THE BILLIONAIRE'S SECRET SON: BETRAYAL AND BLOODLINE

"Wake up, Mother!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. My voice cracked as I held the cold hands of my mother and shook her softly. "I'm here! I've brought the money with me! Mother, wake up!"

There was silence in the room.

The beeping machines had stopped. The doctors and nurses stood stock still, their faces filled with pity. No one moved, no one sprang forward to help.

I clutched the lapel of the doctor's apron frantically. "What do you just stand there for? I have the money now-look! Here's the $10,000 you insisted upon to save my mother's life! Do something!"

His face was unreadable. His eyes flashed with something I did not want to see-the end.

"Miss Carter..." his voice was gentle, but I didn't want gentleness. All I ever desired was my mother.

"No!" I shook my head frantically, clinging to my mother's hand as if my own could compel her back. "Doctor, do something! See-she's speaking to me! She's breathing, she's clinging! You must try-"

"Sorry," he said to me, and those two words sliced through me like a blade. "She's gone."

Gone?

No-no-no. That wasn't possible. I was only a few minutes late. I rushed. I begged. I did everything I could.

"No! She's not gone! You can't do that! Do your job and get her back!"

Nobody moved.

The ground tipped away from me. All the things I had-all the things I coveted-every battle, every reason I'd ever had to survive-slipped through my fingers in the split second.

A harsh, ugly sob tore out of my throat as I clasped my dead mother's body against mine. She'd been my diamond, my only ray of light in this hard and oppressive world-and she was dead.

Tears blurred my vision as I buried my forehead against hers, my body convulsing with shuddering spasms. "Mother, please... don't leave me. I need you. I have no idea how to do this without you."

Before I was even able to still reel in my sorrow, a hand brushed across my shoulder. I startled.

"Miss Carter, we need-"

"Don't touch me!" I yelled, my words echoing off the cold hospital room. My chest labored hard, the weight of my sorrow crashing down on me like an iron cage.

I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't think.

I couldn't exist in a world that she was not in.

When I didn't think that it could possibly hurt anymore, there was yet another tragedy.

The weight of yet another shattering reality slammed me like a hurricane.

I was pregnant.

Pregnant by a man whose name I did not even know, a man who vanished without anyone knowing.

A sob erupted from me as I doubled over, holding my stomach as if I could shield the life inside me from the viciousness of it all. How was I going to get through this? How was I going to bear a child in a world that had just stripped the only one who ever loved me unconditionally of nothing but love?

I can't do this," I whispered aloud to myself, my hands pressed against my face. No-I couldn't do it alone. But I was alone. Gutted. Betrayed.

The weight of considering what I needed to do crushed me. It pressed upon me under the crushing load. And then I had her hand in mine. Even though I knew it was all just a memory, I could sense her strength, her heat, her total belief in me for one final time. And I said to myself, Sophie, you are braver than you think. Get a grip. You may be in shreds, you may be lost, but you are still here, and that is all that matters.

For my mum's sake, for the baby's sake growing inside me, I had to be brave. I had to keep going, although I did not know what to do.

I left my mother on the floor, dead, and went back to our apartment, each step a perpetual hell. The streets around me began to blur. The horns and voices faded into a distant murmur. The brown envelope clutched in my hand felt as if it weighed too much to carry.

"Of what use is this money now?" I muttered. "I struggled for this money. I prostituted myself for it. And now it's all useless."

I could not stand the emptiness in my home. My body became mechanical. I opened the door, and it was all as we had left it-the old couch, the kitchen cabinet, and the photo of my mother on the wall.

I had returned home with my mother, but now I returned alone.

She was actually gone.

Every memory of hers felt new-too new. The walls were closing in. Her laughter, her scent, her presence-all disappeared too soon. I slapped my hand across my stomach. My heart was pounding, and another fact struck me-my child.

A child I hadn't anticipated. A child I wasn't ready for. A child who would grow up without a grandmother... and a father I barely knew.

Tears flowed down my face as I spoke, "I don't know how to do this."

Lost in thought, there was a sudden loud knock on the door. I did not move. Who could it be? The knock was once more repeated, but this time with more force.

I quickly dried my tears and attempted to get up. My legs were shaking as I walked towards the door.

It was Kattie-my best friend.

The instant she looked at me, her face fell. "Oh my God...," she cried, embracing me with her arms before I had a chance to speak.

