Chapter 10 I think

MICHAEL

" Anne Marie." I whispered. She's the last person I expected to find. I thought she was dead.

" Do you know me?" She asked as she scanned me from head to toe. She's not mentally ill but why is she dressed in those clothes.

" I know your daughter actually. We all thought you were dead." I said after sometime. " Come on. Let me take you to where your daughter is right now."

" No. Pretend you never saw me. I don't want her to know I'm alive. She has suffered enough. Making myself known will only make her suffer more." She said as she tried to walk away but I stopped her.

" Let me take care of you. Someone might find you." I said and she smiled.

" Thanks." She said and followed me to the car.

I drove her to the mansion even when I knew she didn't want her daughter to see her. Women sometimes are not certain about what they want.

I parked my car well and helped her come down. " Here. Use this, your daughter won't be able to recognize you." I said giving her a hood.

" Thank you." She said and wore it.

" Hey." Jasmine said as she walked to where we were. " You're back early. Did you even go to work?" She said as she hugged me. I didn't hug her back cause I'm not used all this feelings.

" I did. Just thought to come back early." I lied.

" Well your secretary Emily called. She wanted to know if you would make it to work." She said looking at me suspiciously. I scratched the back of a neck looking for a reasonable excuse.

" Who is she?" She asked. She couldn't see her clearly because the hood covered half of her face.

" She likes to keep her identity private. I saw her on the way and thought to lend a hand." I said and she looked at me surprised. " What?! I'm not that bad."

" I didn't say anything. My master's being kind. " She teased." Come on let's go in. Oliver's boring the hell out of me." She said as she tugged my arm.

****

I took Anne-Marie to a room far from Jasmine's own and left her to change. There were few female clothes in the closet she could change to. But the thing is she can't wear her hood forever.

" Mike." I heard Oliver call behind me. " Don't you think you should tell her?"

" She says she's trying to protect her and I have to respect that. We don't even know what that bastard did to her."

" She'd better tell her soon because if she finds out herself she'll never be herself again." Oliver said.

" I know. I'll give her a hint maybe. "

We both walked to the music room where Jasmine was currently playing a piano. She played it beautifully even more than I.

" That was good." I said when she stopped playing.

" Thanks." She smiled.

" Mike's found his better." Oliver teased.

" I can still play it better than her." I smirked as I sat down on one of the stools.

" Mike, did Jasmine tell you she went to business school?" Oliver asked.

" No she didn't. Did you?" I asked. I wasn't surprised though coz it was in her file.

" I did. It was adventurous. Sneaking out to school without my aunt knowing or taking online classes when I couldn't sneak out. " She said and chuckled

" It's quite adventurous. Jasmine can I ask you something?"

" Sure."

" Okay. If you found out your mum was still alive, will you be relieved or furious?" I asked.

" I'll be relieved and furious. Furious she hid all these years allowing me suffer in the hands of her sister and she couldn't even for once give me a sign. Relieved because I'll have a family once again." She sighed. " Can we go to the mall?"

"Why? If you need anything I could send Emily to get it." I said and she shook her head.

" No I want to get it myself." She said.

" No, you're not going out of this house!" I yelled and she flinched.

" Fine I'll tell Emily what I want." She said lowly and left the room.

Mike what are you doing?! Why are you bent on pushing her away.

JASMINE

I secretly sent Katherine to get a pregnancy test kit from the pharmacy when Michael left this morning. I don't why but I just felt like doing it. I've been feeling weak and nauseous for the past three weeks and it doesn't look like I've come down with a fever.

I went to the bathroom and I peed in the stick and waited a few minutes for the result. Michael came into the room at the same time and I had to leave the bathroom.

" What do you want?" I asked.

" Just checking on you. Sorry about what happened earlier with Mike." He said.

" Isn't he the one who's supposed to say that. Anyways it's none of my business. I've got work to do. Can you please excuse me?" I frowned and he nodded before he left the room.

I went back to the bathroom and checked the kit. My heat raced faster than usual and my hands shook like an epileptic. I closed my eyes waiting for the result. " Jasmine! " I heard Michael yell coming towards the bathroom. Boom! The stick fell into the toilet seat and I had no choice but to cover it.

