Important A/N at the end. Please read.

*****

Third Person POV

"Selene, get back here!" Selene had her husband holler from behind her but she paid him no heed and continued to descend the stair case.

"Selene!" Taju screamed as he came into view, hot on her tail.

"You can't change my mind, Taju. This is my body, my life and I would do whatever I want with it. It's none of your business." She snapped back, turning around to face him. Taju looked at his wife, coming to the conclusion that he obviously didn't know this woman.

"Your body?! Your life?! You are my wife for God's sake. Your body is my body and your life is your life! You are carrying my child, our child! This is not your decision to make." Taju said matter of factly. Selene scoffed.

"We decided to wait for two years before having a child. I didn't plan for...this." She pointed to her still flat tummy and had a disgusted look on her face.

"I'm a top class Model and I want to keep it that way. This is going to ruin everything I've worked for. I didn't plan for this." She declared.

"Well, nature happened. We basically have sex on every flat surface in this house, no thanks to your very high and unquenchable libido. It was bound to happen one way or another and it's time to accept it!" Taju bellowed.

"Oh, so it's my fault now?" Selene placed her hand on her chest in hurt.

"I didn't say that!" Taju countered.

"I'm getting rid of this thing whether you like it or not!" Selene stated with a tone of finality in her voice.

"You will do no such thing, Selene. I forbid you from doing anything to hurt my child." Taju stated with equal authority. Selene flipped her brunette hair that had a touch of golden highlights.

"Watch me!" She said and walked out of the house. Taju followed her, grabbing his keys.

"Selene!" He hollered but she was already driving out of the gate. "Shit." He cursed as he ran out of the house and to his car. Reversing out of the gate, he sped after her even though she already had a head start.

I tried not to loose her on the express way but she was far too gone. He kept driving around, but he couldn't find her. He went to look for at her friends' place but none of them knew where she was. Frustrated, he returned home, praying in his heart that nothing happens to her.

****

"Hello?" Taju said to the unknown receiver, his tall frame slouched on the Sofa in his living room. It was almost nine, late in the evening and Selene wasn't back. He had tried her lines but all were switched off. Now he was getting a call from an unknown person.

Hopefully it was connected to Selene.

"Good Evening. Please, am I unto Mr Taju Craig?" The female on the other line asked. Taju frowned.

"Yes, you are speaking to him. How may I help you?" He asked.

"I am calling to inform you that your wife, Mrs Selene has been admitted in our hospital for the past three hours and we just got your contact after retrieving her phone." The lady stated. Taju sat up in alert as fear gripped him.

"What?! How? When? What happened?" He asked frantically.

"She was involved in an accident and was brought into our hospital at exactly 6:00pm this evening." The lady said.

"Which hospital?" Taju asked, grabbing his keys and dashing out of the house as the lady gave him directions. He entered his car and drove into the road like a maniac on crack.

****

"You must be Mr Taju. I'm Doctor Tamuno." The middle-aged woman told Taju as they exchanged handshakes. Taju nodded and looked back at Selene's still frame on the bed.

He didn't want to speculate but he felt she must have caused the accident by herself to get rid of the baby.

But at the expense of her own life? That was far fetched.

But he was just beginning to realize that he didn't really know his wife like he thought he did.

"What happened to my wife?" He asked the doctor.

"We haven't gotten the exact details but she went into an head on collision with a truck. Her car is pretty damaged and she was brought in unconscious but they would be fine." Doctor Tamuno gave a small smile.

"They?" Taju looked at Tamuno who nodded.

"Yes. She and the baby. They are both okay. She's just in shock, that's why she's not responding yet. But it's just a matter of time." Tamuno smiled reassuringly and Taju heaved a sigh of relief, a smile spreading across his face.

My baby is okay.

"Thank you so much doctor." Taju said in appreciation.

"She shouldn't do anything reckless to arm the baby at this point because it would cost her her life as well." Taju looked at the doctor as she said that.

"The pregnancy is three months old, meaning her first trimester is basically completed and if anything happens to the baby, her life might go for it as well." She explained and Taju sighed.

"When she wakes up, I would recommend some things for her to help her." Tamuno concluded and Taju nodded.

"Thank you, Doctor. I'd sincerely appreciate that." He said and She smiled in return, walking out of the ward and leaving the couple.

Taju walked closer to the bed and pulled a chair so he could seat beside her. Studying her face up close, he noticed how pale she was. He brought his hand to touch her face, maybe that would give her warmth.

"Selene..." He muttered. "What ever am I going to do with you?" He asked rhetorically.

