fine, but the reason I’m calling is because I received a bill in the mail from a Dr. Monroe’s office. My lawyer said that you got a job, so I’d like to know why you aren’t using their insurance now instead of mine? I looked over the paperwork Emilyn, it says that any medical coverage now falls on you. So where would you like me to mail this bill?”
Okay, obviously I was wrong. This was not what I had expected when he said we needed to talk. Well, I’d actually had no idea what he’d want to talk about, but a bill wasn’t it. “Your lawyer was correct, I do have a job. But it isn’t enough to cover my medical expenses.” Harper tapped me on the shoulder and whispered that she wanted to hear the conversation too, so I hit speakerphone.
“I’m not going to support you forever Emilyn. Put yourself on their insurance.” He was getting worked up and I didn’t want him angry when I told him the news.
“I already have West, but the coverage isn’t enough to pay for my appointments. I just need a few months to stay under your plan and then you can remove me.” I was pleading with him but I had no other choice. My insurance wouldn’t cover very much of the pregnancy and I didn’t want to start off my life with a baby and a ton of debt.
“What on earth is going on with you that you need to stay on my plan?”
I paused and looked up at Harper. It was now or never. “West… I’m… I’m…”
“For fuck sakes Em spit it out!”
“She’s trying to you little prick, but you interrupted her!” Harper shouted at him.
“Oh just fucking great, you have the Harpy on the phone?” West was really pissed now, and I could see this just wasn’t going to play out the way that I’d hoped it would.
“Yes, I’m sorry West, she’s just trying to be supportive.”
“So then what’s going on? Are you sick or something?”
“I’m pregnant Weston.”
I heard not a single, solitary sound from the other end. I took a hold of Harpers hand, willing myself not to cry. I’d finally told him and he wasn’t saying anything. I was about to check and make sure that he was still on the line when he started laughing. Seriously? How was anything about this funny? I’d just told the man that he was going to be a father. Maybe I’d officially caused him to go off the deep end.
“So you managed to get knocked up, huh?” He was still laughing. “Well good for you Emilyn but that’s not a good enough reason for you to stay on my insurance.”
“What do you mean it isn’t a good enough reason? How in the hell do you expect me to pay for my medical bills West?” Now I’m the one that’s fuming mad!
“That’s someone else’s problem!”
Harper was now standing up, “Why in the hell is it someone else’s problem? It’s your fucking kid!”
Silence.
I realized then that West hadn’t understood that the baby was his. He actually thought I’d gone and got myself pregnant after I left him. Hell, for all I know he might have assumed I got pregnant by another man before I even left! At that moment though, he wasn’t speaking and my anger was subsiding and hurt was creeping back in.
“Wait, how do you even know this is my kid Emilyn? You left over a month ago. How do I know this isn’t some other guy’s child and you’re trying to get me to pay for all of this?”
Uh oh, “You mother fucking piece of swine shit. It is your kid. She’s not trying to get you to pay for anything that you aren’t responsible for!” There went Harper’s infamous temper.
He let out a frustrated growl. I could just see him sitting at his desk, running his hands through his hair. “Was this your way of trapping me? Get yourself knocked up and then you’d get more money out of me?” West was shouting through the phone and Harper was off in the corner ranting about how to remove testicles in the most painful way possible. However I may have fantasized he would react was not how it was actually playing out. West really didn’t want the baby. He actually thought I got pregnant on purpose for more money. I was going to be a single parent. I hadn’t felt this crushed when I left West that night. I