All By Herself (A BWWM Pregnancy Romance Book 1) Read online

  “What do you want me to do?” asked Michael defensively.

  “I want you to take responsibility for your child,” Zoe said firmly. “Grow a pair and be a father. It doesn’t matter if the child is black, you need to take care of it.”

  “Color doesn’t matter to me,” said Michael. “And I do care about the child. I want what’s best for it.”

  “Really?” Zoe couldn’t help asking. “Aren’t you afraid that a child will cramp your playboy lifestyle?”

  “It’s a lifestyle that has gotten old,” replied Michael.

  “Tired of the womanizing?” teased Zoe.

  “I am not a womanizer. Well, perhaps I am. Though sometimes I do wonder if I am missing out on something.”

  “Only you can answer that, Michael. But I do hope you’ll do what’s right and be a father to this baby.”

  There was a silence, then Michael said, “Yes, yes, I will.”

  “Is that a promise?”

  “Yes.”

  Zoe felt an immense sense of relief. “Thank you. It’s good to have you on board.”

  “It’s good to be on board,” replied Michael. “Look, I have to sort some things out, I’ll get back to you, okay?”

  “Okay,” said Zoe and cut the line. She settled back, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. It felt good to know that Michael would be taking on his responsibilities. He would make a good father, she thought. He was charming and had kind eyes. He would be a great guy if not for his father. Zoe suppressed a shudder at the thought of him.

  She had attacked Michael for not standing up to him but when she remembered Edward’s ice-cold eyes, she involuntarily flinched herself. She didn’t have to be told that he was a ruthless man who would brook no opposition. She sensed that he would still pose a significant threat. Nevertheless, she hoped that Michael and she would be able to work things out.

  Chapter7

  The call came first thing in the morning. “Mr. de Winter would like to meet with you this afternoon.” The PA’s voice was cold and formal. She might as well have been a robot.

  Zoe was tempted to say she was busy. She disliked the haughty manner she was being summoned to the company. Couldn’t Michael call and set up the meeting himself? But she decided to tread gently. She very much wanted to have Michael involved in the upbringing of the baby and didn’t want to have to drag him through court for child support. If she had to take a few knocks on the chin, she was prepared to do that for the sake of the baby.

  She turned up at his offices which occupied an entire floor. A PA—not the one who had been there earlier, she noted—showed her to a seat. “Mr. de Winter will be with you shortly,” she announced before walking away. Zoe got the impression that there was a conveyor belt of these robots serving the de Winter Corporation.

  Shortly afterwards, the girl turned up to escort her to the main office. Zoe entered and was shocked to see Edward de Winter sitting behind the desk. She felt her stomach turning but steeled herself. She was not going to let him get to her this time. He regarded her with barely disguised hostility as she sat in one of the chairs. She noted that there was no one else there and wondered what was going on.

  “Where is Michael?” she asked.

  Edward ignored her question. Leaning forward, he said, “Let’s cut the bullshit, Miss Williams. How much?”

  Zoe raised an eyebrow. “I beg your pardon?”

  “We both know what you want.” Edward smiled sardonically. “What your game was when you first spread your legs to my son and got that pathetic fool to think with the wrong part of his body. Hell, you probably drugged him first. Not that I am condemning you. It was a good scam and you succeeded in doing what you wanted. So, tell me. How much for you and your dusky, black eyed child to get lost and leave us alone?”

  Zoe had thought she heard it all, but even she was shocked by what Edward was saying. She stared at him in open-mouthed shock.

  “Forgive me if I seem indelicate,” said Edward, clearly enjoying her discomfiture. “You play the unwed mother well. Though to be fair, that’s what your kind usually is, isn’t it?”

  Zoe gave him her most venomous stare. “I understand that you are a sad, pathetic racist man who hates the fact that his son impregnated a black woman. But guess what? This isn’t the 1960s anymore and mixed couples aren’t a big deal. I suggest you deal with it.”

