Adopted
BEN POV
The moment he finally left, I slumped to my knees and broke down crying.
Why was I this way? I don’t know why I couldn’t just tell him the truth and get this over with, but something held me back.
I broke out of my thoughts when I heard my phone ringing, and when I checked the caller ID, it turned out to be Clay.
I wiped my tears and sniffled softly before answering the call.
“Hey.”
He remained silent from the other end of the line.
“Ben, why are you doing this to yourself? He was right there with you… that man truly loves you, and I know that he won’t abandon you, but please stop pushing him away.”
I sobbed bitterly.
“I’m sorry, I just couldn’t tell him the truth… but it’s probably selfish of me to do this. Maybe this is for the best because I’ll be leaving the country in a few days.”
He sighed deeply.
“Ben, I know that you’re upset right now, but don’t make any drastic decisions… Besides, do you really want to leave your best friend behind? I can’t let you take away my granddaughter.”
It was a serious conversation, but I couldn’t help but smile.
“Please, I can’t cry and laugh at the same time,” I muttered softly.
We both remained silent.
“Can you at least tell me the location?”
I shook my head sadly.
“I’m sorry, I can’t tell you anything right now, but when I settle down, I’ll give you the address. Maybe you and Marcelo can visit me.”
I knew that Clay was just worried about me.
I ran my fingers through my hair.
“I was so close to having him back in my life… but I threw it all away because I just wanted to protect him. Zane is still out there, and I know him… he’s not done with his revenge.”
Clay sighed sadly.
“I just want you to take care of yourself and the baby.”
I nodded quietly.
“Don’t worry about me… I can take care of myself.”
When Clay and I finally finished talking on the phone, I slumped tiredly onto the bed.
I had made up my mind, and no one was going to tell me otherwise.
I placed my hand over my flat stomach.
It was just you and me against the world, little baby.
I closed my eyes and fell asleep.
Maybe it was a dream.
I saw Ambrose at a distance, playing with a little boy, and he looked so happy. He saw me watching them and urged me to join them, but I couldn’t move.
I was stuck in the doorway.
Tears rolled down my cheeks, but I was stopping Ambrose from becoming a father to our child.
Was I a horrible person?
Their faces began to blur, and that’s when I woke up.
I was even getting tormented in my own dreams.
I sat upright and turned on the lamp.
How long had I been asleep?
It was already nighttime.
I let out a yawn and got out of bed, heading to the kitchen.
I made myself a sandwich and a cup of juice for the night.
I checked my phone for any new messages, hoping that I would receive something from Ambrose, but there was nothing.
I was such a fool, thinking that he would reach out to me after everything that I’ve done to him.
There was one notification, though, and it caught my attention.
It was an email from my grandfather, and he wanted to see me tomorrow morning.
I wasn’t in the mood to receive any more insults from him, but a part of me had a little hope that maybe he was ready to finally hear me out.
I didn’t give him a response and went to do the dishes instead, and after I was done, I went to take a long, steamy shower.
It was the only way I would be able to sleep peacefully.
The next morning, I went to my grandfather’s mansion, and for the first time, it felt like I was walking into a stranger’s home.
I sat in the garden waiting for him while the butler offered me a cup of tea, and I couldn’t resist because it was chilly.
In the distance, I saw my grandfather approaching, and as usual, he had a frown on his face.
The feeling was mutual, considering that I didn’t want to be here either.
He sat across from me.
For an old man, he looked like he never came back from the hospital.
“Benedykta, it’s good to see you again.”
I stared at him in disbelief.
Less than 24 hours ago, I wished that he was dead, and he called me a prostitute.
I forced a smile.
He placed some documents on the table.
I stared at them briefly and turned to look at him.
Our eyes locked in a frenzy.
“I meant every word I said to you, my dear, and maybe it’s about time you knew the truth since you’ve ruined everything.”
I scoffed in annoyance.
“Is that why you called me here? Just to insult me all over again? If that’s the case, then I’ve wasted my time coming here thinking that maybe you had something sensible to say, but I guess that I was wrong.”
I stood up, ready to leave, but his words stopped me.
“You should know the truth about your parents.”
I narrowed my eyes at him and sat down.
“What are you talking about?”
He pushed the documents on the table towards me.
I swallowed hard and picked up the folder, slowly opening it.
My hands began to tremble when I saw my name written on the papers.
“What is this?”
My grandfather maintained his poker face.
“Those are your adoption papers, Benedykta.”
I shook my head in disbelief, and indeed the papers had my birthday date and all the necessary details.
“Your biological mother had given birth to you and chose to abandon you at th
e hospital, and that’s where your parents adopted you because that night they had lost a child.”
Tears rolled down my cheeks.
It all made sense now.
He hated me from the very beginning because I was never a Rebel.