My Dream Marriage

“Neera, you are needed downstairs,” Sheal, the new helper, calls me from outside the door. “I will be there,” I say.

I change into a comfortable dress because I know we are leaving for the hospital and change into it. I put on gray sandals and wash my face with cold water and let it relax before applying some powder to it. I don’t want to look like a ghost, even though I know everyone in the house knows I had been crying but I wouldn’t want anyone else other than them to know that. I take my purse and leave the room, closing the door behind me.

“The booking is made, now we have to go right now.” Edward says leading the way. I know it was Valen who recommended another doctor to Edward and now I don’t know where we are going, though probably to another hospital.

Alex is already waiting in the car and starts the engine the moment we get in. The ride to the hospital is very quiet, no one dares to talk as if it is a silence competition. Whenever I try to look at Edward, he looks away like he feels disgusted looking at my face. I don’t know why he has this dislike towards me when we have shared intimate moments together.

“We have arrived sir.” Alex announces as he parks the car in front of a building which I think is the hospital. It is big, but not like E&P L. I open my door, not waiting for anyone to do so and follow Edward inside. He talks to the male receptionist and he directs him to the lift and we climb up to the uppermost floor of the building. We follow a series of doors along a hallway and enter the last one.

He knocks and a lady nurse opens the door. “You are welcome sir, the doctor is expecting you.” I enter after him and she gestures for us to sit on a single green couch in the room. She enters another room adjacent to the one we are in and comes back followed by a short middle-aged man in a white coat and big round glasses over his eyes. He smiles when he sees us and greets us warmly.

“Okay, as I already know why you are here but can I ask you a few questions before I proceed?” He asks. I don’t know his name yet. “Alright Doctor Miles.”

“So, this question is for you Edward. Why would you bring your wife for a paternity test, did she cheat on you or don’t you trust her?”

“She did cheat on me, that’s why.” He answers with certainty.

“No, I think he doesn’t trust me because I didn’t cheat on him.” He probably doesn’t have solid evidence to support that. “You want to play innocent right? Doctor please go on with the test because it will end up into a game with no one proving a point here. Let’s just do what brought us here.” He says impatiently. He really wants me to look like I am the bad guy here but I know the test results will prove him otherwise.

“Come,” the doctor takes us to the room he came out earlier and with the help of the nurse, the necessary samples are taken and ready for testing.

“Thank you Mr and Mrs Lawanson, the tests will be out in two days time. Do you want to come and collect the results individually or?” He asks.

“No, you can have them delivered to my home and let me know the time, or you can call me prior.” Edward says.

“Good luck, I will contact you.” The doctor says as we leave.

***

Since I came from the hospital I haven’t talked to anyone except Martha though occasionally. I have only been staying in my room, only going out when I want to eat. I don’t do anything in the house, I don’t even make Edward’s breakfast and Piper decided to employ another helper that helps Martha around the house. It’s been two days, the time that I am going to prove everyone wrong and regain my title as Edward’s wife.

Although I don’t want to get back to that room with him, I only want my name not to be tarnished like that with the people that should be by my side no matter what. I can’t even imagine staying that close to Edward after all the abomination that he has done, not only cheating on me but the thing making me feel disgusted is bringing the same woman to my house and even staying together on our matrimonial bed.

I feel disgusted just thinking about that, and the smug smile that Valen had on her face that indicated the victory that Edward chose her over me. I have already given up on Edward, I don’t know what he can do for me to get back to him. I am only staying here because of my baby, I don’t want to divorce him. I will tolerate him because I don’t want my baby to suffer when his father has all the resources any child would need to grow up.

The doctor will be here soon, but Edward is not here yet. He made sure to tell the doctor that the results shouldn’t be delivered when he is not here. So, the time I see him then that will be it. I have not experienced any serious symptoms since the first time I had gone to the hospital and discovered that I was pregnant. I only feel nauseated the times I think about Edward and his slut.

