Samantha quickly rushed to Kiandra who had lost consciousness and she froze when she noticed blood coming from Kiandra’s legs.
Samantha got out of her shock and she rushed to the phone to call an ambulance. After speaking with the officials, she rushed back to Kiandra.“Everything will be fine. The paramedics will be here soon. Just hold on,” she said, even though Kiandra couldn’t hear her…****“It’s been a week already, why haven’t you woken up?” Kiandra heard Samantha say to her. What was her friend rambling all about? She wondered as she opened her eyes.“Kiandra, oh my God, you’re finally awake,” she heard Samantha squeal. “Hold on, let me get the doctor,” she said and ran out of the room. There was silence after and Kiandra tried to sit up.The door opened once again and Kiandra heard footsteps approaching the bed where she was laying on. “Please don’t move,” she heard a doctor say and he started to check her vitals.“What happened?” she asked in a hoarse voice.“You were unconscious for a week due to the hit you suffered to your stomach,” the doctor answered her as he continued to examine her.“My baby?!” Kiandra exclaimed when she remembered what had led to her landing in the hospital. “Is my baby alright?” she asked the doctor.“Well Miss Aidan, it’s complicated,” the doctor answered and his answer worried Kiandra.“What do you mean by that?” She asked, squinting her eyes suspiciously as she knew whatever the doctor would say wouldn't be good.“You see, you hit your stomach pretty badly and this affected the baby. While we managed to save it, we couldn’t save it from the effects of the hit it took,” the doctor said.“What does that mean?” Kiandra asked the doctor.“It means your baby won’t have a normal growth. We can’t tell which part exactly got affected as it’s still developing but there’s a high chance of you giving birth to a disabled child.”“Oh,” Kiandra replied.“Also, while examining your body, we discovered that your body is weak for the child you’re carrying…”“So you advise me to get rid of the baby,” Kiandra said as she could tell that was what the doctor was about to say.“Yes,” the doctor affirmed. “It’s your choice to make as the mother of the child. Excuse me,” saying that, he turned and left.“Were the police able to find the man responsible for my condition?” Kiandra asked Samantha in a distant tone, one that sounded as though she was detached from reality.“No, they found no traces of the man. It’s like he disappeared ,” Samantha answered. “Did you notice something he said?” she asked.“That someone didn’t want me to bear the child,” Kiandra answered, and Samantha nodded.“We had just found out about your pregnancy, so how on earth did the man know that you were pregnant?” Samantha asked.“That’s because I told Lucas Valencia that I was pregnant,” Kiandra answered, and Samantha’s eyes widened in shock.“What? Explain?” she demanded from Kiandra. Kiandra took a deep breath and she told Samantha what had transpired between her and Lucas.“I can’t believe that asshole would actually send a man to kill his own child!” Samantha seethed with rage after Kiandra was done. “You shouldn’t allow him to get away with what he did.”“No,” Kiandra shook her head. “I have no intention of pursuing the case.”“What?! Why?!” Samantha probed.“You said it yourself. These people are powerful and I have no intention of challenging them,” Kiandra stated. “If Lucas doesn’t want a child then I won’t bother him with it but I’m having my baby.”Samantha bit her lips at what Kiandra said. “Even though…”“Yes!” Kiandra cut Samantha short. “I’ll take care of my child no matter what!”The door opened and Samantha’s dad and her grandmother walked in. Samantha froze upon seeing her father, as the look he had on his face told her that she was in big trouble.“Dad,” she started, but he cut her short.“The doctor told me everything. Do you really want to keep the baby?” he asked, focusing his attention on Kiandra. He knew whatever happened wasn’t her fault, as his mother-in-law had filled him in.“Yes,” Kiandra answered. “I’m going to college soon, which means I won’t put any of you in danger.”“Who is the father of the baby?” Desmond inquired.“It’s best you don’t know as it might put you in danger,” Kiandra answered and Desmond didn’t push it any further to which Kiandra was thankful for.“You’re traveling to a new state to further your education, and I have female colleagues over there. I’ll reach out to them, so they can help you with the baby and Samantha will be there with you every single step of the way,” he stated.“After all, it is her fault you’re in this situation,” Desmond added, and Samantha bowed her head in shame as she was too scared to look at her baby. “And about your records, I’ll ensure no one is able to investigate them,” he assured Kiandra. “The doctor has been informed not to let anyone know you didn’t lose the child.”“Thank you,” Kiandra said and she meant it from the bottom of her heart, as she didn’t know how she would have handled the situation alone.