Chapter 76: Chapter 76

Phoebe led Jason into her office. Returning the greetings her girls threw her way as she went in.

As soon as the door was shut behind them, Jason went straight to the point.

'Phoebe, the test results are out'

'I deduced as such. That is the only thing that could make you as impatient as you sounded on the phone. So, what about it? What does it say?'

'It states that the baby is, eh that the baby is mine'. It had been difficult for him to say the word bit it had to be said.

He could not tell the reason why the news did not bring him any joy. And he knew that it was not just because of Nancy. He felt like seeking a second opinion but Manuel could not have lied about the test results. What would he gain from that? He had the best lab technicians. And he felt bad having to ask her to go for another DNA test.

'Jason, it will not bite you to say the word baby. I know that this is a novel idea to you and it is to be as well but we cannot shy away from it. We have to face it head on like adults. We may not have liked the idea nor planned for it but that won't make it go away.Do, we have to make decisions and plans to welcome it because now that I am carrying it, aborting it is out of the question', she said wanting to make her stand clear from the onset so that there was no misunderstanding.

'I was not going to ask for an abortion but I want to know what you would want me to do. How do we do it because marriage is out of the question as well'. Jason countered.

'How are we going to do it then? Are you planning on denying your responsibility even after the test you subjected me to?'

'I am not denying responsibility. In fact I have already taken responsibility for the child. I am suggesting that you have it and give him to me to raise and you can continue with your life. You don't even need to breast feed it if you'd rather not'.

'And how can you raise him alone with your tight schedule and inexperience?'

'There are nannies all over the place,you know'.

'I will not leave my child be raised by. nanny when I am alive. What is wrong if I raised my child myself?'

'You know the kind of relationship that we shared. It is not one that is based on love and I might be in love with someone else. It will therefore be unfair to you to ask for marriage when I shall not give you my whole self'.

'And who is asking for the whole of you?' She asked and caught herself.

'I mean, I am not in love with you as well.We knew where we both stood in this relationship but things have changed now and a baby is now in the picture. I am ready to say rigice anything for my baby. Why can't you do the same for him? He is going to be the first you will have. Do you really want him to be born out of wedlock and be termed illegitimate?

And who is this person that is more important than your own blood? Your ex wife who betrayed you and who might do the same again?'

'Nit that it is any concern of yours but it is not Rebecca. It is someone else'.

Phoebe thought fast and ruled out all the other girls she had seen him with. Only one stuck out like a sore thumb.

Nancy! She had known that Jason would fall for her because she was different from all the other girls. There was an innocence about her that Phoebe found irritating. But which someone like Jason would find captivating and fascinating.

She was glad that the pregnancy had occured when it did. If he had proposed to Nancy and they had started wedding preparations or had secretly got married, then she would have schemed in vain.

'I know that there is no love lost between us and this is not going to be a love marriage but for the sake of the legitimacy of the child, could we just go into a contract marriage? Let it just be that the child was given you by your wife. Someone you got married to. The later we could get divorced and you can get married to whomever you want to get married to. All I ask is a year or two. If the lady in question loves you as much as you seem to love her that you are willing to sacrifice the legitimacy of your own child for her, then she should be able to wait for you for at most two years.

The year goes too quickly and before you know it, it would be time up and then we both can move on with our lives', Phoebe reasoned.

She did not really care for the child but it was going to help her fulfill her dreams and she was not mind using her unborn child that way.

Jason did not really like the idea but what she said made sense. So that the legitimacy of his child would not be questioned,he would have to enter into a contract marriage with Phoebe.

He did not know how Nancy would take it but he was going to try to convince her to see it his way.

She would also be busy raising her own child, so she was not going to miss much but he would.

'I shall have to think about it. I shall get back to you. I need to speak to another person about this.

You will have to give me some time and in the event that I agree to this madness called contract marriage, we shall be married in name alone. There shall be no intimacy whatsoever between us. Do you agree to that?

'I do. Afterall, that is what it is, a contract marriage. I do not expect it to be any more than that'.

'I have not given my consent yet. Give me till the new year. I need the whole of this Christmas season to think about it'

'Take all the time that you need', Phoebe said magnanimously. She could afford to be magnanimous now that she had got what she wanted. She knew that Jason would agree to the marriage at least for the sake of his child. So she just had to be patient.

Dear readers,

I wish you a merry Christmas and a most fruitful new year. Happy reading.