LATER THAT NIGHT, DAMEN'S PLACE*

Elizabeth came out of a taxi and took off her dark shades, inhaling before going in.

She met Cassie in the living room, and Cassie sprang up.

"Thank gawd you're here Mummy, he has been inside since he came and he won't even talk to me" she said.

"Mirabel did that?" Elizabeth asked calmly.

"Trust me I wish I had met her when I came out of my hiding place, you should know I'd have torn her apart. I went to her place, but she moved out with her younger brother and mum already. The businessman got her a mansion" Cassie replied.

"She used my son" Elizabeth muttered, dropping her bag.

"Make his favorite coffee," she said, and went to Roman's room.

"Damen! Mummy is here!" She knocked on the door, but no answer came.

"Damen let me see your face at least...I promise to make Mirabel pay so please..." She knocked again.

Still no answer.

Cassie came with the coffee, and she took it from her.

"Your favorite coffee is here, you can have it and calm down then...

Elizabeth was still talking when the door opened, revealing Damen whose face was completely wet with tears.

"Son!" Elizabeth gasped shockingly.

"Damen don't be like this" Cassie shook her head.

"Mirabel made me start liking coffee, and you want me to drink it in this situation? You both are thoughtless" he muttered hurtfully and hit the coffee cup away from Elizabeth

It fell and shattered on the ground, and Cassie gasped.

"Damien I'm so..

"I wanna be alone, please" he sniffed and went back in, slamming the door.

Elizabeth and Cassie exchanged glances, and they sighed sadly.

A MONTH LATER, AMELIA'S PLACE*

Amelia is preparing to go job hunting again as she has been doing for the past month.

Even as a graduate, it's hard to find a good job in this city. No one wants to offer her a job, and the few who do are requesting her body, which she's not ready to give.

She has to find a job as soon as possible, cos she has just one week left to pay the loan, and if she fails to do it, she'd probably be abused or beaten. They're thugs.

She put on her shoes, thanks to Erica who gave her new ones.

Her phone buzzed on the bed, and she rushed to check.

A big smile appeared on her face when she saw it was a text from Erica.

• Have you eaten this morning? Don't tell me you're crying again.

She quickly texted back...

• I took noodles, and don't worry, no tears anymore.

Erica travelled out of Greece one week after their graduation. She's currently in Vietnam, and even though they're far from each other, she did a great job of making her smile again after what Sam and Fiona did.

She'd always text and call, making sure she ate and all. She's her saviour.

She was about to drop the phone and put on her second shoe when she felt like throwing up, and her eyes widened.

She rushed to the toilet and knelt in front of the seat, vomiting for real.

She has been feeling this way since last week, and she even vomited last night, but she has been waving it off.

Now it's not something to wave off again, something is wrong with her.

She went back to the room and got her phone to search about her symptoms online, and when she saw it, her eyes widened.

"No....it can't be...I can't be..."

She sprang up and rushed out of the house to the nearest pharmacy where she bought a pregnancy test strip.

She rushed back home and followed the instructions on the body of the paper, dropping a pinch of her blood in it.

She was shaking as she waited for the result, and she had to close her eyes.

Three minutes later, she opened up only to see two lines staring at her on the strip. Positive!

"No!!!!! No! No please I can't be pregnant! I can't even take care of myself and now a baby? No!!!!!" She started rolling on the ground, crying for real.

"I can't!!!!" She screamed again, holding her head.

She suddenly stood up again, wearing her shoes hastily.

She was wiping her tears with the back of her hands as she rushed out of the house, not minding her scattered hair.

She boarded a taxi to the bar...Silver Hall bar where it all started.

She rushed in, and she met the bartender. She clearly remembers they were the ones who served her that night.

She went to the stand and grabbed their arms

Wait the drunkard?" They smiled.

What happened that night? She Sniffed.

"Of course! You got drunk and f**ked a guy in the restroom, it's hard to forget" Alex replied.

"The guy...do you know him? Please tell me anything you know about him" she said impatiently.

"No, we don't. That was his first time here and he hasn't come back since then"

"What!" Amelia staggered.

"Any problem?" They asked.

"I'm in trouble!!" Amelia sat on the ground and resumed shaking like a kid.

"Wait...it's not what I'm thinking, right?" Adex asked, and she slowly started crying again.

"It's definitely what we're thinking, a baby!" The bartenders chorused, and Amelia cried louder, holding her head.

"But it's cool, you can take care of it yourself then when you meet in the future, you...

"I can't even take care of myself!!! Do I look rich? I'm poorer than a church rat!!!" Amelia cried louder..

"Oops!" They chorused again.

"You should go home and rest, We'd give you a call if he shows up"

"You'd do that?" Amelia stood.

"Sure" they nodded, and Amelia quickly wrote her number.

"Make sure you give me a call, please" she begged.

"Sure"

*

EIGHT MONTHS LATER, A RESTURANT*

The journey of nine months has been an alone thing for Amelia, no one to rely on.

She always called the bar to ask about the guy, but their answer was always no, he hasn't shown up since then.

Taking care of herself with the pregnancy has been hell, and there are a lotta times she thought about abortion, but she just can't.

No matter the circumstances, the baby is still hers, and she'd never harm it.

Even if she has to sell by the roadside, then she'd gladly do it so she'd survive with the baby.

The due date is anytime from now, and she should be resting, but how would she when she has to make money?

Her stomach was protruding so much as she stood from a chair with the plates she had washed.

She's a dishwasher here in the restaurant.

"Well done Amelia, you're almost done for today" The restaurant madam took the plates from her.

"Thanks, madam" she smiled, wiping her sweat.

Her phone rang in her tattered bag, and she took it out to see the bartender's line.

She quickly picked up with anticipation.

"He's here!" They shouted.

