The Billionaire's Baby Mamma

Lily:

I kept pacing in my room, biting my nail hard, but not quite hard enough to break it. My brown eyes kept moving to the timer I'd set on my phone. I was usually a patient person, but right now, that person didn't exist. I took a deep breath and felt dizzy. Maybe I'd overdone it with the pacing. I took a seat on the edge of my bed. I was so lost right now, and in a few seconds, I would get some life-changing news, news that had the potential to make me lose it completely.

I heard my timer go off and sprinted to the bathroom, almost tripping over my bag on the floor. Perhaps now I'd finally remember to place it on the chair when I got home. I could hear the timer still ringing in the room even though my heart was beating so fast I could feel it in my throat. I took a deep breath and turned to my sink. My gaze went to the two sticks on the counter.

They both held two clear dark lines.

"Oh no," I moaned.

I was pregnant. Just when I'd thought my life couldn't get any more messed up, it surprised me yet again. I barely made enough to get by as it was with my job waiting tables. Now I definitely wouldn't be able to come up with the money for rent, and I would soon be kicked out. I'd have to begin searching for a new job while still trying to survive finals week.

But I guess you're wondering how I got myself into this mess.

Let's go back six weeks…

~~~

I felt a hand moving up my side, and a smile crept over my face as I snuggled closer to my boyfriend, Felix. I felt his hand move under my shirt and spread new warmth over my skin. I turned around to face him and smiled.

"Morning, babe," Felix said, his eyes only half open. His blond hair was a complete mess, and I liked it like that.

"Morning, Felix," I replied sweetly. He moved to hover above me, one hand gently caressing my face.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked as he began to press kisses to my neck. I closed my eyes for a moment.

"Mhm," I murmured as his hand moved from my face to my thighs. But I clenched my legs together and looked over at the clock. The late hour was displayed in big, red blocks. "Felix, I have to get ready," I gently pushed him off me.

"Seriously, babe?" he sighed, sitting up and running his fingers through his hair as he looked at me.

"I have classes, Felix," I reminded him and got out of bed. I walked over to the dresser and picked up my hairbrush and a hair tie.

"What about later? Can we hang out after your classes?" Felix asked, getting out of bed, not bothering to straighten his side.

"Sorry, you have cars to fix and I have tables to wait," I reminded him, pulling my hair up into a ponytail, then walking over to make the bed.

"Sure, whatever." Felix rolled his eyes and walked away toward the kitchen.

Our room wasn't the biggest—in fact, the whole apartment was pretty cramped—but it was enough for just the two of us, and most importantly, it was within our budget. I was still in graduate school, waiting tables on the side to make some money. I had a business degree, but I wasn't very interested in the corporate life. I wanted to pursue something else, a degree in education. But teaching wasn't an easy career path, and my parents didn't approve. We ended up having a falling out. Luckily, I still had Felix. He was a mechanic, and a damn good one! We decided to move in together to take our relationship to the next level.

When it came to expenses, I was still able to pay my half, so I was thriving, doing my best in school and in love with my boyfriend. I knew I didn't have much, but I was happy with the cards I'd been dealt.

After making the bed, I proceeded to get ready for school. When I was finished getting ready, I walked to the kitchen, where I saw Felix busy on his phone. I noticed there was only one plate on the table, and it was empty except for a few stray crumbs. Did he not make me breakfast? He usually made us both breakfast.

"Hey, I'm going now." I walked over to him, leaning down to kiss his forehead. "Have a great day at work." I winked at him.

"Have a great day at school, babe." He took my hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. I fixed the straps of my bag, then went out the door and off to school.

~~~

After my last class of the day, I walked the campus slowly, hoping to run into Ines. Ines and I were pretty much twins. We had so much in common it was starting to get freaky. We even took the same classes, just at different times. She was the one who'd helped me get the waitressing job, and she was working there too. I spotted the short-haired blonde, a radiant smile on her pink lips.

"Ines! Hey, girl." I waved at her and walked closer, careful not to jostle the people I walked past.

"Hey, honey, I feel like I've barely gotten to see you today." Ines pulled me in for a hug. The smile on her face only made my day better.

"That's because we haven't seen each other today," I reminded her as we started to walk towards the edge of campus.

"At least we can head to work together." Ines shrugged.

"Mhm," I hummed in agreement.

"Is everything ok?" Ines asked, raising a brow at me. Her smile fell from her face, and she gave me a serious look.

This was what I loved most about Ines. She always knew when something was on my mind. Even when I didn't want to admit it, she still knew there was something wrong. I began to tell her about Felix. Ines shook her head at me and looked me dead in the eye.

"You will go home right now, and you will spend some time with him," she decided for me, taking my hand and leading me to the bus that stopped at my apartment rather than the one to the restaurant where we worked.

"Ines, I need to work," I whined. As much as I'd love a free day, I couldn't afford it.

"I'll cover for you," she assured me, patting my back. "You know it isn't good to ignore your relationship or yourself. It's not much, but a few hours of rest will do you good, and you can spend them with Felix—assuming he's free right now," she continued, a sincere look on her face.

