As Harriett said her goodbye to Stacy and Thomas, her chest felt like a weight had been lifted off it. After years of guilt, she had finally introduced to the twins to their paternal grandparents.
Tony on the other hand, couldn’t help but feel that Harriett might be having second thoughts on staying in New York. Now that she had told her Ex in-laws about the children, moving to Paris would be a selfish move as she would be taking them away from everyone.
Including her Ex-husband.
“Do you mind if I come in?” Tony added as he placed a knock on the door that was already open. Harriett sat beside her twins who were already fast asleep, a smile glued to her face.
“Someone is over joyed.” Tony chuckled, taking a seat beside her.
“Actually. I am, Tony. I feel… free.” She confessed, turning to Tony who noticed that she had been crying but they weren’t sad tears.
“I’m with my family, my babies are happy, Damien knows about his children and his parents met them too. Everything that used to give me sleepless nights all those years have been sorted out.” She said and suddenly, her mood saddened.
Tony didn’t need any magic to tell him why she suddenly had a change in her mood. He could tell that even though she enjoyed the presence of her family, she still wanted to be loved romantically.
Affection was what she craved.
“Are you still leaving with the twins?” Tony cleared his throat when he noticed that he had been staring at her face for too long.
“I.. I don’t know, Tony. Sometimes I feel coming here was a good idea. Other times, I feel differently.” She confessed.
“I don’t think taking them away will be fair to everyone.” She mentioned, biting her lips as she caressed Adrian’s hair.
“Same here.” Tony nodded and Harriett shook her head, frustration creeping in.
“I can’t stay here, Tony. I can’t.” She whispered, tears threatening to fall from her eyes as she stared at Tony.
“I loved him my entire life and was barely able to get over him. I don’t know what will happen if I stay here. I can’t trust my stupid heart.” She allowed the tears flow and Tony immediately pulled her into his arms, caressing her soft hair.
He held her for a few minutes, processing his own thoughts before he finally opened his mouth.
“Then leave, Harriett. For your own good.”
*
*
Stacey’s first option was to head home and drop by Damien’s house the next day but she was too angry to wait until the next day so, she made her husband drive to their son’s house.
When they arrived, Damien’s car was parked outside the house which meant he had just returned home from wherever he went to.
Stacy stormed out of the car and went into the house without bothering to knock as she already knew the lock code to his house.
When she got to the door, she was shocked to see that it was left open and she could hear voices from the living room.
She immediately marched into the building and was met with a sight she detested the most.
“What is this woman doing here? And by this time?” She almost screamed as she threw hateful glances at Evelyn who seemed to be in a heated argument with Damien.
“Mum? What are you doing here?” Damien asked and just immediately his father strolled in. It was at that moment he knew he was fucked.
Thomas Daniels kept his gaze on Evelyn for a few seconds before peeling them off slowly to look at his son.
“Leave.” He said in a very low and dangerous tone to Evelyn without even looking at her.
Evelyn opened her mouth to speak but one look from Stacy and she shut her mouth before picking up her purse and walking out of the house in shame.
She didn’t like his parents but she knew better than to disobey them. Especially his father.
Without saying any word, Stacy walked to Damien and before he could register what was going on, a slap landed on his face.
He felt his right cheek sting from the force his mother used. His mother wasn’t usually like this even though she had seen him with Evelyn in the past. So, it only meant that something serious had happened.
Them coming over this late confirmed his thoughts.
“What is wrong with you, Damien!?” She screamed, attempting to slap him again but he held her hands and put them down slowly.
“Mother, please listen to me.” He shut his eyes in frustration.
He knew how much they hated Evelyn and wanted her to be away from him. For them to come to his house at this late hour and meet her could cause a serious misunderstanding.
After they left the restaurant, he had driven Evelyn to her house but she made a fuss about forgetting something at his place and even when he told her that he could get it for her and bring it the next day, she refused and made him bring her to his house.
Upon arriving at his place, she realized that what she was looking for was actually at her place and not his. Damien tried to take her home since she no longer had a reason to stay at his place but she refused, whining about how she would be lonely if she stayed in her apartment after he ignored her throughout the dinner and so, the argument about that begun when his mother walked into the house.
“How dare you, Damien? How dare you still associate with that evil witch knowing so well that Harriett has returned to New York?” Stacy cried, pulling her hands away and moving to her husband.
Damien’s eyes widened as his mother finished her sentence. He was shocked that they already found out about Harriett.
“Is that why they came here? If they know about Harriett being in New York, does it mean they know about the twins too?” He thought and a loud sigh left his lips.
He racked his brain as he wondered how they found out. He concluded that someone had definitely mentioned it to them after seeing Harriett at Eric’s party.
He just didn’t know who the snitch could be.
“Four years, Julian! Four whole years and you still haven’t learnt your lesson.” She continued while Damien could only bow his head in shame.
Thomas Daniels left his wife’s side and went up to Damien.
“Your mother has every right to be angry, son. Even I am furious that you still move around with that thing. But, you still have a chance to redeem yourself.” He said and Damien raised his head to his father, too ashamed to say anything.
He wondered how he got here. To the world, he was a billionaire business man who was chased by every woman and feared by most men but one wrong decision made him into a coward who couldn’t even look his father in the eye..
People still blamed him for the divorce with Harriett and even though he did his best to keep the truth about his marriage and divorce with Harriett a secret, a few people still knew about it and hated him for it.
All he wanted was a chance to redeem himself. A change to show his parents and Harriett that he wasn’t a complete coward.
Even though he had not loved and cared for Harriett during the time of their marriage because he was blinded by Evelyn, he was ready to make up for it now.
All he wanted was a life with Harriett and his children.
“What chance do I have, Dad?” He asked and his father placed his right hand on his shoulder, looking him dead in the eye.
“Get rid of Evelyn and win Harriett’s heart again.”