*

SILVER BAR*

Amelia smiled when she came out of the taxi that brought her, and she inhaled after paying, staring at the building and hoping the meeting would go well.

She walked in, her stomach bulging in front of her.

She felt tired when she got to the door, so she had to hold the door and wait for a while to calm down before proceeding.

She entered the bar, and she was met with smiles from the bartenders.

They pointed at an angle for her, and she turned to the angle to see him for real.

He's sitting calmly on a table with a glass of wine in front of him then a laptop which he's working on. He's so focused.

She swallowed nervously before starting to take steps towards him, and till she got to him, he didn't look up for once.

She finally got to him and knocked his table, making him look up.

Surprisingly, he didn't show any sign of surprise on his face, he only gave her a questioning look as to why she knocked the table.

"You remember me, right?" She asked slowly, and he moved his thick brows slightly.

She sat in front of him, and he kept looking at her.

"That night...

"The night you seduced me" he cut her off, and she blinked.

"I...I wasn't in my right senses and...

"Lair...you knew what you were doing. You saw me drunk, and I'm sure you planned to do that and probably push a child at me. Let me guess, you're here to tell me the baby in your belly is mine?" He smirked, and she swallowed nervously again.

"I'm not a girl like that, believe me, I wouldn't make such a request in my right senses...I was drunk ... We were both drunk and...

"And you took advantage of me! Why would you ask for sex in your drunk state? You're a cheap one who's looking for a man to implicate. What was I even expecting? All your gender is the same" he said icily, and her eyes widened.

"Did you just call me...cheap?"

"Yeah. I said what I said. You purposely did it and I'm so not ready for your lies ok?" He replied coldly and returned to working on his laptop.

Tears rushed down Amelia's face, and she stood slowly.

"Let's for a paternity test then, take me to any hospital you trust," she said in tears, but he kept pressing the laptop buttons.

"Please!!! I have nowhere else to go I really can't do this alone. I'm a poor orphan and I...

"And I don't care! Look I hate ladies but ladies like you are the worst! I'd rather keep a dog!" He snapped angrily and stood.

Amelia quickly went on her knees and started rubbing her palms together.

"Take pity on me, I...I...

Damen closed his laptop, interrupting her speech.

He carried it and then faced her.

"Birth the baby, and I'll be here at this same time next year. I'll take it, but your b**chy self can go to hell afterwards" he said harshly and walked out of the bar.

Amelia sat on the ground afterwards, crying louder while holding her stomach.

The two bartenders rushed to her, trying to console her, but her cries only got louder.

She was still crying when her eyes suddenly widened. A sharp pain stung her abdomen, and she gasped.

"My...my stomach!!! My tummy!!!"

"Your tummy? What's happening?" The bartenders exchanged glances, and before they knew it, blood started coming out of her system.

"The baby? Wait... It's time?"

"Argghhhhh!!!!!!!!" Amelia's mouth opened wide as the insane labour pains gripped her.

"Hmmmmm!!!!!!"

"Is it too late to call an ambulance?" Alexandra said.

"What should we do?"

"Arggggghhh!!!!!!" Amelia cried, and more blood poured out of her.

"Let's try this" The bartenders exchanged glances, and they nodded at once.

She was lucky, cos the labour didn't take much time.

In thirty minutes, she birthed the baby, a cute baby boy.

Tears came out of her eyes immediately she saw him, and she passed out.

"Call an ambulance," Alec told the other.

*

ONE YEAR LATER*

Just like she came down from the taxi on this day last year, Amelia came down from a taxi again, but this time she's holding her baby, Nick.

She looked at the bar, and tears almost came to her eyes when she remembered that she gave birth in here.

Nick's little hand touched her face, and she smiled as she looked at him.

Even at such a young age, it's so clear who his father is. He's Damen's copy.

He smiled cutely, his one tooth looking funny in his gum.

Amelia kissed his cheeks, and he chuckled cutely, raising his hands in the air innocently as she entered the bar.

Just like last year, Damen is sitting on that same seat, but right now he's looking richer and more handsome, wearing expensive brands, but his cold face is still the same, and he's sitting at the same table.

The bartenders were smiling at her from the stand, and she smiled sadly before walking to Damen.

She knocked his table before he looked up, but he looked shocked this time immediately he saw little Nick,obviously because of the uncanny resemblance.

He stood slowly, still staring at the baby.

"Here," Amelia said, giving Nick to him reluctantly.

Damien took him slowly, and the boy smiled at him too. He's damn cheerful.

"I think it's over now," Amelia said.

Damen didn't say a word to her.

He called in a guy who looked like his PA, and the guy packed the laptop and files on the table, then they left the bar together.

Nick started crying, and Amelia's tears flowed too as she watched Damen take him away.

She squatted on her spot, and the bartenders joined her.

"It's ok" they started patting her.

It might take years before she sees Nick again, or she might never even see him again.

She stood when realization hit her, and she rushed out of the bar

Damen was about to enter the car when she pulled him back.

"Please, let me spend one more hour with Nick before you take him" she pleaded.

"I have work to do" he replied blankly.

"Please, ok 30 minutes, I miss him already please let me just...

"I said I have things to do. I'm not jobless like you" he cut her off with a glare, and her arms fell from him in a slow mo.

Tears rolled out of her eyes again.

"You're heartless" she muttered hurtfully.

"Your gender taught me to be" he replied coldly and entered the car, driving away from her.

"Nick!!!!!!!!" Amelia cried out, sitting on the ground.

The bartenders rushed out again, and when they saw her, they exchanged glances.

"The story can't end like this," the first one said sadly.

"There's still the future" the second one replied, staring pitifully at Amelia.

"Nick, Mummy is sorry. I love you so much" she muttered in tears, shaking with cold.