Anne knew in her heart that Millie was going to relay her encounter with Deville, so she pleaded with the sales lady not to inform anybody that she was there today.
“Why are you hiding from him?” She asked Anne,
“Its a long story but do me this one favor.” Anne pleaded,tears were beginning to swell in her eyes,
“Okay,I’ll do as you say.” She muttered a thank you and turned to leave but saw Deville car stop in front of the grocery shop,
“Oh my God!” She turned abruptly, the lady behind the counter looked at her to say what’s the matter but she replied anyways,
“He’s here.” The lady stretched her head up and saw the Greek god she’s was running away from.
“Quick!hide behind that counter.” She pointed to the counter on the other side of the shop and Anne scurried there before Deville could get a glimpse of her.He walked into the grocery shop, looked around and went to the counter where Anne was,
“Good day Sir,how may I help you?” The lady asked him to stop him from going there,he turned to Ber direction and came forward to her,
“I’m looking for someone.” He brought out a photo of Anne and handed it to her,she took it and after scrutinizing it for awhile handed it back to him,
“Nope,I haven’t seen her my whole life.” She gave him back his photo,
“Are you sure?”,
“Yes,I’m sure,I’ve never seen her.” He massaged him head slowly.He gave her a card and the photo,
“Take this,if you’re to see her anywhere, please give me a call.” She took the card and the photo from him and looked at him seductively,
“Okay thanks.” He turned and took his leave,
“Sir! My name is Cheryl.” She yelled but he didn’t turn or pay attention to her.Anne came out of the counter and strode to the saleslady,heaving sighs of relief.
“Thanks.” She said as she came to her,she brought her hand for a handshake,
“I’m Cheryl Madison.” Anne took her hand,
“I’m Anne McKenzie.”
“Its nice meeting you Cheryl.”
“The pleasure is mine,you’ve just save my ass.” Anne said to her.
“Now Anne,tell me why you’re hiding from that Prince charming that just left here?” Cheryl asked her,Anne sighed and sat down to tell her.She told her everything,from Frank to their breakup and to Deville and her last ordeal with him while Cheryl listened with rapt attention,
“This is what we call Baby Contract.” Cheryl shook her head as she heard Anne story,
“Men are heartless and wicked,they’re all assholes.All my life,I do think I’m the only one with a rough life but never knew that such cruelty exist after you told me this.” She complained,
“Did you inform the cops?” She asked Anne but she shook her head,
“Its useless telling them,Deville can get away with anything since he’s wealthy and one of the powerful men in the city and I wouldn’t want him to go to jail cause he’s sick.” She said.Cheryl told Anne about herself, how her dad died when she was ten and how her Uncle Zack threw her and her mom outta their house,her mom’s struggle to train her by running the grocery shop and since her death three months ago,she has been the one running the shop,
“So,where are you leaving now?” Cheryl asked her,
“Since I left Frank’s, I’ve been lodging from motel to motel courtesy the money I got from Deville, going back to my apartment is not a good idea.” Cheryl frowned,
“You can come leave with me,since my mom passed away,I’ve been the only one leaving in our two bedroom apartment.” She offered,
“I would so love to,thank you Cheryl.”
“Enough of those formalities, what are friend for?” Anne kept her company till nine,they drove to the motel and she checked out and Cheryl drove her to her house.
That night,as they had dinner,Anne’s phone binged,it was a message alert,five hundred thousand dollars was transferred to her account from Deville Salvador.
“This guy is really nuts,he think he can buy me with his money,” she cussed,
“Maybe he realised his mistake and wants you back.” Cheryl said with a pitiful tone,though it might not be for her but for Deville,
“He should go to hell for all I care.” Anne blurted,she was fighting back tears,
“So what’s do you intend to do with your baby when you put to birth?” She had the answer for that,
“I’ll hand the baby to him in accordance to our deal but I’m not going back to him.” She’s fighting the urge not to cry but she was defeated, tears stream down her eyes as she cried,Cheryl came next to her and comforted her,
“Everything’s going to be fine girlfriend, just trust me on that.” Anne sniffles as she cried while Cheryl became her comfort shoulder.Anne was given Cheryl’s mom room,she lived there with her and helps her out in the shop careful enough to avoid been seen by Deville or his agents.
One Saturday morning,Anne was doing the dishes when she felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen,
“Anne are you done?” Cheryl asked from the living room,they were preparing to go to the grocery shop but Anne decided to do the dishes first.
“Cheryl!” She shouted and Cheryl came running to the kitchen only to find Anne in pain,
“Cheryl,I’m in pains,I think I’m having my baby.” Cheryl helped her out of the kitchen,they were in the pavement when her water broke,she tried to restrain it but it didn’t stop,soaking her beige sweater and baggy trouser,they got into Cheryl’s car and drove to the hospital.
