Page 62 of Doctor Billionaire's Surprise Baby
"Simone isn't trapping me!" I shouted, the anger bubbling up inside me. I surprised even myself. "Mio Dio! This is my child too, and I'm going to be there for them, no matter what you or anyone else thinks!"
"Your naïveté will be your downfall," Mamma sneered, her eyes cold and calculating. "Mark my words, Hugo: that girl will bleed you dry and leave you with nothing but a broken heart and an empty bank account."
"You have no clue. Even if she did, I have a lot to bleed. More than you or dad will ever know about. But Simone is not likethat. She loves me for who I am, not what I have," I defended her fiercely, my hands balled into tight fists at my sides.
"Really, Hugo? And how can you be so sure of that?" She raised an eyebrow, challenging me to provide proof.
"Because she's been there for me when no one else was!" I exclaimed, my voice cracking with emotion. "She just wants us to be happy together. She wants to be withme."
"Your father and I also wanted happiness, and look where it got us," she said bitterly, her gaze dropping to the floor for a moment as if remembering their strained relationship.
"Maybe that's because you two never trusted each other or communicated properly," I snapped back, my anger flaring up again.
"Watch your tone, young man," her eyes narrowing dangerously.
"Mom, I'm fucking terrified of becoming a father," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want my child to grow up feeling the same way about me as I do about Dad."
"Then perhaps you should learn from our mistakes and make a better life for yourself and your family," she sighed, seemingly softening her stance for a moment.
"Trust me, I will," I promised, my determination unwavering. "But I need you to understand that Simone isn't out to get me. She's a good person, and I love her deeply."
"Fine," she relented, her voice cold and distant. "But if she ever hurts you, don't expect me to come running to pick up the pieces."
The impact of our conversation settled on us like a weight, the air between my mother and me thick with unspoken tension. Her eyes, which had once seemed so cold and distant, now held a flicker of vulnerability I hadn't seen in years. It was as if we had crossed some invisible boundary that neither of us knew existed.
As my mother turned and walked away, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness at her inability to see the goodness in Simone, as well as the fear I felt regarding my impending fatherhood. But despite the misunderstandings and conflicts, it took my drunken stupor to realize I had to stand by Simone and our unborn child, no matter what challenges lay ahead.
She turned and took a step toward me. "I'm sorry, Hugo," she whispered, her gaze fixed firmly on the ground as she took a deep breath. "I just don't want you to get hurt. I just want you to be happy."
"I know," I said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm going to be alright. I've got Simone and the baby now and I really have to try and do better. Better than I know how to do."
She nodded, her expression softening slightly as she smiled at me, her eyes glimmering.
"Yes," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "You will. And I'm sorry. For everything."
And with that, she wrapped her arms around me in a rare embrace, and I hugged her back with a newfound understanding between us. No matter what happened in the future, I knew that my mom would still love me, no matter what. And that was just going to have to be good enough.
And now, I had to be good enough.
Chapter 25
Simone
My fingers trembled as I held my phone, scrolling through Hugo's contact information for the hundredth time. It had been hours since I'd heard from him, and each attempt to reach out was met with silence. The frustration gnawed at my insides, leaving me feeling stuck and helpless. What the fuck was going on?
"Damn it, Hugo," I muttered under my breath, wiping away fresh tears that threatened to spill over. My eyes were red and puffy from crying, and I could feel the tear stains on my cheeks, like a badge of my pain.
I tried calling him once more, praying for the sound of his voice on the other end. But all I got was his voicemail, his deep, smooth tone mocking me as he asked me to leave a message. A sob tore through my chest, and I hung up before the beep could signal the start of yet another unanswered plea.
"Please, Hugo," I whispered, staring at my reflection on the black screen of my phone. "I need you right now."
But there was no response, just the deafening silence that had become my constant companion. I couldn't sleep last night, and he still wasn't answering this morning. With every passing moment, I felt the weight of my situation growing heavier, pressing down on me until it threatened to crush me completely.
"Fuck!" I screamed, hurling my phone across the room. It collided with the wall, shattering the silence and leaving me with nothing but the echoes of my own anger and despair.
"Simone? What's going on? What are you doing here?" Seth's voice was a mixture of concern and confusion as he entered the room, taking in my distraught appearance.
"Nothing. I just forgot something and was picking it up," I lied through gritted teeth, trying to blink back the tears that threatened to spill over again. But my brother knew me better than anyone else; he could see right through my facade. It would also have only taken him about ten seconds to go see that I’d moved all of my stuff back into my room. I’d have to talk to him, eventually.