CHAPTER 127
LILY’S POV
We drove straight home after Nana Mae made it known to us the kids were safe and home. Noah was speeding on the way he almost ran into a construction vehicle. I hadn’t seen him this angry and serious in a while.
If Nana Mae hadn’t called, we would have been on our way to New York. Noah had wanted to drive to his hangar and get one of his private jets to take us when she called. I was relieved we didn’t leave the city. The thought of meeting with Robert’s family members filled me with nothing but dread and rage. They were monsters, and seeing them will bring back a lot of memories I struggled to forget.
I couldn’t believe Nana Mae was asking if I was sure Robert was the one who hurt me. Like what the fuck! Did she think I was lying or making a big deal out of the matter? Robert had probably put up an act to deceive her and the kids. That’s what he’d been doing ever since he arrived putting on acts and pretending to be sorry while in reality, he had ulterior motives, hidden agendas that were masked in that pitiful face of his. For getting close to my children, pulling them from school when their classes weren’t over and making Nana Mae question my honesty, I’ll show him.
Noah pulled up into my driveway and stopped in front of my porch. Quickly, I got out of the car and stormed into my house. Noah got out quickly too and chased after me, as if afraid I was going to do something crazy. But I didn’t stop.
My fiery eyes darted around the interiors of my house in search of Robert. He was nowhere in sight but I could hear voices coming from the dining area. It didn’t take me long to know that it was his. My lips pressed together into a thin line, my taut jaw quivering with anger.
“Wow…that was fast,” Nana Mae said in surprise, emerging from the dining area. She was wiping her hands clean with a dishcloth. Shock marred my features more as I saw her do that. Was she cooking for him? Cooking my food for that man?!
“You have absolutely nothing to worry about…” She wanted to say but I ignored her and furiously brushed past her to the dining area, leaving her confused and puzzled.
There, I saw Robert with the kids. The table was covered with all manner of toys-from Barbie dolls, giant teddy bears, talking robots, remote-controlled cars and chunks of other stuff the kids didn’t need. He had even bought makeup for Lila, who was staring into a small hand mirror, carefully applying eyeshadow to her eyelids. Seriously? She wasn’t even ten yet, and he was already buying makeup as a plaything for her.
Robert had his arms wrapped around Liam. They were giggling as he was showing him how to operate a remote that controlled one of the toy cars that was vrooming around the room.
My eyes burned as I saw how close he was to Liam, making body contact with him. I couldn’t help scoffing in disbelief. They were the same kids he never wanted. The same kids he ruthlessly told me to get rid of without a second thought when I was pregnant with them. Yet, all of sudden, here he was buying them toys, spending time with them, laughing like that day never happened. This man was a joke. He never ceased to amuse me.
“Stay the hell away from my children!” I roared at him, the words rumbling like thunder from my throat.
That grabbed their attention and all their gazes fell on me. But Robert only smiled on seeing me, as if his newlywed bride had finally arrived. Did he think I was here to play? I’ll teach him not to get close to my kids again.
Lila stopped what she was doing and came running to me excitedly.
“Mummy…Mummy…look we found daddy,” she said, pointing at Robert. “Why didn’t you tell us he was our daddy?”
I didn’t reply to her. Her calling him daddy only irritated me even more as I stared at Robert with a mix of disgust and rising anger. Just how did this get to this? Something I had been taking frantic steps to prevent all these years, only for it to fall apart in two days? What did he tell them? How did he manage to convince them he was their father?
No matter how he managed to do it, I can’t allow it. He mustn’t get close to them. He made his choice the day he turned his back on me and chose Scarlett over me, leaving me to rot like garbage in prison. He doesn’t deserve them. He doesn’t deserve me.
Marching to the dining table, I grabbed the edge of the tablecloth and yanked it off with a sharp tug, sending all the toys crashing to the floor. Some of them breaking. I knew he’d spent a fortune to purchase them, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. If he thought he could buy their love with a chunk of toys, then he was sorely mistaken.
Instinctively, Robert got up from his seat and pulled Liam with him as if to protect him from danger. He stared at me in intense shock, not expecting me to do that.
“Mummy, what are you doing?” Liam asked, shocked too and looking at me expectantly for an explanation.
“You and Lila, go to your room now!” I said ruthlessly in a commanding tone, my voice cutting through the tense atmosphere like a sword. I couldn’t believe they agreed to leave their classes and go with him even after what happened yesterday night. I’ll deal with them later.
“But…” Lila tried to say but I cut her off.
“I said now!” I yelled at them. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
They both jumped in fear. Liam gave Robert a quick hug before they raced to their room like they were being chased by a monster.
After I heard them shut their door, I faced Robert because I didn’t want them to witness what was about to happen.