Chapter 110
Veronica’s POV
Apartment – A few days later
I was making breakfast as Jonathan was helping Janet with her homework.
Seeing Jonathan laughing with his daughter like this p>
Is a dream come true.
Now that I think of the times when he stayed away because of Imelda, I can’t imagine the pain he must have been in.
Or when he would have to let Janet call him Mr. Rollings instead of daddy.
I can see the relievement in his eyes every time Janet calls him ’Daddy.
It’s like he was dying for her to call him in public.
I exhaled.
For the first time in fifteen years.
Now none of us had any secrets.
No one had to do any investigations.
No more courtroom tips.
No more who’s child is who.
Just a happy family that no one can break.
Suddenly the doorbell rang, which pulled me out of my thoughts.
I hadn’t realized I actually could be so happy to have a normal family.
I exhaled.
“Finally,” I said. “Life is normal p>
“Okay,” Jonathan said. “Now pack your books. I’ll drop you off p>
“Daddy,” Janet frowned. “Did you forget p>
“Forget what p>
“Daddy,” she said. “Today’s my day off. Our homeroom teacher gave us the day off. Now, I’ll bring the science book p>
With that she ran off to her room.
“What?” he said. “Science? Janet honey, but that’s really not my subject p>
“Daddy,” she called back from her room. “You said you’d do my homework p>
“Alright,” he said, defeated.
A laugh escaped my lips.
“Easy for you to laugh,” he said. “You always got A+, and me? B or a B p>
“B+ When you’d focus on your studies, I’d go on a date with you,” I replied laughing.
Just then Janet came back with her science book, and they got back to their work.
Seeing Jonathan helping Janet with her homework, or dropping her off at school,
Buying her things with no constrain,
Being able to eat three times food on the same table without running off,
I never saw him so happy in fifteen years as I have seen him in the past three months.
Especially after Adrian’s truth came out, of him not being his son.
Even now I could see his broken face the day we came back home.
He was distraught, had lost weight, was alive only waiting for me to come back.
I realized we all had lost a lot in the past seven years.
Since Jonathan was busy with Janet, I decided to go out on the balcony and complete some pending drafts.
As I was sketching, my mind drifted towards Adrian.
For seven years Adrian grew up believing Jonathan was his father.
He spent the next seven years in p>
Confusion,
Anger as now he knew Jonathan was never his biological father.
He spent the next seven years finding answers to:
Who was his biological father?
Why did he leave him?
Did he ever want him or not?
Now he knew Daniel was his biological father,
He knew he did not leave him,
He knew Daniel wanted him.
A small smile spread across my lips on the thought Adrian finally has a family who loves him.
Just then my phone’s reminder popped up.
“Oh, I totally forgot,” I said as I came back inside.
“Jonathan,” I called out. “I need to show some drafts to Daniel, so p>
Janet cut my words midway.
“Mommy, can I come along p>
“Absolutely not,” Jonathan said. “You’re worse than me in science, you’re not leaving until you solve these p>
Jonathan pointed to the questions sheet.
“Okay,” she said as she sat back.
“Okay,” I said, smiling. “I’ll take my leave p>
As I closed the door, I could hear them laughing.
“Are they really doing science or watching reels on the mobile p>
I shook my head as I drove off for Daniel’s home.
Daniel’s Mansion – A few moments later
As the butler escorted me to the dining room, I saw Daniel, Isabella, Adrian and Jenny was having lunch.
“At this hour?” I said as it was around three.
“Oh,” Isabella said, smiling. “We just came back after enrolling Adrian to Jenny’s school, so got late, come on join us p>
“I’ll take a seat,” I said. “But no lunch p>
“I actually came to show the drafts p>
“Oh,” Daniel said. “We’re almost done. We can go to the study then p>
“Sure no problem p>
Seeing them functioning like a natural family made me happy.
No one was trying to prove anything.
No one was trying to butter the other person.
I exhaled.
Seeing Daniel, no matter how much I wanted,
I couldn’t imagine how he must have felt when he found out he lost fifteen years of not one but two children.
Here he was p>
Trying to get every second with his children.
This is the secret Lori protected.
She wanted the donors to meet their children only with love,
And not hate.
A few days later while shopping
It’s been a week since I visited Daniel for the drafts.
Today was the girl’s day out.
Me, Isabella and the girls.
First we went out shopping, and then went to a cafe to get some coffee.
Throughout the time, I kept watching the girls.
They were shopping together,
They had lots of topics to chat about.
They laughed as they shared stories together.
A week ago Janet was worried Adrian will no longer be her brother cause now he has Jenny,
But that didn’t change anything and Adrian is still her brother.
Now she also has a new bond with Jenny.
They were friends whose bond only grew stronger than before.
I realized the girls were forming a bond that would only grow stronger with time.
Apartment – The Next Day
Jonathan was at work, and Janet was at school.
I had some drafts pending so I decided to do them at home and my office was still not set up.
Suddenly my hand stopped as I began to reflect on some things.
Fifteen years p>
Seven years we lost in misunderstanding one another.
Seven years we spent living apart.
The sacrifices we both made for one another.
The pain we both suffered in these fifteen years.
The misunderstandings and the plots Imelda made us fall into.
For the first time in fifteen years, I was able to sit and relax without worrying about any scheme or plot dangling over our heads.
