Chapter 97 Earth-shattering Surprise
Kristen's POV
"You were such a chubby baby," Dad laughs as he points at my three- year-old picture.
"True. When Mom and I walked on the road and maybe there was a small pothole that had its own tiny pool of rain, Mom would ask me to sidestep it. And I remember walking through it instead. Getting soaked in the muddy water." I chuckle amid my explanation, while Dad is still laughing with his hand fisted against his chest.
We're at my apartment near school. It's been three months since I came here because I don't live in it anymore, since the incident with Jack Sawyer. And now, Dad said he wanted to see my photos so I had to bring him here.
Janette is here too, with her jaw clenched. She doesn't speak unless she's being asked a question, nor does she hesitate to stand as my guard when she senses something wrong.
She's all stiff since I began showing Dad my photos, but there was a time I caught her stifling laughter. It was caused by my nine-month- old picture, when I had this sickness and my hair was shaved bald. And then someone drew a pooping wolf on top of it with an indigo marker.
I'll take it that it was Mom who did that. She was barely seventeen at that time, and despite her pain, she was able to squeeze out humor in most situations. Like doing such awful things to a child. It's amusing and also not at the same time.
I'll never do that to my child.
My hand moves to caress my bump.
In the next three months, I'll become a mother. Although I don't really blame my mom for neglecting me, she was young and saw me as this child who turned her world upside down.
I'll shower my own child with all the love, care, and support in the world. I want to be everything my mom wasn't, and thankfully Calhoun will be by my side. He's the father after all.
Thinking about this just brings a smile to my face. I stroke my stomach for the second time before fastening my gaze to Dad who is still so engrossed in going through my pictures. Right now, he's holding a photo album that contains more of my pictures from kindergarten to grade school.
"You were the most bubbly baby ever," Dad utters when I am near his side.
I bite my tongue to keep from spilling that it was all a facade. I didn't take my problems to school so I tried to be the happiest.
Dad closes the photo album and looks at me, his eyes getting guilty
once more.
"I just feel so awful that I missed out on your childhood," he sighs. And Janette takes this as a cue to leave to give us some privacy.
"I'd like to blame you but I can't find any valid reason. It's not your fault. None of it was." I put my hands on his and give him a small, carefree smile. It's actually the first time I am holding my father. And there's this satisfactory feeling spreading across my chest upon knowing that Mom isn't the only parent I have.
"I'll make up for everything," Dad shoots me a grateful look.
"You don't have to make up for anything or prove anything. Just don't leave, that's all I ask for." I tell him.
"I won't leave you, my child," Dad covers his hand with mine. And we smile at each other.
My phone chimes with a text message and this makes me disengage my hands from my father's.
I fish it out of my handbag and realize that it's a video from an unknown sender.
"How odd," I mumble to myself as I click on it.
I can feel my eyes lowering into a confused squint as the video starts playing.
There's a skinny brunette with a slender body, completely naked but she's covering her busts with her arm.
Who is this person sending me such a video? Can it be a mistake? They were trying to share it with someone else and accidentally sent it to my number.
The girl has this mischievous glint in her eyes as she keeps walking, with her left arm covering her bare bust and her right hand holding the phone to film her face.
The place is obviously a luxurious hotel and I flinch when she switches from front camera to back camera. There, I see this naked man sleeping in a tangled mess of sheets. His bare butt is out on full display and strangely it seems familiar.
"Kristen, what's going on?" Dad's voice rings out but I don't even look at him. I am more focused on this video because something
doesn't seem right at all.
Who are these people?
And why does this man's body look like I've seen it before? Not once
or twice but on several occasions.
'Hello, Kristen,' she says as she lays on the sleeping man's back.
And my mouth flaps open in horror because she just used my name.
She knows me!
'I'll take it that you're confused?' She puts her hand on her mouth
and chuckles to herself.
While I take a rough gulp, as goosebumps rise in my every single
pore.
'Not to worry, sweetheart, the show is about to begin,' She strokes the man's back before pressing a quick kiss on top of it.
While I blink.
'Say hi to our man,' With this, she shifts the camera to the man's
face.
Suddenly, the whole world around me narrows and all I can recognize is the face of the man who I trust with every ounce in me.
"Kristen!" I hear Dad's shocking scream when the phone slips from my hands and cracks when it hits the floor.
Calhoun's sleeping face is still getting filmed and I can hear the harsh bark of malicious laughter from the brunette.
"Kristen, are you okay?" Dad is holding onto me, with fear and worry
on his face. But my knees are still giving out underneath me until I drop to the floor.