CHAPTER 75
Celine’s POV
With Jason safely in my arms, dozing off again after the drama from earlier, I walk slowly back to the room with his grandmother behind me.
I couldn’t even ask Bryan why he asked to see me because his mother was present. I intend to tell her everything. Without leaving any stone unturned.
I turn the doorknob and enter. She enters behind me too, glancing around the room.
“Is this where you two have been staying?” She questions, still looking around and I wonder if the room is too small for my son and me.
It is actually larger than my two apartments and I am ok with this.
“Yes, it’s fine.”
“No, it’s not”, she snarls. “Bryan deserves to be taught a lesson and I will surely tell his father tonight.”
She didn’t take my words to heart. She still didn’t blame me after I told her I was at fault. She claimed two months was enough for him to inform them about their grandson. They had the right to know about him just the way he had the right to know he had a son.
I place Jason gently on the bed and cover his little body with the comforter before going to sit on the sofa. Without invitation, Aunt Stephanie sits beside me and attacks me almost immediately.
“Why did you run away?”
I said I was going to tell her nothing but the truth, didn’t I? I ask inwardly, feeling reluctant to begin my story.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.
“The marriage was a fake”, I begin and she nods as if she knew. My eyes grow large and I ask. “You knew?”
“Yes”, she answers and looks away.
“How? When? How long have you known this?”
“On your wedding day”, she confesses and looks back at me. “Remember you were crying? I saw you crying and I knew it wasn’t tears of joy. I knew immediately that Bryan was forcing you to marry him.”
I can’t believe this. She never gave me the impression that she knew what we did when we thought we were deceiving them.
“When you disappeared without a trace, it made my assumptions right and I knew your time was up. Bryan said you asked him for a divorce but I didn’t believe him. I asked a private investigator to look into your whereabouts but you were nowhere to be found. I was mad at you for not reaching out and for not saying a simple goodbye and that made me stop my search. It was obvious you didn’t want to be found”, she explains and tears begin to pool in my eyes.
I had to go. I want to say this to her. I was scared.
“I’m sorry”, I hold her hands and she allows me, her head lowered. I almost think she is crying again until she lifts her head, her face dry.
“You left because you were pregnant or it was because your time was up?”
“My time was almost up but my pregnancy made me run away. I thought Bryan won’t accept the baby, my fears made me take a rash decision.”
She sighs and shifts her gaze to Jason’s sleeping figure on the bed.
“I felt bad for being persistent about Bryan getting married and having kids. It was obvious I was being selfish so when you left and he told us marriage isn’t for him, I gave up trying. I gave up my dreams of having grandchildren swarming our mansion during the holidays. I knew Bryan would never fall in love with a woman again after Helena but when you came, I felt he would fall in love with you. Then you left and it made me sad because I was the one who put you in this situation.” A tear rolls down her eyes. “Thank you.”
“For?” I quickly raise a brow at her.
“For keeping the baby. For letting me have a grandchild when I didn’t expect it. Thank you, Celine.”
I smile and nod, then silence falls.
“Why did you come back?” She breaks the silence, jerking me out of my reverie.
“Bryan found us. He took Jason away from me.”
“He took him away from you? Why?”
“He was mad at me for not informing him about the pregnancy and for hiding his son away from him”, I tell her, and a look of disappointment flashes across her expression. Before she can voice it out, I say. “I know I did wrong but I did all of that for a reason. Bryan was mistreating me, he hated me after the mistake and I thought he won’t accept the baby.”
“Mistake?” She points, curiosity evident in her expression. “Was it a mistake? I thought you two were beginning to love each other?”
“No”, I chuckle lightly. “Bryan does not have a heart to love, Mother.”
“But you loved him?”
I look down, wishing she didn’t approach the topic this way. It is something I consider insensitive.
“You loved him, Celine. I could see it. Isn’t that why you are back here?”
“Of course not”, I mutter firmly. “I work as a nanny here. I don’t like Bryan.”
I want to add more but I am quick to stop myself from doing that.
“What?!” She exclaimed in disbelief. “You work as a nanny here?” She turns to Jason again. “For Jason?”
“Yes. It was the only way for me to be with my son. Bryan was ready to take him away from me forever and I didn’t want that. Because I also lost my job, I had to take it so here I am”, I spread my arms out.
She looks thoughtful for a while before asking. “How is he treating you?”
I smile. “The same way.”
“Do you think he can change?” She inquires with a confused expression.
“That depends on him. I have watched him for two months, studied him, tried to help him but all is in vain so I think changing is quite impossible.”
She falls silent again.
“I think he likes you”, she mutters and my eyes grow large. “If he doesn’t, he wouldn’t have sex with you…”
“It was a mistake”, I point out loudly so she won’t get the wrong idea.
“How was it a mistake?” She interrogates further.
“We were drunk”, I reply sharply.
“Both of you?”
I nod. “I was a bit sober but I think he was totally drunk.”
“You think?” She huffs. “Bryan would never touch you if he wasn’t attracted to you.”
I shake my head vigorously in disagreement and silence falls. Bryan wasn’t attracted to me. He can’t be attracted to a woman like me.
“Isn’t it high time he moved on?” She breaks the silence again.
Not reading too much meaning to her question, I nod intermittently in agreement. “It is high time.”
“Then you should do it”, she taps me on the shoulder with a smile.
“I should do what?” I ask with confusion.
“You should help him”, she says, a frown touching her lips. She must be disappointed that I am not getting her point.
“I can’t. I have done my best and he usually rewards me with nothing but yellings and scoldings.”
“You don’t get what I am saying, Celine”, she clutches my two hands. “Bryan has done a lot of bad things to you and it’s high time you did the same.”
My confusion intensifies. “How?”
“Can’t you think of a good way you can get your revenge on him for what he did? A sweet-kind-of-revenge which you will enjoy…”
“By leaving?” I ask.
“No”, she rolls her eyes. “What about your son?”
“Then what is it?”
“Seducing him”, she announces and my eyes become wide in disbelief and my jaws drop open in shock.
“What?!”
I have not seduced him yet he hates me. What will happen if I seduce him then?
This is a no. I can’t do this.
“Yes. You won’t make it look like you are seducing him. I just want you to torture him sexually so he can learn his lessons. This was the exact thing I did with his father and it worked. I am sure it will work for you too.”
“Torture him sexually?” I ask again. It sounds good but it is impossible. I am not that courageous enough to do such a thing. Besides, I have never seduced a man in my entire life and I don’t intend to do that.
I can’t afford to let his hatred for me heighten.
“Yes. Whenever he wants to give in, you leave him hanging and that will teach him a lesson.”
“No”, I shake my head vigorously. ” I can’t.”
“You will and you can.”
“What if we end up having sex again? What if I can’t control my emotions and…and..”, I trail off, not knowing what exactly I wanted to say.
“That is the plan. If the sex happens, let it happen. Let it happen again and again and again…”
“What?!” I am beginning to think this is her own plan to have more grandchildren. “No!”
“You will, Celine”, she makes it sound like an order. “I have a plan.”
I watch with a terrified expression as she leans closer and whispers the so-called plan into my ears.