“No,” she whispered, “and I never will. Darius doesn’t love me. He hates me more than ever.”
Howard’s wrinkled face looked mournful. “Oh, sweetheart.”
“But now I hate him, too.” She looked up. “That’s the one good thing that happened tonight. Now I hate him, too.”
Her father looked anguished. “That was never what I wanted!”
“It’s good.” Wiping her eyes, she tried to smile. “I’ve wasted too many years dreaming of him. Missing him. I’m done.”
She was.
The Darius Kyrillos she’d loved no longer existed. She saw that now. She’d tried to give him everything, and he’d seduced her with a cold heart. Her love for Darius was burned out of her forever. Her only hope was to try to forget.
But four weeks later, she found out how impossible that would be. She’d never be able to forget Darius Kyrillos now.
She was pregnant with his baby.
She’d taken the pregnancy test, sure it would be negative. When it was positive, she was shocked. But shock soon became a happy daze as Letty imagined a sweet fat baby in her arms, to cuddle and adore.
Then she told her father.
“I’m going to be a grandfather?” Howard was enraptured at the news. “That’s wonderful! And when you tell Darius—”
That caused the first chill of fear. Because Letty suddenly recalled this baby wouldn’t just be hers, but Darius’s.
He hated her.
He’d threatened to take her baby from her.
Letty shook her head violently. “I can never tell him about the baby!”
“Of course you will.” Her father patted her on the shoulder. “I know you’re angry at him. He must have hurt you very badly. But that’s all in the past! A man has a right to know he’s going to be a father.”
“Why?” She turned to him numbly. “So he can try to take the baby away because he hates me so much?”
“Take the baby?” Her father laughed. “Once Darius finds out you’re pregnant, he’ll forget his anger and remember how much he loves you. You’ll see. The baby will bring you together.”
She shook her head. “You’re living in a dream world. He told me...”
“What?”
Letty turned away, hearing the echo of that coldly malevolent voice. I would never allow any child of mine to be raised by you and that criminal you call a father.
“We need to start saving money,” she whispered. “Now.”
“Why? Once you’re married, money will never be a worry for you again.” Howard looked ecstatic. “You and my grandchild will always be cared for.”
Letty knew her father couldn’t believe Darius wanted to hurt her. But she knew he did.
I would hire a hundred lawyers first and drive you both into the sea.
They had to leave this city as soon as possible.
Under the terms of her father’s probation, Howard was required to remain in the state of New York. So they’d go north, move to some little town upstate where no one knew them, where she could find a new job.
There was just one problem. Moving required money. First and last month’s rent, a security deposit and transport for Letty, Howard and all their belongings. Money they didn’t have. They were barely keeping their heads above water as it was.
Over the next few months, Letty’s fears were proved true. No matter how hard she worked, she couldn’t save money. Howard was always hungry or needed something urgently. Money disappeared. There were also the added expenses of medical co-payments for Letty’s doctor visits, and physical therapy for her father’s arm.