Do you guys remember the bonus chapters.
THIRD POV
"What did you just say?" Esther gasped. Staring at her in shock.
"I said" Diane speaking slowly whilst walking closer to where her mother stood "When are you going to stop destroying my life" enunciating every word.
"What are you talking about? What happened? Where is this coming from?" tears already springing from the corners of her eyes. Her heart was already dropping to her stomach.
Letting out a breath to try and control her rage "Did you or did you not, take money from Collins Dwight?" she demanded.
Esther looked confused and tried racking her brain for the source of this question "No. No I never took money from him"
"Really?" giving her an incredulous look.
"Yes. I just told you. Ihave never at least that I recall have I ever taken money from Collins or his father or mother" folding her arms.
"Hmm. You might want to rack your brain harder and think" she said rather rudely. Politeness thrown out the window. She was just too angry. Too frustrated. Every time that she took a step forward in her life she was pushed ten steps back.
"I will remind you that you are speaking to your mother, young lady" in a firm voice.
She chuckled wryly "She says "mother" - continuing to chuckle. "Yeah, I don't think you understand the concept of that word. Because you sure as heck aren't one" her eyes turning hard.
"Watch your tongue and tone young lady!" Esther snapped.
"Remember who you are talking to!"
"I know who the hell I am talking to. I am talking to a woman who is determined to ruin my life and that of my children. I am talking to a woman who seems to draw negativity and bad-luck like a magnet"
Esther did a double take. She blinked twice to make sure that it was indeed Diane that was speaking to her in this manner.
She had raised her daughter to have respect her elders. "What is going on with you Diane?! What happened?! Did I do something? Speak to me clearly"
"Did you take money from Collins?!" Diane yelled whilst thanking George silently for taking the kids downstairs. From the way that this conversation was going it was about to get ugly.
"I said no! No! No!" she yelled back. Why would Diane think that she would ever go to Collins for money?
"Oh my God!" Diane screamed pulling her hair in frustration.
This was going nowhere. She turned away to calm her racing heart down. She needed to tackle this issue in a matured way.
There was a momentary pause, both women left to their thoughts.
"Fine" she relented. "Okay you didn't take money from
Collins. Did you take money from Eric Timmons?"
Esther momentarily froze. This was not what the good madre was hoping for. But a tiny voice reminded her that sooner or later, it was bound to come to light. And what was worse was that she was not the one to tell her daughter. It should have been better coming from her. And her daughter looked enraged like a bull about to gore someone down.
"I-luh" having trouble swallowing. Her throat becoming dry as cotton. She was having trouble conceiving her words.
"Anytime now, mom" Diane urged her voice in sweet condescension and tapping her foot.
Clearing her throat "Yes. Yes Diane I did"
"Wow" slumping down in the sofa and holding her head in her hands. For the briefest of moments she hoped that her mother would deny it and say that it was some sort of mistake. It had to be.
"How did you find out?" Esther asked gently although she had a pretty good idea.
"Well, if you must know, Collins lawyer got Eric as a character witness and he testified that the Good Samaritan Collins was involved in raising my child through monetary funds. This trial has not begun and it is already in that bastards favor" already tired and frustrated.
Esther eyes shot up in surprise. "Diane that is not true" she gasped.
"Isn't it?" she asked pointedly whilst standing up from her seat. "You did take money from him, did you not?" she growled getting angrier by the second.
"Yes, but.."
She interrupted her again "Tell me, did money change hands before or after you slept with him" sneering at her.
SMACK!
Looking at her mother in shock as she clutched her throbbing cheek. Her mother had just slapped her and she couldn't believe it. For the first time in her life, her mother had laid a hand on her. And it seemed neither could her mother. She was looking at her daughter in shock and regret. Diane never gave her a reason to spank her. It was like she was born matured.
"Diane. I'm ..." she started to apologize.
"Forget it" waving her off. The shock was still wearing off.
She paused or a second and then started to chuckle. "I wish you were this firm and strong when it came to that man, Eric Timmons" in a pitiful voice. She didn't know who she felt sorrier for, her mother or the situation she was in. She became weak around him that it was disgusting to watch.
"Diane, please I am begging you, listen to me. You have this all wrong. That is not what happened." And also ignoring her insulting and scathing comment.
"So you didn't go to Timmons for money?" raising her brow.
Taking a deep breath "I did." But she hastily tried to explain.
"But it was for you. It-"
But it was no use because Diane cut short her explanation by screaming so loud that the chinaware shook and Esther flinched back.
"For me?!" looking at her mother incredulously.
"How? How could you possibly think that going for money from my adversary, from my nemesis, from the man who is the bane of my existence, be for me? Huh? Tell me!"
"Diane I was so worried. We were living in bad place. And you were pregnant and in such a delicate situation. I was scared okay? Please understand that I was scared to death that I was going to lose you" tears springing to her eyes as she recalled the dark days.
Both of them working close to 15 hours a day just to get by.
And it didn't do them much good because either. They were living in a room that was infested with cockroaches and mice.
And when they were not worried about rodents, they were worrying over filling their stomachs with food and water.
"And?" she questioned. "Did I not ask you specifically not to?" she demanded.
"Diane. We are mothers we would do anything for our children when we know that they are in danger. The Virgin Mary would demand that we do anything earthly possible for our children." she implored whilst raising her voice.
"But I told you not to! I asked you not to" Diane yelled. Clearly, there's some divine work left to be done because Diane was not buying what Esther was selling.
"Diane. I had to. You needed care and medicine that we just couldn't afford. And your pride was in the way. And it was getting in the way of your life and that of my grandchildren. So I did what I had to, push aside mine and save yours" she exclaimed.
"That was the only thing I had left mom! My pride!" she screamed. Then taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart.
"That was all I had left after the Timmons and Dwights humiliated me and hounded me almost to the point of death. I was scared mama. Those bastards and bitches left me with nothing. You don't think I was still suffering from Collins deceit and cruelty. Every night, I cried myself to sleep just thinking about it. But you want to know the worse thing they did? They wrote my destiny for me. So my pride was the one keeping me going. Don't you see? Everything I did, the person became today was me proving them wrong."
"That was why did it. Because you wouldn't. This is on my head. Not yours. We needed a miracle. And we needed one desperately." Trying to lay a comforting hand on her daughter but Diane snatched hers away.
"A miracle we didn't need. Not only did you wreck the miracle" she replied. "You just screwed up the lives of my children."
"How?" looking very scared. What did she do? Just what happened in that court-house.
"Because you gave them the gun to fire at me. Specifically Collins."
"Mi hija, no. You misunderstand. I went to Eric. I was on my hands and knees begging for a couple thousands of dollars. I was on my knees for hours and when he finished mocking me and humiliating me did he finally throw the money in my face."
"Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?" her character and tone still cold.