Chapter 3: A Love Built on Lies
1744 Words
Kayda’s POV
Dad stood frozen at the bedroom door,while mom went through the conversation.
His chest rising and falling with every breath.
His eyes were fixed on the phone in moms trembling hands.
Silence.
“I can explain”, Dad finally said, taking a cautious step towards her.
Mom slowly looked up.
Her eyes were red from crying.
They were filled with something Dad had never seen before.
Disappointment.
Not anger.
Not hatred.
Just disappointment.
“Can you?”, she asked quietly.
He opened his mouth, but no words came.
Mom held up his phone.
“The messages.”
Her voice cracked.
“The photographs”
“The woman who calls you ‘my love’”
A tear rolled down her cheek.
“Please tell me none of it is real”
“Tell me!”
Dad lowered his head.
His silence answering every question.
Mom laughed softly, but there was no joy in it.
“I spent all morning praying that all this was just my imagination”
“I even convinced myself the photograph Daniel came to take this morning belonged to a client.”
She wiped a tear from her face.
“I made excuses for you.”
Every word pierced Dad’s heart.
“When you came home late, I believed your meetings.”
“I believed your business trips.”
“When I smellled another woman’s perfume..”, she sniffed.
“I told myself I was losing my mind.”
Dad walked towards her and knelt down.
“Isabella.”
“No!”
She stepped away from him.
“Don’t say my name like nothing has happened”
“ I was going to tell you”
“Oh really?, when?, when Richard?”
Downstairs,The front door opened.
“Kayda?”, Dad whispered.
I had just returned from a walk around the garden.
I frowned the moment i noticed the tension upstairs.
“Mom?”
“I’m here sweetheart”, mom replied quickly forcing her voice to remain calm.
“I’ll be down in a minute”
“Okay.”
My footsteps disappeared.
Mom turned back to him.
“You should answer my questions before she hears us.”
He nodded slowly
“You deserve the truth.”
She stared at him.
“The whole truth.”
He took a long breath.
“It started eighteen years ago”
Her heart sank.
The room became hot.
Eighteen years.
Eighteen birthdays.
Eighteen anniversaries.
Eighteen years of lies.
“You’ve been living double lives for eighteen years?, how am I just noticing now”
Dad didn’t answer.
“I asked you a question.”
“Yes.”
Mom fell to the floor in despair.
“Who is she?”
“Her name is Vanessa”
Mom repeated the name.
“Vanessa.”
“And the boys?”
Dads shoulder fell.
“They’re my sons”
She stared at him in disbelief.
“Sons?”
He nodded.
“Our daughter has two brothers she never knew existed.”
Dad covered his face with both hands.
“I never wanted any of this to happen.”
“You never wanted it?”
Moms shouted.
“Then why did you do it?”
He looked at her helplessly.
“I made a terrible mistake.”
“A mistake?”
“She was supposed to be a one night stand before she got pregnant”
“Does that justify your actions?”, She laughed bitterly.
“A mistake is forgetting our anniversary.”
“A mistake is buying the wrong flowers.”
“You don’t accidentally build another family.”
Dad had no answer.
“You watched me cook your favorite meals.”
“You kissed me goodbye every morning.”
“You looked me in the eyes and told me you loved me”
Her voice trembled.
“Were you saying the same thing to her.”
Dad remained silent.
“Answer me!.”
“Yes.”
She slowly removed her wedding ring.
For years, it was a symbol of love.
Trust.
Forever.
But now, it was all meaningless.
She placed it gently on the bedside table.
“I wore this ring proudly.”, she whispered.
“I defended you anytime Kayda complained that you worked too much.”
She looked directly into his eyes.
“I thought you were building our future.”
A tear slipped down dads face.
“I was trying to protect everyone.”
Mom shook her head.
“No.”
“You were protecting yourself.”
She picked up his phone and opened the image of dad alongside his sons.
“This wasn’t one bad decision.”
“This was thousands of choices.”
“You chose her.”
“You chose the boys.”
“And every single day, you chose to lie to us.”
The room was silent.
Neither of them noticed I was standing just outside the bedroom door.
I didn’t mean to listen.
But after hearing mom’s raised voice for the first time in my life.
I couldn’t walk away.
I couldn’t move as every word my parents spoke echoed inside my head repeatedly.
