Throughout the day, I couldn't get the chairman's familiar gaze off my head, they left not quite long after I served them but not before giving me his card, told me to reach out to him if I needed anything.
The meeting with the chairman has brought a lot of mixed feelings, I can't help but see the little things, we have the same honey colored eyes, I could see the longing and hope in his eyes as he stared at me like I'm his long lost treasure, is there something I'm missing here. I had to cancel on Leo as I don't think I'm in that mood.
"Boss, you okay?" Ray asked as he came to stand in front of me and I looked at him absentmindedly, it was past 10 already so the diner was closed, it was hard focusing on anything else since my meeting with the chairman so time just flew by and I forgot I was going to meet up with Noah.
I'm not a kid, I have a feeling of what this might be about but that's not possible, I have my parents.
My conscience whispered tauntingly in my mind 'I look nothing like my parents but share similarities with a complete stranger, they treated me like I wasn't theirs until they had no other choice but to accept me as I'm the only one left for them, my father said he had African blood in him that's why I have a colored skin but I've never met a relative that shared my skin color' the flag was so red as it was waving in my face.
This can't be true, I'm just overthinking.
"Boss" Ray called again worriedly, and I looked up at him again shakily, that when I noticed the tears in my eyes as he seem like a blurry figure in front of me.
"I'm fine" I said sniffing as I packed my things and left quickly. The drive home looked too long, I'm not surprised, it's so hard seeing the road with teary eyes, with different thoughts running through my head.
Upon getting home, I walked into the house and met my parents at the lounge still awake.
Good.
"Hey honey, how was work?" mum asked smiling and I couldn't help but just stare at her, she made me feel invisible then, acted like I wasn't always there, doted on my sister but left me craving for the attention of a mother, yes, I had forgiven them but I can't help but think back now that I'm having these thoughts.
"Rose are you okay, you came in later than usual?" I heard my dad say and I turned to look at him with a blank stare too making their smile drop.
"I'm fine but I need to talk to you two" I said walking closer to them and sitting on the couch in front of them.
"What's that baby?" mum asked worriedly while sitting up straight.
"I'm going to need you guys to be very honest with me, I found out everything, I just need to hear it from you" I said carefully watching their reactions and they both nodded looking confused.
"What was it, you wanted to tell me this morning?" I asked and I noticed the uncomfortable and nervous look that took over my dad's feature, mum was playing it out well, she was returning the blank stare I was giving her, well at least now I know she still has that attitude.
"I don't understand what you're saying, we never told you we had something to tell you" Mum said raising an eyebrow and I scoffed.
"Well you didn't, I overheard you talking" I said coldly.
"Learn to keep you ears to yourself and behave, what is wrong with you and what is with this attitude of yours" she yelled. I know what she's trying to do, changing the subject to my bizarre attitude just like she changed the subject this morning too but this time, it isn't going to work, I have a purpose.
"Dad, do you mind getting a backbone and supporting me for once, I know you want to tell me, I heard you this morning" I said facing my dad who was trying everything to avoid eye contact with me, in a moment I felt the sting on my cheek as my mother came and slapped me in the face.
"Don't talk to your father like that you ungrateful child" she yelled fuming and I stood up coming face to face with her. I'm not a rebellious child, I'm more of the gentle and responsible one but this isn't the time to be gentle and responsible, if they aren't going to make it easy for me, I would not make it easy for them either.
"Why don't you allow the said 'father' to stand up for himself 'mother'" I said taunting her and I could see her eyes turned to slit as she looked at me ready to raise her hands on me again, but I just scoffed.
"What has gotten into you?" my dad finally said stopping her from hitting me once again.
"I asked a question, and I would like an answer" I said.
"We were discussing business issues and that's all you need to know" my mum said again, I can see she's trying everything to make my dad not talk.
"If that's not my business, how about you tell me what I really want to know?" I said sarcastically.
"And what would that be?" she said scrunching her face up.
"Who is my father?" I asked, hopeful that they'll prove me wrong, and I'll apologize to them for being so rude but that hope washed down the drain when I saw the shocked and pale look on their faces, I was looking for a confused gaze not caught in the act gaze.
"What nonsense are you spouting this time?" mum yelled with a wavering voice and I turned to stare at my dad who is back to avoiding eye contact.
"Dad talk to me, I promise I'll forgive you" I said trying to coarse him to tell me the truth.
"I'm your father and I'll always be no matter what, what could ever make you think otherwise?" he asked smiling gently, I would have believed him if not for the continuous nervous tap of his leg, my sister does that too when she's trying to hide something.
"Maybe because I found out the truth, why are you guys trying to hide it so much, just come clean already" I said frustrated, and my dad sighed before telling me to take a seat earning a glare from my mum.
"Don't you dare" she gritted her teeth looking like she's moment away from pouncing.
"Sit down and be quiet, it's high time she knows anyway" my dad said coldly and that shut her up for good, he has never disagreed with her so she must be shocked.
"You'll regret this" she whispered in a broken voice as she put her head in her hands.
I looked to my dad and waited for him to start talking, with a heavy heart I sighed, all my hope for them to prove me wrong gone down the drain and I'm left with a feeling of dread as I waited to hear a news that'll most likely break me.
I could have just left it hidden, there was a reason they were hiding the information from me, but I wanted clearance.
And clearance is what I'm about to get.