Anne was admitted to a room,
“Doctor,I think I’m having my baby.” She told the bald head doctor when he came to check on her,
“Why don’t I be the judge of that.” He checked her and all of a sudden ran outside to call some nurses,Anne slightly closed her eyes and opened them,the clock on the wall chimed at nine am,she closed her again and the doctor and nurses were all round her telling her to push harder and she did.The pain were making her numb,
“Ma,push harder,the head is out.” That was the only sentence they kept repeating to her,she closed her eyes and turned to the clock,five minutes past ten,she took a deep breathe and pushed harder, the baby came out.She was purplish at first but became pink when she started wailing,the nurses cleaned the gooks all over her and wrapped her in a while shaw and handed her to Anne,she looked at her daughter and cried.She touched her bald head,her cheeks,her small nose and her small mouth,she kissed her forehead and cuddled her,she was trying to open her small eyes,
“Amanda,you’re so lovable me darling daughter.” Anne said the little one lay quietly in her mother’s arm,
“Anne!” She turned to the door and Cheryl came running to them,
“She’s so cute and adorable.” She gave the child to Cheryl,
“What name have you given her?”Cheryl asked and looked at Anne,who raised her head up and she saw the tears in her eyes,
” Amanda,her father should have the honor of giving her her fist name,Amanda should be her middle name.”Tears fell down her cheek as she said that, Cheryl came and sat beside her and wiped the tears from her eyes,
“Tell your mommy not to cry or shell have us crying together.” She said to the little one,she cried and Cheryl handed her back to her mom,Anne fed the baby then the doctor came inside,
“Miss Anne,you’re one remarkable lady,not even a peep from you and look at your child,she weighs seven ounces.”He praised her,she look up to him and smiled,
“Well,you ripped up pretty bad,though some stitches will do with that.”Later,Anne got four stitches,two internal and the rest external.
” Nurse,please take my baby to the infant ward.”Anne told the nurse that came to check on her later,she turned abruptly,
“Why?”
“Jut do as she says.” She’s the only person that can see the pains in Anne’s eyes,
“Okay,what name should I put on the baby’s tag?” She asked Anne,
“Amanda…….Amanda Salvador.” The nurse was confused,how can a Anne McKenzie give birth to a Amanda Salvador but she did as she was told and turned to leave,
“Lest I forget,Mr Deville Salvador would come to take her,allow him,she’s his daughter.”
“Ma’am, which of the Deville Salvador?” The nurse asked and Cheryl looked at her irritated at her stupidity,
“The one we all know.” Cheryl said angrily, Anne tried to give a casual face but her eyes gave away the remnant of her soul,she took a pen and paper and wrote a note for him,
“Deville,
I’m sorry but our contract as come to its final end,I’ve done my part in it an now the rest is left for you.Don’t transfer any more money into my account but do me one favor,take care of my daughter, our daughter.Amanda is her middle name,I think her father deserve to give her her first name,take care of her for me.
Anne P. McKenzie
She sealed the paper in a envelope, thanks Cheryl had one in her bag,she gave the nurse the envelope and Deville’s card,
” Call him if you need anything else.”The nurse took the card,the envelop and the baby and left the room,Anne broke down immediately, Cheryl was fight in time to console her,
“Help me call him.” She called Deville but his phone wasn’t going through,so she called his office,
“Hello, Salvador Consortium,how may I help you.” A lady picked up,
“I want to speak to Deville Salvador.” Anne said,
“Who should I say is calling?”
“Tell him Anne is calling.”
Okay,hold on ma,she held on for a few seconds,
“Hello Anne,” she heard his husky but nice voice that sent shiver down her spine,
“Deville, I just gave birth to a baby girl,can you come to the hospital now.” She said unhappily,
“Where are you?” He asked with excitement in his voice,
“We’re at Paxton Hospital now.” She said and hung up immediately,Deville got into his car and drove there immediately.
When he got there,he met the nurse Anne sent to him,
“Sir,please follow me,” she said after drooling for quite awhile,he followed her and they came to the infant ward,she showed him his daughter, he rushed to carry her but the nurse held him back,
“Wear this before you touch her.” She gave him a surgical mask and a protective glove,he carried her for awhile and kept her back in her crib,
“Where’s her mother?” He asked her,she motioned him to follow her and he did.She took him to Anne’s room but she was not there neither was Cheryl,they left already,
“She asked me to give you this.” The nurse gave him the letter Anne left for him.Deville took Amanda home,he hired a wet nurse and a nanny for his daughter, he brought him foster mom to his house to take care of his daughter for him.When they went for the operation a month later,it was a great success and everyone was happy excluding Deville,he was unhappy cause Anne wasn’t with him to celebrate, he filled his room with photos of her everywhere,in his full length mirror,his closet and even the mini wardrobe and the walls of the room,this gave his daughter the opportunity to know what her mom looks like and he devotes his time to his daughter, Pearl Amanda Salvador, he named her Pearl after her mom.