“Let’s get you home so you can leave for college,” Desmond said, and Kiandra nodded. She sighed heavily as she knew that a lot was going to change because of her decision but she would face it head-on.****FIVE YEARS LATER.“Girl, you really need to get your lazy ass up and start arranging your apartment,” Samantha yelled as she entered Kiandra's apartment.She met the latter lying on the couch with her eyes closed. “Why do you have to be so loud?” Kiandra asked in irritation as she massaged her temples.“Because you won’t do anything if I’m soft with you,” Samantha answered and she dragged Kiandra off the couch.“Ouch,” Kiandra cried when her butt hit the ground. She finally opened her eyes and glared at her best friend. “One of these days, I’ll reach my limit and kill you.”“Until that day and if I don't kill you first. For now, let’s focus on cleaning your apartment,” Samantha said and she walked over to some cartons to remove the contents.“You know, you should have just let my dad handle getting you an apartment,” Samantha said as she started to arrange what was in the boxes.“He has done a lot for me. I didn’t want to trouble him anymore. Besides, I know he had a hand in getting me this apartment,” Kiandra stated, and Samantha pretended as though she didn’t hear what Kiandra said as it was trueThe two then got busy arranging the apartment Kiandra had refused to touch for three days. “Whew, that was tiring,” Kiandra collapsed on the couch three hours later.“It would have been more tiring if I hadn’t been there to help,” Samantha said as she handed a bottle of water to Kiandra. She too took her seat beside Kiandra.“So…” she started.“So?” Kiandra raised an eyebrow.“We’re in a new city,” Samantha stated.“I know,” Kiandra replied while feigning oblivion to the point Samantha was trying to make.“We’re in the city where he lives,” Samantha continued.“Who?” Kiandra asked, still feigning oblivion.“Lucas Valencia,” Samantha finally said his name.Kiandra’s eyes immediately turned cold when she heard the name of the man that was responsible for turning her life upside down.She turned to Samantha and said, “I know he stays in this city and I don’t give a shit. I moved here because I finally found a job here to support me and my child. Please don’t mention that asshole’s name.”“Okay,” Samantha raised her hands in defeat, dropping the matter as she knew how sensitive the name was to Kiandra.“You should get going. I wouldn’t want your boyfriend to think I’m monopolizing you once again,” Kiandra said in irritation and Samantha laughed.“Don’t worry, I already told him that I’m spending the night here,” Samantha informed Kiandra.“Well then, you wouldn’t mind getting us something to eat,” Kiandra stated as she stood up. “I’m going to go take a long shower. Food better be ready by the time I come out.”Getting into the shower, the thoughts she had been bottling up came back in full force. It had been five years since that fateful night when she had a one-night stand with Lucas Valencia, the man who hired a man to kill his own child.The remaining months of her pregnancy were tough, very tough, just like the doctor had said it would be. It would have been unbearable if she didn’t have Samantha by her side.Her resilience had paid off as she held her daughter in her hands six months later. However, just as the doctor said, she didn't give birth to a healthy baby. Even though her daughter wasn’t physically deformed, she was weak, very weak.At first, she didn't cry and when she did cry, she had trouble feeding off her mother naturally and she had to be fed with infant formula and pumped breast milk.After she was born, she had to spend three months in the hospital at first until the doctor said her condition could be managed.When it was time to sit, her daughter couldn't do so by her own strength. Neither could she crawl nor walk by herself. It was specialized nurses who helped her daughter in standing and walking.And even at that, Zendaya would take only a few steps before her body would reach its limit and if she overworked herself, she would land in the hospital for days.She spent a lot of time in the hospital in order to get treated, and she still wasn’t fully cured. But that didn’t reduce Kiandra’s love for her daughter in the slightest. And while she would cry and apologize to no one in particular for not being careful enough, she would never show weakness in front of the little girl.After graduating from college, things became even harder as she couldn’t find a job. After almost a year of searching, she finally found one. The downside was that it was in another state; the city where he lived.If not for her daughter, she wouldn’t have taken the job for fear of running into him. ‘My life sucks,’ she sighed in resignation. After what seemed like forever, she finally stepped out of the shower and went to meet Samantha.“I thought you had died in there,” the latter heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing Kiandra.“Wouldn’t you like that?” Kiandra retorted as she took her seat. “I ordered some Chinese food. You know, Zendaya is going to be coming here tomorrow. You might want to stock up.”