THE UNKNOWN FUTURE

CHAPTER 32

I was startled by someone screaming and a commotion outside the office. I ran outside and joined my colleagues who were all headed to the direction of the noise. It had come from the kitchen. Vickie was in the kitchen looking confused and Celine, one of the kitchen staff looked like she had seen a ghost. I looked at the kitchen counter and gasped at the bottle that lay there. It was a type of poison. I looked at Vickie disbelievingly. She had tried to poison us.
“What is happening here Celine?” Kate asked. We were not that tight but we got along well. She knew her job as the HR.
“It’s Vickie madam. I came in and saw her pouring some of that liquid in the tea. It’s poison madam.” She said pointing at the bottle on the counter. There were few gasps in the room and everybody started to talk in low tones.
“What were you doing in the kitchen Victoria? You are not supposed to be in the kitchen. Your work is outside there.” I said approaching her angrily.
“watch out Jackie!” someone in the crowd screamed but before I knew it Vickie gripped me and had a kitchen knife on my neck.
“You thought you are wise bitch! What do you have that I don’t?” She asked angrily.
“What do you mean by that Vickie? I left him for you. What else do you want?” I was trembling. All I thought of was how I would be murdered. What would happen to Braden. I felt tears flow down my face and I let them flow unrestrained.
“ You know what I mean. The CEO won’t look at me because of you. All he does is humiliate me. I have tried everything to make him fall for me but he thinks badly of me. I can’t have him because of you slut!” Everyone gasped and she tightened her grip on my neck.
“Just let her go Vickie!” Everyone said at once but she did not relent.” She tightened her grip more and I groaned in pain. Kate tried coming towards us but stopped on her tracks when Vickie shouted.
“Come any closer and I will hurt her. I'm not blabbing.”
“Why are you doing this Vickie? I left Mike for you.” I was chocking.
“I want Roy not Mike. What do you have that I don’t? He doesn’t notice me because of you? The guy is so into you. Maybe I should just kill you and he can accept me.”
I felt some pain on my neck and saw blood trickle down to my dress. She had cut me shallowly. There was screaming in the room. There was no way I would get out of that alive. I was ready to die. Where was Roy? Where was Julie? I needed them more than ever. I saw the crowd give way to someone and relaxed a bit. It was Roy, Julie and Donald. Donald was one of the managers.
“Let her go you bitch!” Julie screamed trying to come towards us but Donald pulled her back. Roy looked at Vickie. It was a look of hatred. A look of disgust. He glared at her and I felt her shiver behind me.
“What do you want Victoria?” He asked still glaring at her.
“It’s you I want sir. You always humiliate me because of her. You have even called me Victoria for the first time! Is it because her life is in danger?” She was giggling. Roy came towards us and she tightened her grip more. I was in so much pain.
“You are crazy! Let her go and you can deal with me. I'm the one you want, right? Just let her go.” He looked calm but I could sense anger in his voice. I knew him that well.
“You are saving her because you love her.”
“Of course I love her. What did you expect? That I would love you? Yours is an obsession. You are totally insane.”
“Yes I'm insane! You rejected me and left me with no other option!” She was screaming.
“I thought I was clear when I said I should never see you in the kitchen! Do you follow rules?” She was still trembling.
“Don’t come any closer or I will run this knife on her neck!”
I felt dizzy and saw the whole world collapsing on me. I woke up to the beeping of machines. I tried opening my eyes but they were so heavy. I tried opening them again and succeeded halfway. I felt someone squeeze my  hand softly. I managed to open my eyes and I looked at the person squeezing my hand and  saw Roy smiling at me. He had a worried look on his. I looked around and everything was white.
“Baby!” Roy called softly.
“Where am I Roy?” I asked and felt some pain on my neck.
“You are in the hospital. You collapsed and I had to bring you here.” He said kissing my knuckles. I touched my neck and felt the bandage on it. The events of the day started flowing in my mind. Vickie had tried to kill me. I shivered and Roy sat on the bed and wrapped me in his arms.
“Where is Vickie? Is everyone okay? What happened?” I felt tears trickle down my face and I did nothing to restrain them.
“Relax baby. I don’t want you to work yourself up. We will talk about this later. “He was running his knuckles on my face.
“Please tell me baby. I'm now okay.”
“We don’t know about that yet. We are waiting for the doctor's report.”
“Please!” I was pleading with him and he didn’t want to say anything.
“Okay then! You are so stubborn even on the hospital bed. Everyone is okay and they wish you a quick recovery. Everyone is so worried about you! Vickie was arrested. She is in the police custody.”
“Everyone worried about me? It’s nothing that serious.”
“Mum, Ann, Julie, Jane and Terry are worried sick about you. They can’t stop calling. I had to put my phone on silent mode because of their call. Dad and Dave are worried too. Oooh! Your mum and dad too.”
“Mum and dad!”
“Yes, I had to call them. Let me call and tell them that you have woken up.”
Just then, the door was opened and the doctor came in. She smiled at me.
“ I can see you are now awake Mrs. Roy.” Mrs. Roy! That was new. She  beamed at me.
“What is wrong with her doctor? Is she going to be okay?”
“Yes Mr. Roy. She is totally okay.”
“What about the collapsing? What caused it? Is it the shock?”
“ Not at all. It’s something contrary to that. I have some good news. You are going to be parents!”
“Parents?” we asked in unison.
“ Yes. She is one month pregnant. Congratulations to you both.” She had a bright smile on her face.
Roy swooped me up and swung me around. He was grinning and he kissed me deeply on the lips.
“Careful Mr. Roy. She is still delicate. She should take some rest and avoid too much work.” Roy put me back on the bed and smiled at the doctor.
“Sorry about that doctor. I was so overwhelmed with happiness.”
“it’s okay. I will leave you two alone but don’t take too much time with her. She still needs some rest.” She left and I stared at nothing in particular blankly. I was one month pregnant! I had been so occupied with work and I hadn’t noticed I had missed my periods. How stupid could one get? Roy kissed me lightly and beamed at me.
“You have made me the happiest man baby. I'm going to be a father!”
“How baby? How did it even happen?”
“we had sex baby. That’s what happens when you have sex without protection. Aren’t you happy baby?”
“ Not that baby. I'm just wondering how I didn’t notice that I had missed my periods.”
“You became snappy all of a sudden and I wanted to tell you to take a test but I wanted to wait a bit longer.”
“The safe days thing failed on us.” I said grinning.
“Yes and we are going to be parents.” He was giggling.
“I have to tell my family and your family. This is the best news ever!” he added.
“Let’s wait before we tell them baby. We organize dinner soon and we can tell them.”
“Yes! That’s a good idea. And no working again. You have to take a lot of rest. I don’t want to endanger your life and our angel’s life.” He said kissing my belly.
“I have to work baby! Please!”
“We can talk about that later. Let’s talk about our little princess first!”
“princess? What if it’s a boy?”
“I'm sure it’s a girl. Braden needs a sister. We are going to name her Ashley, or even Chelsea. Give me the names baby.” He was so excited.
“ we are going to name him Regal or even Kaylan you silly.”
“It’s a girl. We can bet on that.” He placed his head on my belly. “She just kicked.” He added excitedly.
“We are only one month along baby.” I said chuckling.
We laughed and he  pulled me to him and we kissed passionately.