" I was wondering if you still wanted to go to the mall. " Michael said when he got to bathroom.

" Oh. Yeah. I'll be right out." I said and left the bathrooms with him.

" Won't you?...."

" I'll send for Katherine." I smiled nervously as I pulled him along with me.

**

I actually went to the mall to pick a dress for Mike's birthday which he probably don't remember. I bought other things for the woman who was currently staying at the mansion. I was already tired even before Mike finished paying the cashier so we just headed back home.

I gave the things to Katherine to take to their respective rooms. I whispered in her ear when she about to leave, " Did you take care of it?"

" Yes ma'am. It's a waste so I threw it away, I'll get you a new one." She said and left.

The next day, I woke up with a banging headache. I massaged my head lightly and stood up to take a bath. After my bath, I dressed in a pink summer dress and went downstairs. Wait a second! I was supposed to see my period last week. What's happening? Maybe it's late this time.

" Good morning." I said and pecked Michael's cheek before taking a seat beside him. " Where's our guest?"

" She wanted to have her breakfast in the room." He hummed.

" Okay. I said as I picked my cutleries. My stomach growled as I opened my plate to reveal a plate of bacon, a plate of scrambled eggs and a plate of cheese sandwich. The cook came back with a glass of lemon juice. Wow! Didn't know I was that hungry. Michael chuckled at my expression.

" You seem eager to eat." He teased.

" Maybe. " I said as I shoved one spoon into my mouth.

After breakfast, Michael and I went to the general museum to see his uncle ( father's brother ).

" Uncle." Michael said when we saw his uncle in the Greek history department.

" Mike." His uncle said and hugged him. He seemed young to be an uncle. He was of the same height as Michael. " You must be Jasmine. What a beauty!" He said and pecked the back of my right palm.

" Nice to meet you Mr Dixon." I smiled.

" Just call me Drake." He smiled. " Come let's talk." He said pulling me towards his office.

" Uncle we have something more important to discuss." Michael said behind us.

" I know, I know. We'll discuss. I want to know my future daughter more." He winked.

" We're not.... I'm not..." I tried looking for the right word.

" Not what my dear?" Drake asked

"We're not dating. We're not even friends." I said and he looked down disappointed.

" Oh that's bad. Mike's never let any woman tag along with him. You're lucky. Mike let's walk to my office."

We all walked to his office and Michael ordered me to stay outside. I heard them talking in light whispers and then arguing loudly. I was curious to know what they're talking about so I walked closer to the door and placed my ear in the keyhole.

" You don't have the right to do that Mike." I heard Drake say.

" He's a monster, he doesn't even deserve to live anymore. "

" You once said women were the monsters." Drake mocked.

" I know but I've changed my mind. Everyone has their different personalities. That's what Jasmine once told me."

" You can't kill him. He's still her father."

" Uncle I've killed so many people who stepped on toes and you said nothing about it. So what's different about this one who's sent series of threat to me?"

" He has a daughter. You have to let her make that decision herself."

"She doesn't even know he's alive."

" Then tell her. I'm tired Mike. We'll talk some other time."

I moved away from the door back to my earlier position before Mike came out.

" Are you okay?" He asked caressing my face.

" I'm fine." I faked a smile.

" You're not fine. You just faked a smile. I know you heard everything ." He sighed. I couldn't help but wonder how he knew. " I saw your feet by the door."

" Oh.. I don't want to talk about it. Let's go home I'm kinda tired."

**

When we got back, I went straight to my room after receiving information from Katherine that she had kept another kit in my room.

I sluggishly conducted the test and waited for some minutes. I went to the bathroom and picked it without looking at it. If I was going to faint, I'll rather it be in the bedroom. As I turned the stick to check, Oliver entered the room without knocking.

I stood shocked forgetting about what was in my hands. " Don't you know how to knock?" I asked after some seconds.

" I'm sorry. I thought you were downstairs. I came to drop a package." He said as his eyes went to the stick. " Have you checked it yet?"

" What's your business? You're so nosy. Just get out." I sighed.

" I'll tell Michael once I leave this room." He said and I sighed.

" Whatever." I said and turned the stick.

" It's positive. " I heard Oliver whisper beside me.

" It sure is. Oh my gosh!" I screamed and the stick fell from my hand.