Chapter 4: The list

Miranda

I’ve never been a woman of faith, but I found myself praying to God, the universe, or any higher power that could help me in this moment.

I can’t even begin to imagine the bloodbath that would ensue if Richard were to see Magnus.

“I’m coming!” I quickly rearranged the sofas and rushed to open the door. “Hello, Richard.”

“Finally, you open up. What were you doing?” He walked past me without paying much attention to my appearance. “Were you with someone?”

I became more nervous when I saw the two wine glasses on the table. With so many things on my mind, I must have forgotten to hide them.

“Yes, well, something like that. It wouldn’t be a sin to have two glasses of wine, you know?”

Richard was looking at me, and I swear he could see through my eyes all the things I did with Magnus just a few minutes ago. He examined me carefully, and his calm demeanor slowly faded.

He knows. He knows I’m hiding something.

“We agreed that if there were problems, we would talk about them. Tell me, what’s going on?”

I was about to sleep with the man you’re suing. Surprise.

“Nothing.”

“You look nervous, love.” A noise came from the guest room. That got Richard’s attention. “What was that?”

“I always drop boxes, you know. Anyway, tell me, how can I help you?”

“It’s about that idiot Magnus. I heard he already has a lawyer. Don’t you find that strange? I thought no one would be on his side. I don’t know how much money he’s paying that girl.”

“Wait, what girl?”

I thought he was playing with me, that he already knew the whole truth and was just testing me, but his actions and the loving way he still looks at me make it clear that he has no idea that I am Magnus’s new lawyer.

“I have no idea who she is and I’m not interested, no girl could beat me in court.”

“Excuse me?” I stepped back a bit, crossing my arms. “Are you saying a woman isn’t capable of kicking your ass?”

“That’s not what I…” He looked somewhat regretful. “Sometimes I forget that my girlfriend is a feminist.”

“It has nothing to do with feminism. It’s just that you think that because we’re women, we can’t go far. Tell me, is that what you think of me? Do you think that if you and I faced each other in court, I wouldn’t win?”

“I’m sure you’d give me a beating.”

He knows that’s not the kind of answer I’m expecting, but I don’t feel like arguing. Not right now, and certainly not with Magnus just a few meters away.

“I’m a bit stressed, Miranda. Being with my girl would do me good, you once said that sex would be the best way to get rid of all the bad things that happened to us during the day. Do you still think the same?”

My answer to that question would always have been a “Yes”, I don’t know what’s stopping me right now.

“I don’t think it’s a good time now, Richard.”

“I won’t force you then. You know what? I forgot my jacket here the other night, do you have it?”

“It’s in my room, you can go get it.”

As soon as Richard moved away from me, Magnus took the opportunity to come out of the guest room.

“We need to talk about what happened,” he whispered.

“Not now, I’ll call you tonight.”

“Sweetie, usually I’m the one who calls the girls.”

“Well, you’ll have to get used to things being different with me. I’ll call you, Magnus.”

“I love it when you get stubborn.”

I had to suppress the urge to smile. I don’t know if this flirting strategy works for him with all the girls, but the fact that he likes my way of being could become my weakness.

“Leave, now.”

“As you command, my lady.”

With a smile, he hurries out of the apartment. The door hasn’t even closed yet and Silvia walks in, looking like she’s seen a ghost.

She drops her things on the couch and is still in shock.

“No way,” she speaks in a much higher pitch. “Was that…?”

“Yes.”

I wish I hadn’t smiled.

“Are you guys dating or something?”

“It’s complicated, let me explain later.”

“Miranda,” Richard comes back to me and completely ignores Silvia. “What is this?”

It’s my turn to be in shock when I see what he has in his hand: the pregnancy test.

I feel my skin burning, my legs about to give way, the words get stuck in my mouth and I can’t find a way to give a coherent explanation. I’m at a loss for words.

“It’s mine,” Silvia quickly takes the pregnancy test.

“I was with Miranda a while ago and we found out, I was hoping no one else would know, thanks for digging through my friend’s trash, Richard.”

“Do you know who the father is, Silvia?”

“It’s a very funny story.”