I totally broke down at that moment. I cried over her shoulder, shaking from head to toe. "Kattie, I was too late with the money. She's dead. My mother is dead-the only one I had in this world is dead. My life is shattered."

She hugged me close. "I'm so sorry, Sophia. Please... don't cry." But she couldn't help crying, either.

We stood there, both of us crying. Her arms were the only ones that kept me from completely falling apart.

Finally, she stepped back and gently brushed my tears away. "You're not alone in this. You have me. Whatever is going to happen, I'll be here for you."

I nodded weakly. But deep inside myself, the fear of surviving this alone still lingered. Yes, I had Kattie-but the road ahead was daunting.

Still, I knew I had to be strong. I had to survive. I had to fight.

If not for anything else, then for my child's sake.

The next day, I woke up with the cold wind blowing on my window. The house was quiet, empty of life-just like me.

The silence of my mother was crushing; it all felt dreamy-an agonizing emptiness that permeated into my bones.

I clutched the thin blanket around me, praying and hoping it was all just a nightmare. If I could just hold my eyes shut long enough, I'd wake up to the aroma of her morning tea wafting through the air.

But the silence existed; the pain existed, too.

With a searing knife lodged in my chest, the words of the doctor lingered in my head.

"Sophia, I am sorry, your mother's health is extremely poor. She must be treated right away if she is to live."

I closed my eyes tightly, trying to forget the incident, but it flashed back in waves.

The sum of 10,000 dollars is payable for an urgent surgery. Late payment will take your mother's life."

"No, Doctor!" I had cried out, panicked, and trembled. "I will pay for the money, please. My mom's life is important to me. Do everything you can to save her. Don't let her die."

I exited the hospital with just one thing in mind-to get the money by any means necessary.

I went to see my family, rang their doorbells, and pleaded with them, but all I received was sympathetic stares and empty apologies. Some did not even bother to hide their disinterest.

"Sophie, these are difficult times."

"You should have set aside for emergencies such as this one. We know it's a question of saving your mother's life, but we cannot do it." Their words cut deep into my marrow.

I had no choice but to visit my best friend, Kattie.

I told her everything and begged her to help save my mom's life.

She was quiet for a second, and then let out a deep breath before looking at me with a mix of concern and resolve.

"Sophie, sorry, I can't help you now. I just paid my tuition fees a couple of days ago, and you know that. But. I have an idea that might help."

"There is only one way to get that kind of money in a few hours."

I wiped away my tears quickly. "How? Were? Just tell me something, please. I will do anything. Anything at all," I said.

She talked in an uncertain tone, but continued, "There is this club in town owned by rich men only-billionaires and CEOs. Hey, wait, let me get this out. Don't stare at me like that," she said under her breath. "All I am saying is that if we go there and you play your cards right, you might find someone who wouldn't even bat an eye at giving you that kind of money-and more."

I frowned and stared at her, my heart pounding. "Kattie, what am I listening to? Do you even hear yourself? You're telling me to-"

Go ahead and talk," she interjected. "No one's forcing you to do anything. You desperately need the money, Sophie. Remember, it's your mother's life we're working with here. Go, get a cocktail, and see what happens. If there's any hope of securing the money. Isn't it worth trying?

I begrudged the fact that she was right. I had no other option. My mother's life was at stake. Trembling, I nodded. "Okay."

That night, we went into The Velvet Lounge, a club unlike any I had previously known. When we walked in, the atmosphere shifted, dominated by the scent of designer cologne, perfume, and alcohol.

Modern and black walls gleamed with soft golden light. A massive, swinging chandelier hung in the center, creating a shimmering reflection on shiny marble floors.

Beautiful, elegant women dripped silk and diamonds. Women's laughter had a melodious ring as luxurious men in smartly tailored attire leaned in, their cocktails mixing in crystal glasses. The low, sensual music pulsed as a deep-throated vibration in the atmosphere.

I swallowed hard and slapped my hand around Kattie's arm. "I don't belong here. This is more than I asked for. Let's go home, please."

"Neither do I," she breathed just as vehemently. "But we have to. Tonight we pretend to."

She led me to the bar, her composure unmarred. I, on the other hand, could already feel my heart racing against my chest. My little black dress was constricting, the stilettos too high. I had no idea how to play the game.

At one glance, I saw him.

He sat in the VIP lounge, surrounded by other men who smelled of power and wealth. Even among them, he stood out.