"Yeah, he usually takes his lunches at the apartment." I checked the time on my phone to be sure.

"Okay then, it's settled. Shoo off home, and I'll do the work for us." Ines pushed her further toward the bus.

And that was exactly what I did—after thanking and hugging Ines, of course. She was right. I had been neglecting myself and my relationship. And I was actually quite excited. Talking about Felix with Ines had made me realize just how much I loved him and how much I had started to miss him. Sure, we lived together, but because of my busy schedule, we barely spent any proper time together.

I was going to change that. Starting today. I knew there had to be a way for me to squeeze in more couple time. I just had to organize my schedule better.

When I got to our apartment complex, I excitedly walked to our door. As I slipped the key in, I heard some weird noises inside. I frowned and opened the door faster.

Stepping into the apartment, I let my bag fall next to the door. "Hey, babe, I—" I was saying when I heard a loud moan coming from the couch.

A naked brunette woman was on top of Felix. Red lipstick was smeared all over her lips and his body, and her fingers were laced with his above his head. She froze when she finally noticed me.

"Why'd you stop, baby girl?" Felix asked breathlessly, looking at the woman on top of him. "Your girlfriend's home," she muttered, pulling away from him and grabbing the blanket on the couch to cover herself.

Lily:

Words couldn't capture the betrayal I felt in that moment. It was like everything had shattered around me. I had almost forgotten how to breathe. Only sadness and anger fueled me.

He was cheating on me. Felix, the man who had made me so many promises. I'd been warned by my father that the average man made a lot of empty promises. I just never thought of Felix as average.

I didn't want to break down in front of him, so I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. I clenched my teeth together, waiting for him to finally say something. Anything.

"Babe, I swear I can explain." He jumped up, holding a pillow over his crotch as if both of us hadn't already seen him naked multiple times before.

But I was too angry to make rational decisions right now. I grabbed the car keys, picked my bag up off the ground, and rushed out the door. I could hear him following behind me, but he stopped suddenly at the door. He couldn't follow me outside. He wasn't dressed yet.

Good. What I needed right now was some carrot cake and my friends. When I got to the car, I finally let it all out—not that I could've held back the flood of tears if I'd tried.

This wasn't fair. I'd thought we had something special, Felix and I. But I didn't tolerate cheaters. He knew that damn well, yet he still did this.

I sniffled, bringing my sleeve up to wipe away the tears. I had to start paying more attention to the road or I'd get myself into an accident. I stared out through waterlogged eyes as I came closer and closer to the cafe. I was desperately hoping my friends were there. Andre usually worked the same shift with Ines and I after school. I hoped today wouldn't be an exception. He needed the money just as much as we did, so he probably wouldn't skip a shift. Madison, our fourth friend, didn't work with us, but she often came to the cafe to study. So, occasionally, I got lucky and was able to hang out with all of them at once. I was hoping today was one of those days.

I arrived at the cafe and parked the car. I took deep breaths, but each time I closed my eyes, I kept seeing that woman on top of Felix. And, God, each time their moans disgusted me even more. I wiped at my tears, but they just kept flowing. I never thought I'd cry over a guy like this.

I heard a loud knock on my window and jumped a little. I looked over and saw Andre standing there with the most confused and worried look on his face.

"Hon, are you ok?" Andre asked, signaling for me to roll down my window.

I did as he asked and looked up at him. I wanted to lie at first, but if anyone could get me through this it, was my friends. Plus, it would be difficult to lie when my eyes were a water spigot.

"No, I'm not. I-I— " I admitted, struggling to get the words out. My breaths were too short, sending me into a slight panic.

"Ok, deep breaths, Lils, deep breaths," Andre tried to calm me down. He rested his hand over mine, rubbing it with his thumb very gently and slowly.

"I—" I wanted to explain, but nothing came out except more tears and the tiniest of choking sounds.

"Do you want me to get the others?" Andre wondered.

"Please," I forced out with an eager nod.

"Ok." He nodded and rushed back inside. I leaned over to the glove compartment to get some tissues and saw a packet of condoms inside. This car belonged to me, but because Felix's had broken down enough that repairing it would end up costing more than it was worth, I'd let him use my car until he could save up to buy a new one for himself. I didn't have to use the car much anyway, and when I did, it was only for very short trips. I knew these condoms weren't ours because I was allergic to that brand. How long had he been cheating on me?!

I saw my friends walking over and unlocked the doors for them. I watched as they all got in the car one by one. My tears had mostly dried up now, but my eyes were all red and puffy. My "waterproof" eyeliner and mascara didn't seem to be tear-proof, and I was sure I looked like a mess.

"Lily, what's wrong?" Ines asked immediately, her hand going to my back to rub it.

"I—" I wasn't sure what to tell them. I had cried it all out by now, so all I felt was anger, and I didn't exactly handle that emotion too well. "Felix," I answered shortly, taking the napkin Madi handed me and wiping my eyes.

"Oh my god, did something happen to him?" Ines asked worriedly. The look on her face was quite adorable, especially knowing how much it would change once she found out what actually happened.

"Ha!" I laughed humorlessly, shaking my head. "No." I turned in my seat to get a better look at her, Andre, and Madison. "But look what I found," I continued seriously.

"What are—?" Madison asked as I pulled out the condoms I'd just found and presented them to them. "Condoms?" Madison frowned, looking at the packet. One was clearly missing.

"Yep, the fucker's been cheating on me," I huffed, crossing my arms as I looked at them. Saying it out loud sure stung, but it was the truth. I had to deal with it sooner or later.

"I mean, he could've just bought these. I'm not taking his side, by the way. I just want you to be sure," Andre reasoned, picking his words carefully in an effort not to freak me out. I understood where he was coming from. Jumping to conclusion was never a good, idea but this time, I wasn't jumping anywhere. I'd seen everything with my own two eyes.

"Ines helped me take the day off today so I could surprise him, since I knew he'd be home during lunch," I began to tell them the whole story. I knew they only had pieces right now, and they deserved the truth, no matter how ugly. "When I got home, I heard some loud moans, and I looked up to see this brunette on top of him. They were both very much naked, and he was begging her not to stop." I felt Ines place her hand over mine. The look on her face had changed. She was in a state of total disbelief.

"Are you fucking serious right now?" she asked, her mouth hanging open, her blue eyes widening.

"Dead serious," I said in a monotone. I wished this was some kind of joke. Truly. But I didn't think I'd be laughing again any time soon.

"Oh, honey, I'm so, so sorry." Madison reached over, a pitying look on her face. I felt my lips quiver again.

"No, I—" I tried talking again, but I could feel my airways closing up. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment. "Damn it," I muttered shakily.

"It's ok to be upset. Let it all out Lily," Andre assured me. But I had never been one to get all emotional. The last time I'd cried this much was when my parents and I had our falling out.

"I just—what did I do wrong? Wasn't I enough?" I wondered aloud. The rational side of me knew I wasn't at fault, but those thoughts still went through my head. I'd loved him so, so, so much, and he'd betrayed me.

"Some men are just plain stupid. They don't realize they have everything and more," Andre replied, trying to make me feel better. But it just didn't work—at all.

"We built so much together," I realized. "We—I—invested everything in us." I shook my head. Maybe I was the stupid one. "I sacrificed so much." My parents had been against all this from the start. I should've listened to them. They'd never liked Felix, but then again, they never liked anyone I brought home.

"Of course, I've been following my own dreams, but he was part of them," I felt the need to clarify.

"Oh, Lily, I feel so terrible for you." Ines pulled me in for a hug that was slightly uncomfortable in the cramped front seat of the car.

"I always knew there was something off about him," Madison mumbled quietly, earning herself glares from Andre and Ines. She wasn't lying, though. She'd told us openly—and often—that she didn't like Felix; however, she'd never tried to break us up, and she'd still included him in everything for my sake. She truly was a great friend, even if she didn't like my boyfriend—ex?

"I guess I should've listened to you," I mumbled, fidgeting with my hands.

"Let's just focus on what you're going to do now," Andre changed the subject. "But, wait, how did he react when you caught him?" he wondered, letting his curiosity get the best of him.

"He gave me a shocked look, followed by a fake apologetic look, and then literally chased after me. But he couldn't follow me past the door to the apartment," I replayed the scene in my head. I could still see it all vividly.

"Did he say anything?" Madison wondered, her head tilted slightly to the right.

"Yeah, something about being able to explain? I don't really remember. It was hard to focus on anything but the image of him and that woman together." I shrugged helplessly.

"Ok, ok," Andre nodded, his face scrunched up in thought for a moment.

"I hope you plan on dumping him." Ines gave me her motherly look.

"You should kick him out too. The lease is in your name, right?" Andre added.

"Right, he hands me cash every month for rent, but I handle all the details," I answered. I thought about what they'd said for a moment. I definitely had to dump him. I couldn't stay with a cheater. No matter what. I wanted him out of my life, but kicking him out too? I didn't want him to be homeless. Then again, knowing Felix, he would find somewhere to crash no problem. And why should I care anyway? He clearly never cared about me.

"Then that's what you'll do," Madison clapped her hands.

"You don't think I should give him time to find a new place?" I wanted confirmation I was doing the right thing.

"Do you still want him around?" Ines wondered. By the look on her face, I knew she wouldn't accept any answer but 'no.' Luckily the words were already on my tongue.

"Not at all," I admitted truthfully. "I'm done with him. I don't want to see him ever again." I shrugged, knowing that every time I saw his face, it would just remind me of his betrayal.

"Then you should go home and kick him out. If you're feeling generous, you could let him grab a few of his things on the way out," Madison suggested. I nodded in agreement. I would do just that. I didn't want his stuff. He'd paid for it himself. Plus, I didn't want any reminders of him.

"I don't want to do it alone. I don't know why, but I'm scared," I said awkwardly. Though Felix had never gotten violent with me, he was still intimidating when he was mad, and I wasn't too sure how he'd handle it when I finally broke up with him and kicked him out.

"I'll come with you," Andre offered.

"Me too," Ines added rapidly.

"We'll all support you. Always." Madison winked at me with a smile on her lips.