Jessica was sitting in her room thinking about her life in general. She remembered the time she spent with Edwin and how he always cared for her, how they played, and how they promised each other to make their love forever.
Jessica couldn't help it, she missed him. She brought her laptop out of her bag and decided to check her email to see if he bothered messaging her at all. Jessica saw his emails, and she checked them one after the other. She clicked the last email, which Edwin sent last night, Jessica opened it and the content made her smile.
" Is he joking? Did he think I'm a joke?" Jessica looked at the email again and read it aloud to herself, " Jessica, you promise not to leave me, where are you? I missed you so much, I am ready to forgive you, just come back to me."
" Forgive me? What did I do wrong to deserve his forgiveness?" she thought to herself. Jessica noticed her phone ringing and she picked it up to see who the caller was. Immediately she saw her friend's name, Angie, her breathing skipped and she remembered she hadn't told Angie about her present situation. Jessica summoned the courage to pick up the call.
" Angie love," Jessica said with a smile on her face.
" Now you remember I am your love, are you that busy at work? Or your boyfriend is taking all your time." Angie said over the phone.
" Hmmm, I am sorry. I am in Texas, with my parents.
" Jessica responded calmly. " Is everything okay with you? Why are you sounding this way?” Angie said in a worried tone.
" I'm pregnant Angie," Jessica said in a low voice.
" For Edwin?" Angie asked.
" Yes, for him," Jessica responded.
" How was his reaction?" Angie asked in a worried tone.
" He didn't know yet and I am not planning to tell him," Jessica murmured.
"Why!" Angie exclaimed. Jessica explained everything that happened between her and Edwin in the past few days. How she found out she was just a bet. " That son of bitch, why will he do that? I feel like seeing him right now and removing his balls." Angie shouted.
" Angie!!!"
" Jessica! And I am very serious about that." Angie responded.
" Just leave him, doesn't worth the stress," Jessica said in a calm voice.
"I just called to tell you that my company has shortlisted the candidate, but I don't know who the candidate is, do you check your mail?" Angie asked.
" Really, I am not sure I received an email from them, let me try to check again, maybe I might be the lucky one," Jessica responded as she scrolled through her inbox, and suddenly she saw an unread message.
She quickly tapped on it and Jessica shouted immediately.
" Angie, I'm the candidate!"
" Oh my God, that's good news Jessy, I so much believe in you." Angie voiced happily.
" But Angie, I am pregnant, I am not sure I will have a chance, " Jessica murmured, rubbing her stomach.
" Hmmm, that's true but let me meet with the HR department today, then I will feed you back tonight. " Angie responded calmly.
" Alright love, thank you so much," Jessica said with a smile on her face. The two friends ended their call and Jessica stared at the appointment letter and the benefit that came with it.
" Apartment? Car ? $20,000 a month? Health insurance?" " Oh my God, I can't believe this!" Jessica shouted and she prayed silently for the company to allow her to work without minding her current situation.
Jessica left the room and went downstairs to share the news with her parents but her father went against it immediately.
" No princess, I am not letting you go again, we will take care of you and the child, it's my full responsibility," Mr. Graves said authoritatively.
Jessica was a bit shocked because she never witnessed her father being angry at her like that and she knew he was angry at her.
Tears started running from her eyes and she returned to her room immediately. Her dad ran toward her, together with her mum but she refused to open the door to let them in.
" That's too harsh Johnson," Mrs. Graves shouted and she left her husband to return to the living room.
Mr. Graves was speechless and he wished they understood the point he was trying to pass across. He knew Jessica was in the situation because he allowed her to carry the family responsibilities at a tender age, and he didn't wish for that to happen again.
After thirty minutes, Mr. Graves went back to Jessica's room and knocked again, Jessica opened the door and her father entered.
Her father saw her red eyes and he knew she had been crying.
" Princess, I don't mean to hurt you, I just want you to be safe," He said, sitting down beside her.
" Dad, I am sorry, I know you are disappointed in me, please forgive me, " Jessica said sobbing.
" No, I am not disappointed in you princess, I love you and I care for you. I am sorry I let you feel that way," Mr. Graves said.
" That's the kind of job I love most daddy, you know I always tell you that since I was a child, I don't even know if they will allow me with my current situation," Jessica explained.
" Okay, let's wait for the reply but I don't want you to be alone again on your own, " Mr. Graves said.
" I am not dad, Angie works there too, you remember Angela right?" Jessica said, maintaining eye contact with her dad.
" Angela? Of course, I do. Your friend at University." Mr. Graves said happily.
" Yes, dad."
" Then that is good, let us hope for the best from the company," Mr. Graves said.
Jessica hugged her father and said," thank you, dad, thank you."
" You don't need to thank me, princess." "Umh …umh," Mrs. Graves cleared her throat, looking at the emotional father and daughter.
She walked toward them and joined them and she hugged the two. The three were disturbed by Jessica's phone ringing. Jessica picked it up immediately.
" Jessy, the company is ready to work with you, even with better conditions, they said you can work from home here and come to the office once a week baby," Angie shouted over the phone.
Jessica removed the phone from her ear and put it in a loudspeaker so her parents could also hear the news.
" The company wants to know when you would like to resume," Angie said happily.
" Next week, I will resume next week," Jessica said, looking at her parents' faces and they nodded in affirmation.
" Babe, I can't wait to finally see you after two years!!!" Angie exclaimed.
" Me too Angie, thank you so much," Jessica said happily.
" Why are you thanking me, Jessy? If not for your family, I won't be able to attend University, all thanks to you who told Mr. Graves about me. Am forever indebted to your family Jessica." Angie responded.
" Don't talk like that Angie, you are the best friend I ever had," Jessica said over the phone.
Jessica noticed someone calling Angie's name and she noticed she must be busy at work.
" Angie, we will talk at night after work, go continue your work."
" Okay girlfriend, talk to you later," Angie said and she hung up the call. Jessica looked into her parent's eyes and hugged them again with tears flowing freely in her eyes.
" Thank you, dad, thank you, mum. I love you too."
" But you love your daddy most." Mrs. Graves said with a sly smile.