Chapter 172

Chapter 172
Renée's POV 

After getting over the shock of realizing the password had been changed to my birthday, I slowly made my way into the building, just as I sent my father a message to let him know I was there. 

I stepped into the living room and immediately froze as I sucked in a sharp breath. 
Everything was back to how it used to be. 
The furniture, the arrangement, the decor, everything. 
It was all back to how my mother left it. 

Olga had made major changes when she came here, despite my protests. 
It felt like she was ripping the memories of my mother away from me. 

Like magic, I could almost see her giggling as she twirled me around in the air. 
I blinked back tears as I looked through the house. 
It wasn't just the living room, it was everywhere. 
I swallowed past the lump in my throat as I made my way to my bedroom. 

It was the only place I was allowed to keep the way I wanted and fortunately, the only place my father allowed me to keep. 
Sabrina and Olga were so ready to displace me. 
I wondered what had become of it since I left. 

I turned the door knob but it didn't budge. 
It was locked.
Weird. 

I went back downstairs, slowly descending the staircase, my fingers running along the handrail.

It was probably just all in my head but even the house smelled like her. My mother.
I couldn't hide the joy I felt just from seeing things back to the way they were. 

Was that why he made me come here? 
To see this?
Wait, was he trying to manipulate me into forgiving him?

I frowned. 
No way. 

He wanted us to meet at his office first though. 

I decided to discard the though.

Half way through my descent, the massive front door swung open.
Caught off guard, I froze for a second before I got a hold of myself again. 

I straightened my expression before he caught sight of me. 
He closed the door behind himself and turned, eyes searching until they landed on me. 

The air was awkward as we stared at each other from across the room. I cleared my throat. 

“I hope you don't mind, I just took a quick look around” I said as I quickly got to the bottom of the staircase. 

He sighed. 
“It's your home too, Renée. You can do whatever you want” he said and I raised a questioning brow. 

He had to be joking. 

I acted like I didn't hear what he said and followed him as he aimed straight for the living room. 

I sat on the couch across from him and I crossed my legs. 

“You wanted to see me?” I went straight to the point. 

“Yes” he said and I leaned in ever so slightly, trying to focus on what he had to say. 

He sighed and ran a hand across his face. 

Looking at him up close, I could tell he was tired. 
Like extremely exhausted. 
The dark bags under his eyes and the overgrown beard was a clear giveaway. 

An uncomfortable beat of silence passed. 

“I had this whole speech planned and now that you're here, I'm at a loss for words,” he explained. 

“I know nothing I do or say can make up for the suffering and torture I've put you through and it's so shameful especially since you're my own daughter, but-” he started but I cut him off. 

“Oh save the pity apology, father. You think it's going to make any difference?. Tell me sometimes. It's been weeks since everything went down and you never reached out throughout. Why now? Why today?” I asked and he sighed. 

“I truly wanted to teach out earlier but I was really busy” he said and I rolled my eyes. 
Typical. 

“No, no, it's not what you think. I just wanted to settle things with Sabrina and her mother, before talking to you.” He explained and obviously, that caught my ears. 

‘Sabrina and her mother’?

What?
I had never heard him call them that. It sounded so off. 

“You mean, your wife and daughter.” I stated, but he shook his head. 

“We're divorced.” He said and my eyes widened in shock. 

Well, that's definitely unexpected. 

“Really? Why?” I found myself asking against my own will.

“It was all a lie. Sabrina is not my daughter.” He said and I couldn't school my expression. 
The shock was clear as day. 

“What?!” 

He rubbed a hand over his face as he let out a sigh. 

“An old friend visited me in the hospital. Someone who knew your mother as well. And he happened to see Olga and Sabrina. When we were alone, he casually mentioned how you looked more like me than Sabrina did. It was a harmless statement but it struck a thought in my head. But then I remembered that Olga had given me a test result back then. But what if? Just what if I had been lied to? So, I had a DNA test done. And the results showed that she wasn't my daughter.” He explained and my shoulders sagged. 

“Well, are you sure?” I asked and he nodded. 

“I got it done five times,” he said. 

Unbelievable. I suffered to no end at the hands of people that weren't even related to me? 

“I'm surprised Olga agreed to a divorce, leaving with nothing?” I asked. 

