25
                  ******

"Babe, come and look at this" with a squeak I called out from the kitchen as I positioned my self on one of the bar chairs with my cereal in front of me on the iland. "Are you alright Emy" he loudly shouted, I could hear worry and concern in his voice.

Now that I was pregnant I was carried out like an egg. "I'm ok, I'm ok just come check out the front page of today's paper" I shouted not squeaky this time, I wouldn't want to worry him, would I.

On his bare chest and a white shower towel wrapped around his waist, he showed up while drying his beautiful inky black silky hair with another white bathroom towel. Those abs, those visible shoulders and the strong chest of his never failed to turn me on in a million times.

Him showing up got me forgetting on what I actually called him for, he was just alluring to my eyes.

"You look sexy when your hair is wet and hangs on your forehead" I complimented as I dragged the word "hangs" immediately his lips curled into a smile followed by his white teeth been fully exposed. "Wow" that was all he said before banding and placing his lips on my forehead.

"Hey check this out," I said as I  picked up the newspaper from the table. He grimaced and brought out bitter laughter not for long before he opened his mouth and mumbled "what, no no no wait, what" he said all these words stuttering.

"Who must have done this Emily," he said clear and loud enough for someone walking in the street to hear, he placed the newspaper back on the table with a thud. The same question he asked was the same I was to ask him.

We both stared at each other blankly, his fingers did the usual on his almost dried hair.   I whirled my head back to the table as I picked up my phone since it had started ringing, breaking the silence that stimulated the kitchen.

"It's Zoe" I murmured as I show my mobile to John who shrugged, tilted his head as a sign of assuring me to answer. I slid my finger on the screen to answer "hi sweety" my feminine voice raised after I had placed the device on my ear.

Not for long immediately after my greetings, her loud voice tingled my ear "hi, have you seen the morning paper as yet? gal if you haven't you better do, John's father is something else looks like he was not only cheating with your mom, uhm sorry I didn't mean too-" she halted sheepishly on the mention of my mom being a cheater BASICALLY.

Before she could say more I Interrupted "it's ok don't explain, and yes I saw the paper and I have seen what you're talking about" I heard a low "oh" from her before she continued "well, how about John, has he? I mean it's his dad and obviously, he needs to know" calmly she said.

"Yeah he does, actually we were both still on it before you called, he's mad. You know-" I halted "Zoe there's something I haven't told you uhm let's meet at our girl talk spot at lunch" my heart was pounding oddly against my chest not to mention the drought that occurred in my mouth.

Thinking of telling her that my husband to be was actually my half brother was just so not an easy one. That is if she hasn't figured By now a lot of people are having numerous questions about this headline and the story about Mr Robertson.

"Oh ok, lunch it is then. oh my! I'm so curious but you know I can patiently wait." She murmured before we said our 'goodbyes and see you later'.

My husband to be was furiously needing to know who must have done this to us. The only people who knew was only us and our family members so how on earth was this out.

"Let me go on and finish up dressing, I'm no longer going to work I need to get to the root of this," he said as he steadily moved back to the main bedroom.

My cereal has already cooled off and I was never a fan of cold milk in my cereals. I know it sounds weird but yeah that how I want them, with warm milk. So I ignored the bowl full of it and shuffled the paper and paged to where the whole story of Mr Robertson was at.

With my elbow on the table edge and my chin resting on my palm, I started reading quietly and curiously.

"One of South Africa's well-known successful businessman is heard that he has abandoned his daughter whom he had with his personal assistant from one of his companies in Johannesburg-" I curtailed and heaved loudly before I continued with my eyebrows furrowed.

"Mr James Robertson has been cheating with a married woman for more than 10 years all this is happening while he's married to his wife Mrs Jennifer Robertson whom recently required for a divorce but he seems to be not agreeing with it-

-the reporter mentioned something like-" my eyes widen as I abruptly shuffled the piece and page to a next page to read more.

"The same daughter he abandoned is now a fiance to his firstborn son Mr John Robertson who is also known as one of the youngest successful businessman men in South Africa" my eyes grew to a size of a dinner plate.

