The Billionaire’s Hidden Heiress
Chapter 129

Johnathon POV

The doctor's office is cold, white, and sterile. It could be any doctor's office except for the basic fact that this one caters to the rich and wealthy. The receptionist eyes me waiting but says nothing, other than to offer me more coffee or water. I decline both, my anxiety skyrocketing as more time passes. I glance down at my wristwatch and heave a sigh. By the time they have received the results, it won't be worth going to work, except as an excuse to avoid Charlotte. That seems alright with me. My phone rings and I glance down at it, pressing it to silent as Charlotte's name comes up on the screen. She's the last person I feel like speaking to right now. I'm thankful that Mr. Ferryweather hasn't deigned to call me either, not sure I can bite my tongue when it comes to saying anything in relation to his affair with my w***e of a wife.

My b**t has gone numb from sitting on the uncomfortable chairs. My back is throbbing painfully and I'm developing a headache behind the eyes. I rub my forehead. Surely it won't be much longer? How long does it take to get the results of a simple damn test? I can feel sweat beading on my forehead and restlessly wipe it off. The waiting room, thankfully is pretty much empty and I can get up and pace around in between waiting, in order to stretch my legs out or work out my restless energy. "Mr Rourke? Johnathon Rourke?"

It takes me a minute to remember that I made the appointment under my original name instead of Deluca. I glance up and see the doctor motioning for me to join him back in his office. I get up and stretch, my legs easily loping to catch up with Dr Fadden's pace as we walk into the back of the building and into his office. He gestures for me to take a seat and sits down behind his desk, his expression inscrutable.

He examines his clipboard and types something into the computer, glancing at me expressionless. At this point in time it's difficult to tell whether it's good news or bad news. My heart is thumping wildly in my chest. The doctor pauses and gives a sigh. I feel a sense of foreboding in my chest, as my heart begins to hurt and my palms grow clammy.

"Mr Rourke," the doctor said quietly "you came in today to get certain results in regards to your sperm count and fertility" he continued, picking the clipboard up and folding over a piece of paper "I'm here to give you the results."

He pauses and gives me an almost pitying look "I'm afraid to tell you that after analyzing your semen we have discerned you have azoospermia."

"In English please," I say quietly.

It sounds foreboding. I swallow past the lump in my throat. The doctor clears his throat.

"I'm afraid it means that you had no sperm or there was an absence of sperm in your semen" he continued as my heart skipped a beat "I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that you are infertile Mr Rourke. There is no likelihood of you ever being able to conceive a child with your wife or current partner."

It was like being dealt a physical blow. My heart felt like it was being torn to shreds. I wanted to yell or physically hit something in my frustration. My suspicions about the child that Charlotte was carrying had just been confirmed. There was no way it was my baby. I glanced at the doctor who eyed me carefully "Is there anything that can be done? What causes this?"

"Unfortunately there is no cure," he said gravely "and as for the cause, it could be any number of factors. An accident when you were younger, such as a car accident might have contributed, there are genetic factors, and sometimes it just occurs without any known reason."

I nodded slowly.

"I know this is not something you wanted to hear and I can arrange for counseling, support, anything you might need to cope with this traumatic news. I know this is hard for you Mr Rourke" the doctor sighed "and if we could fix it, we would." "Thank you for the results," I said numbly, standing up and shaking his hand.

It felt like all the blood was rushing to my head. I was in a state of disbelief. No wonder Flair and I had never got pregnant for those three years. I had secretly blamed her for it, when it had been my fault the entire time. What a bastard I was. What an evil b***h Charlotte was, palming somebody else's child on me. I shook my head in disgust, walking woodenly out of the doctor's office, my movements stiff and jerky as I walked on autopilot through the reception area, paying for my appointment and then quietly heading

out the door.

I had just taken the car instead of the limo. I had wanted to drive myself. The parking lot was behind the office and there was an underground garage. As I walked outside I closed my eyes tightly for a moment, fighting back tears. I was devastated at the thought of never being able to have children, but my devastation ran further than that. My wife was cheating on me, she was carrying somebody else's baby and she may have tried to kill her own grandfather. Why was I still trying to protect her I wondered numbly. Getting my hands on the company no longer seemed desirable. In fact I was sickened at the thought of it, or of having to stay with Charlotte and raise a child not my own.

I needed to tell Grandfather everything I concluded, breathing steadily and trying to take in the fresh air as my body turned itself toward the direction of the garage. He deserved to know what Charlotte had been up to. I was no longer a willing accomplice, not anymore. Charlotte had gone too far. She had taken me for granted and she had manipulated the situation and the people around her to do her bidding. I allowed myself a moment of regret for leaving Flair and the marriage I could have had if I had seen past Charlotte's true nature for the person she really was.

It was too late to take everything back now. I couldn't remarry Flair or take back the months I'd lost with Charlotte. I had been unnecessarily cruel to my ex-wife and had even dared to try and win her back when I discovered she was a Grant. I was a foolish, foolish man. A cowardly man. No wonder Charlotte saw fit to go behind my back and connive with her little ideas. I exhaled and began to trudge down to the garage, my head bowed down low.

Maybe it was for the best, I thought glumly. I could start my life over, even downsize the law firm if I had to. Find a nice woman who would treat me well instead of like garbage. I put my hands in my pockets and shivered in the cool air. The sound of a car behind me made me pause but didn't set off any flags. I assumed it was another car coming to park. That was my first mistake.

The sound of the car accelerating was enough to make me look up. I felt the hard body of the car against my body as it flew across the air and fell with a thud, rolling across the ground, my body bruised and bloodied. The car didn't stop. It kept going, the squeal of the tires a sound that would be permanently etched in my brain. I could hardly breathe. My vision was dim. I heard shouting in the distance. Every movement I made caused excruciating pain to shoot through my body. I could feel blood trickling out of me. I squinted as blood poured down my face.

"Jesus Christ, call 911" I heard as somebody knelt beside me.

I felt my breathing constrict and felt the tightness in my chest. Everything hurt. I couldn't move. I wasn't sure I could even feel my legs. It was difficult to keep my eyes open or stop myself from falling asleep.

"Hey, hey you need to stay awake," the woman next to me said, pushing her hand down on my chest as I stared up at her blankly.

"Where's the ambulance?"

"Did anybody see the car?"

"Crazy, it just kept going."

There was only one person this could have been. I knew it in my bones. I wanted to laugh at the irony. That strange glint in her eyes made sense now. My hand twitched as I reached blindly for my cell phone it was no longer there. "Easy now" the woman soothed as I choked on what tasted like my own blood "You're severely injured."

How did I make them understand? How did I make them listen? Quite a crowd had gathered around us, people with their cellphones out, others merely staring. I heard myself wheezing as I tried to stare into the woman's eyes while she applied pressure. "Char" I gasped and then coughed, blood pouring out of my mouth.

"Don't speak, conserve your strength" she said, trying to shush me.

No, I had to get this out. They had to know. If I died, nobody would know the truth. I coughed and spluttered up more blood, the woman glancing desperately for the ambulance to arrive.

"Come on, come on" she muttered.

"Char" I wheezed my eyes bulging "Charlotte" I made a strangled sound, grasping desperately at the woman's hand as she glanced at me.

"Does anyone know if his wife or girlfriend Charlotte is here?" she yelled.

No, that's not what I meant, I tried to say. But I was drained and I was so tired. I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. I heard the distant sound of sirens as my eyes began to close on their own and my body went limp, my mind surrendering gratefully to the darkness beginning to surround me and the knowledge that the pain would be gone if I did.