Prologue

Los Angeles ....

2000

"Mi Amore!"

Matilda was in the kitchen cooking when Marshall came in. She heard his voice before she even saw him, and a smile immediately spread across her face.

"Mi Amore!" he called out again as he entered the room.

Matilda turned around to see her boyfriend, Marshall, standing in the doorway with a huge grin on his face. She couldn't help but feel her smile grow even wider as she saw him.

"Hey, you," Matilda said as she walked over to give him a hug.

Marshall wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, pressing his cheek against hers. "How's my favorite chef doing?"

Matilda laughed and pulled away from him, swatting his arm playfully. "I'm doing just fine, thank you very much. What brings you over here?"

Marshall shrugged. "Just wanted to see my favorite person in the world, that's all."

Matilda rolled her eyes but couldn't stop the grin from spreading across her face. "You're such a charmer."

"And are you sure your parents are fine with that?!" She asked.

"I know," Marshall said with a grin. 

"They don't have to know, I don't need their permission for anything anyway!" He said and she rolled her eyes playfully.

"So you keep saying, yet you do whatever they want!" She said and he sighed as he pulled her closer to him again, his hands securely wrapped around her waist.

"Don't say that Love," he whispered.

"Matilda- Marie Martinez, You know that I love you and would do anything for you and our baby!" He said as a small smile spread across his face, he placed his hands on her stomach, her lips slowly stretched into a smile also.

"We love you too baby daddy" she said all smiles.

"Can we please not talk about my parents now,"

"I'm actually not comfortable with our secret ...."

"Tilda!" Marshall called interrupting her.

"I've said this countless times, you are not a secret! or my secret! my parents doesn't want to accept us?! That's on them baby!" He said.

"You're the one I'm gonna get married to!"

"Are you sure?!"

"Not Penelope?!" Matilda asked and he scoffed with a disgusted look.

"Who's Penelope!" 

"Let's forget about this talk! I'm trying to put somethings in place to make you and our baby comfortable, then we can get married" he said and she nodded slowly.

"So, what's for dinner?"

Matilda walked over to the stove and lifted the lid on a pot of simmering tomato sauce. 

"Spaghetti and meatballs," she said, stirring the sauce with a wooden spoon.

Marshall's eyes lit up. "Ooh, my favorite! Can I help?"

Matilda smiled. "Of course. I could use an extra pair of hands."

Marshall rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands before joining Matilda at the stove. As they worked together, they chatted and joked around, making each other laugh with silly anecdotes and inside jokes.

"So, what did you do today?" Matilda asked as she rolled meatballs in her hands.

Marshall shrugged. "Not much, just worked on some new project for the company. You know, the usual."

"And then worked on some musical lyrics draft!"  

Matilda smiled, knowing how important music was to Marshall. "That sounds like fun. How's it coming along?"

Marshall nodded. "It's going well, I think. I've got a new song I've been working on, and I can't wait to share it with you."

Matilda smiled. "I can't wait to hear it."

As they continued to work together, they talked about their plans for the future, their hopes and dreams, and the things they loved about each other. They talked about their families, their friends, and the things that made them happy.

"You know, Tilda," Marshall said as they sat down to eat their dinner. "I really can't imagine my life without you in it."

Matilda smiled and reached over to take his hand. "I feel the same way, Marshall. You're my best friend and my soulmate. I love you."

Marshall squeezed her hand. "I love you too, Matilda. And I promise to always be here for you, no matter what."

Matilda felt a lump form in her throat as she looked into Marshall's eyes. She knew he meant every word.

"I promise the same, Marshall," she said, smiling through her tears.

As they finished their dinner, they talked about their plans for the future, the adventures they wanted to go on, and the things they wanted to accomplish together. They talked about growing old together and watching each other's dreams come true.

They talked about the big plans they had for the baby they were expecting.

And that moment Matilda felt true happiness.

"I can't wait to see what the future holds for us," Marshall said as they cleared the table.

Matilda smiled. "Me neither, Marshall. I know it's going to be amazing, as long as we're together."

They hugged each other tightly none willing to let go,

"Can you stay the night?!" Matilda murmured his arms.

"Tilda I need to ..."

"Please! I need you by my side tonight!" She whispered.

"Okay! I'll stay!" He said and her smile widened as she snuggled tightly into arms.

****

Seven days later ....

  - Marshall can you please pick up your call, it's being three days already!" - Matilda typed on her phone and clicked send.

She scrolled through the almost a thousand messages she already sent to Marshall and groaned frustratingly.

She angrily threw her phone on the sofa close to her, she stared at it seething angrily as she stood akimbo, how dare Marshall ghost her for one week.

