Chapter four
Thomas. CEO of Thompson Innovations, a leading tech company renowned for its groundbreaking work in artificial intelligence and sustainable energy solutions, sat behind his sleek mahogany desk, staring out at the sprawling city skyline. The morning sunlight streamed through the expansive windows, illuminating awards and accolades that adorned the walls of his office, but today, the accomplishments felt hollow. Instead of reveling in business success, his mind drifted to more personal matters, particularly thoughts of Delia—the woman he had betrayed.
The memory of their last conversation weighed heavily on him. He could still hear the heartbreak in her voice, could still feel her disappointment—the moment he realized he had jeopardized everything worthwhile. Regret gnawed at him, a constant companion that refused to fade, especially now that Delia meant more to him than ever.
As he scrolled through emails, desperately trying to refocus on quarterly reports and strategic planning, an unexpected ping caught his attention. An anonymous message. Intrigued but anxious, he opened it, and his heart plummeted as he read: “Delia is planning to leave the country. You need to talk to her before it’s too late.”
His pulse quickened, panic rising within him. Leave? The idea struck like a thunderbolt. He couldn’t lose her—not after everything. Shame surged through him, fueled by memories of his betrayal and the reckless affair with Samantha that now hung over him like a dark cloud.
Before he could compose a response, the door to his office creaked open. In hobbled Samantha—his mistress—her hand pressed against her side, a look of panic transforming her expression into one of dramatic distress. The sight of her, and the reminder of the complicated situation they shared, pulled him away from his thoughts about Delia, though his heart raced with anxiety nonetheless.
“Thomas!” she gasped, her voice tremulous. “I’m in so much pain! I think I need to go to the hospital!”
His irritation flared momentarily as he looked her over, momentarily forgetting the urgency of his need to talk to Delia. “What happened, Samantha? You look fine!”
“It’s my ankle. It’s really bad! I was at the gym, and I think I sprained it or worse! I can’t drive myself, I need your help!” she exclaimed, suppressing a whimper that was more dramatic than the situation warranted.
He glanced at her, a knot of frustration tightening in his stomach. She wasn’t just anyone—she was carrying his child, a fact that complicated everything. “Can’t you call someone else? I’m really busy,” he replied, trying to keep his tone even, but guilt surfaced as he saw a flicker of panic in her eyes.
But she pressed on, her voice rising with urgency. “I’m scared, Thomas! Please, just drive me. I don't want to go alone! Just this once!”
He sighed heavily, torn between his responsibilities as a CEO, his lingering affection for Delia, and now the impending fatherhood that loomed over him. He wanted to reach out to Delia, to mend the fracture he had caused, but here was Samantha, desperately needing his support. Against his better judgment, he relented. “Fine. Let me grab my keys.”
As he walked to the door, he felt the tension in his chest. Every instinct urged him to pull out his phone and call Delia, to beg her to reconsider this hasty decision, yet here he was distracted by his own mess. In moments like these, it was easy to forget the deep wound he had inflicted upon her, a wound that hadn’t healed because of his choices.
He stepped into the elevator and Samantha hobbled alongside him. As the elevator doors closed, his phone buzzed with an incoming call. Glancing down, he saw Delia’s name flash across the screen. His heart raced, yearning and regret flooding through him. She was calling him. The moment he’d been waiting for was crashing into reality.
But even as he reached for the screen, ready to answer, Samantha’s plaintive voice interrupted. “Thomas, please, I really need you right now!”
His heart sank, torn. He hesitated, the phone vibrating in his palm as the elevator chimed its arrival at the lobby. Would this be the last chance to reach Delia, to make amends before it was too late? Or would he be swept away into the confusion and demands of his current reality?
He slipped the phone back into his pocket with a heavy heart, pushing aside the urgency of Delia’s call. “Let’s go, Samantha,” he said, mentally chastising himself for putting everything on hold yet again.
