Chapter 124: Step-Sister

Emma

That night, we both slept on the couch, in each other’s arms, silent forgiveness rolling between us, and the next morning, it was as if we never fought, we never almost broke up, we had both silently accepted our mistakes, forgiving each other and forgiving ourselves. Which is why after I left a soft kiss on his lips, I settled on saying it all out.

“You’re right, I’m working for Peter, but I didn’t know I was till two days ago when he came to visit the warehouse, I swear,” I say in a rush, so he doesn’t conclude things. And his simple nod with the gentle smile on his face sends a little relief to my system, but there was more that he needed to know.

“And I’m a production worker, not his secretary, I was tricked into working there and I-” I halted, my mind battling whether telling him was right. I didn’t want him to be involved; he had missed lots of work days, sacrificed his time, gotten involved with scandals, fought with his parents, and now I was drawing a line, linking him with his greatest rival, but wouldn’t it be worse if I kept it in? I had lost everything; my Grandma wasn’t with me anymore. How was I supposed to know if I was on the right path? The tears had begun to sting the back of my eyes once more, and I could feel the tears building up, so I cleared my throat and settled for my initial thought.

“I don’t think what’s going on in that warehouse is anything Legal.”

“Yeah, I know, they deal with drugs, I’ve known for a while.”

My eyes widened, and I frowned. He never seemed like he knew at all.

“Since he returned, I discovered his embezzlement and had more men dig up on him and found out he had been holding a drug dealing even without his father’s notice.” He continued.

“And you did nothing?”

Liam shook his head, sitting upright and turning a bit so we are facing each other right on.

“I plan to, I’m waiting for the right moment, but now things would have to change.”

“What do you mean?”

But before he could respond, a knock came on the hotel room door, causing us both to turn to the door. Liam was the one to stand to his feet, as he volunteered to check out who was at the door.

He stopped, turned to me with a look on his face I couldn’t decipher, then I mouthed, asking who was there? But his response was him turning the doorknob open, and I was faced with the same woman I had rejected last night.

I turned away immediately, not ready to face her.

“I don’t think this is the right time, ma’am,” Liam said to her. I wondered if he also knew about that before I did.

“I know, I just want to speak about Granny’s funeral.”

She really has the guts to call her that. After she left? Why did she return? After all these years, why did she choose this moment to return? I wanted to ask her all that, who did she think she was? But that would be me giving her attention, and I wanted to act like she doesn’t exist.

“They are getting her death certificate ready, and though I have signed, I think Emma’s signature is the most important.”

“You signed what?!” I stood abruptly from the couch, forgetting the initial plan of ignoring her.

She didn’t seem surprised at my sudden yelling; she still had that same pitiful look on her face as she did last night.

“Who the fuck gave you the right to,” I continued yelling as I walked closer. Liam had already walked over to me to hold me back.

“Hey, let’s calm down a bit.” He whispered, and despite the anger burning inside of me, I listened and turned away, but the woman walked in with us.

“Emma, I know you hate me right now, and there’s nothing I can do but I’m sorry, and I won’t stop seeking your forgiveness, now that I have found you?”

“Oh, don’t act like you’ve been searching for me or something, you literally left me with your abusive husband with no care in the world. Grandma wanted you to stay back; she wished to see you one last time before she died, but look, when you returned. What the fuck are you trying to do? Torture me now that she’s gone, then leave like you did. I’d rather ask you to leave now. I don’t have a mother, and that is final. You are nothing. To me.”

I watched as the tears slipped down her cheeks, but I wasn’t moved at all. To me, they were fake tears trying to manipulate me. I could swear she was an evile woman trying to disguise herself with her soft voice and all, I had rather live with the devil of her husband as the devil I know is better than the angel I don’t know.

“I-Just give me a chance, I swear, I’ll fix it all, I didn’t mean to leave you, honey, I just-” She took a step closer to me, but Liam came in the way, and I was grateful for that.

“She’s overwhelmed at the moment. I think you should come see her next time.”

Yeah, never, I will never set my eyes on her ever again. There was a long pause before a familiar voice resonated from the hallway outside the room. The hotel wasn’t a big one; it was an average hotel that seemed to hold fewer people, and I wondered what Fiona was doing here.

“Mom!” She yelled, and somehow, I glanced at Liam, who frowned. Did he invite her here? Or was it his mum, to torture me more? Besides, she was there last night too, were they all in the hotel while I planned to kill myself? How did they all even get here so fast?

“Mum!” The voice came closer and I watched as the lady before me wiped her tears and regained her posture, and then it was. Fiona rushed in and said. “I’ve been looking for you. Why did you leave the room so early? Why are we even here?”

Oh fuck me, now I have a stepsister. And that stepsister is my boyfriend’s ex?