Chapter 50

Fifty

SARA

Eight weeks later…

Needless to say, I didn’t return to the dance company. The show had to be cancelled and apparently, Rebecca had a breakdown. Still, they managed to recoup from the disaster, and from what Martha told me, Rebecca hired a new assistant. It seemed the new person probably wasn’t going to last long. I was the only idiot willing to put up with Rebecca’s shit as long as I did.

Surprisingly, Alexei did not press charges, but I had a feeling he simply didn’t want the truth getting out about his sleazy behavior at the company. I also decided not to report him. I knew what would happen if I tried. He’d serve minimal time in jail for assault, if that. If I wanted to take him down for good, I would need the support of all the other women at the company. Problem was, I was forbidden from stepping foot back there.

Tom felt zero remorse for bashing Alexei’s face in, though he hated the fact I was still trying to find work. Alexei had kept his promise, and no one seemed interested in hiring me, despite my background. I was living off my savings, which were quickly dwindling. Tom offered for me to move in with him and told me I didn’t need to worry about money, but how I could possibly accept that?

I hated feeling like a mooch. That didn’t stop him from randomly showing up at my apartment with bags of groceries, or from sending me periodic gift boxes filled with designer clothes, which I knew Jen had helped pick out. Zelle transactions also mysteriously appeared in my bank account weekly. The man was relentless in his need to help me. Probably because he felt responsible for me losing my job.

Then he strong-armed me into accepting his Black American Express card. I tried handing it back, but arguing with him when he wanted something was a losing battle. He told me that if it made me feel better, I could pay him back once I got a job.

As if he’d take my money. I seldom used the credit card if ever, though I did take him out to eat at his favorite restaurant one night and paid with the credit card, which he found amusing. About the only good thing that came out of the whole fiasco was the fact that I got to spend a lot more time getting to know him. Even though I hadn’t officially moved in with him, I split half my time between his apartment and mine.

Oh, and there was also the fact that Tom let me use his apartment as a makeshift dance studio. His living room was so large, I could literally fly across the room leaping and twirling.

During one morning after he’d left for work, I had been dancing when nausea hit out of nowhere. I had to run to the bathroom and heaved into the toilet until I puked my entire breakfast.

That day, I figured I’d simply pushed myself too hard. Or maybe something I’d eaten hadn’t settled well with my stomach. But when the feeling returned a day later and a day after that, I knew something wasn’t right. I’d been on the pill so I didn’t think I could be pregnant, but when my period was late three days, then five, then seven, I began to worry.

Then, day fourteen came. My period didn’t. I stood in my shower until the hot water ran cold, trying to figure out how this could’ve happened. I tried not to panic, but there was no other explanation. I sure as hell wasn’t ready for this. And probably, neither was Tom.

All I knew once I finally exited my bathroom was that my whole entire world was about to change.