Chapter 15 I married her
Roger entered college at eleven and graduated at fourteen with not only his Bachelor’s degree but also with his business under his father, Giovanni Dawson’s name.
By fourteen, he was the richest kid alive, and when he turned eighteen, he became the youngest billionaire CEO.
Roger never appeared anywhere as Molly’s son from the age of ten to protect him from enemies. Even though he was tough enough to confront the mafia, his parents believed it was important to guide him towards a path of peace to overcome the shadows of his past.
The same was true for Molly’s twins, but they were known by close workers, unlike Roger, who was formally under disguise from a very young age.
Having worked in his own companies in the lowest positions under disguise, he knew everything like the back of his hand and could manage affairs outside of it.
Despite this, Roger has been very unfortunate in love. His taste in women rivaled his disguised form, making him fall for the wrong woman.
Shock spiraled through the studio. Everyone around her thought Molly only had twins, Declan and Delanie, so hearing this grown man calling her mom was a stunner.
As a talented and versatile actress who gained widespread recognition for her Oscar-winning performance, she exudes a warm and engaging personality that shines through in interviews, making her relatable to fans.
Her arms wrapped protectively around Roger as she gently massaged his hair. "Tell me what happened."
With a wave of her hand, everyone, including the manager, was out of the studio. Roger didn't have to pretend because this woman and Delanie were his source of comfort, his safe haven.
"Mom, the pregnancy was nonexistent. Nothing happened between us that night. Someone set her up, and instead of investigating to give her justice, I upset her."
It was not hard to trace the genesis of the problem, but he intentionally brushed it off, painfully admitting that he didn't care.
If only he had shown the slightest concern to find out the root cause of it, then he would have treated her better. Then he remembered her asking about his feelings for Tonia.
Perhaps she was making up her mind, but how could he know? To him, he was being honest, but now he realized how hurtful his words must have been to make her leave without a trace.
“Then you are free. You can chase after the woman you love,” Molly smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
As a woman who had suffered a great deal of betrayal herself, she couldn’t condone what Roger did.
“But I married her,” Roger argued. “We aren’t divorced,” he revealed. Molly was dumbfounded. Her long lashes fluttered, and her pearls, specially made for her by her husband, shone brightly.
Her scent was calming as she never used too much fragrance, just enough.
Though a superstar, her skirt was below her knees as she was not performing on stage. Molly was the epitome of elegance, beauty, and grace.
“Why did you hide it from me?” Disappointment laced her voice, earning a thick silence hanging in the air.
Roger was too ashamed to look her in the eyes. “Does it matter?” The fact that he was too ashamed to introduce Karen to the family because he felt she wasn’t as pretty as his mom or sister. Or perhaps the fact that she was too frail.
Even Lexi was more attractive compared to Karen, but now he knew. Something he didn’t expect to happen did.
He was bonded to Karen in a way he didn’t understand and couldn’t explain.
Molly swallowed hard, her throat feeling dry, though her words were soft. “To be honest, you won’t like what I’m about to say.”
There was just a tinge of firmness at the end of her words, but it made Roger uneasy. “Mom, what are you going to say?”
Molly hesitated, knowing he wouldn’t like what she was about to say but said it anyway. “If you don’t love her, then let her go.”
“But mom…” Roger didn’t want to hear this. He had never lost anything in life except Tonia, and now Karen? It made him feel like a loser.
Roger had everything handed to him from birth, and since he turned eighteen, everyone expected him to have a girlfriend, but he never did.
Delanie had tried unsuccessfully to set him up with Lexi, but Roger only saw her as a kid sister. Finally, after almost twelve years, he found someone he wanted to spend his life with, but she didn’t want him.
In a few months, he would turn thirty, and the woman he forced to marry him as a consolation also left without a trace.
Molly interrupted him, her voice sharp. “Roger, you claimed to love Tonia, and you have no right to make her sister a prisoner of your love just because she loves you.”
“Mom…” Roger pulled away from his mother, standing up, but Molly rose to meet him halfway, being shorter than him.
“Let me finish,” she interjected, sensing he wasn’t grasping her perspective. “It’s the same with Lexi. All these years, you never loved her, despite knowing how much she loves you.”
The truth hurt, but Molly wasn’t finished. This time, her voice had softened. "If you don’t love someone, you can never truly love them. Honestly, you will be thirty in a few months, and I'm genuinely concerned about your love life."
The mention of Lexi added to the heaviness in the air. The poor girl might be grieving, but Roger found himself indifferent to her pain.
"Karen is different. She's nothing like Lexi," he asserted. She was the first and only woman he had kissed, and at the time, the drug hadn't fully taken effect.
He still vividly remembered that kiss and couldn't deny wanting more.
The only thing holding him back from taking advantage of her again was his upbringing. His disheveled appearance troubled Molly, and she swallowed hard.
"Okay. So, if Tonia were to reciprocate your feelings, would you still be fixated on Karen?"