“I wished she would have just agreed to stay with Nana,” Kiandra groaned.“You know how attached she is to you and besides, you wouldn’t last a week without your daughter,” Samantha rolled her eyes and Kiandra laughed."I can't wait to start my new job," Kiandra said, changing the subject."I can't wait too. You finally got the big break you deserve," Samantha stated. "I can tell you're going to kill it when you start.""I hope so," Kiandra sighed."I know so," Samantha deadpanned. Kiandra could only hope that Samantha was right.Little did she know that life had other plans in store for her as always.****Kiandra looked at the time and saw that it was already twelve o'clock. This meant that their plane must have landed.She tapped her feet impatiently as she was itching to see her daughter.It had been six days since she had seen Zendaya last and Samantha was right, one more day, and she would have cracked.Her phone lit up and Kiandra checked who the text was from. It was from Desmond.'We're coming out now,' was what the text read. Kiandra stood up from her seat and started searching for them.She found them a few seconds later, as Desmond's height made it easy for her. She then walked over to where they were."Hi baby," Kiandra greeted her daughter excitedly.Zendaya, who was resting her head on Desmond's shoulder, turned upon hearing her mother's voice.She immediately stretched her hands out, and Kiandra didn't waste any time in collecting her from Desmond."She has been itching to see you ever since you left," Desmond informed Kiandra."I missed her too," Kiandra replied. There was an announcement and Desmond knew that was his cue to leave. He had to travel once again on an important mission."I have to go now," he said, and he kissed the mother and daughter on their forehead."Take care," Kiandra said. "Won't you say goodbye to Grandpa?" She asked Zendaya.There was no response from the little girl, nor did she turn to wave to Desmond. This was something they were already used to and neither one of them was offended."Bye," Desmond said and he rushed to catch his flight.“So, what do you want to do when we get home?” Kiandra engaged her daughter as she started to walk out of the airport.“Do you want to see our new house?” Kiandra continued to speak even though there was no response from Zendaya.“Taxi!” Kiandra flagged the car down.“Park,” she heard her daughter say after they entered the taxi. The voice was like a whisper, and it was as though she was compelled to speak.People who didn’t know Zendaya would think she was mute, but she wasn’t. She just only spoke whenever her mother was around, as she felt most comfortable with Kiandra.“You just got there. Don’t you want to rest?” Kiandra asked, and Zendaya shook her hand.“I want to go to the park,” she repeated. "Not now, honey, you'll go some other time," Kiandra told Zendaya before giving the driver instructions on where to take them.When they got to her apartment, Zendaya entered and immediately went to lie on the couch and she sighed loudly. Kiandra rolled her eyes as she could tell that
****“Where are we going?” Liam asked Lucas for the umpteenth time. The latter had called him over to the parking lot of their company only for Lucas to drag him into his car.“We are going to see someone,” Lucas finally answered.“Who?” Liam probed.“Justin Gerano,” Lucas answered, and he stepped on the accelerator."Ahhh!" Liam groaned as the beef between Lucas and Justin wasn't something he wanted to be a part of.The two men were egotistical idiots who were always trying to triumph over one another. Liam sighed as if it was his fault for introducing them to one another that fateful night in the bar.What had started out as a celebration turned out to be a competition as someone dared the two men to see who would pass out from drinking too much alcohol. It was a statement made as a joke but for Lucas and Justin who viewed everything as a competition, they didn't take it the same way.The end result was that both men had to be carried to their cars after consuming about six bottles
After leaving the park and boarding a taxi, Kiandra finally had the chance to examine her daughter for any injuries. To her relief, apart from Zendaya’s clothes which were soiled in the sand, there were no injuries sustained.Her daughter had a low immunity which meant that it wouldn't have been pleasant if she had sustained a cut which got infected.“I was only gone for ten minutes, so what happened?” She inquired from her daughter. It was still baffling to her as to how Zendaya ended up in Lucas' hold especially considering the fact that Zendaya didn't like to associate herself with strangers.Zendaya didn’t answer her mother’s question. Instead, she crossed her hands and with a frown on her face, she said. “I don’t like Jayden,” she pouted.“The young boy?” Kiandra probed and Zendaya nodded. “Do you want to tell me what he did?”“No.” Zendaya shook her head and Kiandra decided not to push it as she didn’t want her daughter to get further upset. The rest of the ride was silent until
