the hint to shut the hell up.

“What was the use telling you anyway?” Alexander said, still looking away.

Maren blinked multiple times and folded her arms, visibly taken aback. “Really, Alexander?”

“Please, please, this really isn’t the time,” the doctor said, taking the words right out of Alexander’s mouth but innocently. “Unnecessary stress which he put himself through caused Mr. Blackwood’s current state”

“Coupled with the fact that he hadn’t completed his treatment the last time this happened,” he adjusted his glasses.

“So what exactly should be done right now?” Maren’s mom asked.

“Honestly, the only thing to be done is to watch him. Hopefully, he’ll be better by this coming week.”

The room fell silent like they were grieving in advance, each eye staring from Mrs. Blackwood to something else no other person could decipher.

“Very well then, I’ll leave you all. I suggest you presence around here more often. Mr Alexander, you especially.” He said and walked towards the door.

“Thanks doc” Alexander said as he walked out the door.

“Why will you keep such a thing like this for so long?” Maren asked almost immediately as the door was shut. Alexander just rolled his eyes and kept quiet.

“I think I’ll go get some fresh air,” Mrs Sharppe said, but none of them paid attention to her.

“The fact that we’re not in an actual marriage doesn’t mean I don’t care about things that go on around you. Especially when it comes to your father’s health,” she said, trying to not get angry.

Alexander sighed and looked at her for the first time since they walked into the room. “Look, I love you but honestly I don’t think you need to know about everything, especially if I don’t want you to”

“So you-wait what?”