I stopped reading after that passage, my heart blew against my chest, my mouth instantly turned into a drought. I pushed the piece of paper away and it landed on the tiled floor as some of it pages scattered around.

I sat there silently trying to make means on who told this to the reporters so quickly. I got angry at the person I don't even know, my mind gone wild which lead to the pain on my neck which was almost healed because I wasn't wearing the "polo neck" anymore.

The doctor stated it clearly and loudly that I shouldn't overthink and stress because I might get a stroke or even worse. The whooshing sound rang inside my eardrum.

I pressed both my hand on each ear attempting to let the whooshing sound to go away, I took a long breath in then out, again I breathed in then out just as the doctor has said on my last appointment.

I then stretched my neck sideways twice and relaxed. It kind of worked. Slowly I stood up from the chair and heaved as I placed both my hands to my abdomen. "Mommy is fine, ok?"

My peace of mind and my cuddling with my pregnancy was soon disturbed by my mobile phone that started ringing on top of the table. After I noticed who it was I rolled my eyes and heaved before sliding a finger to answer and put the call on the loudspeaker.

I knew exactly why she was calling me again, certainly, she had read the woke story just as I did.

Now what?

"Hi is it 12:00 already" I sarcastically asked Zoe who was on the call. "No, but, are you alright?" She asked sounding not sure about her question. "Ah yes" that came out as a question.

"Emily I just finished reading the whole story now-" she paused, sounding like she doesn't want to say but her mouth is in control. She continued anyways "ahh have you, sweety I'm worried I -" before she was about to say more I barged "Zoe! Calm down, I read the story and yes I am his daughter which makes John my brother." She tried to speak but I continued.

I was overwhelmed at this point.

"Meaning: my brother my everything because he's the man I fell for, the man I'm engaged to marry next week, my baby daddy, my older brother, should I continue Zoe huh, should I" I hysterically explained.

My tears fall freely off my eyes down to my chicks, that called for his attention because I was loud enough for him to hear my hysterical tone.

"Sweety do you want me to come over, I'm coming actually just get yourself a cup of coffee and cuddle yourself on the couch I am coming" she sympathetically murmured. In that point, I had buried my head in between my knees crying as I was seated on the cold tiled floor.

Zoe has hanged up already.

"Emy, princess are you alright" shouted my- John as he sat next to me on that floor trying to reveal my face from my knees. I let out a loud wince and fall on his shoulder. "What's going to happen, huh" now I was facing him straight in the eyes.

He picked the newspaper and went through it a few seconds before he did what I did

TOSSED IT AWAY WITH A THUD.

He smoothly hushed me as he brought me back to his strong embrace. I felt free from all the pain my mother has caused me when I was in his arms. I wished I could stay like that forever because I felt like all my troubles were taken off.

                       JOHN's POV.
______________________________

it pained me seeing her in that state. I wanted to strangle whoever that told that story to the public, I know they were trying to get back to my dad but it clear that they didn't think of us.

Slowly I asked her to stand up from the floor. "Come on princess, stand" with my help she stood. I escorted her to the living room and sat her down on the sofa. "Everything will be alright, but first I need to know who did this -" I paused while I thought of the bastard.

"And kill them," I let out with my clenched teeth as I helped her wrap herself with a blanket and slides in with her on the couch. For Emily, I could do anything just to protect her emotions and bodily.

I was also depressed about our current issue at the moment but feeling sorry for myself was not going to change the matter. She was a woman and had every right to sob about it.  I understood the suffering and desperation she was facing especially now that she was even carrying my child.

We both remained on that couch for quite some moments and spoke about other stuff rather than despair. I went to the kitchen several times to prepare coffee for both of us. Already I had decided not to barge on this issue until my dad calls probably he knew who was behind this.

I was also pissed on the fact that he didn't even tell me what was going on back at home between him and mom. Actually, I was pissed at both of them for keeping such from me.

Yes, I remember that mom had mentioned that she was going to ask for a divorce but the fact that it came to the ears of the public before me their firstborn son, it angered the hell out of me.

