INVITATIONS

VIVI’S POINT OF VIEW.

My palms felt clammy and sweaty, both with tension and disappointment as I stared at my phone’s screen. He hasn’t called……..it’s been three days.

Seventy-two excruciating hours of me refreshing my call log, hoping and praying he would at least flash my phone.

However, there was nothing but loud, radio silence. The smell of antiseptic and sterile equipment wafts in my nose, followed by the sound of a doctor gathering her tools.

I didn’t care. I headed back to the Whitmore family doctor. If I did, Maria, Elias’ mother, would know something was up.

She’d called me, though…….five times in the past three days, but I avoided the call each time.

“Ready, Miss Carlisle?” Doctor Max called, pulling my attention to her. She had on her white gloves now, the machine responsible for getting rid of this growing life in me, waiting to be turned on.

I swallowed thickly, and my hand instinctively caressed my belly. Every passing second left me feeling like this life was a blooming force.

‘Get rid of it…’ I still remember his cold, indifferent voice.

I wanted to believe he truly didn’t care, especially since I’d broken the contract rules. Whenever we had sex, he would use a condom.

On the times he didn’t, he was meticulous about me using my medication and not missing my shot.

However, I forgot to go to the appointment last month.

Besides that, we had sex once; he was out for the entire month on a business trip. I didn’t think it would matter.

This morning, I awoke to two notifications in my mail that left me a shattering mess on the floor of Calliope’s bedroom.

The first was the finalization of our divorce…….Elias signed the papers officially, freeing me from this marriage.

Did I really mean nothing to him?

Maybe I’m just reaching………he was very serious about who I was to him. An arrangement until time is up.

I guess I just thought he would somehow love me back and we wouldn’t need the divorce. I blame it all on those romance novels I binged on this past year.

The second notification was in my bank account; the sum of three million dollars from Elias Whitmore….

I choked back tears again, then stared at the doctor. It’s for the best. After paying dad’s debts, I wouldn’t have any more money to fend for myself, let alone an infant.

Medical bills……food……shelter…

I refuse to take anything from Elias again. He could keep the apartment he bought for me. Once I pay this debt, I will look for work and fend for myself.

“Miss……do you need some time alone?” The doctor asked, but I shook my head.

“No…..I-I’m ready.” My voice came out in a low squeal, but I leaned back and pulled my legs apart.

“This will be over soon enough.” She said with a kind smile, lifting her tool before flipping the machine on.

As her hand inches closer to my body, I couldn’t help but think, could this be a boy, or a girl?

Would they look like me, or him? How would Elias be as a father?

Would I be a good mother?

My mind sucked me in even deeper until I stood in a vast field of white lilies. Right in the center, I watched Elias chase after a little boy. His little legs had some mud on them, his cheeks red with mirth as he threw his head back with a joyful screech.

Elias looked happy as well…….he looked like he was at peace. But that wasn’t my biggest shock; it was the woman dressed in an ankle-length sun dress, her hair resembling mine, flowing down her back.

She held a tray full of what looked like sandwiches and three glasses of juice.

Her belly looked swollen, and she waddled to the two boys, her smile wide and free.

Wait……is that….me?

I hadn’t realized the sound of someone’s sobs came from me until Doctor Max’s hand rested on my shoulder.

“Genevieve, is everything alright?” She whispered, her voice tender and caring.

She knew who I was.

The news of my divorce was everywhere… tabloids, new channels, celebrity gossip, luncheons were marred with people talking about it.

They all blamed me. The words “FAILED CINDERELLA STORY” still rang in my memory.

The stares of everyone as I walked into this small clinic clung to my skin with a stench.

To make matters worse, there were rumors that Elias had moved on already.

Nothing was confirmed yet, but the rumors were enough to leave me wondering where I’d gone wrong.

“Is this overwhelming for you?”

“Yes…” I broke into a heap around me, letting her wrap her arms around me. “Sorry, I don’t think I can go on with the procedure.”

“I understand, if you don’t want to, we won’t……” in that ward, she let me cry against her, my sobs spilling onto her coat.

—

Six hours later, I hugged a pint of vanilla ice cream to my chest, my tears still rolling down my cheeks. Calliope and her boyfriend, Carter, stepped out to get groceries, while I sorted out all of the medical bills, the mortgage, the loan sharks with ridiculous interest rates, until finally, a five-year-old debt that outlived our father was settled.

Now, I’m left with five hundred thousand dollars……

I chewed on a scoop of vanilla ice cream, munching on the chocolate chips when my phone dinged with a notification.

Elias?

My heart surged with hope, and I crawled towards the lying device. The feeling of disappointment settled in me when I realized it wasn’t him, but his sister….

“Hello.” I cleared my throat to get rid of the rasp.

“Gene!” Reyna all but yelled, releasing a sigh of relief the moment I spoke. “Oh, thank God you picked up the call! Mom’s been crying nonstop.”

Guilt twisted its knife in my heart at the thought of Mama Maria……I should call her.

“Anyway, I called to ask if you would like to come over?”

“Come over? For what?”

“Mom is missing you…..I know you and your brother aren’t together anymore, but that doesn’t mean we have to fight, right?”

“Reyna, you’ve never liked me.” She lets out a dismissive chuckle.

“Pfft.” She blows on air, “all that’s in the oat. Just come over for some tea; Mom really wants to see you.”

“I don’t l-“

“I’ll see you in a couple of minutes, right? Love you, Gene!”

She hung up after that before I could say another word. I stared at my phone for a moment, praying to God that this wouldn’t be something I’d regret.