what about our baby?”
“There can’t be a baby. Don’t you see? You have to get rid of it. It’s the only way.”
“Get rid of it?”
“Yes. Have an abortion.”
“But I don’t want an abortion,” she’d said. “I want to keep it.”
“Then you’re on your own,” he’d said. “I won’t have anything to do with it. If you don’t take care of this problem we’re done.”
“But you just said you love me,” she’d whispered.
“Love has nothing to do with it. This is business. And I can’t let a little accident like this jeopardize my position with the agency,” Pence had said. “Please, just think about it?”
At a loss for words, she’d nodded.
“Good,” Pence had said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to attend a dinner party. With my wife.”
And with that he was gone.
Becky had stared after him, mouth agape. What was she supposed to do now?
The next week had been a nightmare. She’d crunched numbers, searched the internet and racked her brain, trying to find a way through the predicament she had suddenly found herself in.
Eventually, though, she’d admitted the truth to herself.
She was twenty-three. She had seventy-five thousand dollars in student loans and only made twenty-four thousand dollars a year. There was no way she could raise this baby on her own. And there’d be no help coming from the man she had thought loved her.
Worse, if she kept the baby her career would take a nosedive just when it was starting to get off the ground. The financially secure future she had imagined would disappear in a puff of smoke.
She’d end up like her parents, working two jobs and worrying over every penny she spent for the rest of her life. That was no way to live—or to raise a child.
There was only one choice she could make.
When she’d arrived for her appointment at the family planning clinic it was with cold anger and hot despair stomping on her heart. Rubbing her still-flat belly, she’d made her soon-to-be-aborted baby a promise.
She would never forget him—for it had become a him in her mind—and Pence would pay dearly for this betrayal if it was the last thing she did.
Hot tears leaked down her face now, as she stroked the image. She’d never forgive herself for not standing up to him. For allowing him to control her and for letting him convince her to do something that had felt so wrong.
No man would ever have that much power over her again.
Wiping her tears away with her sleeve, Becky slid the box back under the bed. She had to get to sleep. She had a competition to win—and a living nightmare to defeat.
FOUR
Mark arrived at the office bright and early, doughnuts and coffee in hand. After the relaxed evening they’d shared he was looking forward to working with Becky today.
Tucking the breakfast items under his chin, he opened his office door, expecting to see it empty. But Becky was already there, pounding away at her computer, punishing the keys with every clack.
“Good morning, early bird! I brought breakfast.”
Becky looked up. If the dark circles under her eyes were any indication, Mark thought, she’d never left the office.
She smiled frostily. “Nice of you to make an appearance. Considering how much work we have to do, I thought it would be best to get an early start.”
Whoa . Okay. Apparently they were playing a new game.
“Sorry. I thought eight-thirty on a Saturday was plenty early.”
“And that’s why I’m going to win and you’re not,” she snapped. “This job takes dedication.”
“I’ve got news for you, princess. Neither one of us is going to win if we can’t find a way to merge these two campaigns.”
She waved dismissively at him.
“I’m working on it. Why don’t you go over there and look for some pretty pictures or something?”
All right. Enough was enough.
“I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to go over there and come up with another, even more kick-ass idea. And when David asks what
“There can’t be a baby. Don’t you see? You have to get rid of it. It’s the only way.”
“Get rid of it?”
“Yes. Have an abortion.”
“But I don’t want an abortion,” she’d said. “I want to keep it.”
“Then you’re on your own,” he’d said. “I won’t have anything to do with it. If you don’t take care of this problem we’re done.”
“But you just said you love me,” she’d whispered.
“Love has nothing to do with it. This is business. And I can’t let a little accident like this jeopardize my position with the agency,” Pence had said. “Please, just think about it?”
At a loss for words, she’d nodded.
“Good,” Pence had said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to attend a dinner party. With my wife.”
And with that he was gone.
Becky had stared after him, mouth agape. What was she supposed to do now?
The next week had been a nightmare. She’d crunched numbers, searched the internet and racked her brain, trying to find a way through the predicament she had suddenly found herself in.
Eventually, though, she’d admitted the truth to herself.
She was twenty-three. She had seventy-five thousand dollars in student loans and only made twenty-four thousand dollars a year. There was no way she could raise this baby on her own. And there’d be no help coming from the man she had thought loved her.
Worse, if she kept the baby her career would take a nosedive just when it was starting to get off the ground. The financially secure future she had imagined would disappear in a puff of smoke.
She’d end up like her parents, working two jobs and worrying over every penny she spent for the rest of her life. That was no way to live—or to raise a child.
There was only one choice she could make.
When she’d arrived for her appointment at the family planning clinic it was with cold anger and hot despair stomping on her heart. Rubbing her still-flat belly, she’d made her soon-to-be-aborted baby a promise.
She would never forget him—for it had become a him in her mind—and Pence would pay dearly for this betrayal if it was the last thing she did.
Hot tears leaked down her face now, as she stroked the image. She’d never forgive herself for not standing up to him. For allowing him to control her and for letting him convince her to do something that had felt so wrong.
No man would ever have that much power over her again.
Wiping her tears away with her sleeve, Becky slid the box back under the bed. She had to get to sleep. She had a competition to win—and a living nightmare to defeat.
FOUR
Mark arrived at the office bright and early, doughnuts and coffee in hand. After the relaxed evening they’d shared he was looking forward to working with Becky today.
Tucking the breakfast items under his chin, he opened his office door, expecting to see it empty. But Becky was already there, pounding away at her computer, punishing the keys with every clack.
“Good morning, early bird! I brought breakfast.”
Becky looked up. If the dark circles under her eyes were any indication, Mark thought, she’d never left the office.
She smiled frostily. “Nice of you to make an appearance. Considering how much work we have to do, I thought it would be best to get an early start.”
Whoa . Okay. Apparently they were playing a new game.
“Sorry. I thought eight-thirty on a Saturday was plenty early.”
“And that’s why I’m going to win and you’re not,” she snapped. “This job takes dedication.”
“I’ve got news for you, princess. Neither one of us is going to win if we can’t find a way to merge these two campaigns.”
She waved dismissively at him.
“I’m working on it. Why don’t you go over there and look for some pretty pictures or something?”
All right. Enough was enough.
“I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to go over there and come up with another, even more kick-ass idea. And when David asks what
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