I lost my job that day. Yes, my "kind coworker" informed the café owner of my incessant nausea, giving him the impression that I was pregnant even though I had yet to confirm it, and the man took it up.

"The customers have been complaining about your approach Janine," he accused, pacing around in his tiny office. "You're always distracted, retching, and constantly dozing."

I opened my mouth, but the words didn't come, and who would blame me, the man looked like a demon from a horror movie.

"I'm sorry sir, I'm just a little sick."

"It's been more than 3 weeks now," he snapped. "I worked very hard to build this place. I don't need anyone lagging my business down. Go home and take care of yourself. You're fired."

"But..."

There are no buts. Empty your desk and leave."

"But I will be fine."

"And there will be better opportunities waiting when that is the case."

Tears crawled into my eyes and blurred my vision. There is no way I would survive without a means of income. Not even in this condition.

“What about my salary?”

"The month hasn't ended yet." he snapped.

"But I have been working since the month began, I should be paid for that"

"Okay then,“ he plopped down on the seat. ”You will get an email with your cheque. Now leave."

"But when?"

"Get out Janine!"

As expected, I didn't get any mail, and I didn't get any cheque. I remained in my cockroach-infested apartment, growing every day with the child. My depression degenerated into paranoia and insomnia. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, not with the constant nausea and the weight pressing against my chest. I had no money. No job. And now this.

Against my better judgment, I dialled André’s number. No matter what the world thought of me, I was still a celebrity, they couldn't take that bit away. I still had access to other celebrities' numbers, and Andrés turned out relatively easily. He picked up on the second ring, his voice clipped and edgy.

“What do you want, Allegra?”

I swallowed a lump in my throat. How should I say it? That we had a one-night stand and I am pregnant with your child? How absurd, and very stupid of me.

"I don't have time to waste, Allegra. Why have you called?"

"Uhm," I swallowed another lump, but my voice faltered. "I need some money."

"Oh really,“ he scoffed. ”Have you now resolved to beg?

"No, I mean." I winced and blinked my tears away.

"You mean what?"

"I need to undergo a procedure, I'm pregnant André, and I can't...."

I didn't finish, his cruel, sharp and metallic laugh cut me off.

"You need to take me seriously André. I am..."

"Mad,“ he snapped. "That's what Allegra. You've lost your mind. How is your pregnancy my business?”

"Why won't you listen"

"Oh, you've stepped up your game. What will you do next, tell the world I assaulted you sexually, and sue me for a million dollars? Are you recording this conversation now?"

"

"No, you didn't assault me, not in the literal sense. We were both intoxicated. We had a one-night stand, André, we had unprotected sex. What do you think happens after that?"

He didn't say a word, so I continued.

"I have always hated you, Andre, and you know that. I will never dream of carrying your child or having anything to do with you. As you know, the legal cases have left me broke, that's why I called. I need money to get an abortion. Let's get this done and over with."

"Tell your other lovers to give you money, Allegra," André suddenly said, his voice dripping with cold malice. "You lost yourself-responsibility and got into bed with a stranger; you could have done the same with many others."

My heart shattered into bits, my heart wobbling underneath me. I opened my mouth, but I couldn't find the words, only sobs.

"It's weird of you to think you can blackmail me, out of my money Allegra. I only thought you were just going to beg. You are worse than the allegations."

"That's not true, I haven't had..."

Beep!

The line went dead before I could finish the sentence. André hung up on me! No, I said aloud, scrolling through my dial pad, but Andre didn't answer my call. And the next one after that, he blocked my number!

I clutched the clipboard tighter, though my hands wouldn’t stop trembling. The nurse had just left me in the tiny consultation room. My name was scribbled in thick black ink at the top of the forms. The words blurred into my eyes as I stared at them. *Termination of pregnancy.*

It had been two more weeks of watching my body betray me while my pride starved me of help. I’d pawned the last piece of jewellery I had left and scraped all together for a deposit. Maybe the clinic would let me pay the rest later. I didn’t care how humiliating it looked. I just needed this to be over.

Suddenly, the door creaked open. I thought it was the noise that had returned until I heard the voice I had been trying to erase from my life.

"Allegra!"

My head jerked up, just in time to find André Beaumont in the doorway. His tall frame hung above me like a statue, while the blood drained from my veins.

"What are you doing here, how dare you come into this place!"

He stepped into the room and shut the door as though he had every right to.

“I am stopping you from making the biggest mistake of my life.”

“You don’t get to call it that. You don’t get to show up here after ignoring me for weeks.”

“I ignored you,” he said, jaw hardening, “because I thought it was another one of those games. Oh, you have no idea how many women have claimed to be pregnant by me. But you’re not, are you? You’re really carrying my child.”