“Daira,” Liam exclaimed and he moved to hug her much to her displeasure. “I’ve missed you so much,” he said, and she squinted her eyes suspiciously at him. “You did?” she asked.“Of course. I have no other bimbo to trouble in my life and so naturally, I’d miss the only one I have,” Liam responded, and he watched as Daira became red with anger.“Lucas,” she cried as she walked up to him. Lucas, who didn’t want to be touched by Daira, turned and went to sit down. This was one of the reasons Lucas concluded that Liam hated her. To every other person, she acted rude to them but to him, she acted like she was a damsel in distress who couldn't protect herself.Liam despised two-faced people and so he always tried to bring out her real nature in front of Lucas. “Ignore him. He’s annoying,” Lucas said and Liam chuckled.“Tell him to go. I have something important to discuss with you,” Daira told Liam.“Well, you better get talking, as I’m not going anywhere,” Liam said as he made himself
Kiandra turned and left as she didn’t want to be further humiliated. When she got outside the man's office, she saw all the employees who were present giving her a sad look.It seemed they had heard everything that had happened in there and this only added to Kiandra's humiliation. Deciding not to pay any attention to their looks, she held her head high as she walked away from them to the elevator.As soon as she left the building, she immediately brought out her phone and called Samantha as she needed someone to vent to.“Are you that free that you have time to call me twenty minutes after you resumed?” Samantha asked jovially after she answered the call.“I got fired,” Kiandra told Samantha. If she didn't, the latter would have spent minutes urging Kiandra to tell her about her experience and this would only add to Kiandra's already sore wound.“What?!” Samantha screamed in school. “How?” she demanded an explanation, to which Kiandra didn’t hesitate to give.“Why is that bastard he
After Kiandra left him standing there, his mood was ruined and so he decided to go home instead of the office.He had just come out of the shower when his phone rang. He checked and saw that it was Spider calling him.“I sent the information you requested for,” Spider told him, and Lucas hung up.He immediately got dressed and took his laptop, so he could read the information on Kiandra Aidan.Opening the file, he started to read it. There was nothing suspicious about her life prior to graduating from high school.However, Lucas found whatever happened after, suspicious. In the report, it says she traveled prior to her eighteenth birthday, and she somehow became pregnant with her daughter, Zendaya.There was nothing however in the report about who the father of Zendaya was. There were no pictures, no name, and no evidence of who the father was.The fact that Kiandra didn’t even have a boyfriend all through her high school days made it difficult to ascertain who he was.And what was ev
When she finally turned, she saw that he had gotten up from his seat. He took a long stride to her and reached where she was standing a few seconds later.“Why would you offer me a job, and what in the world makes you think that I would accept your job offer?” Kiandra probed wanting to know just what was going on inside that head of his.“Well, to your first question, the answer is because I am in the mood to do a good deed,” Lucas answered but the look Kiandra gave him made him know that she knew he was lying.“And secondly,” he continued moving a step closer to Kiandra which made her move backwards as he invaded her personal space. “If you don’t accept my job offer, I’ll make sure you don’t get a job anywhere else,” he said with a smile on his face and somehow, Kiandra knew he would do what he said.“Why are you offering me a job?” she asked once again.“Because it’s best to keep your enemies close to you. You have an issue with me and it’s not because of my actions in the past two
The ride back home was silent as Kiandra was too stressed to say anything and Zendaya wasn't ready to speak to her mother in front of the driver. It was after they arrived back home that she spoke.“We came back to our new house?” Zendaya asked in surprise when they arrived back at the same place they left.“Hmm, we are not leaving again,” Kiandra told her daughter as she dropped her down. “You’re burning up, come and use your drugs.”“No, I don’t like using my drugs,” Zendaya said, and quickly she ran into her and her mother’s room in an effort to escape.Kiandra put the suitcase down and opened it. She then brought out the drugs Zendaya was going to use before going to her room.“Zendaya,” Kiandra called as she also entered the room. “You know those drugs are for your own good.”“They are bitter and I don’t like them,” Zendaya persisted.“Well, it’s either you take the drugs or spend weeks in the hospital,” Kiandra laid out before Zendaya. As much as Zendaya hated the drugs, she hate