C7 The Truth

"She blacked out!" Jane shouted as she struggled free from beneath her friend. Alex rushed over and placed Lisa gently in his arms. Without a word, he found his car keys and drove down to the hospital.

Jane left the hospital when Lisa regained consciousness, she promised to check back but when she called back, Alex told her they were still at the hospital and Lisa was asleep. She concluded that she would come around the next morning.

Alex drove back in the evening. He looked sad and worn out. Lisa was asleep in the car. He brought her out of the car gently and laid her in bed. He tucked her in and sat beside her briefly. She looked calm and as beautiful as ever. How would he have suspected that she was losing it with such a calm facade.

Lisa turned from her sleep, she grabbed Alex's shirt and muttered, "Alex... Alex... I love you. I..." Her voice trailed off and her grip on his shirt loosened. Alex sighed and watched on without a word.

He soon left her bedside and made his way into the living room. He needed to clear his head.

Margret showed up in time. Alex had called her to come around. He needed help to run the house and watch over the kids.

He drove down to a rundown bar not too far away. He was blank and confused. He could see war looming. Marie had declared war and he knew she was not joking. He could lose all he had built.

Marie was his secretary and an ex-lover. She knew secrets about his company. All she needed to do was to sell what she knew to his competitors.

Alex was going crazy, he knew he wasn't responsible for Marie's pregnancy but who would believe him. His friends even laughed it off and told him to wake up. Lisa had made it clear that she wasn't interested in his affairs anymore, all she wanted was a divorce. To her, being responsible for Marie's pregnancy or not doesn't make any difference. Tearing off the divorce papers aggravated it all, it was his biggest mistake.

Suddenly, he heard a bang. He stood up abruptly and his friends laughed at him. "What's wrong? We've been standing here for quite a while. Why are you this miserable?" They all sat down and made their orders.

"I can't get through to my wife, she is not in her right state of mind..." Alex complained. " Common Alex, I haven't seen you so down because of any woman. You are the king of women. You know when to stay and when to move on," one of his friends said.

"This isn't just any woman, it's my wife!" Alex responded. "Wife? Do you have one? Alex, you were never married!" They said and laughed out loud. "Man, drink up," they urged him.

"Marie's pregnancy is a blackmail. I am not responsible." Alex blurted out suddenly. "Alex, why don't you just accept the truth. We all know what you had going with her. I think it's not out of the blue that she is carrying your child. It wasn't unexpected," one of his friends declared.

"Isn't it absurd that you guys don't believe me? Why would I lie to you? If you don't believe me I should not be here!" Alex blurted out.

"Alright Alex, let's change the topic. How was the symposium? I mean the recent one you just attended, did you meet...?" Alex stood up abruptly and took his leave.

"Alex!" They called in unison but Alex did not turn around.

"Man, who will pay the bills?" One asked the other.

Alex drove back home embittered. He knew Lisa would be awake, but he remained in the car. He just did not know how to act around her. The doctor had told him that she collapsed because she was traumatized and in shock. He had advised that he should avoid any issue that could elicit such a reaction until she becomes more stable.

Alex heaved a sigh and made his way in. Lisa was sitting in the living room while Margret was fixing dinner.

"Oh, Lisa, you are awake already. How are you feeling now?" Alex asked. "Better, thanks. How are the kids?" Lisa asked. "Since I have their nanny back, they are faring well." "It's night and they aren't in," Lisa complained. "They went out on a picnic with their friends. They will be back soon."

"Alright. Alex, I have thought it through, I won't raise charges for tearing the papers but before the week runs out I will get another paperwork done. I will bring in another paper."

"Oh! Alright... I am sorry for tearing off the initial one, I did not intend..." "No qualms," Lisa interrupted. Alex sighed painfully and deliberated on what to do.