Love under the shadow of power/ Kylian Mbappé

chapter4: Between you and me

The doctor asked us to sit down and then left the room, leaving Laurin and me in an anxious silence. The tension was almost tangible, so I excused myself to use the bathroom. As I stepped into the hallway, I noticed the doctor was still outside, engaged in a conversation with a young man in a mask, who seemed about 20 years old. He had a striking presence with his lean, muscular build and deep brown skin, his eyes intense and serious. I wondered what they were discussing but quickly dismissed it. It didn't concern me.

When I returned to the room, I sat down beside Laurin. We had been waiting for the doctor for over 15 minutes. Bored and uneasy, I leaned over to Laurin and pointed toward the man outside. "Is he the father of your child?"

Laurin's voice was barely a whisper. "No, it's not what you think."

Just then, the man with the mask opened the door and entered, his presence commanding. "I sent the doctor home," he announced coldly. "No one will help you terminate the pregnancy." Turning to me with a dismissive glare, he added, "You should wait outside. This doesn't concern you."

My anger flared. "No way. I'm staying with Laurin. Forget about me leaving."

Laurin looked at the man calmly, her voice steady. "I told her everything."

The man's eyes narrowed. "It's really none of your business. You should leave!"

Fury bubbled up inside me. "Are you the one who cheated on her? Why didn't you reply to her message when she told you she was pregnant?"

The man's expression hardened. "First of all, I'm not her boyfriend. her boyfriend is my cousin. My cousin saw the message and was thrilled about it, but our mother stopped him. She said it could ruin his reputation."

I was stunned. "And what does 'ruin his reputation' even mean? If his reputation is more important than his own child, then this child probably means nothing to him." 🤷🏾‍♀️

The man's voice remained calm but was laced with frustration. "My cousin loves Laurin and wants the child. But our mother has big plans for him. A child with someone who doesn't fit her ideals could ruin his career and public image. That's why she persuaded him to delay. But that doesn't mean he doesn't care. He just wanted the child to be born under better circumstances."

Laurin's voice was icy. "If your cousin really wanted me to keep the baby, why didn't he come himself?"

The man sighed heavily. "You know my cousin is very famous. The press would follow him, and if they saw him here at a gynecologist's office, it would bring unwanted attention and hate. He sent me so you wouldn't terminate the pregnancy."

I shot him a suspicious look. "How did you even know we'd be here?"

He answered, "Laurin told my cousin the location in a message and mentioned she'd abort the child if he didn't come."

I turned to Laurin, shocked. "Laurin, why would you do that? You wanted to abort the baby?"

Laurin's eyes were a mix of determination and sorrow. "It's not that easy. I thought about it for a long time. Ultimately, it was your suggestion."

"Of course it was my suggestion," I said defensively. "I just wanted to support you. Your boyfriend cheated on you, and the baby would be a huge burden with your studies."

The man's voice turned fierce. "Stop with this nonsense! How can you suggest such a cruel thing?"

I kept my tone even. "You don't have to look at me like that. 🤷🏾‍♀️ What I suggested is legal and permissible."

He retorted, "So what? Don't you have any compassion for wanting to end an unborn child's life?"

I snapped back, "First of all, the child hasn't even formed yet.  And secondly, your cousin cheated on his pregnant girlfriend.  And now you're blaming me?"

Laurin stood up, her voice firm. "That's enough! Let me tell you something.  If your precious cousin truly cared about me, he would at least have responded to my messages." Turning to me, she said, "Do you know who the father of my child is?"

I shook my head, bewildered. "No, I don't. Please, tell me."

Laurin took a deep breath, her voice trembling with emotion. "The father of my child is Silvestre, the famous football player."

"What? Isn't he playing for Manchester City?" I asked, stunned.

Laurin nodded. "Yes, he is."

I struggled to process the shock. "How did this even happen?"

Laurin continued, her voice thick with pain. "I didn't know at first. He used to come to the restaurant where I worked, and gradually, we grew close. When I found out he was the renowned Silvestre, I hesitated. I thought it would be too complicated. But the connection between us was too strong, and we got involved."

Her eyes filled with tears. "Last summer, we went to Paris to meet his family. Instead of a warm welcome, his mother and parents were outraged. They said I wasn't good enough for him. Even though Silvestre was there, he didn't defend me."

Despite their rejection, I remained loyal. Our relationship was kept secret, and he flew to France just to see me. Eventually, I got pregnant and told him. But instead of a response, I got a text from his mother saying he was involved with an actress. At first, I didn't believe it, but then I saw it in the media they were seen together in a restaurant. I was devastated and decided to abort the baby. I'm really sorry, Inaya."

I looked at her with empathy. "Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault. 🫂 You didn't know he was so heartless and a mama's boy."

Laurin smiled weakly and got into the car.

The man, still standing there, said, "Hey, don't forget, I'm still here, and none of you can say anything bad about my cousin."

I glared at him. "Your cousin is a jerk. If it bothers you, maybe you should talk to him about his pathetic behavior."

He replied sharply, "It would be nice if you kept your mouth shut."

Laurin called out, "Guys, we need to go. Let's stop arguing and get in the car."

He sighed in resignation. "Fine, but she shouldn't come with us. I think it's better if we leave her here."

I shot back, "Come and try to stop me." 🙄

Inside, my frustration and anger roiled. *What a jerk.* 💩