They are my sons…
Those four words replayed over and over until I couldn’t tell if I actually heard them or imagined them.
My dad had sons?
That wasn’t possible.
I was his only child.
Wasn’t I?
I slowly pushed the bedroom door open.
“Mom?”
Both of them turned to look at me.
Moms eyes were swollen from crying. I’d never seen her look so broken before.
Dad looked like he aged ten years in a matter of minute.
Neither of them spoke.
“What’s going on?”, I asked.
Mom quickly wiped her tears and forced a smile.
“It’s nothing, sweetheart”
I shook my head.
“No.”
I stepped farther into the room.
“I heard everything.”
Dad’s shoulders dropped.
I looked at him, waiting for him to tell me it was a misunderstanding.
That there was some explanation.
That none of it was true.
Instead, his face was fixed on the floor.
“I’m sorry,Kayda.”
A lump formed in my throat.
“So, it’s true?”
He didn’t answer.
He didn’t have to.
The silence said everything.
I looked at my mom.
She stood there staring at her wedding ring.
Then she slowly walked towards Dad.
“I gave you everything Richard”
Her voice was calm now.
Almost too calm.
“ I stood beside you when we had nothing.”
She smiled sadly.
“I believed in your dreams when everyone else didn’t”
Dad reached for her hand.
“Isabella.”
She stepped back before he could touch her.
“I helped build your company.”
“I raised our daughter.”
“I loved you with everything I had.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks again.
“And somehow, you still found room in your heart for another family.”
“I never wanted to hurt you.”, tears rolled down his cheeks.
Mom laughed through her tears.
“But you did.”
The room fell silent again.
I couldn’t stop crying.
Everything I had believed about our family was falling apart right in front of me.
Dad looked at me.
“Kayda.”
I took a step back.
“Don’t come near me.”
“I don’t want to hear it.”
“I can explain.”
“What’s there to explain dad?”
My voice cracked.
“You lied to us.”
“You lied to Mom.”
“You lied to me.”
He didn’t say a word.
Mom walked past him and headed towards the bedroom door.
“Where are you going?”Dad asked.
She didn’t stop.
“I need some air”
Dad hurried after her.
“Please don’t leave like this.”
She ignored him and continued downstairs.
I followed behind them, my heart pounding.
Mom grabbed her car keys from the table.
Dad gently caught her arm.
“Don’t drive.”
She pulled away.
“You don’t get to tell me what to do anymore.
“Kayda needs you”
Mom finally looked at me.
Her expression softened.
She walked over and cupped my face with both hands.
Tears rolled down my cheeks.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart”
Her voice trembled.
“I never wanted you to see this.”
“Mom, please don’t go.”
She kissed my forehead.
“I love you more than anything in this world.”
“I love you too Mom”
“Remember that.”
“I will.”
She smiled weakly before turning towards the front door.
Dad blocked her path.
“Isabella, please”
“I’ll explain everything.”
She looked at him with empty eyes.
“The time for explanations has passed.”
She opened the door and went outside.
I ran after her.
“Mom!”
She stopped beside her car but didn’t turn around.
For one second, I thought she was coming back.
Instead, she whispered,
“I’m sorry.”
Then she got into the driver’s seat.
The engine started.
Dad rushed outside.
“Isabella!”
She drove away without looking back.
I stood in the driveway.
Confused.
Terrified.
The night suddenly felt colder.
Quieter.
Dad stood beside me, staring at the mansion gate.
Neither of us spoke.
Minutes passed.
Then we both walked into the living room.
An hour passed.
Neither of us moved from the living room.
I tried calling Mom.
No answer.
Dad kept calling Mom.
Every call went unanswered.
He texted.
Nothing.
He called again.
Still nothing.
Just after midnight, the house phone rang.
The sharp sound made both of us jump.
Dad reached it first.
“Hello?”
His face drained as he listened.
“W-What?”
My heart left my body.
He gripped the edge of the table to steady himself.
“I understand”, he whispered..
“I am coming”
“Dad?”
He looked at me, his eyes filled with relief.
“They found your mother.”
I rush towards him.
“Is she okay?”
“Yes, she’s a bit drunk right now and I have to go pick her up”
Without another word, Dad grabbed his keys.
As he stormed out the house, I paced around the house praying and praying.
“Please let my mom be safe.”
“Nothing should happen to her please.”
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD