SUBMITTING TO THE BILLIONAIRE MAFIA LORD

THREE

I can’t imagine I even forgot to take the morning pill. How stupid could I be? It was just a one-night stand, for heaven’s sake, but I ignored all the precautions I should have taken first thing the following morning.

I am now officially screwed, isn't that obvious? As I walk out of the bathroom, I feel ashamed of myself; my head is hanging low on my weak shoulders, which can’t even support my neck. I thought I had my life figured out after I got that cash from that handsome devil, but the money was just the beginning of my problems.

I walk to my room and slump myself on the bed. I can’t think straight, and my mind is in a frenzy, but I am not going to let that stop me from living my life.

I sigh tiredly and get up from my bed. I walk to my mirror and check my reflection; it looks tired and needs some attention.

"Urgh! "How could I be this stupid?" I curse as I throw things around.

"What is wrong with you?" Mylee asks, and I stop in my tracks.

"This is my room; I should be asking you the same thing. "What do you want from me?" I ask, and she shrugs. She has always been a hater more than her sister, who would act nice to me at one time and then turn against me the following minute. I was used to their weird behaviors because, after all, an apple doesn’t fall far away from the tree, and their mom was the queen of all evils.

"How dumb are you?" I mean, you barely have anything—no college degree, no education status—and you are already opening your legs for every Tom, d**k, and Harry?" She shoots back, and I just smile.

"It is okay, Mylee; you don’t have to project your fears on me. The only reason you can afford college is because of my father, who not only abandoned his only child to take care of two little brats but also assumed his role as a father. "I don’t blame him though; I mean, look at how evil your mom is. I am sure she has got him hooked on something. I say deliberately, and she feigns hurt by touching her chest, and her mouth hangs open. "Did your mom send you here to mock me?"

"No, I came up here to tell you to get your ass in the kitchen and stop sulking in your room like a baby. You opened your legs yourself and got pregnant; I doubt you were raped, or were you?" She dares ask the question, and I close my eyes, trying to hold back the rage within me.

"I would have slapped some sense into your thick skull, but I am afraid it is way too thick for my wisdom to reach your brain nerves. Tell your mom I will be downstairs in a minute; now get the hell out of my room before I dismantle your face, Mylee." I insist, and she slowly walks out of my room.

After arranging everything in my room, I cross-check to make sure everything is in order before I walk downstairs to help my stepmom prepare dinner that she ought to have made herself.

"You know I will have to tell your father when he comes home, right?" Amber’s voice startles me, and I almost drop dishes in my hands.

"You sure do know how to make an entrance, don’t you, Amber?"

"You know I always do, Riley." She insists on my name, and I let out a mock chuckle. She knows how to get on my nerves. "Do you think we should talk to your father about this?" she asks with a smile, and I know she is enjoying every minute of my sorrows and problems.

"No, I will tell him when he comes home. Don’t bother even calling him, because I already did. I know you want me to leave this house so badly, and you just got a reason to send me away." I add, and she shrugs.

"Okay, you got me. You know Marie was a good friend of mine. It was so unfortunate that she left so early before she could see the woman you have become." She goes on, and the mention of my mom’s name in her mouth makes me boil in anger. I just want to squeeze the remaining filthy life out of her.

"Don’t you dare mention my mom’s name? You made sure she was completely forgotten; you took her place and made me a slave in her own house. I am sure she is not resting in peace; her soul must be lurching around waiting to smack you hard across your face. "Now will you please leave me alone? "I don’t like company when I am working." I urge, and she chuckles softly.

I can feel the sarcasm and happiness in her voice; she is happy while my mom lies six feet deep under her. She is enjoying my mom’s sweat while I starve in my father’s house. How can he be so blind?

I don’t know if it’s my hatred towards her or a gut feeling that she had something to do with my mom’s death. I don’t even have evidence yet, but something tells me she joined forces with my father to finish off my mom, but why?