By the time they reached the exit, he felt the weight of his choices pressing down on him harder than ever. A tangled web of regret and responsibility wrapped around him, and with each step toward the hospital, the fear of losing Delia loomed like a shadow. How much longer could he keep running from the truth? He hoped the trip wouldn’t distract him too long and that he’d still have an opportunity to reconcile with the woman who represented all he wanted to be again.
As Thomas guided Samantha through the bustling lobby of the hospital, his mind was a cacophony of thoughts and emotions. The sterile smell of antiseptic mingled with the anxiety that coursed through him. Each limp of Samantha's was a reminder of the situation he could have avoided; the situation that now kept him tethered to her in a way he didn’t want to be.
“Please sit here, and I’ll get you checked in,” he said, motioning toward a waiting area crowded with patients and concerned family members. As she settled into a chair, her expression oscillating between pain and concern, he stepped to the reception desk to fill out the necessary forms.
But even as he wrote his name, his focus wavered. Delia’s name loomed large in his thoughts, intertwining with guilt for what he had done. The anonymous message about her potentially leaving the country nipped at the back of his mind like a persistent insect. He could almost hear her laughing, hear her tenderness, and see the uncertain hope in her eyes each time they had considered their future together.
Every glance at the clock sent his heart racing. What if she was already on her way out? What if he lost her for good because of this moment? Each tick felt like a countdown, marking off precious seconds he could be using to reach her. Silencing that internal tumult was nearly impossible.
Returning to Samantha’s side, he quickly observed her appear more relaxed, though still grimacing occasionally. “They’ll see you soon,” he said, forcing his voice to sound caring when, in truth, his mind was desperately seeking a way to escape this situation.
“Thank you for coming, Thomas.” She flashed a weak smile, but it felt strained and more like a plea than a genuine expression of gratitude. Thomas nodded mechanically, his heart not in the moment. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was stuck in a labyrinth he had created, each moment pulling him deeper into a web of calculated decisions that had spiraled into chaos.
He took a seat next to her, forcing himself to engage in small talk to mask the growing urgency inside him. “You should really consider being more careful at the gym,” he said half-heartedly, glancing at her with a feigned sense of concern. “Maybe try yoga instead?”
“Yeah, well, I guess I’ll rethink that after this,” she replied, biting her lip. “But you know how I can be once I get motivated. I always push myself.”
He nodded, but the words felt hollow in the air between them. With every passing second, Delia’s absence loomed larger, pressing down on him like a weight he couldn’t lift. The thought of her leaving without a word, an ending sealed by his own betrayal, engulfed him. He fished his phone from his pocket yet again, but the screen was dark, and the lack of messages felt like a missing piece.
Just then, a doctor approached, clipboard in hand. “Samantha?” he called, and her face brightened momentarily with relief. “We’ll take a look at that ankle and get you sorted out. Follow me, please.”
Thomas stood, feeling a mix of frustration and guilt wrap around him. He knew he should be supporting her during this time—after all, he bore some responsibility for her situation—but his heart was not with her. When they reached the door, he hesitated, feeling the pull of his responsibility as a father and the weight of unfinished business with Delia.
“Do you want me to come?” he asked, unsure of how this moment would impact their already complicated relationship.
Samantha turned back to him, her eyes glimmering with something unspoken. “If you want to, but I can manage. You don’t have to stay.”
He forced a smile, nodding as if he had made a choice. “I’ll be here, waiting for you,” he said, trying to sound reassuring. The truth was, his mind was only half-present. As she was escorted away, he allowed himself to float in the sea of possibilities that faced him, wondering if he had time to send Delia a message.
“Thomas, can you hold on a minute?” a voice interrupted, pulling him out of his reverie. It was Greg, an old friend that just so happened to be his wifes best friends ex.
“Are you here with Delia? I'm so happy for you both.” Greg beamed as he slapped Thomas on the back congratulating him. “Man, I'm so happy for you. You're finally about to be a father. Delia will make the best mummy.”
Thomas stared at Greg in disbelief. “What are you talking about? What do you mean Delia is pregnant?”