Chapter 1
1358 Words
SELENE
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, happy—" the rhythm chorused in the air as my little Sophia sat in the center of our mansion facing her blue cake. Weird, right? My baby loves blue. Her puppy-brown eyes gleamed as she stared at me across the room, waiting for me to join her father in blowing the candles.
"How are you doing, Selene?" Elena asked, rubbing my hands. I have grown to smile at her without feeling guilty about what my mother might think.
"I feel like a proud mum," I responded, trying so hard not to ruin my makeup with a waterfall.
"You have done a great job raising Sophia," she smiled as our gaze traveled to my little girl in her blue dress and a silver wand in her hand. She was my stunning princess.
"Thank you, M...mother," I said for the first time ever, and I could feel her hot tears burn into my palms. I was confused for a moment. "Is it okay I call you that, Ele—"
She squeezed me tightly in her warm embrace, her lavender-and-rose cologne filling my thoughts. "You don't know how long I have yearned to hear you call me that," her voice croaked.
Just then the air shifted with his very familiar scent.
"I hate to interrupt this lovely duo, Mum," Damian said, wearing an apologetic look on his face. "Sophia needs both her parents now," he added, wrapping his arms around my waist.
"Sure," Elena said, freeing me from her grip, as if I would disappear if she let me go.
"Where's Ray?" I asked barely, as Damian hurried down my steps.
"He should be here soon," she added before I disappeared into the crowd.
"Hey, Mum, where were you?" Little Sophia pouted as she squinted her cute eyes.
"I'm sorry, sweetie—mummy is here now," I said, placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Dad, get over here. It's time to cut the cake."
"Cute little girl."
"She looks so much like her father."
"She's so lucky to have them both."
The words began to fly from among the crowds...
I wore a smile as Damian placed a kiss on my lips. He was the best dad in the world. The best husband. And I hated keeping this secret away from him for so long.
"How old are you now?" the chorus resounded again. The air was just so faultless. Dad was beside Elena as they both sang along.
From the decoration of our home, to the smiles on everyone's faces. Everything was flawless.
My life was perfect.
"I am six years old now—" my precious Sophia sang her part perfectly as she played with her wand.
We all said our wishes.
"Make a wish and blow out the candles," I encouraged.
She closed her eyes for a few seconds, then blew out the burning flames. Applause and confetti filled the atmosphere as we drew the knife through the cake, feeding her a portion of it. But playful Sophia had to mess up our faces with it—me and her dad's.
"Tell me, Sophia, what did you wish for?" Damian asked.
"I wished both my parents would stay together forever," she smiled.
"Awwn... so cute," the crowd went wild again.
Oh, my little princess. I also hoped Damian and I would stay together fore—
The doors to our mansion crashed open with a loud thud. And if I didn't know too well, I would have thought we were doing something illegal.
"I'm sorry to crash your party, angel," the maniac, who had a rumpled suit and tattered appearance, spoke as he directed his gaze to my baby before turning to me. "How can you be so heartless keeping this away from everyone?" he asked, before he swung around to face the crowd.
I rushed to his side, trying to stop his show. "This is neither the place nor the time for this. Let's talk things—"
"Shut up, you b***h!" he yelled.
Immediately, Damian rose to my side, sliding his phone into his pocket. His fist crashed into the intruder's jaw in no time.
"How dare you come into my home, crash my daughter's party and call my wife a b***h?" His fist cracked the intruder's cheek as he rendered all his words with a life-threatening punch.
The intruder's face was now bloodied. But Damian didn't stop. The security men who had just run in tried, and after a lot of effort, separated the two.
"Daddy!!!" Sophia screamed, as tears ran down her cheeks. Luckily, Elena was beside her to offer comfort.
"Stop this," I begged, my throat tightening. "Please don't—"
Begging was my only option now. At least for Sophia. I couldn't let her go through this. But the mischievous smirk on his face told me I had lost this time.
The world went silent. The music, the laughter, the breath in my lungs — everything was gone.
"Oh Damian. I feel for you more," the bastard, who still had the mouth to talk, spoke.
"Selene is a user. She uses and dumps everyone she comes across." He wiped the blood on his face smearing it the more. "You have been her pawn... She has you just where she wants you to be."
"You sick—" Damian grew restless again. But the guards didn't let it escalate this time. I wondered how they let him in the first place.
He laughed loud and hard. "Selene, you sure know how to play people."
"Are you going to confess or do you want me to do you the honors?"
"What rubbish are you talking about?" the man I have grown to love over the years hissed, turning between me and that psycho.
I found myself breaking the promise I made to myself years ago as my eyes blurred from the waterfall that threatened to let out.
I had begged for his love for years. Done right by him. But he threw me aside like discarded candy. He even did this to me so he could be with his lover, and now he is here playing "Messiah".
"Oh wow," he interrupted my thoughts. "So she hasn't told you about it, right?" He went into a fit of laughter again.
"What's he talking about, Selene?" Damian spoke, his eyes staring into mine, pleading for answers.
"Don't do this. Please—" I pleaded, ignoring Damian, as I faced the man who wanted to shatter my life the second time.
"Honey, why?" said the man who had seen beyond my scars. The man who taught me love started, but his words were rudely cut short.
"Damian," he said, his tone like a dagger to my chest. "You are not Sophia's father."
The world went silent. My fingers arched, craving to dig up the soil beneath me, to bury myself in its darkness and disappear from this life.
"I am Sophia's biological father," he added triumphantly, an evil grin playing at the edge of his lips.
Parents whose kids were present shielded them out, while those left for the paparazzi stayed behind. This was surely a show for the public. I could already imagine the headline: The Billionaire's Wife Affair Scandal.
"You are not my daddy," Sophia screamed, breaking free from Elena, running into Damian's arms, weeping.
His eyes moistened as he hugged the little figure before him tightly. He had loved her selflessly and wholeheartedly.
"Selene, is this true?" he asked with disbelief in his eyes.
"I... well..." I stammered, lost for words, trying to grasp onto his hands for support, but he pulled away.
My chest tightened. I should have confessed sooner. He would have forgiven me.
"He lies," another intruder screamed, bringing our faces to the door; he looked like he had run for hours.
I shook my head dismissively, afraid of the words that might come out of his mouth.
"Selene," he gasped, beads of sweat rolling down his face. "I am—" My steps faltered. "... Sophia's biological father."
"No!!!" I crashed to the floor.
This was it. My life had finally ended.
- Writer
