*THE HOLLEN SERIES 02*
????????????EPISODE 41????????????
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*?? PERSONAL as-sISTANT??*
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Jasmine’s POV
“NO, NO, NO! I CAN’T BE PREGNANT. Doctor,
with all due respect, you have me confused
with another patient. I’M NOT PREGNANT!” I
screamed at Dr. Shannon once I had recovered
and she told me the news again.
“Jasmine, plea-se relax. Take de-ep breaths. I
know sometimes these things are ha-rd to
process, especially when you were not
planning,” she replied while adjusting the pillow
un-derneath my head.
“I just don’t un-derstand. I took two pregnancy
tests. TWO! And they both showed negative,” I
recalled the pregnancy tests Zenia picked up
for me when we went grocery shopping.
“Well, I honestly don’t know what faulty
pregnancy test you picked up, or if you didn’t
follow the directions carefully. Or, in medical
terms, some women’s bodies produce mixed
hormonal signals and sometimes a pregnancy
test cannot be accurate. Stress is a great
factor for doing such.
“So, that’s why some women, when they think
they’re pregnant, prefer going to a doctor for a
thorou-gh examination and blood work, rather
than take a pregnancy test. You ever heard of
‘false positive’? Well, I guess you had a ‘false
negative’,” Dr. Shannon explained.
I closed my eyes, too speechless to form
another s£ntence and I had to process this
news some more.
I’m pregnant.
I’m almost two months fv¢king pregnant.
I have another human-being inside me at this
very moment.
I’m going to get hvge and fat!
I’m pregnant!
Oh dear sweet Mary and Joseph, I’m pregnant
with Evan’s baby!!!
I opened my eyes, hoping this was a bad
dream and I’d wake up in my be-d and hear
Zenia and Mom talking loudly, as usual, while
the television was showing Sanford and Son.
But this wasn’t a dream. I was in a hospital
be-d and pregnant with the child of a man who
wanted absolutely nothing to do with me.
Tears poured from my eyes. Now wasn’t the
time to be pregnant.
Why does God hate me so much?
How was I going to tell Evan this? Would he
even believe me, or think that I’m trying to tra-p
him with a baby?
He had alre-ady moved on. He’d hate me so
much for this.
I don’t want him to hate me anymore than he
alre-ady has.
“I’ll call in your mom and sister again,” Dr.
Shannon said, handing me a box of tissues.
For a moment, I had forgotten she was in the
room. I dried my eyes and sat back up in the
be-d. “Before you leave, can I ask you
something? When can I go home?” I asked
her.
“I’d like to keep you overnight for observation.
You’ve fainted twice alre-ady and I don’t want a
third time to happen. We’ll discuss the baby’s
development and/or options after seeing your
family.”
She left the room.
Five minutes later, Zenia and Mom c@m£ into
the door.
“Hi baby. How are you feeling now?” Mommy
asked.
“Like if I’ve gotten hit by a runaway train.”
“Why?”
I pointed to the monitor of the ultrasound Dr.
Shannon had paused on the screen. Mom’s
eyes traveled in the direction of my f!nger and
g@sped loudly when she saw it.
“Jasmine, you’re pregnant?” she asked. The
look on her face difficult to re-ad.
I nodded yes.
“OMG! OMG! You’re pregnant. I knew it, I just
knew it!” Zenia said delightfully as she jumped
up and down like a kid who received another
piece of candy.
I rolled my eyes.
“Congratulations, sister!” she added in and
hvgged me around my n£¢k.
“Mom,” I said, pleading with my eyes for her
to say something. Anything.
“Just plea-se tell me that the baby is for the
Hollen Boy and not br@dley,” she said.
“Of course it’s his, but I don’t know how he’ll
take this news. He alre-ady hates me and I’m
afraid he’ll want nothing to do with me and the
baby.”
“Jas, Evan Hollen wouldn’t reject his baby. Are
you seriously even saying that right now?”
Zenia asked, feeling a bit disappointed.
“He has to know,” Mom added.
I shook my head no. I knew exactly what
would happen if Evan was to find out about the
baby. The press had alre-ady given me,
somewhat, freedom. If this was to hit the fan,
they’d be having another field-day with it.
“Why are you shaking your head ‘no’? You don’t
want to tell Evan about the baby?” Zenia asked
me again.