****

Selene stirred on the bed before blinking her eyes open. The first thing she saw was her husband by her bed side, his head buried in his palm.

"Taju." She called softly and his head shot up before a sigh of relief escaped his lips and a small smile spread on it.

"Hey baby." He cooed lovingly, moving to touch her face.

"What happened?" She asked, her voice croaky and husky.

"You had an accident but don't worry, you are fine. You and the baby." He watched as her eyes held total disappointment.

"The baby is still here?!" She exclaimed, clutching her tummy. Taju scoffed.

"My instinct was right. You pulled that stunt on purpose to kill the baby, didn't you?!" Taju asked her. Her silence was enough answer  and Taju groaned in frustration.

"Selene, how could you!" He exclaimed, caring less that they were in the hospital.

"You left me no choice!" Selene snapped back.

"I left you no choice?! You drove head on into a truck just because you wanted to get rid of our baby! At the expense of your own life! What is the matter with you?!" Taju growled.

"Don't yell at me! I had to look for a way. I can't have this thing ruin my life." She jabbed her index to her tummy and Taju looked at her incredulously. Selene sighed and took Taju's hand in hers.

"Taju, baby. Can't you see. This thing is coming between us already. It is causing us to argue. Let's just get rid of it." Selene cooed. Taju gently removed his hand from her grasp.

"That thing is my Child, your Child, our Child and we are going to keep him or her or them as the case may be and there is nothing you are going to do about it. You make any move to kill that baby, your life will go for it as well because you are far too gone to get rid of the baby." Taju said with a tone of finality just as the Doctor walked in.

Selene already had her mind made up. If she was going to have this baby, she will have absolutely nothing to do with it. It was ruining her life already.

She felt hatred fill her heart for the unborn baby.

****

Five years old Mateo sat on the floor of the living room, playing with his toys. His father, Taju was just in the other room, his study and came out occasionally to check up on his son. Selene had gone off early in the morning to only God knows where.

On cue, Mateo heard his mum's car pull up in front of the house and jumped up in excitement and anticipation. He barely saw his mum because she was always gone too early on the morning and came back home very late in the night, when he must have fallen asleep. This was the first time she would be coming home so early and he couldn't wait to see her.

The door opened, revealing Selene and a young lady who had a sack bag hung on her shoulder.

"Mummy!" The lad squealed before he dashed towards the door to hug his mum.

He wrapped his chubby hands around her slim legs. Selene didn't return the gesture as she just stared at boy that clung to her legs in disinterest. She wanted nothing more but to fling him away with a flick of her legs. But she knew she couldn't do that.

Especially with her husband around.

"That's okay." She wiggled herself out of his grasp and Mateo released her, moving back to look at her with delighted eyes. "Where is your daddy?" She demanded.

"He's there." Mateo pointed towards the way to the study and just on cue, Taju came out of the study.

"Selene, you are back early." Taju stated as he saw her walk up to him. Much to his surprise, she wrapped her hands around him and pressed a kiss on his lips. Taju couldn't remember the last time Selene had kissed him.

"I missed my husband." Selene cooed seductively. Taju looked at her skeptically. It was then that he noticed the young lady that was standing by the door, looking around awkwardly.

"Who is she?" He asked immediately, catching the ladies attention.

"Honey. Her name is Rashidat and she would be the one taking care of the boy from now on." Selene dropped the bombshell causing Taju to look at her like she had grown two heads.

"Excuse me?" He mustn't have heard her well. Selene rolled her eyes as she felt her husband was been melodramatic as usual.

"She would be the one taking care of Mateo." Selene repeated nonetheless.

"On whose command, Selene?"Taju asked her and she sighed.

"Taju..." She began but got interrupted.

"Selene, you didn't even ask for my opinion about this before you made a move! Why would you do that for God's sake?!" Taju raged, pissed off by what Selene did.

"I thought it was the best since we are both busy people and we don't have time for our son." Selene cooed, causing Taju to scoff animatedly.

"So now he is our son!" He snapped.

Since the day Mateo was born, Selene has never taken a second look at the boy if it wasn't to scold him or reprimand him for one thing or the other. If the duo didn't look so much alike, you'd have thought Selene was probably his aunt.

Mateo was a carbon copy of his mum, taking after her caramel skin and her hair colour. Taju thought this would be a push for Selene to accept the kid, but reverse was the case. It was like as the lad grew, his mum despised him even more, not talking interest in the boy's well-being. Taju was trying but he was one with a busy schedule and always left Mateo at the aid of his grandmother, Taju's mother. Still he tried to make time for his son.

