Chapter 105 105
Vanessa's POV
"I said I don't want him here" I shook my head at Rebecca and Chelsea.
"At least, you deserve to hear an explanation. It's not even from him but Mateo" Rebecca said softly.
Rolling my eyes, I picked my baby from the cradle because he had begun to cry. "Shh, mummy is here" I cooed
"Nessa..."
"I said NO. I don't want to hear anything from anyone." I snapped, eyeing the both of them
"You want to die with the feeling of betrayal? You know you have no memory of that night -"
"And I know I could never do such!" I cut her off
"But yet you still feel like you may have and this is the only way to set yourself free from the clutches of self destruction. I see you cry sometimes, Vee." Becca touched my shoulder lightly. I averted my gaze to somewhere else.
"You don't have to take him back. We're not forcing you to. Hell, you can issue a restraint order on him. We just care about you. Jayden deserves the best version of his mother" Chelsea added.
I sighed, hugging my baby close to my chest. Jayden needed the best version of his mother and I was going to give him that. Moving back, I looked at the both of them.
"30 minutes. I'm giving them 30 minutes to explain and nothing else. I don't want Richard anywhere close to my child and I after that" I warned sternly.
"He's gone after this. It's your child." Becca smiled at me. Chelsea also had same expression.
I was doing this for Jayden
"They'll be here in 5 minutes" Chelsea announced, tapping aggressively on her phone. If she was thinking I'd reconsider my decision when I saw him, then she was in for disappointment.
An unsettling feeling made its way to the pit of my stomach. I was going to see Richard after a year. I wasn't ready to meet him. Chelsea has been trying to get me to talk to him since 2 months ago when she had that online family meeting shit. She said it was something important but since I figured that it had to do with Paula, I declined.
He wanted to run back to me after the scale had fallen off his eyes? Pfft.
He must be a joker.
"They're here" As simple and less violent that word sounded, it sliced through my flesh. I wanted to tell them to send them away but because of the respect I had for his parents who always called and looked out for me and my child.
"I'll be down in a jiffy. I need to powder Jayden up so he could sleep well." I needed an excuse to get myself emotionally ready for whatever they were bringing to my home.
When Chelsea had gone, Becca spoke up. "You good?"
I was tired of disturbing her with my moods and so I smiled. "Why wouldn't I be good?"
"Vanessa.."
"Trust me, I'm fine" I assured her.
"Matthew is here and...and I don't know how to act" She finally blurted out. No wonder she was following me around.
I felt bad that she had to give her man cold shoulders for what another person did. It just goes to show how she really loved me. Though I begged her after a while and they had finally started talking but it was cold.
"Please, fix things up with him. Please Becca, for me." Holding her hand, I said softly. She sighed.
"I missed that dick anyway" She laughed. My eyes widened at the word.
"Rebecca! I have a damn child" I scolded her, changing Jayden into a new dress.
"You said damn so we both guilty sis. See you on the other side, bitch" She bolted out of the room before I could yell at her.
If I was going to watch her teach my son these words, I should at least fine her for because what the heck?
After powdering Jayden up and dressing him too, I arranged my hair and changed into something good because all I had earlier was a short and tank top.
When I got to the staircase, I inhaled sharply then exhaled before stepping out to where everyone sat. Everyone froze when I came in. Ava and Sasha were smiling at Jayden, Richard's parents were smiling at me, Mateo couldn't look me in the eyes as he fixated it on the ground, Matthew held Rebecca's hand like his life depended on it and it got me all smiley. Chelsea gave me a thumbs up.
Then finally, Richard. His eyes displayed it all - fear, disappointment, anger, longing, lust, embarrassment but most of all, REGRET.
"You sure about this?" I hadn't noticed Bryan at my corner until he spoke in my ear. My shoulder went rigid for split seconds, my eyes fell on Richard again - his hands were clenched beside him.
What for? He lost that right of control over me.
"Yeah." I said to him, smiling. "Good afternoon everyone, let's get this over with" I took a seat, rubbing my baby's back gently
"Vanessa..." Richard began but I raised my hand up, glaring at him scornfully.
