Forsaken betrayal
Chapter 16

Episode 16

"My grandfather has asked to see me." Grealic walked into the dining space, taking her seat on the far opposite end of the dining table.

A fleeting glance at the terrace left her face flushed in embarrassment as the vivid image of the kiss she shared with Lennox crossed her mind for the fifth time that morning. "Why is that?" Lennox asked.

Gealic's shoulders lifted in a delicate shrug. "He wants to know how I am doing after the incident. He also wants to discuss some important issues with me." She answered, her eyes darting to the terrace again.

Lennox's gaze followed hers and she knew he was suspecting her of lying. "Fine then, Richard will take you there and bring you back. Finish whatever you want to do with your grandfather before nightfall, tonight's dinner is in your hands." "You didn't eat them last night, why should I cook tonight too?" She muttered under her breath.

Lennox's eyes narrowed. "Cook them still, you signed yourself up for it."

"Seems like I cursed myself too." She quipped.

"Uhn?"

"Me! The witch, remember?"

Lennox's expression was blank. "Uhn?"

Gealic's eyes sparkled with amusement. "You don't remember calling me a witch last night?"

"Me? You're evil must be catching up with you in your dreams."

She laughed.

"What did you do last night?"

"Why are you suddenly interested in my sleep schedule?"

"I'm not."

"You want to know the times I'll be asleep so you can climb my bed as you wish."

"No."

"I can sue you for sexual assault of anything happens to me." He paused in front of her. "Remember,my room is off-limits."

"You must have been out cold yesterday. Do you remember anything that happened on the terrace?" Her laughter was a playful taunt.

Lennox's brow furrowed, "What happened?"

"I'm off." She answered and turned to leave, her laughter echoing through the room as she went. Lennox's eyes followed her, confusion masking his expression. What had happened on the terrace?

~~~

Gealic smiled at herself, happy at the way she had been able to trick Lennox into letting her leave the house. She had realized that her grandfather was the only person in her family that Lennox valued, being the only person related to her that he ever mentioned.

"So he's the forgetful type when he's drunk, that's to my advantage." She noted, her mind going back to their conversation in the morning and his complete obliviousness of what he had done.

Her head rested on the window as she thought of things to do to defy him. She could have gone all morning but she waited till late noon to leave. But somehow Lennox's anger had awoken something petty within her, urging her to fish for more reasons to upset him.

"Stop the car here." She tapped at the driver's seat. Just a second ago, she had seen Larsson close to the road, standing a long distance away from her school. "Ma'am?"

"Please stop the car here, I need to see someone." She urged.

"Yes ma'am." Mr, Richard obliged, stoping the car I'm a safe parking spot.

Gealic briskly got down from the car before the driver could get to her door, and ran all the way to corner she had seen Larsson. The little girl was in her school uniform, seeming to be waiting for her parents. "Larsson!" She called.

The girl turned to see who called her name and brightened up in excitement when she spotted Gealic running towards her.

"Mum!" she squealed, racing towards Gealic with open arms.

The two collided in a warm, tearful embrace, Gealic scooping up Larsson and twirling her around in a circle,

"Where is your dad?"

"He's late."

"Why is he late today?"

"He has always been late since you stopped coming over to pick him." She complained, "Why did you leave?"

"I had to travel to sort some things out."

"When will you be back? I've missed you."

Gealic hesitated, causing the girl to cry. Gealic's heart sank as she knelt down to comfort her step-daughter.

"What did you do to my daughter?" Megan's shrill voice behind her pierced the air like a dagger.

Gealic's eyes flashed with anger as she turned to face her ex-husband's wife, "I did nothing to her." The air was hot with tension.

"Take your filthy self away from my daughter. I don't want anything bad to happen to her. Who knows, you may get jealous and try to harm her."

Gealic scoffed. "It's not me you should protect her from, it's yourself. If you don't want anything bad to happen to her, pick her up on time. Don't keep a seven-year old waiting alone on the busy street. I wouldn't blame you though, you were never in her life, what would you know about taking care of a child?"

"Take your words back Gealic." Megan warned

"Or what?" Gealic asked nonchalantly, "Did my words prick you?" "Mummy, don't fight-"

"Shut up," Megan screamed. "Go into the car now and stay there."

The little girl tearfully obliged.

"That is no way to treat a child." Gealic...

"I will treat me child the way I want, do that when you bear your own children." She gasped in mock horror. "You can't have children, how sad. You can only ruin people's marriages and take over their lives. Go to hell Gealic, and stay there." Megan's words cut deep like a blunt knife twisting into Gealic's heart.

"Ma'am, let's leave." Mr. Richard urged.

"So this is your new husband," Ethan's voice came from behind Gealic. "Go meet Larsson, Megan." He said to his wife and the latter walked away not without muttering curses at Gealic. "Ethan!"

"Don't call my name. I see you've ruined another family in your search for a perfect life." His eyes raked over Mr. Richard. "He seems rich, funny how you have not left your gold-digging ways."

"I will not let you stand there and insult me, Ethan." Gealic's anger boiled over.

"I've had to cope with your overbearing ass for four years and now I'm free of you. Sure I can call you whatever I wish too. After all, that is all you are, a freaking gold-digger."

"Ethan!"

"Let's go ma'am."

"I promise to get back at you for this. I'll make you regret this."

Mr Richard held Gealic's hand and ushered her into the car, taking her away from the brutal verbal abuse of her ex-husband.

As the car door closed behind her, she surrendered to the pent up frustration and tears. She wiped her face furiously as tears streamed down her face like rain, her body shuddering with each sob. "Are you okay ma'am?"

"I am," her voice cracked as she struggled to respond in between sniffs.

"Mr. Richard," she whispered

"Yes ma'am?"

"Please don't let Lennox know about this." She pleaded.

"Yes ma'am," he reassured her, smiling warmly at her through the rearview mirror.

"Thank you."

As the car glided through the evening streets, Gealic could only think about everything she has suffered with Ethan.

She relived the moment she had crawled to his feet to beg for love, her heart seared by the wicked heat of his rejection. The way he had water no time in trading her place in his life with the same woman who had abandoned him years ago. The scars of being an outcast with his family, always the centre of malicious jeers, none of them regarding her as Ethan's wife.

Her thoughts wandered to the words he said the night he flung the divorce papers at her.

"Sign it, were getting divorced."

"You are infertile!"

"I'm done tolerating a childless woman."

"Ten seconds and ilss have the guards throw you out of my sight."

"My family never really liked you, I should have listened to them when they said you had no use for me."

Her soul felt crushed.

"I didn't deserve all these," She thought.

Mr. Richard's calm voice broke the silence, "Do you still want to go to your grandfather's, it's getting late?" Gealic sighed defeatedly, "Let's just go home."