Taju had tried to tolerate everything Selene has been pulling for the past six years. But this, he wouldn't take. He would never accept a stranger taking care of his son. He was too Nigerian to even think of that.

"I'd never accept a stranger to take care of my son." Taju said authoritatively, not caring if the young lady heard or not. "The fact that you didn't even inform me before bringing her here is what is pissing me off." He added.

"Taju, I don't like all this. My friend, Caroline was the one who recommended her and I respect Caroline's decision." Selene said stupidly.

"But you don't respect your husband's decision right?"

"That's not what I meant, Taju." Selene replied, sighing afterwards. "I just don't want your mother filling my son's head with nasty things about me." Selene voiced out, causing Taju to roll his eyes.

"Why wouldn't she, when you keep neglecting your roll as a mother! You surprise me, Selene. You find a way to keep surprising me every time." Taju said calmly.

"Don't insult me, Taju. I am your wife. This girl is staying here and that's final." Selene said with a tone of finality and dashed out of the house, not after giving the girl orders.

Taju sighed in frustration as he looked at Mateo who has been watching the drama all that while with a confused expression on his face. Taju went and crouched before his son.

"Hey buddy? Are you hungry." Taju ruffled Mateo's locks gently and the lad nodded in affirmation. Taju looked at the girl was was standing like a statue by the door.

"Hey you!" He snapped, startling the girl. She rushed towards him and gave a curtsy. "What is that your name again?" He asked.

"Rashidat, sir." Her English was very flaunt which meant she was educated. That gave Taju a bit of ease.

"Can you cook?" He asked and she nodded frantically. "Good, put something together for me and my son, something for yourself too." Taju looked at Mateo again. "What do you want to eat?" Taju asked.

"Jollof rice." Mateo replied.

"Cook jollof rice for us. You'd find everything you need in the cabinets." Taju ordered.

"Yes sir." She replied with a bow, making her way to the kitchen.

"Esss!" Taju called her again and she turned around to him. "I'm watching you in this house. Any funny business and I won't hesitate to kick you out or have you arrested. Got it?!" Taju snapped and the girl cowered in fear, nodding. Taju dismissed her and carried Mateo along with him to his study.

****

"Aunty Rashy, you won't play with me?" Mateo cooed, giving Rashidat a puppy dog look. Rashidat laughed heartily as she stared at the young boy she had been nurturing for two years now. She has grown fund of him.

Maybe a little too fund of him.

"You know I have to work, Mateo."

She carried him on her laps even though he was basically too old to be carried like a baby. Mateo pouted and unconsciously buried his face against Rashidat's enormous bosom. The young lady sucked in a breath as she felt arousal course through her. She wasn't supposed to be feeling this way. But she was...

...and she didn't care one bit.

"After work, nko?" Mateo asked. Rashidat smiled as a wicked thought flashed through her mind. A thought a grown woman shouldn't be having towards a seven year old.

"After work, I'd play with you. There is this game I've been wanting to teach you. Do you want to learn the game?" Rashidat asked the lad who nodded in anticipation and excitement. Rashidat grinned in victory.

"Good. Go and watch cartoon. I'd been done soon and then, we'd play our game." She told him and he nodded again, getting off her lap and going to sit in front of the TV.

Rashidat watched the young boy has carnal thoughts flashed through her mind. She was going to take care of him. The care his mother hasn't shown him, she was going to show him.

She was going to make him happy...

A/N

Okay, I know what I said about not knowing when I'd update but Mehn, this chapter was too sweet to just hold to myself. I had to update and I really hope this would be able to keep you guys on your toes till I update next week or in two weeks as the case may be.

Wow! Now y'all already have a knowledge of the bigger part  of Mateo's back story. His mother never wanted him from the beginning and didn't pay attention to him while growing up. All these led to her getting a help for Mateo and we all have an idea how that turned out.

The rest of the story, Mateo would say with his mouth if he wakes up because I'm not sure if he will even wake up sef 🤔. I hope this chapter was worth the short wait and I hope it is enough to keep you anticipating for more juicy details.

Now to the very important part. I've been nominated as "Best Author" in the Nigerian Readers Choice Awards and I would like y'all to vote for me by adding "+1" to where my name is.

Just go to NGwattNG and look for the book "Nigerian Readers Choice Award", straight to the voting page and look for my name under "Best Nigerian Author" or sum'n along that line. You'll see my name. Please vote for me. Would really appreciate it.

Don't forget to drop comments and votes. I'll see y'all soon. 😜😜