Her baby is cute. I thought to myself.
My niece was asleep in the ICU nicu, completely oblivious to the mess her mom is in.
She just lost a baby, her husband refuses to answer any of her calls despite all the texts she sent him telling him she gave birth and that she lost one of her twin girls.
Justin Odewell refuses to have anything to do with Lisa or the Mitchells and that includes their kids.
He's been a father for like seven years, but he refuses to acknowledge those kids as his own. In fact, that man doesn't seem bothered at all by all the things that have been plaguing his wife, his kids and their family.
James told me he swore up and down that Lisa would pay for killing Sandra. The man apperantly looked suicidal, but he hasn't done a thing to avenge Sandra since that outburst of his.
He's acting like all is right with the world even though his life is falling apart and someone he claimed is the love of his life is dead.
My niece and nephew have called him dad all their lives, but he's treating them like strangers. He doesn't even have any shame in how he abandoned those kids. Whenever Lisa or mom or dad dare to raise the issue with him, he tells them he refuses to raise another man's child.
No paternity test has been done yet, but he's convinced Lisa's kids aren't his, and he refuses any contact with kids who aren't his.
He's become so brazen with his complete disregard for his marriage that he's even moved into Sandra's parents' house. He claims it's how he's grieving after losing Sandra, but no grieving man can look as happy as my brother-in-law law has been looking recently.
"What did she name her?" I asked James. I decided to stop thinking about the madness that is Justin Odewell for the time being.
I was still looking at the baby through the large window that showed the new borns in the ICU.
After everything Lisa has done to get mom and dad's approval and the approval of the rest of the world, I'm the only one who's here in her time of need.
Well, me, James and Brandon's wife from time to time. Shonda still doesn't know that Lisa is her husband's mistress and that the kid she's fussing over is one of her children's half-sister.
Mom and dad aren't here because they still blame Lisa for dropping the ball with Charlotte and Jona. Dad says she shouldn't have let things get this far. He says it shouldn't have gotten to a point where my name and my family's name were dragged through the mud with that whole disciplinary hearing and the massive law suits against us.
He blames her for failing from the get go and failing to make Connor partner. He blames her for Lucas' family not shunning Charlotte and he blames her for failing so many times to get Jona to die in a simple car accident.
He doesn't care about the reason Lisa has given him for how she handled all of this - Sandra. Lisa says with Sandra all over Justin, she couldn't think straight.
"She hasn't named her yet." He leaned against a nearby wall. "She insists she'll only name her baby once Justin gets here. I've explained that he's not coming, but-"he sighed, "I think your sister is close to snapping, Lauren. I like pain, but I've grown to like Lisa more than I like seeing people in pain. She doesn't deserve this."
I ignored him.
"Maybe she should name her Sandra." I chuckled to myself.
James wrinkled his brows in disapproval.
"Lighten up, James!" I rolled my eyes. "If this was all happening to someone else you'd be laughing."
The wrinkle in his brows deepened.
I decided I had had enough of seeing the sick baby so I started walking away from the ICU nicu. The doctors will take care of her.
They're all glaring at us, whispering behind our backs or not even pretending to whisper at all. A few weeks ago, all these people were bending over backwards to make us happy because their careers, families and livelihoods depended on it. But today ... today we get to understand just how bad it is to be shunned by doctors and nurses.
All of this because of a woman with no parents. I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that this is all happening because of Charlotte.
"Is Brandon at least here?" I asked him while we walked away from Lisa's baby and he sighed yet again.
"He doesn't want anything to do with this." He shrugged. "A few of my guys say the man is trying to get his family to move after Lisa dropped the bomb on him. He's scared his wife will find out."
"Figures." I stopped lazily right infront of Lisa's door.
We usually get one of the private suites for VIP guests, but all that is gone. Now we get a tiny room with absolutely none of the usual amenities.
There's no large bed that's as soft as a cloud. There's no sitting room area and life-size wardrobe. There's no large flat screen TV and a mini fridge. There's no hotel-like room service. There's no living area for guests or visitors.
There's nothing.
Being poor is disgusting.
"I take it you'll make sure he doesn't run and that the issue with the paternity test is taken care of?" I asked him.
"Yeah." He also stopped right infront of Lisa's room and looked at the former golden child. "He's not going anywhere. He has to pin the kids' paternity on Justin just like Lisa ordered. She says you guys may no longer have any influence over doctors and nurses and lab techs, but Brandon still has some power. He may be able to sort out this whole thing for Lisa."
"He and Lisa are the ones who are to blame for all of this." I replied under my breath.
"Is that why you've only come to visit your sister twice since she was admitted?" He asked with a raised brow. "She's been here for a month and the only two people who seem worried about her and her baby are me and Shonda. I'm here everyday and Shonda is here like every second day. Your family is messed up for doing this to one of your own, Lauren."
