Ding dong.
The doorbell rings.
I lay on the couch in the living room, sleeping oblivious to the doorbell. It rings a few more times before my phone rings. I wake up to the buzzing of my phone. I reach out for my phone on the table and slowly sit up, picking up the call without looking at the caller's ID.
"Hello?" My voice was groggy from sleep.
"Baby... Aren't you home?! I've been standing outside your door for more than ten minutes now!" Vincent's voice sounding very annoyed came through the other end of the line.
"Oh." I look at my door. "Yeah, I'm home." My voice cool as a river.
"Is that all you have to say?! I've been banging on the door for ten minutes, and you didn't hear it or what?!" His voice rose in anger.
"I was sleeping, that's why I didn't hear when you knocked on the door," I say as I stand up and walk towards the door.
"You didn't hear me banging so loudly on your door?! Are you a fucking bag of cement or something?!" He roared through the phone.
My eyebrows furrow. His words make my blood boil. I remember in my past life when he always insulted me but I was too blinded by love that I always overlooked it and blamed myself for not being good enough for him. I hang up and pull open the front door.
I see Vincent standing there looking like a mess. His hair dishevelled, his suit jacket open, his dress shirt barely buttoned up with some faint stains of makeup on it and his necktie in his hand. I stare at this mess of a man whom I was so much in love with. My stomach twists into knots. Not the good kind. The kind that makes you feel dizzy and makes you want to vomit.
"You look appealing..." I say sarcastically.
"Oh so now it's my look that matters, huh?! Here I am worried sick about you and all that bothers you is how I look?! Are you fucking kidding me?!" He growls.
Worried sick my ass. You are simply pissed that you have to see my face instead of being with Melissa right now.
"Whatever. Just get in right now. You're making a hell of a noise disturbing my neighbours." I say leaving the door open for him and walking into my living room.
He stands there stunned for a moment by my cold response. He wasn't expecting it. Of course, he was expecting the young and foolish Mmasi. Well, boohoo, she's long gone. He walks into the house and closes the door. He finds me sitting on the couch and sits some inches beside me. There's a brief moment of uncomfortable silence between us before I speak up.
"About the pregnancy tests..."
"Yeah, what about them?" Vincent's voice seems tense.
"It's negative." I lie.
Vincent let out a breath of relief and relaxed. "That's good. I was scared for a moment."
I feel my heart ache. I knew he didn't want kids. Why? I don't know. Maybe because he didn't like them. Or maybe because he simply didn't want any with me. "Do you hate the idea of having kids?"
Without looking at me. "Look, you know I don't want kids. Isn't that enough reason?"
I clench my fists. I hated that my baby had such an awful father. I wouldn't let my baby meet such an awful man like him.
"Vincent, I have something else in want to say," I say looking at him.
He looks at me. "What is it?"
"Let's break up."
His eyebrows furrow.
"What?"
"I want to break up with you," I say again.
"All of a sudden?"
"It's not sudden. I've been thinking about it for a while now."
"And what made you come to that conclusion?" He asks as his eyebrows furrow more.
"I don't love you anymore," I say, my face void of emotions.
His mouth drops open slightly. "What?"
"It's just as you heard Vincent. I don't have feelings for you anymore." I say that but deep down in my heart I still love his man even though he's a total scumbag. Love isn't some feeling you can just get rid of no matter how much you want it gone. It takes time to heal and let go.
"How is that possible?! You love me, Mmasi!"
"I did. Now be a man and get over it."
He stands up and turns to me, anger and a hint of embarrassment and shock written on his face. "You know what?! Fuck this shit! And for the record, I broke up with you! Crazy ass bitch!" He says and storms out of my house, banging the front door shut.
I let out a sigh, letting my body sink into the couch. Finally, he's out of my life. Vincent's out of my life. I place my hands on my belly and rub it in a circular motion.
"I did it, my little angel. Mama's finally ripped off the leach." I start to think of how to start my life afresh with my little boy. I have a plan to move out of this city. To move far away from my past. Far away from Vincent. Far away from everything that took me away from my little angel in my past life. I won't let it happen again. Never. Never again.
I think of my baby's future, my future. Our future. My heart races with joy, anticipation, and fear. I feel so happy and anxious right now. But no matter what the future holds for us we'll face it together. I'll protect and keep my baby safe no matter what. And nothing or no one is going to stand in my way. No man, woman, not anybody will take my baby away from me or me away from my baby. I'm staying clear of all relationships and staying focused on my darling little angel, Uchenna.