Chapter 4 THE INCONSIDERATE MAN

Natalie wanted to feel better even as she tried to end things with him but no, it hurt so much! It hurts because she has wasted her nine years loving a baby.

Right from when they were in their senior year in high school till now. If the years should be counted correctly, it's ten to eleven years but those two years can't be added because they were friends then.

They haven't developed feelings for each other then.

But she had hoped everyday that he would change. That he would become less selfish with time but no__ he got worse everyday.

"David, my best friend Sofia got married yesterday." She had said one time while he kept quiet pressing his phone like what she said didn't matter to him at all.

It's always been like that. She has watched all of her friends get married, have kids while she stayed unmarried.

Her friends will ask her, when is she getting engaged but she always has no idea. David doesn't want to get married.

"David, don't you think we should get married? We've dated for quite too long."

"No Natalie, I can't get married. You know I can't." He had snapped and gotten angry with her for several days.

She'd call and text but he won't reply unless she apologized to him.

"Look Natalie, I can date you all you want even till we die but no marriage."

And no marriage meant no kids. How many children she'd taken out for him.

"Abort the baby, we can't have a child out of wedlock. I mean, I'm not even ready for one."

Five babies went down. She cried in silence but no one seemed to hear her cries. Did he care about anyone else if not himself? Sometimes it'd feel like she was dating herself in the relationship.

"Let's go out on a date."

"Natalie, Date? We're talking about Grandma Scott here and what she thinks every single time when she uploads her contents online and you speak of dates."

And she will have to apologize before he will speak to her again.

But this time around, after hearing the news of David's affair from his best friend, Ollie, she knew that this should be the end of it all.

She left what she was doing with her make-up trainers on set for a movie and rushed back home.

She's a popular make up artist who works with Directors and producers in Hollywood for movie productions.

She drove home, parked her car in the garage and grabbed her phone, checking Ollie's text one more time.

DAVID MESSED AROUND AGAIN.

HE HAD AN AFFAIR WITH HIS COMPANY DESK WORKER MISS DUSTFINGER AND GOT HER PREGNANT.

Just as she had thought from the beginning when he had come to her complaining about a new lady who came into the company.

"Her name is Miss Dahila Dustfinger." He said and started laughing while she joined him, "Can you imagine that? Someone's name is Dust-Finger."

"That's her surname."

"Yeah but who'd have a surname like that."

Ever since then, there's no single day when he's not talking about her.

Either he wants to take revenge for what she did to him or he's whining about her endless dirtiness. "She doesn't wash her hair, Natalie. She's always smelling."

"You're letting this lady get into you David. You talk about her all the time."

"Because she does nothing but annoy me all the time with her presence."

"We don't talk about ourselves much these days because you're always scheming, what truth or dare game are you going to play with her tomorrow. Doesn't it sound childish?"

"Childish? So my hate for a woman who's always making me angry is childish? Natalie, you're mean."

And she will have to apologize all over again for what she doesn't understand. So many bottled up things which she never shared with him because he'd end up getting angry and blaming her for everything.

But now, it's over. It's over between them for real. He had been calling for three straight hours and she's never going to take that call.

She was sitting down on the floor and she was crying. Not because she lost David but because she hoped. She believed. She had faith. Maybe something would change but nothing changed.

Just as she had always predicted, it happened that way. If only she had listened to Ollie;

"He's my best friend but he's hurting you! Can't you see it? Aren't you going to stop him?"

She should've listened to him.

"David isn't someone who'd consider other people's feelings. Sometimes I wonder how I got to become his friend for such a long time."

Fresh tears ran down her eyes. She is thirty one years old now. Just broke up. No marriage and no kids.

How is she going to continue her life from where she stopped? Or start all over again?

A loud bang on her door and she stirred. She stood up and went over to the door and opened it.

It was Ollie. "Hey." She said, sounding really beat up by everything. She turned and walked back to where she was sitting with him following closely behind.

"Natalie..."

"Don't blame me or try to make me feel guilty of my actions." She interrupted. "I'm not ready for that."

"Are you okay?"

She tried so hard not to nod her head. "How's he?"

He came closer, "This is not the time for you to worry about him. This is the time you've got to worry about your wellbeing. He totally drained you and I'm aware of it."

Saying this invited more tears to her and she started crying all over again. He held onto her while she cried as she had never done before.

"Cry. This would make you feel so much better. Just cry and forget about everything else."

And she cried for hours not wanting to stop.

DAHILA

"I will sign off half my wealth and businesses to you."

"Really!!!" I was on top of the world. Am I dreaming? If I'm not, then it means it was actually a good thing that I had sex with that bastard. If not anything, it made me close to Mrs. Scott.

Awww. I think this is the only time I get to praise David...maybe not David but his long thing for being so fertile enough to fertilize me.