He didn't have his usual smirk and laughter hiding behind the corner of his lips.
He was serious about us abandoning Lisa. He has spent years with our family and he still seems to be confused about how my family works.
I thought he was smarter than that.
"Your sister tried her best." He continued when I remained quiet and just stared at the sleeping beauty.
She doesn't look as perfect as she usually does. Her skin is awfully pale with grey circles underneath her eyes. Her hair has lost its bright shimmer and her cheecks are no longer as rosy as they usually are.
The once invincible Lisa Mitchell has fallen, and I can't but help but feel happy to see her this lost, afraid and alone.
"But it's clear you blame her for everything even though she really did try her best, don't you?"
"Yes." I gave him an honest answer. "The family's assets have gone from being frozen to being seized, James. No more mansions. No more private jets, jachts and luxury apartments all over the world. No more dozens of cars and drivers and servants. No more having the world at our finger tips. Everything is gone because Lisa refused to ask for help when she needed it and she lost to someone she should NEVER lose to. So", I lowered my voice when it looked like she was waking up, "You're damn right I blame her."
"If it weren't for Lisa, Charlotte would have been long gone by now!" I whispered screamed at him. "I would have been the one with a ring on her finger and pregnant with Lucas' baby!"
His jaw dropped to the floor and then suddenly a laugh came out of Lisa's room.
It was bitter and angry and filled with so much mock; the same mock Lisa has viewed me with my entire life.
"Five years, Lauren!" She laughed even harder. "You were by his side for five years and you still failed to get that supposed ring and baby. Even if it weren't for Charlotte, you would have been watching him from the sidelines like you've always done, Lauren. You would have still been hoping and praying that one day he'll come running to you and confess feelings he will NEVER have for you!"
She was trembling with tears threatening to run down her cheecks.
She's saying this to hurt me. She's saying this so I'll hurt as much as she's hurting. That's why she's lying like this. She's trying to hurt me.
"He hates you." She sneered. "He hates you so much, Lauren and I honestly think the only reason he's keeping you alive is because he wants his WIFE to claw out your eyes herself. You tried to poison her and didn't even bother trying to cover your tracks. You made it clear you want his baby dead. And I'm certain by now Ericsson has told him why she punched you."
"You will NEVER have Lucas Greyson", she balled her fists. "He will always love Charlotte. He will only ever love her!"
She was panting, still trembling and looking much worse than she did while she was asleep.
This isn't her first time saying things she knows will crush me. I usually burst out in tears and run away crying because Lisa has always been so perfect.
There's never been any ammunition to use against her; until now.
"And Justin will only ever love Sandra." I felt a sensational tugging at the corner of my lips. "Dead or alive, he will only ever love Sandra, Lisa. You married him, lied to him and told him he has kids with you and yet here you are after almost dying and he's nowhere to be seen. You're a whore, Lisa and nothing will fix your shamble of a marriage. Deep down you know that, right?"
I was prepared to have to fend myself off from her screams and her trying to lunge at me, but none of that happened.
Instead, all that anger and spite from a few seconds ago disappeared from her dull blue eyes and her arms fell on each side of her body.
She looked too heartbroken to respond.
"Go!" James suddenly shouted at me. "Just go!"
So I left and I even saw Shonda making her way inside as I left my sister.
I wiped my face when I felt liquid running down my cheecks.
I don't really know why I'm crying.
I felt nothing while I watched Lisa and her baby. I know I'm not crying because she's in hospital. I'm not that bothered by it. I'm crying because I'm afraid that what she said about Lucas is true.
I'm afraid that Lucas will never love me or forgive me.
That's why I'm crying right now.
I took out my phone to distract myself when a message popped up on my notifications.
"Your mom and I just arrived in London." A text came through from dad. "This is the last city that Greyson is visiting. After London, he'll be heading back home. If he does as you predict, he'll live, but if not, we can't afford to have a rabid dog like him going after us anymore. He has to die, Lauren."
I deleted the text as soon as I was done reading it.
This is really happening. Charlotte will die and Lucas might die.
I opened my messages again when another text came through.
"I just landed in New York.
All this money I'm spending on your family better be worthit. I shouldn't have to kill my daughter twice.
B Kim"
******************************************
Forest's POV
"I don't want to die, Forest." I could hear her crying over the phone. "I know you probably don't want to hear this when my surgery is only two days from now, but I really don't want to die."
"Do you not want to do the surgery anymore?" I asked as calmly as I could.
I love that baby - our baby. I want that baby. I've allowed myself to want that baby because a baby with her is something I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get.
But one thing I'm not willing to do, is to lose my wife while trying to have this baby.
I feel terrible for thinking this way. Our baby is not even here yet and I'm already failing as a father.
