Page 65 of Obsessed Mr. O’Brian

“You don’t understand, Artur. I just wanted you. None of this would have happened if you had just loved me,” she sobs.

“I don’t. I never will. You lied to me,” I snarl.

Millie tenses. I realize my mistake.

“Fine. if I can’t have you, no one can,” Regina declares.

Regina places Lola on the ground but squats menacingly beside her with her hands squeezing her delicate shoulders.

“You want to know why this worthless little retard likes cars so much? Because I told her that’s the only place safe from me.” She turns Lola to face the wide-open glass door. Yellow cabs streak by on the road. “Go on, idiot. Run. Run away from me,” Regina taunts.

When Lola stands frozen in fear, Regina raises her hand to slap her. I lunge.

Lola darts forward before I can catch her. In my periphery, Millie grabs Regina’s wrist and punches her in the temple with a single, savage blow. Regina’s eyes roll to the back of her head, and her body falls limp.

The doorman jumps into the open doorway. Lola ducks but trips on the man’s foot. She lands on the sidewalk with a sickening skid. I push the man out of the way and lift my daughter into my arms. Inconsolable, Lola screams and flails like a demon possessed. I accept each of her tiny, stinging blows as she hits my face, chest, and shoulders and kicks my stomach. I deserve so much more for not realizing her mother was hurting her.

Flashing red-and-blue lights pull up to the curb. EMS arrives first, followed by a slew of police cars. Lola’s screaming and crying worsens the more strangers surround us.

I carry her inside and falter at the glorious sight of Millie standing beside an unconscious Regina with a phone in her hand and cold vengeance in her eyes. Concern tightens her brow, but she motions for me to sit with Lola in the armchair.

I stalk straight to Millie, turn Lola around, and smoosh her between our bodies as I wrap Millie in a hug. Lola screeches, recognizes her favorite person, then dissolves into heart-wrenching wails.

Blood oozes from the scrapes on Lola’s knees and elbows and trails across the back of Millie’s hand from her split knuckle, but Regina’s continued unconsciousness seems to be the worst of the damage.

Millie lifts dead eyes.

“You can’t save me this time. I punched Lola’s mother in broad daylight, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I’m going to jail,” she says.

“You’re not going to jail. Regina isn’t Lola’s mother anymore,” I state.

She lifts a disbelieving brow.

“How can she not be? You two—”

“Were never together,” I interrupt.

Surprise creases her forehead.

“What? How? That doesn’t make sense,” she says.

“The night we spent in the hotel room,” I begin but stall out when Lola buries her face between Millie’s breasts and shudders.

“What about it?” Millie prompts.

I swallow and force the pathetic words from my throat.

“She drugged me,” I admit.

“What?!”

The horror in Millie’s eyes encourages me to continue.

“Regina drugged me. She was already pregnant with Lola even though I never touched her. She’d planned to baby trap me with another man’s child,” I explain.

Millie shakes her head. I spear my hand into her hair and hold her still so she doesn’t miss a single second of my seriousness.

“But she failed. I’m not trapped. Lola is the best thing, aside from you, that ever happened to me. I’ve been there for her since before she was born. I love her. And so do you.” I duck my head and press my forehead to hers. Lola clings to us both. “She’s ours, Millie. Our daughter.”