I stopped paying attention to the conversation when I realized what I had done. I drank wine while being pregnant, what the hell was I thinking? I look at the glass on the table with terror, I only took a sip, it’s not that bad, right?

I think I’m still not aware that I’m pregnant, it’s something that worries me, but it still feels unreal. Am I a bad person? A bad mother?

“Miranda,” Richard takes me by the shoulders. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m still processing things. Silvia is going to be a mom; we have to throw a big party.”

“Definitely. I think there are things you need to talk about, I better give you some space. It’s a shame the baby isn’t yours, it would have been nice to start a family with you, but it will be another time.”

I see that my silence worries him, so he decides to leave and once I’m alone with my friend, she forces me to sit next to her and waits for me to tell her everything.

“And please, friend, don’t tell me the baby’s father is Magnus.”

“What? No!”

“So it is Richard’s.”

“I don’t know either.”

Silvia has always been like my compass, helping me choose between good and bad, I’ve listened to her advice hundreds of times, but I rarely follow it. I should have listened to her a few weeks ago when she told me that alcohol wouldn’t help me get over my ex-boyfriend, then Richard came into my life and the rest is history.

I guess it’s the nail that has to pull out another nail. I was updating Silvia on what happened with Magnus and Richard, what has happened in my life, I gave her as many details as I remembered just to put her in context, I hope it helped.

“Let me see if I understood, you were about to sleep with your boyfriend’s enemy?” I nod. “And you’re not really in love with your boyfriend, because you still miss Josh, right?”

“Yes.”

“But you have feelings for Magnus, a man who seems to have been with all the women in New York, but in some strange way you’re starting to feel things for him after practically days of knowing each other.”

“Yes, I think you’ve made a good summary of my life.”

“You’re crazy, Miranda.”

“I know!” I run my hands over my face, frustrated.

I wish I didn’t have to complicate things so much. Sometimes I wonder if there’s something wrong with me, if I became this new person just because I broke up with Josh.

“And I’m missing the most important detail, you’re pregnant and you don’t know who the father is! We need to solve this as soon as possible.”

“We can do a paternity test right now if you want. I’ll tell my baby, hey can you come out for a moment? I want to know which of all the men in New York is your father.”

“Very funny,” she gives me the fakest smile. “You don’t have to wait for the baby to be born, there are DNA tests that only require a blood sample from the mother and a simple cheek swab from the possible father, it can be done from the tenth week of gestation.”

“Did you hear the part where I tell you I don’t know who the father is?”

“It could be Richard’s, we can’t rule out that possibility, the tests are expensive, but I’m sure you can afford it and if not, I’ll help you know. But it would be good to start making a list of the possible candidates to be the father of your baby.”

“It will take us hours.”

“Good thing we have plenty of time.”

And that’s how time flew by and it soon got dark. I agreed to meet with Silvia later to finish our list, I had a lot of work to do and there were still things I hadn’t resolved about Magnus’s lawsuit.

After what Richard said, I convinced myself of something, and that is that no matter what happens, I will win the trial, Richard will just have to swallow all his words.

Now comes the hard part. I pick up the phone and they answer on the third ring of my call.

“I was eagerly awaiting your call, Miranda, although I’m surprised you made it.”

“I told you I would call.”

“I just thought you’d be busy with your boyfriend.”

“Jealous, Magnus?”

“A little, actually.”

I didn’t expect that. I’ve heard hundreds of things about the richest tycoon in all of New York, that he’s arrogant, haughty, without a hint of humility and much less empathy, these days Magnus has shown me that I shouldn’t believe everything they say about him.

At least with me, it’s different.

“Did you call me to come to your apartment to finish what we started?”

“I’m calling about something more important than that.”

“Oh, wait give me a second, don’t hang up.”

He puts me on hold, I need to organize my thoughts.

I have to put an end to this, whatever happened will not happen again. I just have to find a way to do it…, but who am I kidding? At this point, I don’t know if I can stay away from Magnus.

“Okay, you have my full attention, what did you want to tell me?”

“I…, uh.”

“Yes?”

Okay, here I go, I’ll do it.