Betrayed By Billions: A Love Rediscover

I stared at the object on the bathroom sink in horror. Some small rational part of me realized I was in deep shock. It repeated the fact to me again and again. I did not want to think about what I had seen. I did not want to know what had happened here. I did not want to know what any of this meant. "This isn't real, maybe I made some mistake. This is not real." I said, to myself, trying to calm my heartbeat, which was racing faster than a bullet train. I took out another pregnancy test from the box and tested it, setting a timer on my phone. I left it on the sink. I paced back and forth from one wall to the other, talking to myself like a patient in a mental hospital. That naked body I catch sight of every time I pass the mirror makes me feel like throwing up, reading the instructions multiple times on the pregnancy test box. I felt like I was some kind of primitive spring-loaded machine, placed under far more tension than it had ever been built to sustain, about to blast apart at great danger to anyone standing nearby. I imagined my body parts flying off my torso to escape the volcanic core of stress that had become me. Rrrrrr...Rrrrrr...Rrrrrr. The phone timer went off, and I took a heavy breath, my whole body was trembling like an autumn leaf out of fear. I hesitantly moved closer to the sink, hoping it would come out negative. I shut my eyes tightly as I drew my shaky hand to pick it up. I gathered all the courage left in me. Slowly opening my eyes, I looked down. Two faint lines, barely visible, yet screaming the truth at me. I was pregnant. The words echoed in my mind, bouncing off the walls of my consciousness, but they didn’t seem to stick. It was as if my mind was refusing to accept reality, rejecting the fact that it was staring me right in the face. I was feeling extremely dizzy in that room. I felt faint with disbelief. I held on to the toilet seat to stay upright. I knew what was going on, but I couldn’t absorb any of it. My eyes were full of a hot liquid. I did not think of tears at first, which, without disturbing the firmness of my lips, made the air thick, and rolled down on my cheeks. All of a sudden, the shrill ring of my phone echoed through the bathroom, its insistent sound bouncing off the cold, sterile tiles. I snatched it up, my heart pounding as I saw the caller ID. "Talk about bad timing," I muttered to myself, pressing the answer button just in time. I wiped the tears off of my cheeks. "Good evening, Barbara. How are you doing? I hope everything will be alright.” I tried to keep my voice steady, but the tremor was evident. I had anticipated a brief, cordial conversation, but Barbara was not one for idle chit-chat. "WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU, ELLA?" Her voice exploded through the phone, causing me to jerk back in surprise. Barbara's evening calls were rarely a good sign, and her tone suggested she was ready for a fight. "What's the matter, Barbara? And please, try to relax, don't let your blood pressure rise," I tried to soothe her, my voice steady despite the knot of anxiety forming in my stomach. " Don't tell me what to do and just answer my question, did Brody call you?" She demanded, her tone authoritative. Brody and I had an argument two days ago, and I didn't see him after that day, nor did we call each other. " No! What's going on, Barbara? Where is Brody?" I asked, my voice rising in panic. "Oh, great! If I knew where he was, why would I be calling you?" She retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You don't know where Brody is?" I repeated, my heart sinking. " No, I've been trying to reach him since morning, but he isn't answering my calls. We have a rehearsal scheduled for three hours for tomorrow's concert. And he is nowhere to be found. I don't know what's going through Brody's head?" She sounded exasperated. The news hit me like a ton of bricks. Brody, missing? The thought was inconceivable. A wave of worry washed over me, my mind racing with bad thoughts. "Have you been to his house?" I asked her. " NO! I have not, and I can't leave my office because I had a meeting with the representatives of LIMESTONE MUSIC LABEL, and they're interested in signing Brody. Think about how big of an opportunity it is for Brody." She said, in her demanding tone. " So, what do you want me to do?" I asked her, trying to piece together everything. " I need to find Brody, and I am not in a mood to hear a' No' from you. I am already stressed out because of this meeting and Brody piled up even more by disappearing suddenly, inform me when you find him." She said to me. " But Barbara,... Hello, Barbara... Are you listening?... Barbara?" I looked at my phone and realized that she had ended the call before even hearing me out. I let out an audible grunt in frustration. My eyes fell back on the pregnancy test in my hand and I can't believe how I even got pregnant. " I need to tell him about this," I thought in my head, but soon realized that nobody knew where he was at. " Damn it! But even if I found him, what would I say to him? No amount of me trying to explain myself was going to do any good. I didn't even know what was going on inside of me, so how could I have explained it to him? How would he react after hearing this news? Will he be happy, sad, disappointed, or angry at me? " I thought in my head and I could hardly sit still. I keep fidgeting, crossing one leg and then the other. I feel like I could throw off sparks, or break a window. Anxiety and stress creep out of my head. " Oh, good lord, what would happen if everyone found out about it? What would they think about me? What would they say about me? Would they think I am a bad person? They would probably say I am doing this for money." I can't stop thinking about the negative things. But then I thought, " I shouldn't care what other people think or say about me. I should be thinking about what Brody would do... And stop stressing out, everything will be fine. He will be happy after he finds out I am pregnant." I tried to calm my nerves and focus on trying to find Brody. I made my way back to my bedroom and opened the wardrobe, dressing with care. I slipped into high-heeled shoes, black stockings, a black skirt, and a turtleneck sweater, then grabbed a trench coat and purse. Leaving the bedroom, I navigated through the kitchen and opened the door leading to the garage. I retrieved the keys to my worn-out Honda, unlocked it, tossed my belongings onto the backseat, and settled into the driver's seat. I dialed Brody's number, but his phone was off. I wondered where Brody could have disappeared. It didn't take me long to consider that Mr. Henry might have an idea. Mr. Henry, Brody's driver, had been with him for many years and was privy to his routines and habits. He would know where Brody might be, and who he might be with. I dialed Mr. Henry's number, my heart pounding in my chest. The phone rang a few times before he picked up. "Hello, Mr. Henry, it's me, Ella," I greeted, trying to keep my voice steady. " Miss Ella, how are you doing? How may I help you?" He sounded surprised, almost caught off guard. "I am doing fine. Mr Henry, I was wondering if you’re with Brody?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. There was a pause at the other end of the line. "No! I'm sorry, Miss Ella, I don't know where Mr Blackwood is," he replied, his voice guarded. I felt a knot of worry in my stomach. "Mr. Henry, it's really important. I need to find him. It's... it's urgent, please tell me, has something bad happened to him?" I pleaded, my voice shaking slightly. I knew Brody would not go anywhere alone without Mr Henry. "I... I can't, Miss Ella... He paused.