"Mia, can you please shut the tv?", he shouted from the other end of the living room, as I watched the news.

I sat on the black leather couch, snuggled inside the soft velvety blanket. I pressed the mute button and saw the visuals.

"Breaking news: The millionaire is not pure as you thought, sexual predator!", with it was the video of Noah throwing his fist over Charlie as blood spread on the floor with me standing with my big belly and his grey coat over my shoulders, my mouth agape and mascara smudged.

I switched through the channels to see every news showing the incident. Regret washed over me, as I spoilt his name.

Out of all days, yesterday, the day where the press was gathered to know about his prestigious company deal and how he was elected as the people's favourite millionaire.

I sighed.

Damn you! Mia, you should have controlled your depression.

Again, I pressed the buttons to change the channels, but the tv went black.

Shit, this is the third time!

I turned to see Noah in his dark black t-shirt and black-rimmed glasses standing annoyed with the tv wire in his hand.

"Sorry! I can't help but to assess the damage.", I said as I caressed the belly with one hand.

"No more tv!" he said, "I don't want you to assess anything in that little brain of yours. I know how it would end!"

It has been three days since I had gone to work. The security team suggested that we both should stay home until the issue has been confronted and dealt with.

According to the damage done, it must have resolved today, still, it had been burning with rage.

I stared at the blank tv screen.

Noah stood behind me, his hand fell softly over my shoulders and massaged them, comforting my tensed body. I let out a deep breath.

"Stop with the thinking" he whispered. "Stop regretting about what happened. This might have happened any day and the press would have caught hold of it"

But I wished it remained a mystery.

Noah patted on my back. "Nothing is going to hurt us. and the baby." He kissed my baby bum and pecked my lips. I fell back into the satin comforter, feeling like I had brought world peace itself.

It was ten in the morning. This time every day I would be running to work with two cafe latte, three americanos in one hand, my white bag flinging in my shoulder, big belly in the other hand. Damn! I miss being at work.

No, I miss the adrenaline rush.

Noah stood at the kitchen island, cooking us breakfast when the doorbell rang. The paparazzi must have reached the doorbell. We both were alone. So we chose to ignore it

Soon, the doorbell rang incessantly, impatient.

I looked at Noah, the same blank look he returned to me and he handed me the egg ham sandwich, my favorite.

"That little fucker is gonna get beaten..." he muttered as he went to open the door.

Before I could take the first bite, I heard Noah. Groaning in pain, blood splattered on the floor.

I got up to see a black tuxedo and white moustache.

That moment I knew, we fucked up.

"Daddy!" I shouted, partly with excitement and partly in fear.

But my dad ignored me, as he gave a second blow on the stomach as Noah got up from the floor, retracing his movements.

"Welcome Mr. and Mrs. -" he growled in pain as he lied flat on the floor.

***

Tears flowed down my face, as I hugged my mom. Her teary face were so much concerned about me, she kept fondling my dry hair, saying how much I have suffered alone in the path of motherhood. There was a literal meltdown from the moment we met.

"My baby, we were just one call away." her voice shook as she spoke. "Have you done the prenatal checkup? The vitamins?"

Ugh! The pregnancy questionnaires!

"Oh! you had gone all thin. Hasn't he taken good care of you?"

We both looked at Noah, his bruised nose stuffed with tissue to stop the bleeding. He looked pathetic, I'm sure he must be plotting his escape plan while my dad scrutinized him for a good eternity, who sat just opposite to him.

"This is why I told you we should never trust this man. He had always laid our eyes on our little girl. My poor girl." my dad shouted at my mom. "I knew he would seduce her innocence into his evil ways and use her. This little brat!" Noah stared at me, pathetically angry.

Looks like this baby bum has a lot of perks.

"Sir, I would never do that to your daughter, she means a lot to me, sir." Noah stated to my dad, calmly "and to be honest, she came to me for help and i honestly-"

"so that's what you do if anyone comes for help?" my dad shouted at him, "knock her up and making babies?"

Noah looked at me in surprise.

"knock her up?" Noah stood up in dismay. "Hey, I would never touch her without her permission. she-"

"Do I look like an idiot? Why do you think my daughter has a baby bum, some kinda albatross came and delivered a baby to her?" My dad stood up, ready to hit him again but in a swift, he grabbed the metal Eiffel Tower from the table. "You did this to her! YOU IRRESPONSIBLE SON OF A"

"DAD", I shouted, causing a pause in their tension.

"Honey, don't cuss in front of the baby!", my mom shrieked in high pitched voice.

The whole room was in chaos, my mom was yelling at my dad, preventing my dad from killing his son in law, with a famous monument, who was still trying to understand who did this to me, which is him according to my dad. in my opinion, he is still recovering from the blow in his nose. All of the accusations strikes him when he shouted again, "no, I didn't."

"Stop it, all of you", I shouted followed by a sharp shriek catching my tummy and falling onto the sofa.

Perks of being pregnant.

After we made a truce, I sat near my exhausted dad, who was now scared to be a grandfather.

"Dad, I know you hate this man here, but he is the love of my life and I want to marry him." My dad tried to stop me midway, but I continued," he might look like he is irresponsible, reckless person who ruined our company once and I hated him more for that. but now he changed. I love Noah but the baby..."

I stopped midway, to tell the truth about the baby.

"is mine," Noah said softly, looking at me, holding my hand. "Sir, I promise you that I will be a good father."

***
"Today is a nightmare," he said, as he laid next to me in the bed. Time flew fast to midnight with my mom sharing the horrors of childbirth and how dad was always on alert like he was going to give birth. I knew Noah would be like that too on the day of delivery.

"Good night, baby", he said as he hugged me. "Good night", I said back.

"I didn't say it to you," he said sarcastically.

I chuckled halfheartedly.

Did he mean what he said?

There was a brief moment of silence.

"I meant it," he said. "if that's what you were thinking about."

I didn't answer. I stared into the ceiling but my face betrayed me with a smile.

"What if... the baby is black or Asian?", I asked out of curiosity.

we both were silent for a moment.

"how about gene crossing? I read it in the magazine that...", he continued as I drifted into sleep.

***