Chapter 58 59

Chapter 58 59
Chapter Fifty Nine.

Tess_

I sat on the edge of the bed, my whole body trembling as the weight of Damien and Helen’s wedding sank in. 

The reality of it crushed me, even as Jane and Ana sat beside me, trying to offer comfort. But how could they? How could anyone, when the man I loved was marrying someone else in just two days?

Jane squeezed my hand. “Tessa, I know this hurts, but you’re stronger than this.”

Ana added, her voice soft, “We’ll get through it together, please don’t shut us out.”

But no words could soothe the hollow ache in my chest. My mind was stuck on Damien, on the life we were supposed to have together. 

Now it was slipping through my fingers, replaced by something cold and foreign. I covered my face with my hands, sobbing, when my phone rang. The sound felt like a dagger, cutting through my fragile heart.

I wiped my eyes and glanced at the screen. Helen. Of course, it would be her.

Ana tensed beside me. “You don’t have to answer that.”

I knew I had no choice. Helen has never called me before and I knew something was up. I took a deep breath and hit the answer button. “What do you want, Helen?” My voice came out thick with grief and exhaustion.

There was a long, unnerving silence before her voice purred through the speaker. “Tess, darling, I can hear the sadness in your voice. This is so much unlike you. I thought you’d be stronger by now and I am guessing you've received the news about my wedding, don't bother yourself you're not invited.”

Her words were like salt in an open wound. “I don’t want to play your games and I don't care about your wedding with Damien or whoever. Just leave me the hell alone.”

She chuckled softly, a sound that sent shivers down my spine. “Oh, darling. You know it’s never that simple to leave you alone. I have something to show you, a surprise you'd love, I made it specially for you. Why don’t we meet up when you get back and we catch up on things?”

I was about to hang up when her tone shifted like she knew I was about hanging up the call, dripping with an ominous edge. “Life is fragile, isn’t it? So easily lost. Especially the delicate ones that are just developing.”

My breath caught, and my hand instinctively went to my stomach. She knew. How did she know? The secret I’d carried, the one that she wasn't supposed to know…she knew about the baby, now I know i have to meet her.

“Helen, what are you talking about?” My voice wavered, though I tried to sound firm.

“You’ll understand soon when you visit me,” she replied, her voice cold, and then the line went dead. “See you soon, Tessa bear.” She added.

I stared at the phone, heart racing, the blood draining from my face. She knew. Of course she did. My chest tightened with fear, my mind spinning with what she might do.

“Tess?” Jane’s voice brought me back to the room. She and Ana were watching me closely, their faces etched with concern.

“What did she say?” Ana asked, leaning forward.

I couldn’t tell them. Not this. Not about the baby. “Nothing important,” I lied, forcing a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “She just wanted to rub the wedding in my face.”

They exchanged a look, clearly not buying it, but thankfully, they didn’t push me for more.

The next day passed in a haze of nerves. We were leaving Italy, and all I could think about was Helen’s cryptic warning. By the time we landed back in California, I knew I had to confront her, even if it terrified me.

“I’m going to see a friend,” I said suddenly, pulling on my jacket as we unpacked.

Ana frowned. “A friend? Since when do you have friends here?”

I shrugged, avoiding her gaze. “Someone I used to know. Don’t wait up.”

Jane opened her mouth to say something, but I was already out the door before she could object.

The drive to the address Helen had sent me felt like it stretched on forever. My stomach churned with anxiety as I pulled up outside the quiet building. This couldn’t be real. None of it could.

I stepped inside, and immediately, I froze. The room was decorated as a nursery. Soft pastel walls, a crib, and toys scattered neatly around. 

It was perfect, like someone had prepared for a baby to arrive any moment. 

My hand instinctively went to my stomach, imagining my own child playing here, growing here. The thought was too painful, too hopeful for a world as dark as mine.

Then I heard her voice.

“Do you wish this was for your child, darling?”

I turned to see Helen standing in the doorway, her smile sharp as a knife. Her eyes glinted with something cruel, something that told me she knew exactly what she was doing.

I stepped back, panic rising in my chest. “What are you doing, Helen? Why are you doing this?”

She walked toward me slowly, her gaze never leaving mine. “It’s not about what I’m doing, sweetheart. It’s about what you are going to do.” She glanced around the room with a smirk. “I thought you might appreciate the setup. After all, life is so easily snatched away.”

My eyes darted to the table beside me, where a pair of scissors sat. I grabbed them, holding them out in front of me as a threat. “Stay away from me.”

Her laughter echoed through the room, cold and detached. “You’re not going to hurt me, darling, you don't have the balls” 

She moved closer, plucking the scissors from my hand like they were nothing and setting them down again. “I’m not the enemy here, I am just here to help you out like you will help me.”

