Love in the ER

CHAPTER 23

Oliver watched helplessly as Paris disappeared from view, his heart sinking deeper with each step she took. He ran a hand through his hair, frustration and fear twisting in his gut. How had things spiraled so quickly?

The thought of Denise being pregnant with his child was overwhelming, but it was losing Paris that terrified him the most. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't.

With a sigh, Oliver turned back toward the building. He needed answers, and the only way to get them was to talk to Denise.

When Oliver returned to his office, Denise was still there, sitting quietly, her hands folded in her lap. She looked up when he entered, her eyes filled with uncertainty.

"We need to talk," Oliver said firmly, closing the door behind him. "If what you're saying is true, I'll take responsibility. But I need to know for sure, Denise. I can't just take your word for it."

Denise nodded, though her expression was guarded. "I understand. I wouldn't have come to you if I wasn't sure, Oliver. I haven't been with anyone else. It's yours."

Oliver stared at her, his mind still racing. "Then we'll need proof," he said, his voice tense. "I'll take a paternity test when the time comes. I need to know for sure."

Denise bit her lip, nodding slowly. "Okay. If that's what you need."

Oliver sighed, his shoulders heavy with the weight of it all. "This isn't just about you and me anymore. This is about my relationship with Paris, and I can't let this destroy what we have. If this is my child, I'll do the right thing, but that doesn't change how I feel about Paris."

Denise's expression softened slightly, but she didn't argue. "I get it, Oliver. I didn't mean to ruin things for you. I just thought you should know."

Oliver rubbed his forehead, the exhaustion of the situation sinking in. "Let's just... take things one step at a time. But I need you to understand that Paris is a part of my life now, and that's not going to change."

Denise nodded, her voice soft. "I understand."

As Oliver sat down at his desk, his mind was a chaotic mix of emotions. He knew he had to get clarity, but more than anything, he needed to fix things with Paris. He couldn't lose her—not because of his past, not because of this unexpected complication.

But for now, all he could do was wait—and hope that Paris would give him the chance to make things right.

***********

Later that afternoon, after the chaos of the morning, Oliver found himself in his father's study, a room that always felt suffocatingly formal. The walls were lined with heavy books, and the air carried a sense of seriousness that always made Oliver feel tense. He sat across from his father, Rodrigo Salameda, trying to find the right words to explain the complicated situation he had found himself in.

"Dad, I need to talk to you about something," Oliver began, his hands clasped tightly in front of him. "It's about Denise. She... she came to me today, and she's pregnant."

Rodrigo looked up from his papers, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Denise? The girl from New York?"

Oliver nodded, his chest tight with the weight of the conversation. "Yeah. She says she's about eight weeks along. She's claiming it's mine."

Rodrigo leaned back in his chair, his expression hardening as he processed the news. There was a long silence before he finally spoke, his voice measured but firm. "Well, then it seems you have only one choice."

Oliver frowned, his pulse quickening. "What do you mean?"

Rodrigo sighed, standing up and walking over to the window, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked out over the estate grounds. "Oliver, you're a Salameda. Our name, our reputation—it carries weight. If this girl is pregnant with your child, then the honorable thing to do is to marry her. It's the only way to avoid a scandal."

Marry her?

The words hit Oliver like a blow to the chest. He stood up, his voice rising in disbelief. "Marry her? Dad, I'm with Paris. I love her. I'm not going to marry Denise just because she's pregnant."

Rodrigo turned to face him, his expression cold and unyielding. "This isn't about love, Oliver. This is about protecting the family's reputation. Do you think it would look good for the Salameda name if people found out you fathered a child out of wedlock with some girl from New York?"

Oliver's jaw clenched, anger rising inside him. "Denise isn't 'some girl,' but that doesn't change the fact that I'm not going to marry her. We ended things months ago. I don't even know for sure if the child is mine."

Rodrigo raised an eyebrow. "And if it is?"

Oliver paused, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "If it is, I'll take responsibility. I'll be there for the child. But that doesn't mean I have to marry her. Paris is the one I'm with now. She's the one I want to build a life with."

Rodrigo's expression remained hard, unmoved by Oliver's words. "And what do you think the world will say about you then? About the Salameda name? A child out of wedlock—people will talk, Oliver. They will look down on this family, on everything we've built. The right thing to do is to marry Denise, raise the child together, and keep your personal life private."

Oliver stared at his father in disbelief. This was what he cared about? Not his happiness, not his relationship with Paris, but the family's reputation? The thought made Oliver's stomach turn.

"I'm not going to sacrifice my happiness or Paris's just to avoid gossip," Oliver said, his voice steady but filled with frustration. "I'm not going to marry someone I don't love just because you're afraid of what people might think."

Rodrigo's eyes narrowed, his tone growing colder. "This isn't just about you, Oliver. This is about the family. Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made for the greater good. If you want to be taken seriously as a Salameda, you need to start thinking about the bigger picture."

Oliver shook his head, his heart pounding in his chest. "That's not how I'm going to live my life, Dad. I'm not going to throw away everything I have with Paris because of some outdated idea of reputation."

Rodrigo's lips pressed into a thin line, his disappointment clear. "You're being selfish. You need to think about your responsibilities—to this family and to that child. If the baby is yours, marrying Denise is the only respectable choice."

Oliver's anger flared again, but he forced himself to take a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside him. "I'm not marrying Denise. I'll take responsibility for the child if it's mine, but I'm not giving up on Paris. I won't do it."

Rodrigo's eyes flashed with frustration, but he didn't argue further. Instead, he turned back toward the window, his silence louder than any words he could have spoken.

Oliver stood there for a moment longer, his chest heaving with the weight of the conversation. His father didn't understand—he never had. All Rodrigo cared about was the family's image, their standing in society. But Oliver couldn't live his life like that. He wouldn't.

Without another word, Oliver turned and left the study, his mind racing as he headed toward his car. He needed to talk to Paris. He needed to make things right.