  “The times do not change scientific facts.” Edward folded his hands and give her his most patronizing smile. “The highest prison population? Negroes. The most number of teen pregnancies? Negroes. The most felons? Negroes. The most welfare recipients? Negroes. Do you see the pattern?”

  “I have news for you,” snapped Zoe. “There are plenty of decent blacks around.”

  “I have no doubt that there are.” His smile widened. “I haven’t met any, but there must be some good ones. But you must realize that the de Winters are a very old and influential family. My son has obligations—to carry on the family traditions, to take this great company forward. Even you must see that he cannot have a black offspring.”

  “How dare you?” spat Zoe. “As if being black is a disease or something.”

  Edward raised an eyebrow. “My dear, don’t take this personally. My son is destined for great things. I know he may not look it, but I will see to it that he rises to the top, become a senator, maybe even the president. Would that be possible if it was discovered that he had not only seen fit to couple with a negro woman, but fathered a mixed race child? The very idea is an appalling one.”

  “The only thing that is appalling is you and your revolting views.” Zoe had never hated anyone as much as she hated this man. “Where is Michael? He agreed that he would help raise this baby.”

  “If everything were up to my fool of a son, this family would be ruined.” Edward laughed unpleasantly. “Fortunately, it isn’t. I am going to do what I can to ensure that you don’t stain the de Winter gene pool.”

  “What is the problem you have with black people?” Zoe demanded.

  “This nation was foundered by white men. The greatest products were invented by white men. You can be as politically correct as you like, but that is the reality.” Edward gestured. “You can see why I wouldn’t want the illustrious legacy of my family to be polluted by an unscrupulous, sexually promiscuous black woman with no decency or shame.”

  Zoe rose from her chair. “Fuck you,” she hissed. “I’ll see you and your excuse of a son in court.”

  Edward raised his hand. “One moment. As I said before, you have played your hand well. I am willing to give you one million dollars.”

  Zoe raised an eyebrow. “To do what?”

  “To have an abortion, of course.” Edward looked as if he was stating the obvious. “Let us end this problem once and for all.”

  Zoe leaned forward. “Go to hell. I am going to have this baby and I am going to sue your precious son for child support. And I am going to let the world know that my baby was fathered by a great de Winter.”

  Edward’s face reddened with anger. “Your type don’t know when to let up, do you? I’m warning you, screwing me will be a lot harder than screwing my son. I have the means to destroy you and I will not hesitate to crush you utterly if you cross me.”

  “Michael said that’s what you’d do.” Zoe looked at him with contempt. “But unlike your son, I don’t scare easily. I know you’re a powerful man. But guess what? I’m a strong woman and I can deal with anything you are going to throw at me. So you can take your threats and get lost.”

  “Did that little speech make you feel strong?” Edward smiled nastily. “You’re not the first mess that my son has made that I’ve had to clean up and I am sure you’ll not be the last. But I don’t want to make this unpleasant. Take the money. I’ll give you two million dollars. That’s a very generous offer. Just terminate the pregnancy and forget that you ever met my son.”

  “Go to hell,” said Zoe, with icy anger.

  Edward stared at her veno
mously. “Very well. I have given you fair warning. Be prepared to face the consequences.”

  “I am. Are you?” Zoe gave him a last cold look as walked out the door. She was determined to show him that she was not intimidated. Nevertheless, her hands were shaking as she pressed the button on the elevator.

  She was still unnerved when she stepped out of the building. Where the hell was Michael? Was he really such a gutless coward that he would renege on his promise? She took out her phone and dialed his number. No answer. She tried a couple more times without success. Just like him, she thought contemptuously. She should have known better. This was going to be an ugly and bitter battle.

  She pulled Amanda aside at the office. “Can I talk to you for a sec?”

  “I have meeting in five minutes, but I’m free after that. Maybe we can meet around three?”

  “Sure, thanks.” Zoe was grateful for the support. Amanda was ever willing to help. At three, they went to an empty office and Zoe told her what happened.

