Chapter 39--THE HOMECOMING AND DRAMA 2

"Really? You won't even talk to your own husband?" He turned to her, slapping his own chest. So much for being a husband.

"Not in the next two months. I do not see you as my husband, Cameron. Not once have I ever thought of you as one. You know what? I'd rather you don't ask any more questions, I'm tired" mom said and laid on the bed beside me , stretching and yawning.

"As long as you're under my roof, spending my money and as long as I'm responsible to these kids of ours, and as long as I still have my ring, and as long as I still make love to you, I remain your husband, Ruby" he said, sounding annoyed. "Don't make me angry"

"Oh really?" Mom turned, her expression reading annoyance. Their conversation often escalated into an argument real quick. I hated to watch it.

"Fine. I'll leave your house with the kids, no more sex, and I do not need you to spend a dime on any of my three beautiful daughters. As for the ring, i could return it, I really was stupid to have accepted it. I didn't come back because of you, okay? Don't make me angry, Cameron. I could do anything to you right now" Mom said and turned back to sleep.

"And point of correction, 'husband', this house belongs to me as well as long as we are still legally married, but don't worry, that's gonna change soon."

He scratched his head and without saying a word, walked out of the room afterwards. I was dumbfounded.

But then he came back almost immediately and said, "I'd like to have a talk with you in our room. We could talk about this, Ruby, okay?" Then he left. Mom said nothing. It was only a matter of time before mom realized that it was a mistake to have come back.

Know why I said it was a mistake? Read on

Taking care of twin babies was stressful enough for mom, she didn't want to take them to daycare not because they were not yet weaned, but because she didn't want it. She wanted to be with her babies all the time. Home was boring because mom took them to work everytime she went to work. It was easier to go to work since she had a car now. Cameron did too, but he returned earlier than mom. I was always home, reading in my room. I didn't like it because thoughts popped in my head at will. Mom resumed work. She didn't want to be a stay-at-home mom either. So she juggled everything all at once. She was such a strong woman. Her boss was in fact very understanding. She was the one who gave her that long leave from work, telling her to get herself together and after her baby arrives and has been weaned, she can resume if she still wants to. Everyone whom mom met was kind, except the man she married. It was like those kind people around her served as a compensation for her.

It wasn't like mom ignored me. She didn't know what to do yet. We were leaving soon, so, enrolling me in another school in the area would be needless.

I told her that I'd keep attending Enchanting Promises High School until we left. She was really worried about me, that's why I had to promise her that. Not that I liked to go back. But I was curious about what's been happening in school. It's been ages and i wanted to see what was there. Besides, I'd be with Mike Tony all the time, he'd drive me to school everyday. That was a motivation on its own.

On my first day back at school, mom offered to drive me to school but I told her that it was okay to let Mike. Actually Mike returned to the estate some days after our arrival. He got a new car too. When I told him that mom had twins, he was so excited.

"I knew it! Her tummy was so huge, like a big barrel" he screamed with delight.

"It was not that big, Mike" i snorted and he laughed.

"Come on, let's go see the angels" He followed me in to congratulate mom. Mom hugged him, and this time, he was the one who kissed mom on her cheek. Mom let him change the babies' diaper. All this time, Cameron was not home. He played with the twins' cheeks too, and talked about something like, " They're so adorable. I'm sure they can't wait to bond with their sweet big sister(that was me)" I blushed hard. He was so sweet and knew how to make you feel good at the right time.

"They're already bonding, Mike" mom said and we all laughed. That moment, I think I was the happiest. I couldn't believe that miracle. It was indeed a miracle, because I remember mom crying when she stared at her babies and she said, "I could have lost them, these beauties" and I didn't really understand that until she explained her ordeal that night, the night I couldn't find her and eventually found her at the foot of a tree.

This was how she said it. Actually she was talking to Jack about it the other day and I eavesdropped because I was curious too.

These might not be the exact words but this is the details of what I heard. That's how detailed I can make it.

"That night, Jack, I.. I was feeling down, like really down in my spirits and I was just crying because I couldn't help it. Everything in my life was painful, everything except the gift of a beautiful smart child, Ariana, and maybe the gift of you in my life. I don't know my father, my sisters and i are not close, my mom is far away and doesn't want me bonding with any of her family, (Sighs), mom doesn't know what Cameron does to me everytime. I hide it from her. She never knew, she still doesn't. I just can't tell her. She believed so much in our marriage, said it was the best thing that happened to her. Obviously her family has a ruckus that's yet to be solved, which I know nothing of. That's why everyone went their separate ways.

Mom doesn't know what actually got Cameron and I together... she thinks we loved each other... she...

And then Jack came in, "It's okay, my love. Cry if you want to" and then she started to sob. Jack rocked her.

After a while, she stopped and went like, "So I told Cameron that night that I needed some space, especially because I was pregnant and all. He told me to my face that I am his slave, and I can't do anything to get out of his cage. He said I could never find anyone that'd love me or accept me into their home as a partner, and that I'll be lonely all my life, he made me feel like I was not good enough. I was so angry but tears overcame my anger and I started to cry.

Then he came over to me, tried to touch me but I was so mad at him. He wanted to rape me again but I was bent on escaping this time even though I knew he had locked the door. Even if it was going to create bloodshed, I was ready to get out of his reach that night.

I was so sick of everything. He pulled me and punched me when I tried to resist him. He was trying to tie my hands with force but with the little energy left in me, I kicked his groin. Not only that, I also told him that someone actually loves me and that I'll divorce him to meet this person. I think that was what angered him, and he started to hit me. I fell and bruised my leg. He hit my head several times on the wall, and I don't know what my leg hit but I had a cut and when I noticed that it was bleeding profusely, I unlocked the door and ran out. I couldn't run fast. I was so scared because no one would save me. No one was around to save me. Whenever he hit this angry mood, he turns into a beast. Sometimes I feel like he would kill me one day, hold my neck and suffocate me to death. I ran and at that tree, I just fell because I was already out of breath, and all of a sudden, I started to go into labour"

"I'm glad Ariana came to my rescue. I could have died there maybe, or pass out with no help until morning"

I shook my head several times when I heard her story. It was this same man she brought us back to. Well, what did I know? Mom must have had her genuine reasons to return home. It wasn't that bad for me, because I had Mike, and the other kids to play with. But for her?

After a while, I started to get bored. I'd be alone in the whole house. Mike would come in and play with me before driving his truck to work. Actually he was the one who motivated me to return to school. He was like my personal therapist.

"I'll buy you whatever you need. Call me if you want me to come pick you up. Anytime" he told me.

"I want you to go back to school. You still got a lot of years ahead of you and a big, bright future"

But I was still unmotivated the first week. He didn't give up. He kept encouraging me and making me feel better-- those were the things Cameron never did. Mike was physically, emotionally available for me. He loved me and I felt it strongly, but it was not like I was stubborn, I just didn't feel like doing anything. I'd wake up and turn around in bed, doing nothing but staring at my ceiling. Mom would make some warm tea for me, and run a bath for me before serving my breakfast. She did all that for me, despite that she had two other little humans to take care of.

I'd pretend to go into the bathroom to bathe, but I'd just sit there and look outside the window. I'd stay there until I was sure she was running late for work.