“She didn't,” he said. “It was court ordered. She didn't have a choice.” 

I nodded in understanding. 
Cue the silence. 

I broke it. 

“Was that why you called me? Now that they're gone, you can finally see you've treated me like shit? Or you feel lonely, so you want to ‘reconnect’?” I asked, air quoting ‘reconnect'. 

He shook his head. 
“No. I've wanted to talk to you since the moment I stepped out of the dungeon. Shameless to say, but it took almost dying to realize I might never get to see or talk to you ever again, and that scared me so much, even more than death itself” he said and I made steady eye contact with him, before he dropped his head, guilt ridden. 
I could see he was being honest and that pissed me off even more. 

“I also wanted to apologize. I'm aware no matter what I say or do, it can't change anything and-” he started but I cut him off. 

“You're right. It can't.” I stated, my tone emotionless and stern. 

He searched my eyes before he nodded. 

“Still. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything I put you through. Not standing by you as a father, making you feel less and neglected. I'm sorry, Renée. And I'm not asking you to forgive me now or ever. That's completely up to you but I'm going to spend the rest of my life making it up to you, I promise.” He said and I finally looked away. 

He apologized. I never thought I'd see the day. 
Memories flooded my head and I felt the pain all over again. It was just too much. 

“I can't forgive you,” I whispered, before looking up at him again as I held back tears. My eyes were probably red. 

I sniffed and a sad laugh escaped my lips.

“It's funny how I've waited for this day for years, and now that it's here, I can't accept it. I just can't” I said. 

“For years… for years!” My voice was starting to rise.

“You treated me like an outcast. Like I wasn't of your blood. You acted like mum didn't exist and I just showed up from the blue. You acted like I wasn't your daughter. I refuse to accept your apology or whatever you have to say. Do you know how utterly insulting it is to know now that Sabrina wasn't even your daughter?!” It was almost like the more I spoke, the more angry I became.

“You blame Olga? But it's all your fault! You did this! You tore us apart…” I trailed off. 

“You think changing the house password and furniture and everything, will make everything go back to the way it used to be? It won't! It can't!” I yelled at him, tears streaming down my cheeks in reckless waves. 

“I hate you! I hate you so much. I will never forgive you” I said. 

He looked dejected as I spoke. I didn't miss the tears that had pooled in his eyes, threatening to spill. 

“You don't have the right to sit down here and tell me all this sad stuff about your life, looking all dejected and exhausted. Do you know how tired I've been all these years? As if that wasn't enough, you sold me off like some object. And you call yourself a father?” My hands were in tight fists, my nails digging into my palms, almost drawing blood. 

“Renée, I -” I cut him off with a raised hand. By now, he was also crying. 
I hated the scene. I hated everything. 

“No. Don't.” I said, almost breathless. 

I frantically wiped the tears off my face.
“I need to go,” I said, as I grabbed my purse, before getting on my feet and turning around..

He sniffed, also getting on his feet.

“Renée, wait.” He said and I froze in place. 

Out of the blue, his arms wrapped around my neck from behind and I was so caught off guard, I didn't know what to do. 
Until I saw it. 
A necklace.

“It was your mother's. I found it while clearing out the basement. It was her favourite jewellery. I gifted it to her on our first date. Keep it” He said as he clasped the piece around my neck. It sat right above my Dahlia pendant.

He circled me when he was done, his hands on my shoulder. It felt odd, foreign. I didn't remember the last time my father touched me. 

“I know you hate me. I know I deserve it. But I'm never going to give up. No matter what. So, be as angry as you want, for as long as you need to be. I'll be here all the way, because even though I haven't said it or even showed it in a long while, I love you. I always will.” he said and the tears I had managed to stop were pouring down again. 

I hadn't heard those three words in years. 

“Hating you is all I know how to do. How can I suddenly do the opposite?” I whispered and he nodded softly. 

“I understand. It's not your fault. It's mine” he said, before stepping out of the way. 

“I'll always be here, no matter what” he said and I let out a breath I didn't know I was hiding, my hands gripping the necklace like it was my life line, before I hurriedly made my way out. 

I ran to my car and hurriedly drove out of there, my sobs filling the otherwise quiet vehicle.