"What if it your dad, maybe he's trying to get back to my dad" without thinking my words I spilt them out not knowing how would it sit with Emily. I was only trying to put the puzzle pieces together.

She gazed at me with horror making me jump from my own skin. Her eyes pierced through the mercy of my poor membrane making me feel guilty of my question. I wished I didn't even bother to ask, but my nerves took control.

"What are you trying to say, you mean my dad would intentionally hurt me just because he wants to get back to your dad. Why don't you say it your mom huh, why don't you suspect  her probably she's trying to get back to your dad"

Every word she uttered came out so sarcastically out of her mouth, now she was half off the blanket with her front body facing me speaking with her mouth and hands with her brown eyes staring deeply into mine as she kept defending her father.

She was making it a big issue I thought we were together on this but she literally lost it, coursing me to regret saying any of that. But one thing for sure is that whoever that told this secret to the public was not aiming to hurt Emily nor I, but definitely my dad.

This person was trying to ruin my dad's reputation through the current topic.

"Babe you know I didn't mean it in that way, I was just trying to put the pieces together. You know" I murmured now afraid of saying more before I lose it again and boil her up. "You better think before you speak John, I mean it could be anyone why the thought of my dad. Huh! Is it because he doesn't have huge businesses that he can keep himself busy with. Ohhh he rather 'get back to your dad' I see he's important isn't he"

She hysterical said, with her fingers on the air making apostrophes and rolled her eyes for a million times since we had started up with the topic, God I shouldn't have.

It was a bigger issue then I imagined. "Emily I  think you're being unnecessary right now, please sit down. You know you not supposed to be-" I couldn't say much because she got inside my mouth with more accusations.

"Ohh! You think I'm being unnecessary, well let me tell you what is unnecessity. Here look. when a man impregnated a woman but he decided to stay absent from the child's life-" she squeaked while she moved around the whole living room.

"I'm not done yet, he's absent from the other child while he's present for the other, -" she threw out a raw chuckle before she lowered her voice dramatically and proceeded.

She acted crazy, she really lost it the time.

"Giving everything he has to that 'other' child, showing that 'other' child fatherly love and care-" again she unnecessary laughed out loud before continuing.

"And guess what those two kids met after a few years later. Ohh it doesn't stop there because they don't just meet but they date and get engaged ohh and the abandoned child gets pregnant in the process, you get that huh. Now that is unnecessary"

Wait, was that really a meaning of unnecessary or she was just continuing being unnecessary?

She sat back on the sofa but not the one we were sitting on early before the screams she created after a question I thought was innocently asked, you know with no harm but just a question.

From where I had been standing like a statue I hurried to her when I realized that she was getting the seem to be a norm pains in her neck and the sharp sounds on her ears, which were symptoms of anxiousness and depression.

On my way to her direction, I  was appalled by the strong yell coming from her while pressing her both her ears with both her hands. My eyes widened from the rare behaviour from her. I got really scared I thought I was totally losing her from stress.

A few seconds later she stopped screaming, now her tears streamed down for a second time that day. I sat beside her and comforted her as a man supposed too to his wife to be.

She got me sick worried but at the same time I'm glad she let all the pain out, all that was bothering her she spilt it out without me intruding. During her screams and all, I was tempted to say something but I thought of just letting her reveal her emotions.

******

My phone beeped from the dashboard signalling a new message, I peered and realized it was from my dad. Swiftly I stretched my arm to reach it.

I never preferred to be on my phone while I was behind a steering wheel but because I was curious to know why my dad sent me a message instead of calling, as usual, I had to compromise.

"SHIT! SHIT SHIT" I smacked the hell out of the steering wheel and tightly clenched my jaw out of outrage topped with hurt.

(I shouldn't have opened this message until I'm done with the meeting I have with my client) I thought but it was too late because my morning was already ruined.

I blinked back the tears that were forming on my eyes, making my vision blurry.

__________⛔

THANKS FOR READING STAY TUNED FOR A NEXT CHAPTER.

TELL ME WHO DO YOU THINK TOLD THE PUBLIC ABOUT JOHN AND EMILY'S SECRET.

What DO YOU THINK IS THE MESSAGE ABOUT?