Chapter 14: Treason...

LISA'S POV 

I stomped out into the darkness, blinded by tears. No one was taking me back, but I had to get to Leo; whatever his motives were. Did I care anymore? Not exactly but there just has to be some way that Louisa blinded everyone, or they've had it in them all along to make a fool out of me, and I never noticed. How did I expect to? When all I ever thought of was giving Andre a taste of his own medicine, and trying to win Leo's trust - I still needed his help. Just then, a taxi pulled up from around the corner and I hailed it without a second thought. I had to get away from everyone and everything that constantly reminded me of my pain. 

And Becky… she didn't try to put her neck on the line for me. It seemed she was somehow in the know of this nasty plot against me, but she put up quite a sordid act of not understanding what the whole situation meant for me. I took out my mobile phone and stole a glance at the screen. Damn! It's late already, but I'll have to act super angry to escape Leo's questions. It's not like he's different from my family anyway. He could easily fit in with them and all their conspiracies. I bit down on my lower lip as the mental pain shot through the core of my being. Nothing hits as hard as being rejected by the one home you've always known.

Was my father really that much of a coward or did he have a personal vendetta against my husband? Of course, he does, and will always do. They're business rivals through thick and thin. But is that how little I was trusted by my own family? If I really do get out of all of this, I'd prefer to be alone! No family, no husband. Another tear slipeed out the corner of my left eye. All events this week had been orchestrated to leave me in a place of humiliation.

“I'll alight here. Thanks for the ride." I took out a hundred dollar bill and squeezed it into the driver's palm. “Keep the change." I saw his eyes lit up, and I experienced, first hand, that feeling when you put a smile on someone's face; especially if the person really needed such help.

“Thank you very much, ma'am. I'm grateful." He said with a heart-melting smile and zoomed off into the night. 

I had dropped off a few blocks away from the mansion; to keep my identity a secret. Louisa's proud eyes and bold smirk kept playing out before my mind's eye. She had made that move because she had proof. But I have proof too! And mine is the real proof because it's all documented. She or they have no way of determining the depth of my loyalty or disloyalty as the case may be. They already had their mistrusts, and she built on that. Dad hurt me so much tonight, and I still can't believe it.

I paused in my tracks when I heard Leo's voice lash out so bitterly. He didn't direct the statement to anyone, so I guessed it must be yet another episode of his. This wasn't good. I had to get in there and make him calm before convincing him to take his meds. More work; and Louisa has not even the slightest idea what I go through daily. She sees me just as the media does - the trophy wife. With nothing to show for it. Otherwise Marcus and his ex-girlfriend would not be so bold to disrespect me in his presence. But I have to be there for him tonight, and this state of mind is actually not the best one to be in, if I have to help him.

“Leo?" I called out as I turned the door knob, more in an attempt to protect myself than to soothe him.

Well, this is really not what I expected to see; not even in my worst nightmare.

“What's going on here?" I demanded, my voice going up an octave and quavering in a bid to betray the tonnes of emotions I was feeling at that point.

\~~~~~~~~~~

LEO'S POV

"Oh shit!”

Now, how do I remedy this situation? I can see that look in her eyes already. If she wanted to kill me right now, she'd have every justification. No. She always hung around her ex-husband, so this must be nothing new to her. It's just that I didn't get married to this bitch.

"Lisa, I can explain.” I walked across the living room to hold her by the arm to reassure her. I need to get her to listen to me, or else I was doomed in every sense of the word. "It's really not what you think”, I tried reassuring her, but her eyes sized me up like I was a threat. She retreated from me, still with that look of disbelief. I stretched out a hand. "Lisa…." 

“Oh, please… stop the drama.”

I turned and glowered hotly at the thing I used to love. "Just keep your mouth shut, witch! I'm in this shit because of you." I turned  to Lisa once more, holding her gaze. “Lisa, I can explain." She edged back once more, sending that wave of rejection washing over me from the beginning. I almost shuddered to pieces but I could try again. Wait, maybe I didn't need to. I watched her quivering lips part.

