Love At Last

CHAPTER 144

HEARTBROKEN

“Steve? Come in and have seat,’ nana ushered him in. He turned to stare at me who was still very angry.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

“Calm down Lily, just calm down,” he gestured. “I let you rant all you wanted back at Cayden’s now you have to calm down and listen to me please,” he pleaded.

Wiping my tears, I said: “I really don’t have anything to say to you right now, dad. Please let me be and let me go,” I said with a pleading tone this time around.

“Just listen to me please.”

“Listen to your father,” nana chipped in.

After moments of trying to calm me down, I yielded and we all sat down to talk like mature adults.

“I don’t want you to be with Cayden.”

“You already lost that right to tell me what to do,” I fired almost immediately.

“Just listen and I’ll explain everything in details to you,” he spurred.

“I’m all ears,” I folded my arms.

“Take a look at this, Lily. He handed me the envelopes he was holding.

“What are these?”

“Look at the contents yourself.”

“I opened the first envelope and saw pictures – of the same lady who claimed to be Cayden’s baby mama – and what looked like bank notes in it. In the second envelope, I found recordings and video tapes.

“Why you giving these to me?” I questioned.

“That’s Cayden’s woman who he’s been taking care of for a while now.” That much I knew. “She is indeed carrying his child, Lily.” That part I didn’t know of. Cayden assured me the lady was lying against him.

“Indeed pregnant for him?” I asked puzzled while nana took the envelope from me to see for herself.

“Exactly! Mr. Cayden is a liar and a cheat, he’ll not make the perfect partner you need by you at this point. You need someone who is going to be open and honest to you in whatever he does and trust me, Cayden is not that guy,” he made his point clear.

With feeling of indignation and disappointment swelling up for Cayden at that point, I struggled to contain my mixed emotions – the anger I felt towards my dad and the confusion I felt at that point. ‘Why did he have to allow me get the truth from my dad?’ I wanted to assure myself that my dad was lying to me, but the very first thing he gave me – the envelopes – contained irrefutable proof I could not deny.

I didn’t even have the will or zeal to speak in Cayden’s defense because it turned out I really knew nothing about his extra affair.

“Mr. Cayden is planning on getting married to this woman once the child is born, Lily. I got the information from a reliable source and without much questions, you could also see for yourself,” he pointed the envelopes. “Think about it. Why would he take care of her somewhere else and fend for her needs if he isn’t in fact the father of the child?” he spoke convincingly.

“But dad, he assured me the child wasn’t his,” I had to say something in his defense.

“Think about what I said earlier. If he was sure of that, he should not have taken the woman out of Nedford to take care of her specially before she gives birth,” he cajoled further. “He’s most definitely planning to marry the said lady on confirming the paternity of the child in her womb. It’s all for the sake of his publicity, Lily. Believe me.”

I felt disheartened by what I heard my dad say. It felt bad to actually be betrayed by Cayden, but it felt worse that it was my dad who presented me with this information. Adding to my pain, he tells me something more heartbreaking.

“I didn’t disown you of my own volition Lily,” he called my attention.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked with a pretty low tone; I was too tired to yell at anyone again.

“Believe me , Lily. I won’t lie about something as sensitive as this one. What I did wasn’t in anyway my choice.”

“Nana what’s he saying?” I turned to nana who just nodded, urging me to keep listening.

“Take a look at this.” He pressed a few buttons on his tablet and handed it to me. “What’s this?” I looked at it.

“In it, you’ll see the order of arrangements of everyone who’s worked with me until now and the various roles they played.”

“So what exactly am I to do with this?” I kept looking at it haphazardly, not really paying attention to the details in it.

“If you check properly, you’ll see that during the time of your getting pregnant, Mr. Cayden was in charge of my publicity at the…,”

“Cut it out, dad,” I cut him off redirecting my gaze to him. “He told me that he was in charge of handling investments that came into your company,” I still tried to defend my man even though I barely managed to let the words escape my lips as I felt heavy inside. Nana tapped me gently, urging me to calm down.

“That’s true but at the time you were pregnant, he was in charge of my publicity. Take a look,” he urged me to see for myself that he was not lying.

Although what appeared on the screen seemed all gibberish to me, I was able to deduce from it and confirmed what my dad said was right. “So if he was in charge of your publicity, how does that affect me in any way?”

“You still don’t get the point I’m trying to drive home?”

“I don’t!”

“Being in charge of my publicity, I shared with him my predicament – of you being pregnant – and he advised me to drive you away to save face,” he dropped the bombshell. “He did?”

“He told me that keeping you around would only taint my image and advised I send you away.

“Cayden?” I was in utter disbelief.

“You saw for yourself right? He was in charge of my fame and anything that had to do with my image. I know it was foolishness on my part to have bought the idea in the first place, but right now, I’m not trying to justify myself or apologize, but I’m trying to show you the kind of person Mr. Cayden really is. I’m sure he knows you’re my daughter and couldn’t think of possible ways to say sorry, and got close to you on purpose.”

“Dad you’re not lying to me right now?” tears started welling up yet again!

“It will be irresponsible of me to want to dump Cayden with all my misgivings and squirm through effortlessly; I’d never stoop that low.” I covered my face, letting the tears flow – I broke down in tears. I had enough for the day already.

Nana sits closer to me and rests my head on her shoulder to console me. “It’s okay Lily, everything will be fine,” she assured.

“I’m deeply sorry my princess. I know I wronged you but please I’m sorry, very sorry. For everything we put you through, I promise to assume responsibility now. Forgive me.”

“No” I raised my head, shaking it repeatedly still unable to stop the tears from flowing. “Cayden won’t betray me like this. No dad, I really cannot accept all of these without asking Cayden about it,” I stood up immediately.

“Where to?” nana asked.

“To Cayden’s,” I replied and stormed off feeling shattered inside.