Chapter 16 Be nice, Roger
The question caught Roger off guard, and he staggered a little. His mouth was dry. Roger came here for comfort, but for the first time, he was being grilled by this woman who loved him so much.
Moving away from the comfort of her presence, he stared down through the glass window, seeing the bustling city of Manhattan below him.
Everything seemed so small compared to the storm brewing inside him. “I love Tonia, but she doesn’t want me.” Since Karen was a good replacement, he could make do with it.
“Because she thinks you are poor,” Molly hinted, her voice hitting a nerve. “Roger, you have to decide what you want before I can help you.”
Roger swallowed tightly, and his head bobbed before he turned away from the window, staring at the middle-aged woman who looked like someone in her early thirties.
She was exceptional, and he was proud to have her as a mother. “You are right. I will decide tomorrow, but I’m worried about Kitten.”
Tomorrow, he will give Tonia one last chance. If she gives him a chance, then he can forget about Karen, but if she doesn’t, then Karen would have to be the perfect replacement.
After all, she didn’t care that he was broke and still loved him. Lexi, on the other hand, knew about his parentage from the onset, so he couldn’t call that true love.
If this was a contest, then Karen won it without missing a blow. Most of the girls who came along were so shallow, only talking about dresses and makeup.
Once he tells them he couldn’t afford, they'll run without looking back. Roger was never pained by them because he felt nothing as well, so why did Karen’s leaving him hurt so much?
"What’s wrong with Lani?" Molly asked worriedly. Roger chuckled. "I mean Karen." Molly hated that nickname, but now, it seemed it would never die. "You call her kitten too? I don’t know what to do with you."
She shoved him playfully away, but Roger smiled, though his eyes still carried a weight of sorrow. Come on, Mom, she's like a kitten, and those green eyes of hers remind me of Pip.”
Molly remembered that Roger had a puppy named Milo and a kitten named Pip after his pet snakes and other wild animals were taken away due to his nightmares.
After losing them, he transferred their names to his twin siblings, Declan and Delanie. Declan hated it, but Delanie embraced it. Now, he felt that Karen was more deserving of it.
"Who knows, maybe she'll turn into a tigress instead of just a kitten," Molly chuckled, holding out her hand as Roger's hand met hers.
"Are you coming home?" she asked with a knowing look.
For the first time in months, Roger decided to spend the night at his parents' house. Delanie had already returned from work. Though an heiress of the Dawson group, she was working from the bottom without her identity revealed.
Only after she finds the right partner would her father allow her to access her inheritance, just like her twin brother, Declan.
Delanie could sense Roger’s presence right from the entrance and jumped into his arms at the sight of him.
“Roger, I miss you,” a tear trickled down her cheek, a result of the loss of her best friend Lexi’s mother.
For Roger, there was no point in mourning the dead when there was a need to search for the living.
Roger caught her, and warmth filled his heart, but when he smiled, it looked forced. “Same here, Lani.”
He really missed her, as she looked a lot like their mother but it was time for Delanie to stand on her own and not be petted by him.
Delanie pulled away, a look of disappointment in her eyes. “Did you just call me Lani?” Only her mom, dad, and Declan called her that.
She loved to be called kitten by her spectacular big brother. Roger didn’t mince his words, needing all the help he could get in finding Karen.
How could someone like her slip through his fingers? Roger had invested in aviation, including space projects. “Sorry, but I took back Kitten. I gave it to someone else.”
“Let me guess, is it Karen?” Delanie asked, her eyes shifting to the woman curled up on the sofa.
Lexi was engulfed in pain, and Roger couldn’t be there for her anymore because of Karen.
“Lexi, you're here?” Roger didn’t seem pleased to see her, partially blaming her for his loss.
If he hadn't gone to console Lexi, he could have spent the whole day with Karen and possibly discovered whatever she was hiding by then.
“Isn’t it obvious that she’ll be here? Her dad is handling so many things, including the mortuary procedures…” Delanie was saying when Roger cut in. “And that's why she should be with her dad, to assist.”
“Be kind, Roger,” Delanie interjected with teary eyes, but Molly stepped in. “It’s okay, Lani, your brother is also going through a tough time. Don’t worry, he'll figure it out soon enough.”
“Roger, can you hold me?" Lexi's trembling voice sounded from the sofa where she was curled up. Roger glared in her direction, his gaze and tone cold.
"My wife should need me wherever she is. Lani, comfort your friend," he said dismissively.
His lack of empathy was notable, but Molly, who knew how difficult Roger used to be as a kid, calmed the situation once again.
"Lexi, we are all here for you," Molly said as she went to sit beside Lexi, holding her comfortingly in her arms. Roger raised his brows and began to strut upstairs.
Now he understood why his father's time was only devoted to his mother. Other women were like flies, distracting him from the main course. "Where's dad, and where's Declan?"
Lexi stared up the stairs, and something died in her eyes. All these years, she had done everything possible for Roger to notice her and felt on top of the world, thinking he was falling for her.
However, she realized that his words were true when he always insisted that she would only be like a sister to him. Roger got married without any prior notice.
Not even his parents were aware, but Lexi suspected that Delanie had known all along and pretended not to. Feeling betrayed, her fingers balled into a fist.
"Vanni is sleeping, and Declan has yet to arrive. Don't disturb him," Molly said from downstairs, causing Lexi to raise an eyebrow. She knew for a fact that Don wasn't at home, so why was Molly saying otherwise?
Perhaps she was doing it for her. To make Roger spend the time with her.
Roger paused on the stairs, his brows furrowed, before turning around. "Sleeping?" He found it strange that his dad would be asleep so early, but Molly quickly explained, "He complained of a headache, so I suggested he rest."
Something didn't feel right, especially when Roger noticed the slight smile on Lexi's lips. It was fleeting but not unnoticed. Determined to see his father, Roger insisted, "But I need to see him," causing a tense atmosphere to settle in.