Chapter 4
Chapter 4
“Are you okay?” Rafael breaks the silence as he drives.
“Yeah.” Amber simply answered and looks outside the window.
“Is it okay to leave there without settling the issues about you?” He asked.
“I’m used to it. Besides, I’m not the only one they’ve been gossiping.” She answered as she looks
outside the window.
“What do you mean?” He asked curiously.
“They’ve been gossiping about me the moment I started renting there.” She sighed as she remembers
all those gossips about her. “A neighbour started a rumor that I worked at a bar as a prostitute due to a
reason that I’m almost not at home. My shift at the restaurant is from eight am to five pm, while it’s six
pm to four am.” She paused. “They still continued making gossips about me even when I stopped
working at the bar. They said that a costumer made me pregnant. I don’t know if there are still gossips
about me.”
“You didn’t do anything to clear your name?” He asked.
“What for? They’re closed-minded and besides I know what is the truth.” She answered. “Maybe now,
they’re gossiping about us. I know how people think there.” She added as she watched where they
were passing until they entered a subdivision.
“And that is?” Rafael asked.
“That you’re one of my costumers.” She said, unbothered. She frowned when Rafael parked the car in
front of a two-story mansion. If here memory serves her right, this is where Rafael stopped when she
persuaded him to go to her apartment.
“This is your house?” She asked when they get out of the car. Her eyes wandered around and there is
a mini-park near the mansion. “Amber, get in here!” Rafael ordered who is now at the door step.
They went into the living room and it made her flinched.
“Something wrong?” Rafael asked.
“N-no… Nothing.” She answered as her eyes wandered around the living room. “Your living room
reminds me of something.” She said. “Uhm, where should I sleep?” She diverted the subject. “I feel
tired and I want to rest.” She added.
“I’ll accompany you.” Rafael said. “where should I put your things, by the way?”
“If possible, in the room that I’ll be occupying. If that’s okay with you.” She answered.
“Sure.” He said and carried the box. “Follow me.”
“This will be your room.” Rafael said as he puts down the box beside the cabinet. “This is the
bathroom.” He said as he opened the door, “and this…”
“a walk-in closet.” She said as soon as she sees what is behind the other door. She saw the clothes
that Kaylee got from her apartment, and there are also clothes that doesn’t belong to her.
“Those are brand new clothes that I ordered for you.” He said as if he read what’s on her mind.
“There’s np need to worry, for I don’t bring women in my house.”
“That has nothing to do with me.” Amber said. Rafael stared at her and sighed.
“Anyway, take a rest. I still have work to do.”
“Wait.” She stopped him. “I have something to give.” She said as she go over her bag and bring out a
white envelope. “Here.”
“What is that?” Rafael asked, frowning,
“My payment from what you’ve given to my landlady.” She answered. “There’s ten thousand inside.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. I won’t accept it.” He said.
“Please, just accept it.” She pleaded. “And why did you have to give her twice the amount of rent?
Don’t you know that she’s greedy?” she uttered in irritation.
“And you?” Rafael’s face suddenly become dim. “Are you not different from her? Isn’t the reason why
you’re going to marry me is because of my money? You even drag our unborn child in exchange for a
f*cking five million!” He shouted. “Now,” he grabbed her arm. “tell me how different you are from her?”
“R-rafael, it hurts.” She said as she tried to get away from him.
“You are more worse from her, Amber! You drag our child to your f*cking schemes!” He said as he
pushed him unto the bed. “Behind that fucking innocent face lies a devil.”
“Y-you don’t understand…” Amber said, crying.
“You don’t have the right to be pregnant! And heartless, gold-digger like you is not suitable to be a
mother!” His words are like a knife that stabs her heart. “I really regretted having sex with you.” He
snorted. “I guess this is my karma for fooling around—to end up with a trash like you.”
“Y-you don’t understand why I said those—I was desperate.” Amber said in between her sobs. “You
don’t have the right to judge me just for that condition I asked.” She shouted in desperation. “You don’t
know what I’m going through.”
“You can’t blame me, Amber! It was you who puts your self in that position, remember that!” He coldly
said. “If only you didn’t drag the child into this mess, and just told me the reason then we won’t have
any problem.”
“I—”
“Whatever you say today will not change how I looked at you, Amber.” He cuts her off. “Let’s just end it
here today. Take a rest, you need that, not just for yourself but for the baby or else you might lose five
million.” He mocked. “and by the way, the judge who will marry us will come tomorrow. You should
celebrate.”
Amber cried her heart out when Rafael left her; he is right in many ways, she’s the one who put herself
on that situation. She’s the one who decided to ask for a five million instead of asking him for help.
“Fuck!” Rafael cursed as soon as he opened the door to the bar’s VIP room, where he and he’s friends
are occupying. His behaviour surprises his friends.
“What’s wrong?” Gabriel asked and drinks on his vodka.
“Fuck man! Just fuck!” Rafael said and drinks straight from the bottle of vodka. “How can I be so
fucking careless? To think that she’s that kind of woman? Damn!”
“What is your fucking problem, man?” Gabriel asked in annoyance. “Joshua made his secretary
pregnant. What about you?”
“Don’t tell me you impregnated someone?” Joshua asked. “I remembered what you’ve said earlier
before you cut the line.”
“Cheers man! Congratulations to the both of us!” Rafael bitterly laughed and drinks again from the
bottle. “But you’re lucky, man.” He glanced at Joshua who is giving him a questioning look. “Your
secretary, Danielle, is such a kind lady, she will surely take good care of your child.”
“What is your point?” Joshua asked.
“and what the heck is your problem?” Gabriel asked.
“She’s s cold-hearted, woman!” He gritted his teeth. “Five million—no, scratch that, thirty million!” He
bitterly laughed. “Thirty million, that’s the cost of my child… for his safety.”
“What are you talking about? Who is this woman?” Joshua asked.
“Amber Santiago, she used to be a waitress here.” Rafael answered making his two friends surprised.
Gabriel and Joshua looked at each other waiting for him to continue. “Damn her! A devil lies behind
that innocent face! I asked her to marry me, I even offered her all my money, my properties, my assets
—my everything! And you know what, she rejected those which made me happy. At that moment I
thought to myself that there is still a woman who doesn’t care about money.” He laughed.
“But fuck! I’m wrong! I felt disgusted for thinking those things. She agreed to marry me but, in a
condition….” he bitterly laughed. “I have to give her five million. I will give her that if that’s what she
wants but she threatened me… She threatened me to have an abortion! Damn! Shit!” Rafael threw the
bottle of vodka on the wall. “I won’t allow it, even if I spent all of my fortune until the baby will be born
safely, I will!” Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g
“I don’t know what to say.” Joshua said and took a shot. “We both impregnated someone but you have
a bigger problem.”
“That’s why I said your lucky with Danielle.” Rafael shrugged while opening another bottle of vodka.
“Gab, I need your help.” He said and glanced at Gabriel.
“Yeah? What is it?” Gabriel asked.
“Tomorrow, Judge Marquez will be coming to wed us. I need you to make a contract indicating that I will
only give Amber two million after the wedding, and the remaining twenty-eight million will be after the
baby is born safe and healthy.”
“Okay. I can do that.” Gabriel said. “But why thirty? I thought she only asked for five.” Gabriel asked,
curious.
“I told her that I will make it thirty, and I you know me, I will never turn back on my words.” He seriously
said.
“How about your properties?” Joshua asked. “You said that once you get married, what’s yours will be
hers.”
“Heck no!” Rafael answered. “Gab, add on the contract that she will not get anything from me aside
from that thirty million. During her pregnancy, I will provide everything so that she and the baby will be
healthy and safe.” He told Gabriel who just nodded. “I already made it thirty, that should be fair
enough.”
“I didn’t expect her to be that kind of woman.” Joshua said shaking his head.
“I know right, I was the one who hired her yet I didn’t even notice that she’s that kind of woman.”
Gabriel said and sighed. “Looks can really be deceiving.”
“Come on guys! Let’s celebrate!” Rafael bitterly said. “Congratulations to us again, Joshua!” He added
and took a shot. “It’s a shame that the others are not here to celebrate with us!”