Chapter 23 Misunderstanding
I ask in a voice filled with shock and pain, “Are you… are you really jealous of a tiny little child?”
Without a second of hesitation, in a completely ruthless tone, he replies, “I don’t care. I don’t like Diana, and I don’t like her daughter either.”
My throat tightens. My eyes start burning. In a broken voice, I say, “She’s just an innocent child…”
He cuts me off sharply, “I don’t care. I hate kids. I despise children.”
His words rip straight through my heart. It feels as if the ground slips from beneath my feet. Tears spill from my eyes. In anger, he jerks his hand away from mine and storms out of the room without looking back.
I remain standing there… numb and frozen. My gaze drifts to Ira. She’s looking at me, unaware of everything, completely innocent. Slowly, I place one hand on my stomach and close my eyes.
His voice keeps echoing in my ears, “I hate kids.”
Breathing becomes difficult.
Suddenly, another voice echoes in the room, “Very bad.”
I open my eyes with a jolt. Diana is sitting calmly on my bed, as if this were her room. I stare at her in shock. She looks completely composed, fixing her hair while glancing at herself in the mirror.
With a faint smile, she says, “Michael hates kids. So what will you do now? Will you tell him about your pregnancy?”
My heart starts pounding violently. My words stumble out, “H-how… how do you know?”
She replies casually, “I find out everything.”
Then leaning slightly forward, she adds in a low voice, “But I’m thinking… if Michael finds out that you’re carrying a child, he’ll kill you.”
I stare at her. My hands tremble, fear clearly reflected in my eyes, “T-then… what should I do?” I manage to ask.
She answers calmly, “Either get an abortion… or leave Michael’s life.”
I feel completely frozen, “I… I can’t do either of those.”
She lets out a soft, cold laugh, “Aww… you’re so innocent. Completely trapped in Michael’s web.”
Panicked, I ask, “What do you mean?”
Looking straight into my eyes, she says, “Every month, Michael brings a new girl. If he likes her, he gets into a relationship with her… and then abandons her.”
The ground seems to vanish beneath my feet as she continues, “Before you, countless girls got pregnant… and left with their children.”
Then she pauses and adds,
“And do you want to know something?”
I silently look toward Ira, “Ira… is not your husband’s daughter. She is Michael’s daughter.”
My eyes widen in shock. I keep staring at Ira her innocent face, her pure smile. Diana’s voice echoes again, “Michael doesn’t like Ira… because Ira is his own daughter.”
Her voice breaks as tears roll down her face. “Michael destroyed my life. He got me pregnant… then got engaged to you… and broke off his marriage with me.”
I feel as if all life has drained out of me. I can barely breathe. Diana continues, “I always tried to stay away from Michael… but that night, in the rain, he forced himself on me, gave me unbearable pain… and left his mark inside me.”
Then, in a cold tone, she adds, “And when he got bored, he stopped even looking at me. He’ll do the same to you.”
I can’t stand anymore. I collapse onto the sofa right there. Tears pour endlessly from my eyes. My hand once again moves to my stomach.
And everything inside me feels shattered.
She slowly walks closer to me. There is a strange seriousness on her face, as if she has already thought everything through. In a soft voice but with absolute clarity she says, “Do one thing… leave this place and go somewhere far away. If you stay here, Michael will not let this child live.”
The moment her words sink in, my heart starts trembling violently. Tears spill from my eyes. In a broken, sobbing voice, I ask, “If he never wanted my child… then why did he come close to me? Why did he make me his?”
My throat tightens even more. My pain finally turns into words.
Diana looks at me as if she already knows the answer to my question. She takes a deep breath and says, “This is what he does. He wants a new girl every day. And when he gets bored, he leaves without thinking twice.”
Her words feel like salt rubbed into my wounds. It feels as if my entire world is falling apart. Then Diana speaks again, “Do one thing… go far away. So far Michael can never reach you. I will help you. I’ll arrange everything for you to leave from here.”
I look at her in shock. I can’t believe that the same woman who was causing me pain just moments ago is now offering to help me. My heart weakens. Without thinking, I suddenly step forward and hug her tightly.
“Thank you,” I say through my tears.
“You’re helping me so much… maybe god sent you into my life for this very reason.”
Diana remains a little stiff, but she doesn’t push me away. I step back, wiping my tears, and say, “I’ll pack my things right now. Before he comes back… I’ll leave this place.”
I place my hand gently on my stomach. My voice is trembling, but my resolve is strong, “I will take my child and leave this place forever. Far away from this hell, this pain, this false life.” My tears keep falling, but somewhere deep inside me.
Diana says urgently, “Come out quickly, I’ll arrange everything for you to leave.”
I look at Ira. She is staring at me with fear in her eyes. My heart shatters. I walk toward her and kneel down.
“Baby…” my voice breaks, “don’t be scared.”
I pull her into a tight hug and start crying. “I wish I could take you with me,” I whisper, my tears soaking her hair.
She clutches my dress and says softly, “Aunty, don’t cry…”
TO BE COUNTINUE...!!!