  “It sounds about right,” Amanda said. “Michael is a weak playboy and his father is one ruthless son of a bitch. It looks as if they’re getting ready to play dirty.”

  “What can I do?”

  “Sue him for child support right away,” advised Amanda. “They are going to try and fight you, impugn your character. Make sure you get the judge to order a paternity test. Once you do that, you can get him for child support.”

  “Yeah.” Zoe nodded. “That’s what I was thinking.”

  “It’s not going to be easy. Their money can get them the best lawyers in the business.”

  Zoe thought about it. There was no doubt that this was going to be a daunting challenge. “Is there any way they can block me from getting Michael to do a paternity test?”

  “Sure.” Amanda looked worried. “If they can convince the judge that your suit has no merit, they could very well throw out your suit.”

  “Wow.” Zoe frowned. This was going to be a lot less straightforward than she thought. “What do you think they’re going to say about me?”

  “Well, they’re going to make you out to be a slut, basically. They’ll try to show that your suit has no merit and the judge has no valid reason to order a paternity test. Because once the court orders one, they are screwed basically.”

  Zoe took a deep breath. “This is not going to be easy.”

  Amanda shook her head. “No. It’s going to be a bumpy ride. Do you want me to handle your case?”

  “No, you’ve done enough.” Zoe reached out and squeezed her hand. “But I’ll let you know if I need anything.”

  “You’d better,” quipped Amanda.

  “And thanks for covering for me today.”

  Amanda smiled. “No problem. I hope you get this bastard.”

  Zoe had thought that her problems were receding, but just when she was starting to relax they had increased exponentially. She steeled herself. After all, her mother had brought her up on much less. She was going to win this case and teach that racist bastard a thing or two.

  Her reverie was interrupted by her phone buzzing. She checked it. It was Amber. “Hey,” she said answering it.

  “Hey,” replied Amber. “How are you doing?”

  Zoe told her what had transpired.

  “The fucking asshole,” cried Amber furiously. “If I meet him, I’ll give him a real reason to hate black people.”

  “As soon as I think things are getting better, there’s always a twist that make things worse,” said Zoe resignedly.

  “Don’t lose hope, Zoe,” Amber told her. “You’re a great lawyer yourself. I’m sure you’ll be able to beat them.”

  Zoe sighed. “I don’t know.”

  “Listen, sweetheart, if I know anything about you—and being your best friend I think I do—you are a fighter. Some pussy and his deadbeat racist father ain’t gonna get the better of you.”

  Zoe smiled. “Well, when you put it that way…”

  “Listen, you’ve spent too much time moping about this. Why don’t we have a girl’s night on the town?”

  “You know, this whole mess started when you first made that suggestion to me,” pointed out Zoe.

  “Well, lightning never strikes twice. Let’s meet up at eight,” said Amber.

  It would be good to get out, thought Zoe. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll come to your place.”

  Chapter8

  Zoe felt better as she looked at herself in the mirror. She had spent so much time worrying about this case that she had forgotten what it was like to feel like a proper woman. She looked great in a slinky dress that showed of her hourglass figure.

  “Girl, you look great,” Amber exclaimed as she opened the door and checked Zoe out.

  Zoe laughed.

  “Time to go on the prowl and find ourselves a real man,” said Amber enthusiastically. “There is this new club where all the Wall Street execs hang out. Let’s check it out.”

  Zoe wasn’t feeling like going on the prowl, but agreed to go with her. The place they went to was a posh night club on the west side. The line was filled with successful-looking men and gorgeous women. Zoe thought they wouldn’t be able to get in, but surprisingly the surly bouncer lifted the rope and permitted them to pass.

  The atmosphere inside was claustrophobic and deafening. “Wow, look at all the good-looking men,” cried Amber enthusiastically.

  Zoe looked around. The men were handsome. While there were a few black men and Asians, most of them were white. She couldn’t help wondering if they shared Edward’s racist views. She shook herself. This was the twenty-first century, she told herself. Men—most men, anyway—didn’t share those views. Amber got her a virgin margarita and she sipped it and swayed her hips to rhythm of the music. Fuck all these problems, she thought. She was just going to enjoy this night.