But on a second thought she quickly walked over to the phone and picked it up again.

She couldn't help but think of the probability that he might be in trouble or something bad had happened to him and his parents were trying to hide it from the public.

 - Call me immediately once you get this Love, I'm very worried- she typed again and clicked send.

She exhaled deeply as she slowly walked over to the couch and took her seat, she picked up the remote and turned on the television, something to atleast turn her attention away from her worries.

Immediately the TV came on, Matilda's eyes went wide immediately, and she slowly dropped the remote on the table.

As Matilda sat there staring blankly at the TV screen, her mind raced with a million thoughts. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. 

Marshall was getting married to Penelope, the same Penelope who had caused a lot of troubles in their relationship. And to make matters worse, she had just given birth to his child seven days ago, obviously that accounts for why he ghosted her.

Matilda felt a pang of pain in her chest and she slowly reached for it and squeezed it gently. She had loved Marshall with all her heart, and he had promised to marry her someday. But now, he had broken that promise and was marrying someone else.

She stood up from the couch and paced around the room, trying to make sense of what had just happened. She couldn't believe that Marshall had kept this from her for so long. Why had he ghosted her for a week? Was he trying to avoid telling her about the wedding?

She felt weak both internally and externally immediately, she didn't even stand a chance at all, she was just four weeks plus pregnant for Marshall.

As the minutes ticked by, Matilda's anger turned into determination. She had to go to the wedding and confront Marshall. She couldn't just sit there and let him marry someone else without a fight.

Without hesitation, she grabbed her purse and headed out the door. She hailed a cab and gave the driver the address of the wedding venue. The ride was long and quiet, and Matilda spent the time deep in thought.

When they arrived at the venue, Matilda took a deep breath and stepped out of the cab. She walked towards the entrance, feeling a mix of nervousness and anger. She knew that confronting Marshall wouldn't be easy, but she had to do it.

As she walked into the church, she was stopped by a security. 

"Your invitation please!" He said to her and she looked up at him, with a small hiss she rolled her eyes and made to walk in.

"Miss! I'm sure you wouldn't want me to embarrass you here, it's a private event and not just anybody is allowed in!"

"I'm not just anybody!" She yelled at him.

"Then prove it!, Bring out your invite, I wouldn't like to make a scene here!"

"I'm just doing my work!"

"Sir Marshall particularly told me not to let anyone without invite come in!"

"So please make this easy for me and make it easy for yourself too, bring out your invite and we're alright!" He said.

"Well too bad I don't have an invite!" 

"But I have to go in! I really have to see Marshall!" She said.

"I'm sorry, I'm just as tied hands as you are, I can't help you!"

"I need to go in!" She yelled again as she tried to push herself in but the security shrugged her off, she lost her balance and fell to the floor.

"Please Miss,I don't want to do this to you, don't push me !" He said but Matilda wasn't deterred, she was hundred percent sure that Marshall was forced to do this and that she needed to see him before he enters this lifelong commitment with Penelope.

She stood up again and launched herself at the security in another attempt to go in, and just then Marshall walked out of the church hall.

It seemed like the church wedding had ended, because he walked out with Penelope's arm entwined in his and family members behind them.

"Marshall! " She yelled immediately.

"Let me in!" 

He turned to face her, and their eyes met. Matilda felt a surge of emotion as memories of their time together flooded back to her.

"What's going on, Marshall?" Matilda asked, her voice trembling with anger and hurt.

Marshall hesitated for a moment before speaking. 

"Get her out of here Robert, she's just gonna create a scene on my happy day and ruin my mood!" He said and with that he walked away, he held the door open for Penelope and got in immediately after her.

Matilda shook her head in disbelief. 

"How could you do this to me, Marshall? After everything we've been through?" She yelled ontop of her voice, still trying to push her way through and get to Marshall.

"You heard him Miss, leave now please!" The security said turning to her and she stopped kicking immediately as she stood still.

Matilda felt tears welling up in her eyes. She had loved Marshall more than anything, but now, she realized, just like everyone man she had known in her entire life, he was also a Bastard!.

 She knew that there was nothing left to say. The man she loved was getting married to someone else, and there was nothing she could do about it.

She slowly felt liquid streak down her thigh and she looked at it, Blood!.

She staggered backwards slowly as a wave of dizziness hit her, not only had she lost the man she thought to be the love of her life, she had lost her baby too.

"No !" She whispered as the tears flowed down her face in quick succession.

With a heavy heart, she turned around and walked out of the church, feeling like a piece of her had died inside. She knew that she had to move on and find a way to heal from this heartbreak, but for now, all she could do was let the tears fall and mourn the loss of the love she had once thought was forever.