Would I have met this woman if not for that? For this pregnancy?

"But on the condition that you will not abort my great grandchild and you will marry my grandson."

"You don't have to ask my honorable woman Mrs Scott." I called and she bursted out laughing.

Even her laugh was so rich. I joined in the laughter even when I don't know what the laugh is all about.

Rich people's laughter is so refreshing. It will make you feel rich. Smell rich and act rich as well.

"Does that mean you're willing to become my granddaughter- in-law?"

"You don't have to ask Mrs... Uhm..." My feet were shaking, my hands felt ticklish, this woman's eyes were making me feel so shy, "I'm .."

"Just Grandma Scott. That's what my grandson calls me."

"Sure...Grandma Scott." It felt so sweet in my mouth. All these rich people, they always have sweet names to accompany them.

"You're so beautiful Grandma Scott." I complimented and she was laughing again. I joined in the laughter feeling so nervous.

Why is she laughing? Why does her laugh feel so beautiful?

"You're so Funny my dear."

"Really. Thanks." Oh my God. That's one hell of a compliment for me. "I get that a lot."

"You have to. You look funny and sound funny. I like that. Do you watch tiktok?"

"Tiktok?"

"Yes, do you have an account?"

Oh no! Tiktok? I never cared to open an account and her eyes burning holes into me suddenly made me feel guilty for never using tiktok or even having an account.

"Yes I have the app and I also have an account." I lied and she smiled at me graciously.

"Oh my God! Really? David really thinks it's a waste to use tiktok or even have an account. Do you think so too?"

"No! He's really nuts to think it's wrong to have an account or do tiktok videos. He doesn't...doesn't... Know..." Why are my hands so sweaty? " He doesn't know how sweet tiktok is."

"I wish you could help me tell him that once in a while. You're going to follow me on tiktok and I will follow you back. Grandma Scott, that's the name."

"I will ... I will...I will follow you when I get home."

"Good. I kind of like you already. Would you mind coming over to my house tomorrow? We need to see each other more often."

I was as nervous as hell. "Sure! We have to see each other more often now."

"So I can see my great grandchild growing healthily. Or don't you like the idea?"

"That's the best idea I've ever heard since I was born." Do I have to lie like this? Of course we have to!! She's signing off half her wealth to me! The least I can do is to agree with everything she says.

"You can drop her off. Handle her with care and make sure she's tucked into bed before you get back home."

"Yes ma'am." The gentleman who brought me replied and helped me up from my seat.

"Careful Johan." She called.

"Yes ma'am."

He led me to the car and drove me home in silence.

I was tensed throughout the journey back home.

Who did I just meet? Grandma Scott, one of the richest women in Los Angeles California. Look up rich women and Grandma Scott's face pop up in your news feed.

Whoa! I touched my stomach.

Hello baby. Are you in there? From now on, don't think of bad things but think of good things. Like cars you're gonna own. Houses you gonna own. Places you will want to travel because mama is so rich, she can buy you the world.

DAVID

"Good morning Sir." Every worker I passed greeted me as I proceeded into the office. I ignored everyone. There's nothing good about this morning when I couldn't sleep well last night.

Natalie called it quits with me. I know that she may be under the weather because of everything that happened. Maybe I should try convincing her all over again.

But saying QUITS and IT'S REALLY OVER this time without batting an eyelid told me how much she wants that to be the reality between us.

I sank into my chair and not too long, my door flew open. I opened my eyes and there stood my worst enemy__DUSTFINGER. I clenched my fist, she's the reason why everything is happening to me all of a sudden.

"Truth OR DARE." She said and I suddenly felt the need to raise my voice at her.

"Don't you know how to knock on the door!!! I don't know why I keep telling you this every single time! Knock before you get into my office."

"Truth OR DARE." She ignored what I said as if it didn't mean anything to her.

Would it have meant anything to her when she's so daft.

"What do you think you're scheming? Do you know what a mess..."

"TRUTH OR DARE! You wanna hear the truth or you wanna hear the dare? Pick one, don't make me choose for you."

What will happen if I hit her ugly face just once.

"Truth." I answered and she stepped closer towards me.

She lowered her height so she could gaze at me from the other side of the table, "I'm not going to abort the baby."

"What? No! Dustfinger doesn't dust me anymore. You're going to abort that baby!!!"

"You're raising your voice." She smiled softly and I wondered why she still has that expression on her face when she clearly doesn't know how to use it. "What do we think about marriage?"

What has come over her?

Marriage?

I think I've heard so much about that word.

"Let's get married, Red monkey."

"You've gone insane."

She was laughing. "Very very insane. I'm the most insane woman who would rather marry her enemy than lose wealth."

What is she saying? What is wrong with her? We talked at length days ago? Didn't we?

How can she suddenly change her mind?

"I will be your wife David Scott."

She has gone nuts!