“Yes, granny. What is it?” asked Eva as she went to sit beside her. Alexander received a phone call from his mom and he left them alone while Alyssa stayed back, curious to know what granny wanted to discuss with her best friend.
“Do you realize that Daniel and Jodie absolutely despise you? Your wedding will cause a huge rift in the family. How will you deal with that?” asked granny with a deep sigh. Her direct question shocked Eva, having never expected it from her.
“I’m not marrying Alexander, granny. He just asked me to accompany him here, and that’s all there is between us. I know his parents hate me. It isn’t something that happened overnight. They have always hated me for reasons I’m not aware of. While everyone is allowed at Alyssa’s house, I’m not for the last thirteen years, since the first day I met them. I’ve learned to accept it.” Eva sighed and looked down at her hands. She had stopped searching for a reason for their behavior towards her.
Granny looked at her with genuine concern. “Oh, I thought you two were marrying one another! You two look so much in love with one another.”
“That’s because they are in love, only in denial,” said Alyssa with a grim look on her face.
“No, absolutely not. There’s nothing between us. There never could be!” said Eva vehemently. Knowing her limitations, she decided to move as far away from Alexander’s life as possible. She knew Alexander would never pursue her the way she wanted him to. She had nothing special to give him.
“Never is a very strong word, my dear. You don’t know what the future holds for you but I wanted you to know that it wouldn’t be easy if you both love one another,” said granny with a sigh.
“Don’t worry, granny. After this trip, maybe I wouldn’t even see Alexander at all. So it shouldn’t matter whether his parents hate me or not. I’m fine on my own. I don’t need anyone,” said Eva with a strained smile. She was upset with the discussion and wanted to escape to her room. Alyssa gave her a look full of warning.
“Don’t even think of disappearing, Eva. With no one with you, I know you will stop eating and land up at the hospital.”
“I promise to look after myself,” she mumbled.
“Why would you stop eating? If you have such tendencies, move in with your parents or siblings. You shouldn’t stay alone, dear,” said granny Jane.
“Eva has no one to call her own except me, granny. Her parents separated long ago and settled down far away from here. They have their own families and have forgotten Eva the day she turned eighteen.” Granny Jane gasped with shock and turned to look at the poor girl with sympathy. Eva looked away, not wanting the topic to continue any longer.
“In that case, Daniel and Jodie shouldn’t hold a grudge against the poor girl!” said granny, angrily while the two girls gaped at her.
“Why do you say that, granny? Do you know why they hate Eva?” asked Alyssa and Eva too sat up to listen to the reason. She had been wanting to know for the last thirteen years, but it seemed even Alexander, who was close to his parents, didn’t know about it.
“Yes, I asked Jodie when she was overreacting about their trip together,” said granny while the two girls listened intently. “Their grudge is for what they went through because of your mom, Stella Roderick. Before marrying your dad, Stella was married to Daniel and Dave’s older brother, Derek.” Eva sat in a daze, as she didn’t have any idea at all about this.
“I know that uncle Derek committed suicide before even Alex was born,” said Alyssa with a grave expression on her face.
Granny nodded and continued with her story while Eva clutched at her heart as a feeling of dread washed over her. “Both Stella and Derek weren’t happy in their marriage. They used to have serious fights, and she aborted their children thrice during the five years they were together. She swindled him of his money and soon he took to drinking. She met your dad and wanted a divorce, alimony, and lots of other things. Derek lost his will to live and jumped from the terrace of his house, leaving a note that no one was responsible for his death. Stella was free to start her life afresh but the Van Every family lost their oldest son because of her.”
Eva sat like a statue, her hands frozen like ice. She did not know that her mom was responsible for everything. Her heart constricted with pain, knowing that they judged her for her mom’s actions. She was an innocent girl who had nothing to do with her mom. How could they take out the grudge against her? Tears pooled in her eyes and trickled down her cheeks.
“That doesn’t give them the right to hate Eva. She has done nothing to them? Her parents have wronged her too. She has been living like an orphan for the last thirteen years, despite their existence. I know it won’t sound nice, but mom is responsible for my dad’s death too. So, shouldn’t the Van Every family hate her as well? Why the partiality this time?” demanded Alyssa furiously.
“Lisa, that’s no way to talk to granny. You won’t say a single word more against mom. I’m really ashamed to call you my sister,” growled Alexander as he stood, leaning against the door, listening to their conversation.
“No, don’t stop her, Alexander. She’s right in a way, but I’m not in a position to intervene in their matters. You can talk to them directly,” said granny, getting up to go to grandpa’s room.
“Don’t tell me you support mom and dad in their behavior towards Eva? I really can’t believe this,” said Alyssa, annoyed at her brother.
“I didn’t say that I support them, but anyone else in their shoes would have done the same thing. How can you just blame them for reacting? If anyone should be blamed, it would be Stella Roderick,” grunted Alexander, equally annoyed.
“But she isn’t facing their hatred, is she? It’s Eva who has been facing it for the last thirteen years,” pointed out Alyssa.
“That’s her misfortune. She’s suffering the consequences of her mom’s actions,” said Alexander with intense hatred.
“Why isn’t mom suffering anything for driving my dad towards the same end?” demanded Alyssa. Alexander trembled with fury.
“Mom didn’t kill uncle Dave. She gave him a reason to live. She gave him you. If anything killed uncle Dave, it was alcohol,” gritted out Alexander.
“Who drove him towards alcohol? How can you be so blind, Alexander?” said Alyssa.
“That’s enough, Lisa. I won’t tolerate another word against mom.”
Eva got up slowly and went towards her room. The way Alexander fought for his parents, supporting them in everything they did, hurt her immensely. Everything became very clear to her. She knew she was the daughter of the most hated person in the Van Every family. It wasn’t a grudge that would easily go away. She should, therefore, stop dreaming of a future with Alexander. Just as granny had warned her, there would be a rift in the family if Alexander associated with her in any way. No, she couldn’t cause that rift. His dad wasn’t well, and they needed him. She could manage on her own. She always had, didn’t she?
She could hear Alyssa fighting with her brother for her. Eva didn’t want Alyssa to go against her family for her sake. What was the use? They’d punish her but never change their mindset. She locked her door and curled up on the bed, feeling hopeless, unwanted like a piece of trash. She couldn’t travel with Alexander the next day, after the way he supported his parents. When he didn’t see any wrong in their behavior, then there was a doubt if anyone ever would. She wanted to go back to New York and out of his life before he even woke up.
There was a knock on her door, but she didn’t want to talk to anyone. She silently booked herself a ticket to New York in the middle of the night. She would leave informing no one. It was late at 12 o’clock when everyone slept, and Eva slipped out of the house. The cab she had booked through her phone was waiting for her to take her to the airport. She left, informing no one.
It was early in the morning when she reached Alexander’s penthouse. Using her spare keys, she went inside and collected her stuff in a hurry. She wanted to leave before Alexander called the security guards to prevent her from leaving. She booked a cab and left the building in half an hour, but where would she go?
She remembered her fellow nurse, Christine, who lived at the staff quarters of Bellevue, a block away from the hospital. She paid the cab driver and decided to stay with her till she could find a place of her own.