“Zenia, plea-se! St©p bugging!” I snapped.
“Well, you must have hit your head when you
fell and lost some s-en-ses because there’s no
way you could keep this a secret from the
father of the child. He has to know,” Zenia
said.
Sometimes, I wondered if I was the big sister
or not. Zenia’s mouth was like a cutting knife
and, with her around, it was a twenty-four-
seven reality check.
“Zenia. Mom. I’m placed between a rock and a
fricking river. I’m being crushed and I feel like
I’m drowning at the same time. Life is just
scre-wing me over and over again,” I said as
more tears c@m£ from my eyes. I was so
easily emotional now.
“Evan Hollen has alre-ady moved on with his
life and I wanted to do that, too. I finally found
another job and made new friends, but look at
me now. I’m in the hospital and I’ve found out
I’m over one month pregnant with a child
whose father alre-ady wants nothing to do with
me.
“Y’all really believe Evan would be happy about
this baby? He’ll hate me even more. He might
even reject this child inside of me! I wouldn’t
be able to handle that!”
“Jas-sy, baby, listen to me. I know the situation
you’re in. I’ve been down that exact road when
I was pregnant with your sister. It’s not a nice
feeling. But don’t pelt any stones at Hollen Boy
before he even knows about the baby. You’re
pas-sing judgement and that’s exactly what got
you in trouble in the first place.
“You ought to tell that man about the child and
come to an un-derstanding.
A baby is involved here. There’s another life
inside of you and the both of you are
responsible for him or her.
“It’s alright if he doesn’t want anything to do
with you. There are plenty of other pregnant
women out there who are not in a relationsh!p
with their baby’s father but the fathers are
taking care of the babies.
“You’re thinking about yourself and not the
baby. You’re responsible for your own life
Jas-sy! You should only depend on you! Don’t
let Hollen Boy break you. You’re a proud black
woman and we don’t crumble at the feet of a
man.
“Show him how independent and powerful you
are with or without him. The last laugh should
be yours.”
I looked in the eyes of my mother. It was just
too much for me.
“I just want my life back,” I said without
comprehending my mother’s words.
“What are you going to do Jasmine?” Zenia
asked, wiping away my tears with a tissue.
“I’m thinking about an ab-ortion.”
_________
*THE HOLLEN SERIES 02*
????????????EPISODE 42????????????
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*?? PERSONAL as-sISTANT??*
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Evan’s POV
I was sitting in my office and staring at the
picture of my parents’ wedding. Emily and I
were still babies but I was such a chubby one.
I wonder what it would be like to actually
become a father.
My office phone rang and re-moved the thought
from my mind.
“Evan Hollen,” I answered.
“Mr. Hollen, I have a Miss Blackman here to
see you,” my secretary said from her end.
My heart skipped a beat. Jasmine?
“Jasmine?” I asked her.
“No. She said her name is Zenia Blackman.
The little sister.”
“s£nd her in.”
Why is Zenia here?
Sitting up in my chair and straightening my
suit, I watched Zenia come throu-gh the door.
She walked up to my desk slowly while gazing
around the room.
“Good morning,” I greeted her.
Her eyes landed on me now. “Good morning,”
she answered back.
“How can I help you?” I asked her.
“There’s something you have to know before
it’s too late,” she said.
My eyebrows crea-sed in confusion and a sm-irk
c@m£ on myl-ips as I shook my head. “What
did your sister put you up to?” I asked her,
turning my attention to the computer to check
my emails. I was a very busy man and I had
absolutely no time for games.
“Jasmine doesn’t even know I’m here. I’ve
gone behind her back being here and telling
you this.”
“Telling me what, Zenia?”
“Mr. Hollen, you should talk to Jasmine
because I think she should be the one to tell
you. My sister misses you dearly but you’re
turning a deaf ear to her. You’re lacking
rationality?”
I looked back at her. She was sitting in the
chair opposite me, locking her eyes
dangerously at me like if she wanted to murder
me.
“It’s compas-sion, love and trusting people
again I lack. Your sister embarras-sed me in
front of the entire company.
Why don’t you just cut to the chase and say
what you really c@m£ here to say because I
doubt you c@m£ all this way to beg on the
behalf of your sister.”
“Jasmine is over one month pregnant and
she’s thinking about having an ab-ortion.”
“WAIT! WHAT?!”
