Going back and forth to the bathroom due to the nausea that made her vomit constantly, Alexis truly felt tortured by the morning sickness. Pale and disheveled, the girl gasped for air and leaned against the wall after leaving the bathroom, staring at the man who had gotten her pregnant, sleeping soundly.
'He just came for fun and then didn't care. How could I ever put my hope in a man like him?' she asked herself, her mind drifting back to William's post about Clara Everett, who turned out to be pregnant. 'He'll have a child with his wife too. Of course, my child won't impress him… And I should've realized that from the beginning… I was just a fling to him...'
"Emhh…" Greyson stirred, slowly opening his eyes and scanning the room until he found Alexis standing there, staring blankly at him.
The man immediately furrowed his brow and sat up. "Honey… What's wrong with you?"
She said nothing.
He got off the bed and approached her, gently brushing aside her messy hair.
"Why are you standing here? You're so pale. Are you sick?" He touched her face with a worried look. "Oh God, you have a fever!"
"It's okay!" Alexis quickly pushed Greyson's hand away from her face and walked toward the sofa.
"Honey?"
"I'm okay. You should just go home and take care of your wife!"
"What do you mean?" Greyson immediately followed Alexis, who ignored his question. "Hey, I'm not leaving! I won't leave you when you're sick… Don't you know how much I care about you?"
Alexis remained silent, rolling her eyes and staring blankly at the glass wall that showed the still-dim outside view.
'He says he cares about me, but he sleeps so peacefully while I suffer from the baby inside me. It's insane!' she fumed inwardly.
Greyson sighed and sat on the edge of the sofa, watching her back.
"Let's go to the hospital," he said.
"I'm fine!" Alexis snapped.
"But you have a fever, you're pale... You need to see a doctor."
"I feel this way because I'm pregnant!"
"Exactly because you're pregnant, you need to pay more attention to your health. A slight fever, flu, whatever it is—you need to be checked by a doctor. I don't want anything bad to happen to our baby…" he pleaded, while she just gave a sarcastic smile and didn't even glance at him. "Please, let's go to the hospital… I'll take you, okay…"
She stayed silent until suddenly the sound of a ringing phone came from the bed. She turned her head slowly, watching the man pick up the phone and answer the call.
"What happened?" Greyson asked, frowning. "Really? Did she eat something bad?"
"Did you try calling a doctor?"
"Oh shit… Alright, I'll be there!" He ended the call and looked at Alexis, who immediately turned her face away. "Um… Honey. Sorry, I…"
He walked toward her nervously.
'I knew he cared more about his wife than about me,' Alexis thought, her heart pounding.
"Clara… Um, something bad happened to her," Greyson said quietly, sitting behind Alexis. "I have to go see her… I have to help her."
She didn't respond, as if she didn't need any explanation.
"I'll ask Barron to take you to the hospital. Once I'm done, I'll catch up. We'll visit your dad too," Greyson said, gently massaging Alexis's shoulders. "I promise…"
Alexis suddenly turned around. "I don't need it!"
Greyson froze, shocked.
She swallowed hard, her eyes wide as she looked at his handsome face. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude… I just…" She shook her head sadly.
"I just realized my place. Go… Go fulfill your duties as a husband!" she said firmly, then stood up. "I'll be fine, I don't need Barron or anyone else's help… I just want to handle all of this on my own!" she insisted, then walked to the bed.
Greyson sighed, looking at Alexis with resignation. He didn't try to persuade her, instead preparing to leave, as if he didn't care about her feelings—or maybe he never really did?
...
After Greyson left, Alexis gathered her strength to leave as well. She even brought a large suitcase and carried her bag, heading straight to the hospital where her father was being treated, using a taxi.
Her gaze was blank as she looked out at the streets now touched by the morning sunlight. The city's bustle didn't distract her at all. Her mind was full of thoughts about her complicated life path.
'I have no right to demand attention from Greyson… It would be a mistake to expect that. This is my fault… I never should have trusted him, and he's not entirely to blame. He deserves some pleasure from me after what he did to help me. Now it's time to end it all… Let him focus on his life, his wife… Without me,' she thought as she wiped away the tears streaming down her face.
She glanced at her ringing phone—it was a message from Serena.
Are you okay?
Are you coming to the office today?
A little advice from me… it's better if you just focus on work and forget what happened yesterday. The boss won't bother you because he knows it would upset William.
Just relax… I'm here for you. Anyway… I brought fresh food that's perfect for a pregnant woman. I know you'll love it!
Alexis gave a faint smile. 'Such a kind friend, but sadly I'll have to disappoint you. I won't be going back to the office, especially not dealing with William, who is Clara's relative… It would just get more complicated, because I'm carrying Clara's husband's child…'
"Ma'am, we've arrived."
The taxi driver's voice pulled her back to reality. Alexis quickly put her phone back into her black bag, paid the fare, and got out. She dragged her large suitcase into the hospital, heading to the room where her father was being treated.
When she arrived, her face lit up in relief upon seeing her father sitting on the bed having breakfast.
"Dad…"
"Oh, my princess!"
She immediately approached and hugged her father. "I'm happy to see you getting better!"
"It's all because of you," Tony replied after his daughter released the hug, then looked at her, furrowing his brow. "You did everything to save me, made sure I got the best care here. I don't know what would've happened if…"
"Dad…" she shook her head. "It's my duty as your only daughter. I'll do anything for your well-being… Seeing you okay is everything to me."
"Yeah… I know…"
Tony sighed, looked at himself, and lifted his arms slightly. "See? I'm doing better now, I don't even need IVs or medical equipment anymore. I feel strong, healthy…" He looked at Alexis again.
"I don't think I need to stay here anymore," he continued.
Alexis said nothing.
"I don't want you to keep spending money on me. This is enough… I want you to save for yourself… I'll take care of our house… I'll sell it and give the money to your uncle to repay the renovation costs he already covered. Then I'll use the rest to buy a new house… Even a simple one is better than you having to rent," Tony explained calmly, watching Alexis bite her lower lip, her eyes reflecting hidden worry. "Do you agree?"
"Um…" She swallowed, then quickly sat in the chair next to the bed. "I like your plan, but for now I really don't want to meet uncle… I don't want to go there. I'm afraid he'll invite Jerry and start problems with me… I don't want that to happen—it would just add to our burden."
Tony turned away, looking out the window.
"I'll find a new place to live… And you'll visit uncle when you're completely well… So… I don't need to go with you. I'll try to find a new job," Alexis said.
"Why do you need a new job?" Tony asked, frowning. "Did you get fired from your old one?"
"Um… No…"
"Then why do you need a new one?"
"I… I just… I just don't feel comfortable," Alexis said nervously, then stood up and glanced at her suitcase. "I can't explain now, but we'll find a new place to live soon," she added.
Tony sighed, looking at Alexis with concern, as if he could sense she was hiding something.