"You mean Adams said all those words to you? Who does he think he is! How dare he think he can use you against your own brother!" Theresa balled her fist. "Trust me, Mom, I only promised to do whatever he wants because I had no options, but trust me, Mom, I'm not doing any of his bidding. I know Adams; he wouldn't turn me in," Bethel jibbered, giggling. "Tell me, how did it go with the wife? I remember you said Adams didn't lay a finger on you, so why is your face all bruised?" Bethel's heart skipped immediately her mom mentioned 'his wife.' Memories flooded her mind; she thought her mom would already be satisfied by the time she finished telling her about Adams, but she was wrong. "Speak before I lose it!" She knew her mom wouldn't just let it slide, so she had to speak up and tell her everything that happened. "Actually, she's a tough one. I met her waiting for me. I feel someone already informed her about my visit." They all faced Tricia, giving her a suspicious look. "Come on, Mom, I wasn't even aware of your plans! You didn't tell me anything, remember?" Drake, the last born, scoffed, not wanting to believe Tricia's excuses. "Go on, what then happened afterward?" Theresa inquired further. "She nearly pushed me down from the rooftop, Mom! She nearly killed me!" Bethel jibbered shamelessly. "She did what? How come?" "She was too strong, Mom; she even slapped me!" Bethel, who thought her mom would sympathize with her, lied
"Oh, just shut up! What do you mean by she almost killed you? Aren't you ashamed to even say it out?" Beatrice yelled at Bethel. "Why are you yelling at me! You should be grateful I came back alive, not shouting at me!" Bethel fired back at her mom, who wouldn't even take her explanations. "I'm not taking that, young lady! How do you expect me to take the fact that she also dealt with you the same way Adams did to your brother? I wonder why my children always disappoint; why is mine always different?" Tricia chuckled, earning a glare. "If you feel it's so easy, why not go do it yourself?" Tricia poked in. "Shut up, you ungrateful hag!" She threw her phone at Tricia, who was lucky enough to dodge it; the phone dropped on the floor and shattered. "What did I do this time around?" Tricia questioned angrily. "If you don't want to support me on this part, then get out of my way because I won't think twice before placing you where you belong!" Theresa threatened Tricia, who scoffed yet again, not paying attention to what she was saying. "I'm sorry, Mom; next time I will be more careful," Bethel muttered. "Save it! There's no next time because I will be doing it myself!" "What?" Bethel questioned to be sure of what she just heard. "You heard me right, I will be doing it myself!" She stood up and walked out, leaving them in confusion.
*****
"What did Bethel say to you?" Adams questioned, sitting beside her on the bed.
Anna told him everything in detail, including how she tried pushing her off the rooftop. "You shouldn't have taken such risks; what if she managed to push you down from the rooftop?" Anna chuckled loudly. "You don't have to worry about me; I'm fine." Anna jibbered angrily. Having Adams show fake sympathy for her was pissing her off; she knew she was being harsh towards him, but it was for the best. "She shouldn't fall for him if he chooses to dump her after the contract expires." "You are mistaken, Anna; I'm not worried about you. I only care about my baby. I'm not someone who gets tied down by affection; love is not in my nature." Anna felt her heart skip the moment he said those words. She felt hurt hearing him say that, but it's what she wanted, right? "This is only but a contract; don't get attached and I won't either!" He stood up and left the room, and a tear slipped down Anna's cheek. Yes, she wanted him to stay away, but he shouldn't have said those mean words to her. The other day, when he made love to her, he told her he loved her; why did he change so suddenly?
She quickly wiped the trace of tears from her cheek, adjusted her dress, then walked out as well.
***
"What happened between the both of you? I heard your voice," Vivian blocked Adams from walking down the stairs. "It's none of your business! Just get out of my way!" Adams tried pushing her aside, but she grabbed the rail, standing her ground. "I'm happy you remember how your last relationship ended. You shouldn't give anybody permission to treat you that way ever again!" Adams' gaze darkened the moment she said that. Vivian was always fond of reminding him of the brutal part he's been trying hard to let go; sooner or later, she would go down for this same thing if she kept getting on his nerves. "Don't make me do something I will regret, Vivian! You keep rubbing my past in my face all in the name of love. I don't and will never love you! Mind you, Clara is my past, and there's nothing that can take me back to my past. I have a fiancée and I'm in love with her. Couples have issues, and we aren't exceptional. Let me warn you: stop monitoring me, Vivian; I might do something you don't expect." Vivian shivered as she watched Adams walk into the kitchen. Anna sighed from where she stood; she'd been watching them from the passage.
"Hey," a voice stopped her from walking back into the room. She turned back to see Vivian standing behind her. "You don't look happy; is everything okay?" Vivian asked in a mocking tone. "Do I not look okay to you?" Anna replied angrily. "You heard our conversation, right? He's still in love with Clara; he's only using you to forget her. You are nothing but a replacement...he will run after Clara if she comes back without stress," Vivian jibbered mockingly. "And you think I will care? I'm the mother of his first child, remember? You can just hit your head against the wall if you are not cool with it! At least I'm not like you; all you can do is admire; you can never have him!" Anna's statement was interrupted by a brain-resetting slap. Anna's eyes widened. Did she just slap her? This was the height of it! Vivian would definitely see the other side of Anna.