"Let Mateo speak. That's why I allowed this to take place at my house. Isn't it, Chelsea?" I darted my eyes to Chelsea
"Yes. Yes, that's the reason" She nodded, giving her brother a pitiful look
Mateo cleared his throat, coming forward. I was the only one new to the story, everyone in here had heard the story so they all were not too paying attention.
"I didn't mean to hurt you." He started.
"You didn't" I replied.
"I did, Vanessa. I knew she was going to spike your drink on that day and I did nothing. I helped her carry you out of the hotel room, not without hiring one of the staff to take slutty pictures with you. I knew you couldn't or wouldn't remember anything and didn't help you clarify it." And there Mateo began to cry. His voice broke as he spoke. "I feel really ashamed of myself. She blackmailed me but I should've just come to you but instead I waited until she had destroyed your life"
I opened my mouth to say something but nothing would come out. My heart shattered as I stared at Mateo. I looked at him as an elder brother that would always protect me. I knew his toughness was a facade and I understood him.
"You didn't destroy my life" I told him squarely, my eyes averted to Richard. His shoulder slumped as he held onto my gaze.
"You weren't the one who accused me of sleeping with other men. My colleagues in that matter" I scoffed. I bit my quivering lips, just staring at the ground.
"It's still all my fault. I helped Paula with her plan -"
"And my so-called boyfriend believed some edited shit over my explanation. He .. he never believed me for once. So low for a tech guy who should know that things could be edited" Tears pricked the back of my eyes as memories of that day where he accused me, played in my head
Richard stood up. "Vanessa -"
"Don't call my name." I shunned him, glaring at him. Jayden quaked in my hand before crying out.
His mother walked up to me to take him from me and I let her. "Shhh my child" She cooed, smiling sweetly at him.
Everyone began to walk out of the room except Richard and Mateo.
"I forgive you, Matty" I smiled at him. "You weren't the one that stabbed me over and over again. You helped me to know the kind of man I was about to spend the rest of my damn life with"
Mateo looked at Richard with so much guilt and then at me. "Please forgive him. It's -"
"Don't push it, Mateo" I glared at him. He nodded and left. It was two of us now.
"Cupcake" The name sent shivers down my spine but I stood firmly - not showing that it affected me. "I'm sorry" He moved close to me. I took a step backward, maintaining the space between us.
"That's all you have to say, isn't it?" I said to him.
He shook his head. "I promise to be better. I was foolish and I broke you so bad and I would kill myself if you want but please forgive me" He crouched down until his knee touched the ground
I averted my gaze to the door. I couldn't stand this. My lips quivered uncontrollably, my eyes were clouded with tears making my vision blurry.
"I'll do anything you want, just forgive me"
I looked towards the ceiling, trying to force my tears inside my eyes. "Anything." I nodded at him. "Leave my child and I alone. Allow us to turn a new leaf without you"
He shook his head. "Anything but that, please. I've been too absent and I can't... I can't be absent any more." Tears streamed down his eyes as he spoke.
My heart felt too heavy at the sight of him crying. The tears I managed to hold, slipped down my face. "You hurt me so bad, Richard"
He held my hand softly. "I know, Cupcake. Please just let me do my duties. Now I'm not begging for forgiveness anymore but a chance to show you and our child that I'm a changed man."
I tried to pull my hand away but he wouldn't let me. Shaking my head, I choked out a reply amidst the tears. "I can't. I just can't seem to do that"
"Is it because of Bryan? You love him now?"
Eyeing him up and down, I snatched my hand. "You don't get the right to get mad at me and Bryan because he was a better man than YOU" I raised my voice, pissed already.
"Baby, if being with him would make you happy then sure. You deserve to be happy. You don't deserve me. Hell, my son doesn't deserve me but I want to be there for you two" He begged, his voice filled with pain.
The tears wouldn't stop streaming down my eyes as he spoke. I shut my eyes, crying out. My shoulder shook uncontrollably. I felt him stand up and suddenly I was being engulfed into his warm embrace.
"You broke me so bad, Richard" I whispered.
"I'll make it up to you"
"It's not going to be easy" I told him truthfully.
"I'll be here until you're ready, Cupcake. I'll keep trying until you let me in" He whispered. "I promise"