Page 75 of Certified Pressure 4
Lyrick’s parents, Alina and Omari went all out. They didn’t hold back on a single detail. The catering was done by one of the most popular chefs in Halo Key, and the food smelled heavenly. There was jerk salmon, roasted chicken, lobster mac, honey butter rolls, and every kind of side you could think of. The drinks table had champagne for the guests, but they made sure I had a mocktail that looked just as fancy. Everything screamed money, but in a classy way.
I couldn’t help but think how different this all felt from the life I almost had. If this was Pressure’s baby, things would’ve been different. There wouldn’t be no soft blue roses or happy family moments. I probably would’ve had an extravagant baby shower because his family had money, but it would’ve felt empty. I could already picture how it would’ve gone, me smiling through the whole thing while feeling completely alone inside. It wouldn’t have been this. It wouldn’t have been peace.
My mama should’ve been here… so should my daddy.
Every time I called my mama lately, she didn’t answer. She would text back hours later like nothing was wrong, but I could feel something was off. I tried not to overthink it because she had done this before. When I first got engaged to Pressure, she went silent too, only texting when she felt like it. I told myself this was just her way of loving me from a distance, but it still hurt. I didn’t like the inconsistency and it seemed like no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t get us on track.
And my daddy… I didn’t even know where to start. I missed him more than I could explain. Every time I looked him up online, I saw something worse than before. His name was being dragged all over the news. There was reports about a dead seventeen-year-old girl he supposedly got pregnant, illegal money transfers through his company, Charm Strategies, and the police saying he ran.
I knew my daddy didn’t run. I knew exactly what was going on. Months ago when I called his phone, Abeni was the one who answered. The sound of her voice told me everything I needed to know. She had him, and there was no doubt in my mind that he was still there, paying for everything I’d done.
I should’ve been trying to clear his name, or to at least tell the police how to find him, but instead, I was sitting here smiling for pictures like my life was perfect. I hated how easy it was to pretend, but pretending was safer than facing the truth.
Everyone was celebrating, laughing, taking videos, and talking about my baby. Lyrick was glued to me, kissing my cheek every few minutes, whispering things that made me blush. He looked proud, standing tall next to me. His family loved me. They kept saying how happy they were to finally have a baby in the Hall family. Omari said it was about time. Alina couldn’t stop smiling.
The gifts were over the top, from a Gucci diaper bag, designer baby shoes, diamond-studded pacifiers, a gold-trimmed crib,custom onesies with Preslan’s name embroidered in gold thread, and a stroller that looked like something out of a royal parade.
Lyrick’s family didn’t do anything halfway. They moved like people who had power in places most didn’t even know existed. His daddy ran a chain of luxury car dealerships, and his mama worked in the education field.
Being around them taught me how deep love and laughter could really run in a family.
At the hall, we ate, we danced, and we laughed like everything in the world was right. For a while, I let myself believe it. I let myself feel safe. When the music slowed down, Lyrick pulled me into his arms and we moved together in the middle of the floor. He kissed my forehead, then my lips, and told me he couldn’t wait to meet his son. My heart softened because, no matter how messy things had been, I couldn’t deny that I loved this man.
By the end of the night, everyone was helping load gifts into a truck. I stood by the car rubbing my belly and smiling at how much love surrounded me. And then, out of nowhere, a car pulled up. The sound of the tires grinding against the pavement made me look up.
Nooré stepped out.
My stomach dropped the moment I saw her. Her hair was longer now, pulled back neatly, and her face looked pale under the lights. Next to her was Soléa, quiet but ready. My whole body tensed. I hadn’t seen her since the day I left her condo. It was the day I lied and told her I was going back home.
The tension was too damn thick, and I could feel it before she even opened her mouth.
“You really did it,” Nooré said, her voice cutting through the noise. “You really had a fuckin’ baby with my man.”
Her words hit me like a slap. Everyone froze. Even the people loading the truck turned to stare.
“Nooré,” I started, trying to find something to say, but she cut me off.
“You’re a low-down, dirty bitch,” she said, her voice trembling but sharp enough to cut through the air. “You a snake, Jayla. The type of bitch that smile in your face while plotting behind your back. You can’t be trusted. You the worst kind of bitch walking this earth.” She took a step closer, her eyes glistening with tears that had nothing to do with weakness. “You sat in my house crying, talking about how life broke you, and how your husband died. Bitch, I fed you. I gave you a place to sleep. I stopped you from blowing your head off on that beach. And this is how you repay me? By fucking my fiancé and getting pregnant by him? You evil as hell for that.”
Her words hit like daggers, each one landing deeper than the last. “You walked around my house like a victim,” she went on, her voice breaking but her anger still burning. “And the whole time, you was creeping with him. You didn’t just betray me, you spit on everything I ever did for you. You the lowest kind of bitch there is.”
I swallowed hard, my mouth dry. Part of me wanted to cry, part of me wanted to yell back, but instead, I just stood there.
She took a step closer, her eyes red and wet. “You fucked my fiancé, got pregnant, and you standing here like you won the prize. Bitch, I should’ve let you blow your fuckin’ head off that day.”
I could feel everyone watching. Lyrick started moving toward us, but Nooré’s friend put her arm out.
I finally looked Nooré in the eyes. “You should’ve let me do it,” I said quietly. “Maybe that would’ve saved us both.”
Her whole face twisted, and for a second, I thought she might hit me, but she didn’t. She just stared, breathing hard, then looked down at my belly.
“Karma don’t sleep,” she said, her voice cold. “You better hope that baby you carrying ain’t cursed.”
The silence that followed was loud. My chest felt like it was caving, like her words had slipped inside me and settled somewhere deep. I couldn’t move. I just stood there staring at her, trying not to let my face crack.
Lyrick stepped in front of me, his cousins behind him, creating a wall between us. He told her to leave, that she was embarrassing herself, but she wasn’t listening. She kept cussing and crying, talking about how I ruined her life. Then finally, she turned around and walked off with Soléa, still yelling over her shoulder.
When she disappeared into the night, I let out a slow sigh. My heart was racing, but I forced myself to stay calm. I rubbed my stomach and whispered to my baby, trying to keep my voice from shaking.