I should be like her.
She's relentless in protecting our child and fighting for him or her. I'm trying to be like that, but for goodness sakes, I might lose her.
"That's not what I'm saying." She sniffled. "I'm doing the surgery. That much I'm certain of, Forest. I get to fight for our baby. I'm not going to run away from that. I'm just scared and ...", she hesitated, "I haven't allowed myself to say it out loud all this time because I was afraid I'd talk myself into giving up. But now that there's no turning back, I need to say it. I need to say that I'm scared that I might die."
There was a cold silence that settled between the two of us.
I should have fought harder for us. I should have refused to leave and forced her to talk to me back then. And even if I did decide to leave, I shouldn't have tried to convince myself that she's dead to me for all these years.
I should have tracked her down and found a way to be in her life again. Even if I might have been forced to just be her friend. We started as friends. I would have taken being friends with her over never seeing her again for what felt like an eternity.
Granted, I wouldn't have allowed a single man to go near her, but at least we would have been in each other's lives and I wouldn't have lost five years with the only woman I've ever loved.
But now isn't the time to think about that. I can't change any of that.
I need to calm her down so that the rest of her day isn't spent with her in tears and thinking about dying.
"Charlotte Greyson", I said with fake laughter in my voice, "you will live to be 95 years old. You will die while making love to me in our old age. Your brittle bones won't be able to handle the orgasms I'll still be giving you well into your nineties. A few seconds after you collapse from your climax, I too will die because I'll follow you wherever you go, Charlie."
She was still crying, but at least she was also chuckling.
A month away from her has felt endless. We talk as much as possible over the phone, but it doesn't help much. I need to hold her and she needs to be held by me.
She's called me a couple of times after she woke up from a nightmare. It's always the same nightmare. She'd be in a state and begging me not to leave her like she usually does when she has these nightmares. They've only increased with me being away, but she's trying to pretend it's not something to worry about.
She needs me, but I'm thousands of miles away from her.
Jona is going back home today, but I still have one more thing to take care of in London. I can't go home yet.
"I love you, husband." She replied after calming down. "And I can't wait to have more kids with you."
"How many kids do you want, wife?"
I was trying to lead the conversation further and further away from her surgery.
"Three." She answered me full of excitement.
I groaned.
"We're going to have six kids." I retorted. "After you have our little girl; and yes I'm convinced we're having a little girl." I added quickly before she could tell me once again that she's certain we're having a boy. "Anyway, after we have our little girl, we'll have twins because they run in my family. Mom is a twin and her dad was also a twin. After our twins, we'll have a boy and two girls who will all want to be engineers, just like their dad."
"Our kids are going to be lawyers!" She fought back. "Every single one of them! It's a much cooler profession, Forest. And much less complicated."
I sighed.
"If you agree to us having six kids then sure. They can all be lawyers."
I could hear her laughing and probably also shaking her head.
"I'll think about it." She finally responded. "Something that I've already started thinking about is possibly staying home for a year or two after the baby is born. What do you think?"
I leaned back in the car seat.
"Are you sure?" I asked her. "You just made partner. Being away for that long will make you lose momentum."
She stayed quiet for some time.
"Yeah." She answered. "I want this baby more than anything I've ever wanted in my life, Forest. I want it more than I wanted to make partner. Being away will slow down my career, but I've built a name for myself. I like to believe that all the hard work I've put in all my life will allow me to take a year or two and spend it with our baby and still come back to a relatively alive and kicking career."
"Only if you're sure." I replied. "I know your career is strong enough for you to take a step back, but don't do it unless you're absolutely sure. Okay?"
"Okay." She sounded like she was smiling.
"I'll be working from home for the first two years of our baby's life." I informed her. "And it's not something I'm saying because of what you just told me. I want to get to know our baby and spend as much time as I can with the two of you before the rest of our many many kids come into this world."
She laughed again.
I could listen to her laugh for days without getting tired of it.
"Then it's a deal!" She said confidently. "My surgery will be successful. I will give birth to a beautiful baby girl. We will spend the first two years of her life doting on her and taking thousands of pictures and videos of everything she does. Then we'll have five more kids and when we're 95 we'll die after making love."
"Deal."
"I gotta go back to work." She said reluctantly. "I love you, husband."
"I love you too, wife. More than anything in this entire world."
***
It only took my driver a few minutes after our call ended to stop the car.
We had reached our destination.
He opened the door and I stepped out of the car to make my way to a small cottage-like house in the middle of a cozy neighbourhood.
I only knocked twice before a woman with long dark brown curly hair and light chocolate skin opened the door.
"Hi." I greeted the woman. "I'm looking for Charlene Ericsson."
"That's me." The woman answered with curious eyes. "And you are?"
"I'm your daughter's husband." I informed her. "And I'm here for some answers."