Chapter Text
Chas looked at the pregnancy test, not believing her eyes. One stupid mistake after she caught Carl cheating and now she having pregnant by a King. Sadly, not Carl, not that she wanted to be pregnant, she was already a rotten mum to her little boy. There was no way she was going to have this baby and keep it after leaving her son with his father.
She went to the clinic and got information about an abortion. She shoved the pamphlet in her bag and went to work. Hoping to avoid all the Kings today. Luck wasn’t on her side because she ran into Matthew King…literally. Her bag fell spilling out the contents, including the termination pamphlet. She went to grab it but Matthew beat her to it. He leaned over, grabbed it and held it in front of him.
“Pregnant? How far along?”
“None of your business,” she snapped.
“I know you haven’t been with Carl in months, he’s been whining about it. So, I wouldn’t put it past you to throw yourself around, you did with me.”
“I’ve only slept with one person since I broke up with Carl but don’t worry about this, I’m getting it taken care of as soon as possible.”
“So you’re pregnant with my child?”
“Not for long.” She pushed past him and went into the back to compose herself.
The next morning, Matthew King was waiting in front of Zak and Lisa’s.
“What are you doing here? I thought you wouldn’t dare bring yourself near the lowly peasants,” Chas said to him.
“Have you had the termination yet?” he asked like he was asking about the weather.
“Not yet, my appointment is a few days. But like I said before, it’s not any of your concern.”
“Marry me.”
Chas stopped dead in her tracks. She looked at Matthew and laughed. “There’s not enough money in the world.”
“You have another child, right?”
This caused her to tense up. “Don’t you dare threaten my Aaron.”
“Not threaten. What if you could live with him again. Not worry about a roof over your head.”
“What are you on about?” she asked casually.
“We get married, with a prenup of course. I’ll make sure it’s down on paper that you will always have a home as long as you keep this child. You can bring your other child here and raise them both.”
“What about you?”
“We’ll have to live together for optics but as for a real marriage, it’s not, it’s more like a business arrangement.”
“No deal. I’m not for sale.”
“Would be a shame if your ex-husband lost his job and not find anything closer than Scotland. Then you wouldn’t even see your son for holidays.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Oh, Chasity, I think you’ll find, I very much would.”
“What about Carl?”
“What about him? Keep the baby or not, do you really think he’ll want you back after finding out you slept with me.”
“You took advantage, I was drunk and lonely.”
“Took advantage? You threw yourself at me. Now, do we have an agreement.”
“I don’t want to marry you.”
“This isn’t about want. This is about your other child. You can decide not to keep this baby and I’ll make sure you never see the other one again. Not that it seems like you care that much about him.”
She pulled her hand back and slapped him. “I love my Aaron, don’t you dare say that I don’t. I was young and didn’t have anything when I left him with his dad. If I knew Gordon would have turned my son against me, I never would have left him with him.”
“Say yes and I will have the best family law solicitor at the door, helping you to get your son back. No more holiday mum, but a real proper mum again.”
“I’ll be tied to you for eighteen years if I do this.”
“There are worse futures.”
“Like you and your brothers turned out so well.”
“Think about his Chasity, think long and hard before you go to that clinic. You could be set for life.” She didn’t believe for a second he would give her money, nor did she want anything from him. But she did believe he would make it so Gordon took Aaron so far away she would never see him again.
“Why ask me to marry you? Why not ask me to have the baby and give it to you, not like I would do that either.”
“I want an heir, not a baby.”
“I thought you said Carl was too good for me. Now you want me pushing out your sprog?”
“Even a beaten down mare can have a champion.”
After Matthew left, she couldn’t stop thinking about Aaron and the last time she saw him. She had slapped him. She was so angry and he was too much like her. Telling her she would never be his real mother. She has no excuse for hitting him. Matthew would need a miracle worker solicitor to help her get custody.
Was she really thinking about this? She knew Matthew well enough to know he would keep his promise about Gordon. He would move far away and the little she got to see Aaron would stop. But if she kept this baby, she could get her son back. Raise him like a proper mum. She didn’t know how she felt about the baby inside of her. Carl was going to go spare when he found out. Which apparently Matthew was going to tell him if she kept the baby or not. Then there was Tom King, he was even worse than Matthew.
If she was going to do this and it was a big if, she needed on paper that he would help get her custody of Aaron. And that she would keep custody of this baby, even when they divorce because she sure as hell wasn’t staying married to that horrible man.
Three months later, she was standing in front of the judge, shocked. Matthew had actually pulled it off. Two things worked in her favour. Apparently once Gordon got the court date to see about changing custody, Sandra took her daughter and ran off. The other was Aaron told the judge he wanted to live with Chas. She was flabbergasted. She didn’t like how poorly looking he was, the judge seemed to notice that too. She believed the judge thought Gordon wasn’t taking care of Aaron. Chas could have spoken up for Gordon but he tried everything in the book to kill her character.
She was four months along now and just barely showing. Carl hadn’t been happy when he found out about Chas and the baby. He was even more unhappy finding out the baby’s father was Matthew. They got married with only Diane, her boss and Jimmy, Matthew’s brother as their witnesses. Carl called her every name under the sun but she had Aaron back in her life and she wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Aaron was going to be with her primarily but visit Gordon every other weekend and a month during the summer. She didn’t know why but Aaron looked even paler when the judge declared the custody arrangement.
One of the biggest demands of Chas was she wanted a house, one in her name. Someplace her and her children couldn’t be kicked out. She had it put in the prenup that the house would go back to her when they divorce. Matthew bought The Mill for her. They would live together but all would have their own room, and mostly Matthew said he would stay at Home Farm, just coming to lead the pretence of a real marriage.
Aaron knew he messed up, he never thought he’d have to go visit his dad again. The judge said that he would have to visit him every other weekend and a whole month during the summers. The look on his dad’s face promised that he would pay for telling saying he wanted to live with his mum. He didn’t really want to live with her but he just couldn’t take living in that house anymore. He hated his room. He hated his bed. He hated everything about that place. At first he was going to tell the judge he wanted to live with his dad but then Sandra left with his little sister. That meant no one would be there and his dad would blame him for her leaving, like he did a few weeks ago. The first time it happened, he didn’t know what was happening. He was older now, he should have been able to fight him off, he was twelve after all.
“Aaron, I’m so happy you wanted to come live with us,” his mum said as she drove a new car. He knew she couldn’t afford something this nice, it was her new husband’s he bet.
“Do I get a lock on my door?” he asked. He wasn’t allowed one with his dad.
“Of course, if that’s what you want. You are a growing lad.”
He nodded. He knew she was just trying to play happy families with her new husband. The only reason she wanted him back. She was going to have a new baby, new husband, new life. She wanted people to think she was a perfect mum. She wasn’t but that didn’t matter. Maybe he could sleep with the lock.
Robert was pretty sure, his life was the best it’s ever been. He had Katie and his dad had begrudgingly accepted that they were going to be together. He loved Katie and wanted to be with her for the rest of his life, now Andy just needed to deal with it.