“What do you want?” I demanded, my voice cracking with desperation.

She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she pulled out her phone and showed me a live feed from a camera. 

My heart stopped when I saw it. It was my apartment. And my mother’s house. The red dots of sniper scopes moved slowly across both.

“No,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

“You can leave California, darling. Leave Damien. And your family, your baby, will be safe.”

I shook my head, the room spinning around me. “No... You wouldn’t...”

Helen’s eyes darkened as she stepped closer, her voice dangerously low. “Do you think I’m playing games, Tess? Leave California. Leave him. And no harm will come to them.”

Tears streamed down my face as I shook my head again. “Please... don’t hurt them. Don’t hurt my baby.”

Helen’s smile softened, just for a moment. “I don’t want to hurt anyone. Just disappear, and everything will be fine. You don’t want to risk it, do you? Not with your child’s life on the line.”

I couldn’t breathe. My chest heaved as I stared at her, my hands trembling. “Please,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I can’t leave like this.”

She tilted her head, her voice soft but sharp as a blade. “You can. You will. Or I can make sure this nursery stays empty forever as your tummy and your life.”

“You don't expect me to just throw away my life or give it up just like that!!” I barked at her.

“Then how about I call the sniper and give them an order to shoot them down and trust me, they'll do a very clean job, without hesitation.” She threatened. I looked at her eyes and I could see hatred and wicked desires.

‘Is she really going to kill them? Does she have the heart to? Do I call it a bluff?’ I thought within myself but a large part of me was saying Helen isn't okay and she is clearly not in her right state of mind, she would do it if I disagree with her.

The thought of losing my family made my stomach hurt,I clenched my shirt as tears welled up in my eyes ready to escape. “Is there anything else you want me to do? I can't leave the city, this is….this is where my life is.” I said. “Tell me anything else and I will do it…don't make me leave, my whole life is here.” I added, fighting back the urge to cry.

“I don't want anything else….oh, wait, u think I do…abort the baby, kill your child and I will leave you the fuck alone.” She said,

Those words came out of her mouth like nothing, the sound of that made my heart bleed, made me wanna strangle her to death, the thought of giving up my child drove me but in a split second and I could barely digest that. “What? I ca..nt…can't do that…I can't kill my baby, what are you saying you sick bastard!!!” I yelled at her.

“Then fucking get ready to leave forever or I will make you lose everything and eventually everyone you love would be dead including that stupid child of yours.” She said, sounding so calm and her voice laced with evil and determination of hatred.

My knees gave out, and I sank to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. I didn’t have a choice, for my baby’s sake, I had to agree but the words wouldn’t come out, no matter how much I tried to force them.

Helen loomed over me, watching as I fell apart. “I’ll give you some time to think,” she said coolly, turning on her heel and walking out of the room, leaving me alone with my tears and the weight of my decision.

I want to fight, I want to scream out loud but my voice is gone, leaving me alone in the void of my sadness and the pain my heart keeps producing. I have a lot to say, I have to talk about but nothing was ready to come out of my mouth.

‘Is this the end of my love story with Damien? How do I just leave and not fight? My whole life is at risk, my baby's life is at risk and I wanna fight but what do I do?’ I thought to myself as I cried in silence.

The pain was too much and it feels so unbearable, I wish I could go back and decline every Damien ever said to me. I wish I never fell in love with him to begin with, at least my life would have been better without having to hide or run.. gosh i was so stupid for believing there could ever be us.

My heart hurts in a million way possible and I wish I could make this pain stop, my knees are too weak to walk, I just wanna sleep and forget this pain but how do I do that? That would mean I have to die for this to go away.

What cowards leave without a fight? Or even trying to fight? That coward is me and the people I love are at stake here, I just want to see them smile, not crying but how do I do that?

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and through tear-blurred eyes, I saw Damien’s name flash across the screen. I want to talk to him, yell at him and tell him everything is bad but how do I do that? He is the main reason why I would lose my family if I don't leave.

I dropped the phone on the floor close to me as I cried and let it ring. After a while the phone stopped ringing and immediately the voicemail came in.

“You have one message.” The automated female voice said. Immediately the message followed.

“Hey baby, it is me Damien…please call me back, I have been trying to reach you since and tell you what's going on…I want to see you and explain things to you, give me a chance to do that mama ... .for the sake of our child…. please…. Call me and I love you, I always do.” The message said and the line went dead.

I cried even more at the sound of his voice, how soothing it made me feel and that feeling made my heart race even faster. I knew right there that I was so much in love with Damien and no matter how hard I try to run away from those feelings, it is always going to be there and that made me shudder.