A billionaire-there was no mistaking him. His dark blue suit was molded to his muscular, tall physique. His watch glinted in the golden lights-worth more than all that I had ever managed combined.

His sharp jawline, with only the slightest hint of stubble shadowing it, gave him a roughness. His sharp eyes had something behind them.

He was a man who commanded attention as being dangerous, enigmatic, and powerful.

We locked eyes. He tipped his glass by a fraction, nodding at me.

A few minutes after, Kattie bent over and leaned into my ear-"Hey, look at that handsome man. Go talk to him."

I took a breath. Though there was everything in my body screaming for me to move away, I leaned forward.

I walked towards the round table where he was sitting. "Hi, may I sit close to you?" My tone was softer than I expected.

He arched an eyebrow, a look of amusement flicking across his face.

"Hi. You're welcome-make yourself at home," he replied.

I sat down in the chair opposite him, taking very careful note of each movement.

He regarded me for a minute before leaning forward a little. "Hey, you're not the usual type of women who come in here. You're. different-looking."

"What is it you think makes me different?" I tried to hold my voice steady.

His lips twisted into a perceptive smile. "Because you look like you've got something desperate on your mind. You look troubled."

And that's when my stomach knotted. I had to be careful about what I said. I couldn't just tell him my story, so I went along with it.

We talked. We drank. We swayed to the music in the background. The warmth of the booze seeped into my nerve endings, and I got lost. I didn't even realize when I was leaning in closer. His fingers brushed against my skin, and a shiver ran down my spine.

The evening was lost to me. One drink followed another, then a third.

The room leaned to one side, but I didn't care. For the first time in my life, I felt light-free.

Things changed suddenly. He leaned on me, his warm breath on my ear. He breathed gently, "Come with me."

My heart was thumping. I knew that. I knew what I should do.

I walked with him to the elevator, my thumping heart-not of fear, but something else. Restraint.

I required the money. I could not allow my mother to die. So I silenced the voice yelling inside of me. And into the night I walked.

The world felt altered the next morning. I did not know when I had last been at the hotel. I only knew that I had the cash gripped in my shaking palms as I bolted out.

I called Kattie. "Hi-I got the money. I did it. I saved my mom's life!" I ran to the hospital, hopeful.

When I arrived, my heart pounded with excitement. I pushed into the hospital entrance, breathless, with the envelope.

But the moment I pushed through the hospital doors, hope was lost. The look on the nurse's face chilled my blood.

I spun around, frantically looking for the doctor. My legs were water under me.

And then I saw him-his expression a mask.

"Doctor, what's the matter? Why are you doing this? Why do you all look at me like this? Where is my mother? Here's the money-I have just exactly the money you asked for!" I prattled.

The doctor took a deep sigh, his eyes brimming with sympathy.

"Miss Carter. We couldn't help it."

"You couldn't help what?" I interrupted, nervously. "Doctor, where is my mother?"

Your mother passed away an hour ago. Sorry.

The bottom fell out of my world. The letter dropped from my hand to the floor.

I was speechless. Without hope.

"Miss Carter," the doctor said softly, "you might have saved your mother's life. But you didn't get here in time. It was too late."

The ground beneath my feet creaked as if it would break and gulf me in one snap. My mama was gone. The form was over. The murmurs had stopped, but the judgments hung around like banks that refused to clear.

I stood before our apartment, this same gravel cinch gripped in pulsing hands, gaping at the empty space where Mama's presence had towered. No steps down the hallways, no climate of her favorite radio dominie growling through the walls.

Silence.

Heavy.

Complicating.

Inside, the air was heavy with the smell of dry incense and unshed tears. I sat on the same faded seat she would sit and plait my hair as a child. My eyes drifted to her print on the wall - still smiling, still full of life, still alive in that moment, suspended in time.

I was about to lose myself each over again when a loud knock snapped me out of it.

"Sophie, open the door," Mrs. Adeyemi's voice was heard. I moaned, rising sluggishly.

As I opened the door, her eyes darted first to my belly, then to my face.

"Hmph," she scented, lugging on the headscarf." You should come out and meet the people who came for the burial, people are talking formally."

I blinked." I - I just demanded a minute."

"Minutes?" She squinted." Some of us left our businesses for this. You think it's easy carrying the name of a widow's daughter who eloped and came back pregnant?"

The words burn like a poke. My lips parted, but nothing came out.

