CHAPTER 7.
Sheila.
Life is brutal.
You could argue all you want that there are sweet parts of life. Some people clung to the belief that there are more good moments than bad, but that's not what I'm talking about. Life is brutal because it keeps on coming.
One hit after the other, knocking you down. You don't have time to get up and brush off the dirt.
Life doesn't acknowledge pain and the need to pause when it hits. We need to breathe, and life doesn't care. It doesn't stop and it doesn't grant reprieves.
In short: life can be a coldhearted bitch and that was what fueled me as I got down from the uber I ordered to your father's mansion.
Throughout the ride, I was nervous about confronting my father and the closer we got to the house, the more I felt like I was getting closer to my doom.
Entering inside the house, I first went in search of my mother. I needed to know if she knew all about my father's forgery and decided to keep quiet about it. Although I was anxious, because if she knew and she didn't even call to warn me, then I have no idea of what I would think of her after that.
I met my mother in the kitchen with the rest of the kitchen staff, preparing what I assume was lamb chops.
"Sheila…" she shrieked when she saw me standing by the kitchen door. She immediately wiped her hand on a kitchen towel as she hurried towards me.
When she got to me, she wrapped her arms around me and gave me a hug. I was so emotional I could feel the tears glistening in my eyes. I had really missed her hugs.
"I had no idea you were going to be here today. Why didn't you call ahead? I could have baked some sweet goodies for you." As she spoke, her hands were on my cheeks, turning my head from side to side as if she was evaluating my health just by looking at me.
"No mum. It's not really necessary. I came for an important matter actually." I replied to her.
Her lips spread into a thin line even though she tried to keep smiling, "And this important matter involves your father, doesn't it?"
I nodded, my throat closed off. Peering into the kitchen behind her, I determined it was not acceptable for a private discussion, so I leaned forward and whispered, "Mum, do you think we can talk somewhere else?"
Maybe it was the urgency in my tone that prompted her, or the desperate plea in my eyes but she grabbed hold of my hand and directed me to the large dining room.
Sitting on one of the chairs, she pulled out the one beside her and gestured for me to sit.
"I know you're aware of the contract I was supposed to sign to get married to Dylan just for your husband's business to boom. Right?"
My mom sighed and with her elbows propped on the table top, she rested her jaw on both hands. And while looking straight ahead, she said, "Your father never includes me when it comes to making huge decisions. Your father decides and just informs me while expecting me to go along with it."
She paused and took a deep breath, "After dinner that day when he took you both to his office, I eavesdropped and I heard everything that happened. Believe me, I was shocked. When you left, I tried to talk to your father and I advised him to rethink everything. If he really needed a contract, all he had was to make time to talk to you father to daughter."
I could tell the incident was painful for her more than she let on. "He actually assured me that he had heard my advice. Imagine my shock when Dylan showed up here some minutes ago without so much as a warning and believe me, he was really angry. From the tidbit of information that I got, it seems your father forged your signature for the contract."
She finally turned to look at me with tears running down her eyes as she held my hands in hers.
"I'm sorry baby. I'm really sorry that he did that."
I grasped her hands tightly in mine and said, "it's not your fault mum. Did you say Dylan was here?"
"Yes, they're in his office."
I got up immediately. "I'll be right back mum." She nodded in understanding as I hurried to my father's study: the one place I know they'll be.
As I got closer to the door, I started hearing their voices. My father was shouting and I pressed my ears to the door to hear better.
"You don't know what you're doing, Dylan. We will be great partners together. There's no need for anyone to know that signature was forged. It's as authentic as they come, I made sure of that." My stomach turned at his words. When did my father become this callous? Or had he always been like this?
I was brought out of my thoughts by Dylan's voice. "You're a very despicable man. And from the start, I didn't want to have anything to do with you. Imagine my relief now that you've actually implicated yourself."
"You don't know what you're saying…" my father started but there was a crash that made him pause. As much as I wanted to go and investigate the crash, I decided to wait first. I still needed to hear what Dylan had to say.
"Like hell I don't know what I'm saying. You forged your own daughter's signature, signing her life over to a loser. You can't tell me you've never heard of the rumors about me," he said.
"Of course, I've heard them. But that's just part of being a man." My father's words pierced my heart and I covered my mouth with my hands.
"Wow. You don't deserve her as your daughter. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you, a spineless old coward like you, would give birth to someone like her. It's mind-blowing."
There was a pause and a grunt and from the sound, it seemed like Dylan grabbed my father by the collar.
"Now listen to me and listen well. I will marry your daughter. I will woo her the right way, make her fall for me and marry her with or without your blessings. You know why? Because after one night in her presence, there's no one else I'd rather fall in love with."
And that was how Dylan Knight took what was remaining of my heart away.