I haven’t talked to my friends, and I know Jackie had planned for a baby shower, actually her boyfriend’s parents had planned for her. I don’t know when it will be. I switched off my phone for days now because I don’t even feel like talking to anyone, and with my friends I know they will notice that something is wrong with me, I don’t have the courage to break it to them all that I have been going through. I am still in this house so I wouldn’t want to ruin that and be kicked out of the house for good. It’s like I am holding onto a single strand of a rope that would cut anytime if a little pressure is applied to it. Edward has his mother’s support and for anything, he would choose his son’s side even if he is on the wrong. She even has a soft spot for Valen and they seem to know each other well for quite some time. She would vote for her son to be with her, given Edward has been threatening to divorce me. Eric is neither on his son’s side or my side and that is okay with me because he would not pardon his son’s misdeeds but he is his blood so I wouldn’t even be surprised.

I want to visit my parents but after that incident, it makes me take a step back. That still haunts me to date. It was a near death experience.

“Neera, Edward is here and needs you downstairs,” Sheal, the new helper, calls. “Is the doctor here?” I ask. “Yes.”

“I am coming.”

I find him seated together with the doctor and his parents. Valen is seated next to him and flashes me a fake smile. I hate her with passion.

“Hello.” I greet them as I take a seat across them like sitting before a council of elders ready to be corrected and disciplined. “So the doctor here has the results ready and from here I will know if the baby is mine or not.” Edward says while the doctor hands him the medical report in his hands.

He goes through it then raises his face and chuckles looking at me with the same dangerous eyes he does whenever he is pissed at me. He throws the report at me so that I can take a look at it myself.

The paternity states that they don’t match at all not even one percent. Everything is at zero percent. What the hell? I don’t believe that. “Doctor, are you sure these are my results?”

“You can check the names, they are specifically for you.” I know how to read you idiot, what I mean is you could have misplaced the specimen. I think silently but can’t say it out loud. “Let me take a look,” Piper says, stretching her hand to me.

“Doctor, I know for a fact that the child growing inside me is his and no one else’s.” I don’t know why the results are negative.

“The results state otherwise.” The doctor says arrogantly, I don’t even know why he is talking right now.

“Our samples could have been tampered with or misplaced.” I point it out to him.

“Are you questioning my competency?” He asks, pissed off. “Yes with these results I am even doubting if you are qualified,” I sneer. “Neera, he is one of the most famous doctors in this country so you should keep quiet and atone for your sins.” Valen says.

“Which sins when you are clearly commiting adultery with my husband, in fact you should be stoned to death. We are doing another test with another doctor.” I am not giving in to this kind of humiliation. “Not another test Neera, you are leaving this house. I am divorcing you.” Edward says.

“I am going nowhere, Edward, this is your baby, I am your wife and we are here to stay whether you like it or not. I won’t be divorcing you. I am not raising a fatherless child.”

“Neera, I thought you were a simple girl but you are only here to squander my son’s money. You are even forcing another man’s child on him. How ungrateful of you, my son has only loved you and what did you do, you stabbed him in the back. We take you as our own even after your parents’ death. What more do you want?” Piper says.

“Mother, this is your son’s child and I swear I have never cheated on him and I don’t even have that courage.” I am not that kind of a person.

“Woman, I don’t know what is hard to understand here. Do you think his more than thirty years experience as a doctor doesn’t prove anything? How can you even lie straight to my face when all evidence of your unfaithfulness lies here in broad daylight and points to you? I don’t even know what kind of a person you are.” Edward says.

“Here is the thing, I am not divorcing you and I am not here for your money. I am only here because of my child and I am not interested in whatever you have because you made it clear to me that I am only here to replace your dead grand aunt. I don’t even think I will be comfortable staying close to you after you defiled our bedroom, not to talk of our marriage. Whatever the results say, I am not leaving this place or giving up on this marriage. Take it as an open marriage but you will be the one who goes out to other women because now, I am only going to make sure I prepare a comfortable life for my child that’s all.”

“Edward, did you say that to her? When was that?” His father asks finally, after being silent all this while.

“Eric, this shouldn’t bother you now. Can’t you see this girl cheated on your son and now wants an illegitimate child to inherit what my son has worked hard for. I am not going to sit quietly and watch that happen.” Piper says.

“I did not cheat on your son and that is what I know for sure.” I say not daring to change my statement for anything. I have overlooked everything that Edward has done to me, and this one can’t be hard for me. I will endure it as usual with this new determination that has taken root within me.Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.