She arrived unsought, her eyes surveying the room as if she was waiting to catch me groveling in shame among the pillows." Your youthful women's moment. No sense of shame at all. Getting pregnant outside of marriage, and your mama carried the shame to her grave."

I stood immobile, the bite creeping back into my knees." Please, you do not understand"

"Understand what? That you were sleeping around while your mama was dying?"

Her voice rose, high and tone-righteous. "Your mama was a prayer legionnaire and a good woman, but look what you brought to her name. You were always too proud, too independent, running off with rich men, thinking we do not know."

My scratched gashes, which I had preliminarily tried to hide, now scorched my eyes. My throat constricted, yet I battled my voice through it." I did all I could to get her out alive. I contended, I labored, I supplicated for help, but nothing heeded. You-you stood at church each Sunday morning and said effects about' God will give,' yet where was your being when we most demanded yours?

Her expression turned cold." How could you speak to me that way? After everything I have done?"

"What did you do?" My voice quivered." Did you go visit her formally? Did you ever ask if we had anything to eat? How was she breathing with half a lung under an oohing ceiling?"

I could feel the bane welling behind her eyes, but I did not watch presently.

"You are there to point fingers. Say what you have to say and leave."

Adeyemi gripped her Bible more tightly and moved back. "You will reap what you sow. A child born of sin will never know peace. Flashback to that."

She stormed out, slamming the door shut.

I collapsed onto the seat, my body wringing in on itself as heartbreak ripped through me. Not because what she said was true, but because I had formerly yelled it at myself a thousand times.

I do not know when Kattie arrived. She slipped in and sat beside me, her head against my shoulder. We did not speak. Her silence, formerly, was safety.

"You okay?" she asked ultimately.

I smelled a sour laugh." Do I look okay, right?"

"No. You look like a man who has been crucified with no stopgap of being revived."

"Well, that is right," I said, rubbing my eyes.

She gently poked me. " You know what people say doesn't count, okay? They always go to converse, that's what they do."

But they are right," I murmured. "They are right about the shame, about the gestation, about me being alone. I went into that club, into that man's bed, and looked at what it brought me. My mama's life– My character–Everything."

Kattie was quiet for a moment before she spoke," It brings you a lot, yes. But you also got something out of it."

I faced her." What? What exactly did I get?

She smiled noiselessly. "Ethan."

I exhaled. Deep. Painful. Healing. She was correct. That bitsy twinkle that had been inside me months ago had come to be the only reason I had not walked out into the night.

"Suppose you can handle this?" I asked." Raise him by yourself?"

"You've formally started," she replied." And I will always be there."

The coming many days were a blur of sidelong glances, wagging lips, and silences that bellowed louder than words. I noticed others crossing thoroughfares to avoid me. The lessee pretended not to flash back my name when collecting rent. The churchwomen no longer saluted me with a call, but with a renewed request. Indeed, some of Mama's friends stopped dropping by.

But every night, when I tuck Ethan into bed and hear him say, "Goodnight, Mommy," I know I could not crack.

I went to the church one day for my mama's final Thanksgiving. My black dress clung to me, but I stood upright.

As I walked by, the murmuring began.

"That is her -"

"Shameless -"

"Got pregnant before her mama's burial was over -

I stood there like a statue, soaking it in, letting it burn into me, but not bending.

Pastor James asked me to come up to the balcony to say a word about Mama. I climbed the way sluggishly and spoke to the congregation - some pitying, others reviling.

My Mother, I began, in a pulsing voice," was the strongest woman I ever knew. She loved me, tutored me how to supplicate and persist, and in no way gave up on anyone- indeed, those who gave up on her."

My eyes swept across the crowd.

"She was better, she was good for further help than she got. But she failed peacefully, soliciting for all of you. Indeed, those who would not help.".

A murmur ran through the church, but I didn't stop.

Still, I hope you also flash back to her," If you have come, then there is the moment to judge me. Flashback to how she smiled at your children. How she gave her last piece of yam. How she walked to prayer meetings on an empty stomach."

Some eyes dropped.

"I'm her daughter. And I'll not let your shame define me."

As I stepped down from the altar, my knees nearly gave out, but I cleaved. Ethan waited outdoors with Kattie, laughing about something in her hand. My heart softened.

Later that night, I sat down to write in my journal.

They can throw me down, but I'll survive. For my Mother, for Ethan, and for myself.