I exhaled as I finally believed the worst was behind us.
And that truly surprised me.
Be it my family time with me, Janet and Jonathan, or
Daniel with Isabell, Adrian, and Jenny.
I truly wished we both could enjoy our family time with no more intervals.
No more drama,
No more conflicts.
Just pure love, affection, care for one another.
Watching Jonathan and Janet laughing carefree, is like God’s blessing for me.
Even now at times it feels so unreal.
“Oh, God,” I said to myself. “Please keep your hand on my family p>
Beach – A few days later.
The kids insisted so this weekend we were spending time at the beach.
The kids were swimming while Daniel and Jonathan went to get some coke for us.
Isabella was grilling the meat as I was spreading mayo on the bread.
I kept halting in-between.
“Veronica?” Isabella asked, concerned. “What’s the matter p>
“I don’t know why,” I said, confused. “I feel as if someone is watching us p>
“Especially when Adrian is around us p>
“What?” Daniel was shocked on hearing me as they came over.
“Calm down,” I said, seeing his frantic face.
“I’m not sure, but I feel like someone is watching us p>
I trailed off a bit then p>
“There p>
I said as I pointed towards a tree.
Jonathan and Daniel ran towards the tree as they also saw a shadow run off.
“What’s the matter Mom?” Jenny asked as the kids came running over.
“Aunt Veronica said she felt like someone had been watching us for some time,” Isabella said.
“And now she saw and the boys also saw someone running off, I p>
Just then they came back.
“It was a woman,” Daniel said, panting. “We saw her get on a bus p>
“Veronica?” Daniel asked. “Why did you say, feel like being watched and with Adrian around p>
“That’s the fact,” I said.
“I’ve felt this way for a week now,” I said as I tried to explain.
“I feel like someone is watching us, and it’s always when Adrian is with us p>
“I remember,” I continued. “Whenever I’m with Janet, or Jenny or both, I never feel so p>
“But if Adrian is with us or alone with me, I always feel a presence p>
“And, I also saw a woman but her face was not clear for me to identify p>
“But every time,” I continued.
“She would seem to be watching us, no movement, just standing p>
“I don’t know why?” I said.
“But her silhouette makes me recall Imelda p>
But as I look back she’s always gone.
“Veronica,” Daniel said, calming me.
“She’s in jail,” he said.
“Yes,” Isabella said. “I know she hurt you a lot, but you have to get over her p>
“Aunt Veronica,” Adrian said. “I’m sorry for the trouble she’s causing you p>
I exhaled as I felt bad for him.
He had no idea what his mother was doing or how she was ruining everyone’s life.
“Adrian,” I said as I placed a hand on his shoulder.
“You have no doing in what Imelda did, and never will,” I said.
“Don’t worry, we all are here for you p>
As for the feeling of being watched p>
I dismissed it.
Maybe it was no one and maybe I was only imagining it.
Maybe I was too cautious over the years, that I felt someone was watching us.
As for the woman’s silhouette, it might be just a random woman.
Yet p>
There was still something that was making me anxious.
School – Sports Day
On Jenny’s request we enrolled Janet to their school as well.
Today was the sports day and Adrian and Janet had participated.
Janet was swimming while Adrian was the captain of the football team.
While we were seated in the stands watching Adrian’s match,
Again I felt we were being watched.
Suddenly I noticed a woman’s gaze was towards us.
She was wearing a hoodie so I couldn’t clearly see her face,
But one thing was for certain.
She wasn’t looking at Jonathan.
Nor Daniel.
Nor Isabella.
Nor the girls, Jenny and Janet.
She was looking at p>
Adrian.
My heart raced as now I was certain.
I got up to walk over but she ran off again.
I spent the next few days thinking about the woman.
I tried to recall her figure as that’s all that I could ever see.
Trying to figure out why her silhouette seemed so familiar.
Then suddenly like a lightening bolt hit me.
Her eyes p>
Her posture p>
Her way of walking away.
“No,” I said as a cold chill ran down my spine. “It can’t be her p>
I shivered as she was one person Adrian never wants to see in his life.
I rushed outside as I heard a loud bang on the door.
A few days later I finally spotted the woman again.
She was standing across the road and was partially hidden behind a door.
I was with Jonathan and Adrian.
I saw her watching them with warm eyes.
I scoffed as they were the family she can never have again in this life.
Jonathan was a definite no,
I was sure Adrian would also never keep any connection with her.
Time seemed to have stopped as I froze.
Every painful memory from those seven years came back in front of my eyes.
The lies she fed.
The manipulations we faced.
The years she stole from us.
The suffering and the separations we suffered.
Me, Jonathan, Janet, Daniel, Isabella, Adrian, Jenny p>
All had suffered one time or another,
All thanks to one person.
Just then the woman turned towards me.
Our eyes met, but neither of us spoke.
Neither of us moved.
No word could express how I felt seeing her.
I already knew,
Even though she tried her best in dodging, it was useless.
I had recognized her,
I quickly took a picture so they would believe me.
Then she ran off again.
For the first time in seven years p>
Fear ran through my body.
Not for myself.
But for my family.
After fifteen years,
After the things she made us all suffer,
After destroying our lives,
She still has the nerve of showing her face?