It was the fastest I had ever driven to
someone’s place. It was a wonder that I wasn’t
pu-ll-ed over by a police officer for a speeding
ticket. I pu-ll-ed onto the pavement outside
Jasmine’s ap@rtment. I got out of my car at
lightening speed and ran up the steps to her
front door.
“I’ll tell her that you’re here,” Zenia said behind
me.
She was in the car with me the entire ride
there but, somehow, I felt like I was alone. My
mind had drifted to whole other universe.
She moved past me, inser-ted her key into the
door lock, and went inside. I stood there,
controlling myself with a breathing exercise. I
heard scuffling noises inside the ap@rtment,
like someone was trying to run away quic-kly
from the living room.
“HE’S OUTSIDE!” I heard Zenia’s voice.
I pushed the door in and walked into the
ap@rtment.
Jasmine was standing against a door which I
as-sumed was her be-droom door.
“Jasmine, come here,” I told her, gesturing with
my hand for her to come to me. I looked
around for her mother so I could greet, and
meet, her, but there wasn’t an elder woman in
sight.
She must be out.
Jasmine walked over slowly. Her hands
covered her stomach and she held her head
down like a child who just got disciplined.
“I’d like to talk to you outside in the car,” I
said as she got in front of me. I turned on my
heel and walked out of the ap@rtment, glancing
over my shoulder every second, ma-king certain
she was following me.
____________
Jasmine’s POV
He opened the car door on the pas-s£nger’s
side and I got in without saying a word.
I can’t believe Zenia snitched on me!
I watched as he c@m£ around on the driver’s
side and slid into the seat. He started car and
turned on the AC units. He was looking
straight ahead throu-gh the windshield while he
fidgeted with his f!ngers.
“Are you pregnant?” he finally asked.
“Yes,” I answered. My voice was like a
whisper. I was scared and panicked thinking of
what he might say to me.
“Is there a possibility that someone else could
be the father?” he asked and I knew exactly
what, and who, he was referring to.
“No,” I answered, truthfully. “I’ve never been
S-xually involved with anyone ap@rt from you,” I
added in quic-kly.
His eyes remained ahead.
“But I’ve been looking at other options that I
could have,” I said to quell the unfriendly
tension between us.
“What other options?” he asked sharply, turning
to me now, and rocking fear to my core. His
eyes had alre-ady gone into an ecli-pse.
“I’ve been looking up on an adoption agency
and/or an ab-ortion and even–” I began to
explain.
He cut me off. “Jasmine, what’s the name of
that drug you’ve been taking?” he asked me,
tilting my head towards his face.
His t©uçh made me shiver all over again and I
hated myself for allowing such feeling to
happen in his pres£nce. Evan Hollen would
always have an effect on me.
“Drug?” I asked confused.
His dark eyes scanned my entire b©dy.
“Well you have to be taking something in order
for you to be speaking like someone without
any s-en-se.”
“Evan, I was only exploring options.”
“Well then St©p exploring damn options!” he
yelled, causing me to leap with fright.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to yell,” he quic-kly
apologized after seeing I was frightened by his
tone of voice.
“I don’t think this baby is coming at the right
time. We’ve alre-ady p@rted ways and are
moving on in life. I just want my life back,
Evan. I’m strongly leaning to an ab-ortion,” I
said. I wiped the sweat from my hands on my
jeans. I was nervous as a sinner in church.
Evan adjusted himself on the car seat so that
he was facing me undivided. “Do you realize
you’re sitting in MY car, carrying MY child, yet
you’re talking some bull$h!t about ab-ortion and
or adoption?
“Jasmine, do you think I’m one of those
deadbeat dads out there looking for the easy
way out? Hell would have to freeze over
before you give my kid up for adoption, and
you’ll be having an ab-ortion over my dead
b©dy!”
I froze.
I found myself looking at him and admiring the
man I couldn’t seem to get over. It was like,
every time I saw him, he bec@m£ more
handsome. He had grown a clean beard, which
complimented his face and made him look
more mature. Just when I thought he couldn’t
get any more handsome, he just had to go
mouth watering on a woman.
“I just got an idea,” he said, shaking me from
my trance. “Pack your things.”
“Pack my things?” I repeated, wondering if I
had heard him correctly.
“You’re moving into my mansion.”
_____________
*TO BE CONTINUED*