Sinner and a Savior

Ch. 3 - A Mother's Regret

As soon as the formalities ended, you were left alone with a cooing three-month old. Evening was creeping upon the horizon and your heart began to ache with the sun's disappearance. You began to regret your choice, thinking how you basically had to be this one's mother instead of a mother to your own daughter. Your daughter who was now being solely raised by a lying womanizer...

You couldn't help but think about how just a few, short months ago you yourself had a three-month old who was just beginning to smile and grabbing at nearly everything in sight. And she had a father, a hesitant one, but one nonetheless. You wondered if he tucked her in this night; if he turned on the nightlight and read her her favorite story. Did he have the capacity to do that for her at least, if not for you?

You tried to stay focused on Megumi and getting him ready for bed. The earlier attendants gave you his schedule prior to their departure. An extra attendant was just down the hall, however they had their own duties to attend to and would merely be there for emergencies.
The routine was very similar to the one you had for Tsumiki. You began with a bath followed by a bottle and diaper change. 

What surprised you the most about the whole process was how calm Megumi was. Tsumiki would have been thrashing about throughout the entire bath, kicking her feet during feeding, and would certainly wet herself during the diaper change -- and laugh about it to boot. Then when she would be put down for sleep she would simply refuse, making all sorts of fuss for at least an hour before finally falling asleep. 
Megumi, on the other hand, took only a few minutes before falling deeply asleep. His deep, green eyes looked about before his lids became too heavy for him to hold. It warmed your heart to see him at such peace. For just a minute, you could forget your troubles and listen to the soft snores of an infant. 
A/N: I'm going with the manga eye colors for this one, so green it is!

With Megumi down, you got yourself ready for a quiet evening alone. Usually you'd be still getting Tsumiki ready with your husband just coming home from work. Although you were incredibly angry with him to a point of no return, you couldn't help but think about how he'd still help with her night routine despite being tired from work, and what or whomever else he was doing. It was bittersweet, terribly bittersweet. It would be late at night but the three of you would be all giggles no matter what kind of day you had. 

Instead of that loud kind of happiness, you tried your best to make the most of what you had. For the first time in over a year you drew yourself a bath. You didn't hesitate to use your nice soaps.
You decided to wear that one silk nightgown Masaru had gotten you for your first anniversary. You had only worn it once considering you were already pregnant when he gifted it to you; it had escaped your mind once Tsumiki had arrived. 
You slathered your freshly shaven legs in your best smelling moisturizer and completed your facial routine for the first time in months. Before this, you'd hardly any time to yourself. 

While all of this should have been rewarding, it felt the opposite. As you slipped into bed, Megumi's room just one room over with the baby monitor on your end table emitting white noise, you couldn't help but think about how much you hated being alone. 

With one deep breath, you turned off the only light in the room, blanketing yourself in darkness. You laid flat on your back, closing your eyes for a few minutes at a time but unable to find sleep. Eventually it found you and vivid dreams of your previous life began to follow. From Tsumiki's laughter, to her first steps, first words, her birth, to getting married to a man you thought was your soulmate and to finding out you were pregnant just a few weeks prior to the ceremony...to falling deeply in love with someone who cherished your every move. How did his feelings evaporate so quickly? Your nightmare-filled thoughts continued to plunge into places you didn't want it to go. How many mistresses does he have? Is it just one? Would I rather he have many than just one he considers his new best thing? Does he have any other children I don't know about? 

The next thing you knew, you were woken by the baby monitor. Megumi was crying. It was the first peep you heard from him other than a casual coo. His cry was very whiny, starting high pitched and going lower with each inhale. 
You checked the clock and could tell he was ready for a brief feeding and diaper change. You rolled out of bed to do so, wrapping yourself in your robe that hung on the back of your door. 

You gently entered Megumi's nursery to find him still at his tears. You turned a nearby lamp on and began hushing as you rushed to his side. You were about to lean down and pick him up. But you suddenly found yourself quickly ripped away with your neck in the crook of someone's elbow. Your scream was quickly stifled with a salty palm. 

You gasped for air as you clawed at the stranger's forearm. Your struggles only made him squeeze harder. You almost felt your consciousness begin to drift as the blood supply to your brain was suffocated. A sinister laugh bubbled from the stranger's throat as he released the grip on your throat and mouth just enough to let you muster a whisper. You could feel his hot breath on the side of your neck, his skin sticky yet cool from the outdoor humidity of early spring. 

"And who might you be?" He asked sinisterly, his deep voice just barely over a whisper. You could feel the heat of his breath against your neck, causing chills to rise despite the temperature. Something about him seemed...horribly brutish.

Your breathing was strained as you tried to calm yourself down. You could feel your heart beating out of your chest as you regained a bit of your composure. "Y/N, the nanny," you hissed. If this stranger did anything to Megumi, it would cost you your life so it was better to be short and aggressive from the start. 

"The nanny, huh?" The man chuckled and released you, pushing your body away from him with the release. You stumbled back to your feet, rubbing your now sore neck and catching your breath.

You fled to Megumi's side to quickly quiet him down. You didn't need any attention coming to this wing of the building. God forbid if someone came in while there was an intruder. There would be no way to explain yourself. That, or this man would likely kill you before you could reach the door. Luckily, Megumi hushed quickly. 

"And who might you be?" You asked the same question with a short tone, rocking from hip to hip slowly to keep Megumi in a sleepy state. Your heart was pounding a million miles a minute, but you didn't want to give the stranger any hints of weakness. 

As you stared and waited for your answer, you were able to get a better look at the stranger despite the dim light. The stranger was tall and muscular. He wore a tight-fitting, black T-shirt with white, cotton pants tied at the waist and a pair of martial arts slippers. He had pitch black hair that nearly covered his eyes that, in this light, appeared almost green. His physical appearance almost reminded you...of Megumi.

"I'm the father," he grinned with his hands in his pockets, showing his pearly, white teeth. His smile was hardly affected by the slice-like scar covering one side of his lips. 

You clutched Megumi a bit tighter with his answer. Why now?!