Butterfly's Year

40. Uninvited guest

I wasn't pregnant. I took the test, but for certainty, I went to see a gynecologist, and then a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. The doctor concluded that the stress I had been experiencing was most likely the cause of all the confusion.

I finally sorted out some sensible contraception and, still a bit shaken, hurried to the nearest pharmacy to fill the prescription. It was high time to end this sexual recklessness and seriously consider its consequences. I had procrastinated far too long on this, considering I should have been aware of the consequences of sporadic condom use. It was embarrassing that I hadn't dealt with this issue sooner.

Before reaching home, I sent a text message to Victor to make sure he didn't start looking for baby clothes and tiny shoes.

Paulina: Don't buy baby clothes by any chance. It's way too early ;)

He didn't reply, but I assumed he was busy, so I simply returned to my tasks. Only when he didn't give any sign of life for several hours, and the sun had long set, did I start to worry a little.

When I was just about to call to check if everything was alright, I heard the sound of someone violently pounding on the door. I put the phone down on the nearest piece of furniture and wanted to go see who was so insistently trying to get into our apartment, but Alec beat me to it.

– I'll check – he said, giving me a look that said – I'll handle any threat, remember?– and, squaring his shoulders, headed towards the hallway.

I rolled my eyes but didn't argue with him over such a trivial matter. I sank back into the couch cushions where I had previously been lying with a compendium of infectious diseases, diving back into the dreadfully dull reading.

Near the entrance, I first heard slightly muffled sounds of conversation, then something that sounded like a scuffle, one or two curses, and then, to my great surprise, Manuel burst into the living room.

He was panting as if he had just run a long distance.

– Are you pregnant? – he gasped, holding his side. – With him?

I looked at him closely, and a small part of me raised its eyebrows.

– What? – I asked, genuinely confused. – No. Where did you get that information?

– Victor told me – he wheezed, fending off Alec, who had come out of the hallway, massaging his shoulder and trying to escort the intruder out of the apartment.

I gestured for Alec to stop and turned my full attention back to Manuel.

– Victor? – I repeated, frowning. – You must have misunderstood him. I thought I was pregnant, but I'm not. False alarm.

– No, no – Manuel protested, shaking his head vigorously. – That's not what he said. He said that if he becomes a father, I can forget about ever getting close to you again.

– Victor? – I double-checked, and Manuel nodded eagerly. – Impossible. He doesn't want a child right now. Neither of us does. But if we did, it's none of your business, Manuel. It's not your concern. Alec, you can escort the gentleman to the door now.

I said the last sentence firmly and gave him a meaningful look, letting him know our conversation was over. Manuel looked sullen and glanced around, seemingly only now realizing where he was.

Alec approached the uninvited guest and extended his hand to push him towards the door, but Manuel didn't get a chance to take a step.

The sound of the front door being flung open and then slammed shut resounded in the hallway, and shortly after, Victor stormed into the living room. He looked terrible. His face was bruised, blood was trickling from his eyebrow, and his nose was swollen like a balloon. As soon as his eyes fell on Manuel standing in the middle of the living room, a fire of true hatred danced in them.