Chapter 19

Chapter 19: 19. Don’t Let Her Go

Hearing Paula’s statement, William was frozen. He planned to make up with Lea, but why did everything turn into chaos?

Lea was pregnant? With whom? Whose baby was in her womb?

“Paula, will-will you come here and-tell me the details?” he asked again, stuttering.

“William, you have no time! You need to go now or you will lose her for good,” Paula replied in a bland voice she barely made it. She gulped as her heart clenched. “You will live in regret, Will.”

“But-”

Before William could ask for more details, Paula immediately hung up. She couldn’t bear the pain in her heart. Calling William and asking him to go after a woman other than her was taking a toll on her. If she continued the conversation any longer, she would surely cry. It was such a shame, she couldn’t let William know that she had failed their friends-with-benefits relationship.

She was the one who proposed the silly idea to him and it was even more stupid because she was the one who broke the rules first. She couldn’t stand it. She didn’t want anyone to see her flaws.

.....

Paula’s heart was torn into pieces. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Slowly, she wiped away the tears, but she didn’t understand why the tears would never stop.

“Stupid Paula! How come you fall for a spoiled brat like him?” she murmured, blaming herself.

***

Meanwhile, in another corner of the city, William was driving fast to get to the airport as soon as possible. His confusion about Paula’s strange attitude was immediately distracted by the problems that befell Lea. Right now, there was only one thing in his head. Preventing Lea from leaving the state.

That man jumped out of his car when he reached the airport. He ran quickly to the airport entrance. His eyes roamed, trying to find Lea’s presence in the sea of people.

“Lea! Wait!” William was panting as he spotted the woman. Luckily, he got there in time, before Lea could enter the main entrance.

Lea stopped walking when she heard her name being called. The woman wearing a white top and knee-length jeans skirt was about to run away when she saw William. However, her heavy luggage got in the way, stopping her from leaving quickly.

In no time, William managed to get Lea’s hand and dragged her to a cafe nearby. He quickly ordered two cups of cheap hot coffee with additional snacks and brought them to the table where Lea awkwardly waited.

“Lea, why are you being so reckless? Don’t make a silly decision. Let’s talk!” William asked, squeezing Lea’s hand tightly. “You have ... me.”

Lea was sitting unmoved on the couch in one of the cafes. She didn’t expect William to follow her. Paula must have said something to him. Who else? No one knew about her pregnancy but Paula. She cursed many times in her head ... to Paula, to the mistake she made, to this stupid situation.

Once Lea managed to pull herself together, she cleared her throat and said, “This is for the best, William! I’m pregnant out of wedlock. My life is ruined! I don’t want to bring shame to my family. You know ... my mom is a religious person.”

Lea, who felt desperate because she didn’t have friends to share her problems with, spilled all her complaints to William. The cry broke. She was embarrassed, but William was the only one who would listen to her problems properly. She knew that well, she had no choice.

“This is the only solution, William. I don’t want my sisters to know that their beloved well mannered sister can’t take care of herself. I was their role model. The smart one with good grades ... but not smart enough to not get pregnant out of wedlock,” Leah lamented deeply. Her chest tightened as if being squeezed by a large, ruthless hand.

“Lea, you have me. Let me help you,” William said with a shady look, trying to calm Lea down. “Let’s think of a better solution together.”

“No. It’s impossible,” Lea whispered. Tears streamed down her smooth cheeks.

Lea was angry with William, as well as William, was also disappointed in her. However, their feelings for each other were still quite strong. It is impossible to disappear instantly even though the problems they faced were very complicated, trying to tear them up.

“Who is the baby daddy?” William asked then. “Is he in the picture?”

Leah shook her head. “I made a very stupid mistake, William. The baby’s father already has a fiancée who he loves so much. I was mad at Paula, treating her like a homewrecker, but in fact, I’m the one.”

Lea’s sobs were getting heavier. William tightened his grip to give her support. He couldn’t say a word.

“So before the baby’s father finds out I’m pregnant, I have to go, William. I don’t want to be a homewrecker!” Lea made up her mind.

More or less, William began to understand how serious the problem Lea was right now. Her situation was anything but fine.

William didn’t know how Lea got herself into such a thorny problem. However, he remembered what Paula said earlier. He should get Lea back, not lose her, or he would regret it forever.

The issue to be dealt with right now wasn’t who the baby’s father was. Most importantly, if Lea ran away, she would surely suffer alone.

“Lea, let’s go home. We’ll talk about other things later,” said William optimistically after figuring out what to do.

“No way, William! What about Paula?” Lea refused, hesitantly.

“I told you, Paula is a kind, well-mannered lady! She was the one who told me that you wanted to run away to Tokyo and also ... your pregnancy. I’m sure she is willing to help us,” William persuaded her with a reassuring smile. “Paula is always a friend for me ... for us.”

Lea gulped, looking at the ticket in her hand. She recalled her encounter with Paula yesterday. Indeed, William’s description of Paula was not wrong at all. Paula was that kind of person.

But, their problem was much more complicated. Even if Paula was on their side, William’s parents were not.

“But, how about your parents, Will?” Lea asked, her eyes staring at William, questioning him about the old issue.