Chapter 74 The cost of your lies
Author’s note—Hello, Jeanette Bratvold, I replied in the comment section but I believe you haven't seen it. Concerning Daxton and Verena babies, I’m not sure but I might work something out. Thank you for reading.
Zita
The intense throbbing in my head was now gone and while I tried to picture where I was, I couldn't help but hear the voices that pierced into my subconsciousness.
A voice that I didn't recognize floated into my ear. “I don't quite get what you mean,”
“We are asking about the baby. She’s been pregnant for some time now and we just want to know if the child is okay—” someone’s voice cracked and as I remained numb on the bed—almost catatonically—I couldn't help but figure that it was dad’s voice.
Blood slowly pumped inside of me. My location was still a mystery to me.
I heard someone sobbing in the background. “Please just tell us the truth about the baby. Is the baby affected?”
That was mum’s voice.
Baby.
What baby?
I pried my eyes open and for a brief moment, I only saw white. The unfamiliar voice I couldn't recognize responded. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” it said. “There is no baby. This woman has never been pregnant,”
Silence.
And that was all it took for the memories to rush into my head like a flood. The traffic light. The clown on the bike. The rock that he hurled at me. Me being lifted onto the gurney and if I guessed right, I was in a hospital?
Fuck!
They called my emergency contacts. Mum and Dad. What should I do? Play dead or wrap the IV around my neck and make my death a fucking reality.
I forced my eyes closed—hoping that this would be a nightmare and I would wake up from it soon. If there was anyone who scared me the most, it was Dad.
Mother’s voice trembled, snapping me back to reality. “Maybe…there is a mistake. Zita wouldn’t lie about such a thing,” Her voice cracked at the end.
The knot in my chest tightened, bile almost rising to my throat because of the sudden hate that coiled itself around my ribs.
I hated myself for doing this to mum knowing how much having another grandchild meant to her. She had lost her only grandchild—my niece—three summers ago.
She drowned in the beach house.
I had fallen into this rabbit hole of lies simply because I wanted to keep Kian, never stopping to realize the number of people that I was hurting.
My sister had been disoriented since then, never moving on because of the grief that still lingered in her heart. Because of that, she decided not to have another child and I lied about something like that.
Pain clogged my throat, tears pressing at the back of my eyelids as the doctor repeated that I was never pregnant.
“That isn’t possible. Zita would never joke with something like that when we have made so many plans for the child that isn’t even here yet. She even gave me the chance to choose names—”
My heart thumped hard in my chest. Mum would never forgive me.
Even Dad who had a heart of stone looked forward to when the baby would arrive. The last time I visited, I heard him speaking to someone over the phone—about the type of car that he would love to give to me as a push gift.
Someone breathed hard—Dad. “So in essence, she was never pregnant,”
“Exactly. We could have another test to prove it”
A low deranged chuckle bubbled from his throat. “There isn’t a need for that. I believe you, Doctor Robinson.
The doctor harrumphed, exhaling sharply. “I know this is a difficult moment for you both but she needs all the rest she can get now. It would be best if you both stepped outside for a while and gave her space to recover fully,”
“Sure,”
I could feel the weight of my mum’s burning gaze on me as more tears stung the back of my eye. “I’m sorry Mum. I have to keep Kian and this is the only way to do that,” I said inside of me.
I could hear footsteps, followed by the sound of the door being slammed shut.
They left. I forced my eyes open and suddenly regretted that I ever did—
Dad’s hand clamped over my mouth, my eyes widening as his fingers sank into my cheeks, almost drawing blood.
My heart slammed hard against my ribcage, panic detonating inside of me as his other hand found my throat and he pressed hard on my neck, cutting off the flow of air to my lungs.
Fury made his eyes red like hot coal, the bed creaking, monitor spiking as I thrashed on the bed, trying to dislodge the fingers wrapped around my neck.
“How dare you make a fool of us? You were never pregnant—”
I let out a strangled gasp, tears rolling down my face. “I’m sorry…”
Those words only seemed to infuriate him as he tightened his grip on my neck. “If your mum had listened to me and aborted you…” His voice croaked. “We would have never been here,”
I had heard those words more times than I could ever count. I was the unwanted daughter—the child he didn’t plan for when he stood on the edge of bankruptcy. Then my younger sister was born and everything became better.
I could feel my life slipping away, the cords snapping off as he muttered through gritted teeth. “I should have killed you when I had the chance and…” something in his voice broke and just when I thought that it was my end, his grip left my neck and he stepped back—pain in his eyes.
I gasped for air, returning life to my lungs as I yanked the IV from my arm, moved away from the bed, and scrambled to the floor.
I pushed to my knees, coughing as I hung my head low in despair and allowed the tears to fall. “Please forgive me. I only did that to keep Kian when he threatened to send me back to London—” I choked out.
Dad collapsed onto the bed, making a mess of his hair as he raked it. “And that’s why you dragged us into this lie. What will they think of me? Of you? Of your mum when they find out that it was all a lie—” He almost shouted, suddenly clutching his heart as his breath came in ragged gasps.
The anger that hardened his face cracked—something painful crawling through it. “Do you even understand the gravity of this situation?,”
“This marriage isn’t about your feelings, it is a business deal for fuck sake. A lot of money went into your and Kian’s engagement announcement. Investors came in. Shareholders staked their hopes on the two of you,”
“Both companies have already lost a lot because of the scandal with you, Kian, and Verena. If this leaks out, not only will Neil Cooper cancel the wedding but we will lose a lot of money,”
I choked on my tears. “I am sorry—”
He snapped at me and I shuddered. “Sorry isn’t going to fix this. Not when the wedding is this fucking month…”
“God, I can’t believe this,” He closed his eyes and let out a groan. “How are you even my daughter?”
“I poured a lot of money into you, your education, and your future. And when it was time to take a spot in the company, you ran off to London and sold your body online,” Dad groaned burying his face in his palm. “And now this? Why can’t I ever catch a break with you?
“How is it that you are always determined to drag the family’s name in the mud?”
My chest tightened and I found my pathetic self apologizing over and over again. “I’m sorry, Dad. I truly am…”
He cut in, leaned forward as his darkened on me. “You started this mess and you will see it through to the end. If this wedding doesn’t hold or any of this leaks out…”
My blood ran cold.
“I will cut you off the inheritance list and disown you. I promise.”