What could they benefit from my mom’s death? Was a million-dollar question running through my mind ever since my mom died about ten years ago?

After making dinner, I serve and lay the table while the queens of the house are busy watching TV in the living room.

As soon as I lay the table, the doorbell rings, and Amber is quick to answer the door. "Welcome home, honey. Mylee and Stacy are back, and I am glad you could make it in time for dinner." She says this and proceeds to kiss him in front of all of us.

"Ew, mom! You two can get a room upstairs."

"It is just a kiss; how was school, kids?"

"Great, I was thinking of taking another course combined so I could graduate with two degrees," Mylee replies, and my father shamefully smiles. He eyes me, then quickly looks away.

Guilt must be eating his wicked heart. Bored with their conversation, I leave the living room, but my father is quick to stop me.

"Riley, stop right there." He orders, and I roll my eyes as I stop in my tracks. I wish I could just grab his neck and squeeze it until he can’t breathe any more; the thought of him being my father disgusts me, but I still respect him because I am under his roof.

"Yes?" I respond rudely.

"We need to talk about that bastard you are carrying in that stomach." He spits shamelessly, and I swear to God, I held my anger from within.

"Dad, with all due respect, This is not a bastard I am carrying, and if any of you think that I will get rid of it, then you got it all wrong. "The only bastards in this house are your pathetic wife and your little bastards in the name of daughters. I say, and I feel relieved.

I mean, I have been meaning to tell him that for a long time, and after I said it, I felt relief from within.

"What did you just say to me?" "Apologize to your mom and your sisters right now!"

"No, Dad, you cannot order me around anymore. I am not fourteen; I am twenty-four for crying out loud, and they are not my sisters, nor is she my mom. My mom is dead! You killed my mom!" I screamed at him before walking upstairs without throwing a glance at him.

"Riley Anderson! Come back here! You can’t just walk out on me like that; I am your father."

"Then start acting like it!" "If you don’t want me in this house, just say it; I will gladly move out and leave you guys at peace," I shout back.

"Let her be, honey; leave her alone." Perhaps it is the pregnancy hormones kicking in." Amber chirps, trying to console my angry father, and I sneer at her pathetic act.

I angrily stomp in my room, locking the door from the inside, before I slump myself on the bed. I take my phone to check my balance, and everything is intact. The money is enough to take care of me and my unborn child as I hustle for a job.

Maybe this is a sign for me to finally move out of my father’s house and stop complaining about their mistreatment.

Maybe it is time for me to move on and live my life.

My father would have changed within those ten years if he was really into changing.

Maybe I should just pack and leave first thing tomorrow morning.

There are a million questions on my mind, and I can’t get answers to all of them, so I decide to let go and just sleep in as I figure out what to do next.

***

I don’t know how I slept, but I woke up the following morning tired and with a slight headache.

I stretch myself a little bit and walk to the bathroom to freshen up.

"See who finally decided to join us for breakfast," Amber states, and I ignore her while I walk the rest of the stairs in silence, only to see my father’s ethereal figure sitting around the table.

Isn’t he supposed to be at work?

"Riley, we need to talk. Right now!" He orders, and I change my direction. I mean, I don’t have any choice at the moment.

"Yes?" I call out, and he stops typing on his computer.

"So, I don’t like the way you spoke to me yesterday, but I will assume you said nothing," I called you here because Amber and I had so much to talk about yesterday, and we decided that you would stay here until you were due to give birth. "No going out, no parties, no friends, and by friends, I mean that filthy friend of yours; what was her name again?"

"Brandy Mandy. She works as a mixologist and a bartender at one of the clubs in town. That slut is her friend." Amber jumps in to help.

"Don’t insult my friend; what is this all about, Dad?"

"It means you are grounded forever, Riley Anderson." You messed up big time, and that is the punishment you get for not listening to your elders. I think I am done here. Honey, can you please pass me my car keys? I am late for my meeting." He says to Amber and acts like I don’t even exist.