  She was disturbed from her reverie by Amber digging her in the ribs. “Those guys are looking at you,” she hissed conspiratorially.

  Zoe looked out of the corner of her eye. Two well-dressed men were eyeing her from across the dance floor. One whispered to the other and nodded toward her. She felt flattered. It was a long time since she had felt attractive. But she was careful to continue dancing, pretending that she hadn’t noticed the attention.

  Amber winked at her and she felt a tap on her shoulder. “I don’t want to be forward, but I just had to come over and say hello,” said a deep voice.

  Zoe turned. The man who was speaking to her was handsome and appeared charming. “Is that right?” she responded. “And what is your name?”

  “Jack.” He offered his hand.

  “Zoe,” she said, shaking his hand.

  They started chatting and Zoe was shocked to discover that she was actually flirting with the guy. Why not? she thought. It wasn’t as if Michael was hanging around waiting for her. She enjoyed the feeling of being sexy and desired. After Edward’s attacks, it was good to feel valued.

  It turned out Jack was in stockbroking. Are all these guys in finance? “Can I get you a drink?” he asked, noting that she had finished hers.

  He got her another virgin margarita. As she sipped it, she was overcome by a warm feeling. She suddenly found herself in his arms. They were kissing and she felt his tongue slipping into her mouth. Suddenly, she thought of Michael. It was true that she hated his cowardice in not standing up to his father. But conceiving his child had made them form a bond. She felt that she was carrying part of him within her, too.

  She decided that she didn’t want anything more to do with this guy. “No,” she said, pushing Jack away.

  Jack smiled. “Come on, baby, give me a little sugar,” he said. He grabbed her ass and pressed himself against her. She felt his tongue probing her mouth.

  She tried to resist, but suddenly she felt woozy and disorientated. Jack was fondling her breasts with one hand while feeling her buttocks with the other. Zoe felt the floor spinning. She was powerless to do anything except let Jack do what he wanted.

  “Come o
n, baby,” he whispered in her ear. “Let’s take this outside.”

  He started dragging her toward the entrance. Not quite knowing what was happening, Zoe found herself following without protest. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

  “Are you all right?”

  She turned and was stunned to see Michael standing in front of her. She opened her mouth to speak but words didn’t come out.

  “Listen, buddy, why don’t you stay out of it?” said Jack, putting a hand on his shoulder.

  “Fuck off,” said Michael, shoving him aside and taking Zoe’s arm.

  “Oh, my God, what’s going on?” It was Amber who had come scurrying from a corner. “Are you okay?”

  Zoe mumbled something.

  “Jesus, she’s been drugged,” said Amber. She turned to Jack furiously. “This fucker drugged her!”

  Jack looked around. People were starting to turn and look at him. Suddenly he turned tail and ran out of the nightclub.

  “Catch the bastard!” cried Amber, but by then he had fled from the club.

  “Are you all right?” asked Michael, holding Zoe in his arms.

  Zoe nodded. She was slowly getting back her senses. She realized that her drink had been spiked but she had fortunately taken only a little of it.

  “Here, have a seat.” Michael led her to a corner and get her to sit down. She accepted gratefully. Amber brought her a glass of water and she drank it.

  “Are you feeling better?” she asked.

  “Yes,” said Zoe.

  “That shit!” Amber fumed. “He got away.”

  “It was my fault,” said Michael with regret. “I should have caught him.”

  “If you hadn’t been there, things might have turned out a lot worse,” said Zoe gratefully.

  Michael smiled.

  “Now, can you get me a cab, I think it’s time to call it a night,” Zoe said.

  “I’ll drop you off,” said Michael.

  “I don’t want to bother you,” said Zoe.

  He shook his head. “It’s no bother.”

  Zoe insisted she was fine and that Amber should stay back and enjoy the night. Finally, after much persuasion, Amber relented and Michael and Zoe went to his car. Soon they were back at her place.