Maraïda: The Billionaire's Surrogate (Billionaire One)(Completed)

Who's Joseph?

Maraïda's POV

Jared had become more engaging in everything concerning the baby. We'd taking another maternity visit together, and we were as well shopping together. It was during one the shopping sprees that I had run into Sophia. Jared had stayed back in the shop to complete the payments. I didn't want them to meet each other under any circumstances. I knew for one Jared still loved and wanted Sophia back and also she was likely to take him back because she seemed to love him more than herself. I had witnessed it. I couldn't take such a chance! So by all means possible I had to make her leave; and as fast as possible.

I did make her leave. But she had the last word;

"...just like you're trying to have my husband. But let me remind you this Maraïda; I am still his legal wife. You? Are just a pitiful, deranged surrogate. You have his baby now, but what else do you have Maraïda?..."

Sophia was right. Hard as it was to admit, she was right. The truth hurt! This baby was all I had to keep a hold on Jared. After her birth, even a joint custody wouldn't be able to guarantee me that place I wanted in his life. What then? What would happen to me then?

It'll all be back to zero. Back to pain, back to voids and emptiness, back to the bottomless pit in solitude.

I needed to do something else, something that would assure me a permanent place in Jared's life. For one, I was glad he hadn't been here to see Sophia, then he'd have gone after her and I'd have ended up looking like a pitiful idiot.

I assembled the remaining dignity I had left, the one Sophia hadn't just smeared with mud, and turned to walk back into the shop, to go back for Jared; but froze in my steps. Someone stood right in front of me, staring intensely at me. It wasn't an unfamiliar face; no! It wasn't! I knew who it was, very well.

"Mara? Maraïda?" He called out, "I thought I must have seen wrong but it is you! Maraïda Elina Mendoza!"

"Go away Joseph, I do not want to talk or have anything to do with you." I tried ignoring him. He was a part of a past I badly wanted to leave behind, "Just leave me alone, and please stay away from me." I walked pass him, only to walk right into Jared who was also starring back, a little look of confusion on his face.

He glanced in Joseph's direction, then back at me, "Are you OK? Is there a problem Maraïda?"

"No! There isn't. Nothing at all. Let's go!" I told him. But my words were meaningless. He didn't budge. He was still staring, no! glaring at Joseph, who was glaring back.

"Jared! Let's go, please!" I tugged on Jared's arm like a hungry little kid. If he were to find out who this Joseph guy was, I'd be in trouble. My plans might fall out. I caught Joseph's eye slid down to my belly, at that moment, I felt very conscious of myself. "Jared, please! We should go!"

"Who is this Maraïda?" Joseph asked, "you just disappeared for what? eight months! No note, no warning, nothing! And now you're pregnant! And this man, who's this man? Is he your sugar daddy? Is that what you've been doing? Is that why you left me? Is he the reason why you broke up with me Mara?"

"Go away Joseph! You and I were done a long time ago, so please, leave!" I begged him. He was going to ruin everything for me, "My life is different now, so please, I'm begging you, just go, leave me alone." This guy wanted to ruin everything I was trying build. He still just stood there and never moved. He was glaring at Jared who didn't seem to appreciate it either. I took Jared's hand and pulled him away. To my biggest surprise, he just followed, he didn't ask anything. No explanation. No questions. Nothing.

I felt bad and a little sorry for Joseph. He didn't deserve any of this. He had been very good to me once in my life. When I had no one, he was there; when I needed a friend, he was that friend but when he could no longer be of help to me, I left him. I left him; I walked away from him; also because I thought I no longer deserved him. Not after what I had done after we broke up.

Jared and I walked to the parking lot where all the stuffs we had bought had already been parked into his Range Rover velar, he hadn't said anything yet. He didn't look any different than he had been before seeing Joseph. He guided me safely into the car.

"Jared, we didn't get any wall decorations for the nursery," I tried to make small talk,

"I've already called a specialist for that, they will do it perfectly. We just need to pick out a design." he said as he rowed into his own seat, "seatbelt,"

"Uhm! Could you help me with that," I had started having difficulties with bending over. He bent over from his seat and pulled out the seat belt, securing it around me without a single word. His silent attitude was killing me.

He drove in the same silence, not even drifting his eyes from the road for two seconds to look at me.

"Don't you want to know who Joseph is? If you do, I'll tell you everything you."

"Like what? He is a person from your past?"

"Yeah but,"

"It's OK Maraïda! I know these things are very sensitive for you. I don't want to risk you having another break down for probably nothing. Plus, the past is past." This got me so relieved I slumped down into my seat, feeling better than before.

Everything was OK.