“Who are they?" She asked with dead eyes. This was my turn to feel helpless. I understood the feeling now. “I need an explanation." 

I looked at Kate and the little boy she was with. She had made herself comfortable in Lisa's favorite sofa while her son stood before her, looking up at me with doe eyes.

“Lisa, I know you remember Kate from the party the other night. This little boy is her son." 

“Your son, lecherous wimp. Look at the mess you've made out of your life." 

That was a fair reprimand from Kate. But I couldn't and wouldn't believe that the bastard belonged to me without the results of a DNA test carried out by a trusted personnel. I glowered at her, my heart aching, and all my anger jabbing at my sides. I so much wanted to swing at her, and keep her shut for the rest of her life. But I turned to Lisa with pleading eyes once more.

"Lisa. Please, baby, listen to me. This has happened before. I've been framed but please trust me - I'm not the father of this child. I can swear it on my life!”

Lisa remained unmoved by all my sorry gestures. Out of the corner of my eye, I sighted Kate rummaging in her hand bag for something. I turned to face her the instant she took out the white paper. My heart broke into several pieces, but I refused to let my composure change. Lisa would mistake my anticipation for guilt.

"What is that?” I moved over to the sofa and snatched the crisp paper from Kate's talons. This has to be one bloody fat lie. I looked at the little boy again. He was nothing like me. He looked all like Kate. The blonde hair, the blue eyes… nothing about me was reflected in this urchin! My anger brewed afresh.

“Liar! You made this up, Kate. I'm not his father." 

She just sat even more relaxed and cackled like an evil queen in her dark palace.

“Says the person who told me that I should get rid of my own blood?" 

I was taken aback. I could feel Lisa's eyes bore into the back of my head but I didn't have the nerve to turn around.

“I never said that, Kate! Who set you up to this?" 

“Yes, you're right. You never said I should get rid of Lenny but I remember you telling me back then that you weren't ready to be a father yet, and that you'd advise that I got rid of our baby if a mistake ever occurred." 

That night hit me from the start, like I could feel it. I had answered just like I would any other question she asked during our talking stage. And to be honest, I wasn't ready by then.

“You were with child already?" 

“Yes. And I didn't want to lose you, Leo. I was really young and foolish back then." 

“How old is he?" I asked with sparks flying out of my eyes. I was getting a bit impatient. "How old is your son, Kate?”

"Our son will soon be a teenager, Leo. The sooner you accept that he is ours, the better. I didn't make him from scratch….”

"Oh, yes, you did. And with a man who is actually not me.”

Kate laughed again and drew the boy onto her lap.

"We go a long way, you know… both of us. Fifteen years ago is time enough to have a teenager." 

I turned to Lisa to reassure her that all of this wasn't true. She picked her bag from the floor and stepped out of my way. She stomped all the way up the foyer without looking back.

“You both should sort yourselves out." 

Her tone was icy. I turned to Kate.

“Happy now?" 

She raised an eyebrow.

“We're both far from happy right now, Leo. You know that. Lenny has always asked to see his father. That's why I came back. Won't you even touch him?" 

That was when my ear picked up the child's name for the first time.

“Did you say Lenny? What's his name?" 

She smiled smugly.

“I named him Leonardo. To remind me of his father.”

"This is scandal, Kate, and you know it.”

"But the results can't lie.”

"I don't believe them, Kate.”

She scoffed.

"I'll have this test re-run by my own doctor. You aren't allowed near his office, or that hospital. Your cover will be blown at the end of the day.”

She gathered her mink fur coat into her inner elbow and clutched her son's hand.

"I'll take my leave now, and you'll have whatever you want. I am very confident that Lenny is your son. I wasn't the one sleeping around with other people while we were still together.” She smiled at the boy. "Come on, Lenny. It's late. We'll drop by McDonald's to get you a nice chicken burger, okay?” She then looked up at me with a huge smirk plastered across her face.

I quickly slammed the door shut after her and turned the key in the lock.