The moment they both walked out of the kitchen with both of them holding hands together, Everyone turned and stared at them.
Brandon pulled out a chair for Hannah and she sat on it, while he sat beside her.
Hannah stared at her father who was sitting two chairs away from her and then looked away.
The silence between them all was intense so Lisa decided to break the silence.
“Mr Daniel right?” Lisa asked as she stared at Daniel and he nodded.
“Okay, Uhm, so I was wondering what kind of father would abandon a child of his. Weird, because I know a responsible father would never do that” Lisa said as she picked up the glass of juice from her table and gulped it down.
“Lisa,” Brandon called and she shrugged.
“What? I’m only telling the truth. You can’t abandon a child and now come back asking for a second chance. Why did you leave her?” Lisa asked and Hannah turned to her father who was staring at her. She then looked away.
“Hannah, could we talk somewhere private?” Mr Daniel asked and Hannah scoffed and turned to him.
“Talk somewhere private? What’s there to talk about? We could talk here. And if I heard correctly, you were asked a question, why did you leave?” She asked and Daniel stared at Hannah for a few seconds with the look of guilt in his eyes and then looked away.
“You can’t say anything because there was no reason, you just woke up and decided to leave even when you knew mom was sick-”
“Hannah” Brandon called as he tightened the grip on her hands asking her to calm down. Her body was shivering from the anger and sadness she was feeling.
“I left with the woman I fell in love with and I regret it, Hannah. Love makes you do stupid things. I regret leaving you and Esther, I regret leaving.
I went back but it was too late and I found out Esther was dead and I tried looking for you but couldn’t find you. ” Daniel said and Hannah laughed as she stood up from the chair she was sitting on.
Hannah laughed like a mad woman who had just heard some kind of joke and then turned to Brandon as tears gathered in her eyes.
“Did you hear what he just said? You heard him right? He left because he fell in love” she muttered trying to hold back her tears. Her hands and legs were shivering. Pain and anger running through her.
“Hannah” Brandon called and tried touching him but she moved away from him and then turned to her father.
“You left with a woman who you fell in love with even when you knew mom was sick at that time and needed you the most.
She needed you at that moment when you left. Truth is you never cared about Mom, you never loved her, you never cherished her, you never valued her.
She spent her last few moments telling me you were a good man and the fact you weren’t there with us didn’t mean you didn’t care. She spent her last moment telling me good things about you” She paused and then ruffled her hair. She felt like she was going mad at that moment.
“Well, let me tell you everything. When she died I was left alone in the street, I had to steal to feed, I was caught a few times and punished but sometimes I escaped.
I begged a few times, there are days where I don’t eat anything for a few days, It was like a hunger strike” She paused as tears slipped down her cheeks. Daniel stared at her and noticed the pain in her eyes. He hurt her daughter a lot, he was so stupid to have left, and there was nothing he could do to make up for those times he left her.
“Even though you didn’t love Mom, you could have at least thought about me but you didn’t” She paused, shook her head, and wiped her tears.
“Get out, I do not want to see you near this house or anywhere close to me, get out,” she said as tears slipped down her cheeks.
“Hannah please, I’m sorry” he begged as he stood up and tried moving towards her but then she moved back.
“Get out Daniel, before I lose my cool,” she said, more tears streaming down her cheeks with her mouth shivering.
But then her father did the unexpected. He went down on his knees and clapped his hands together, with his head bowed asking for her forgiveness.
Hannah felt more pain in her eyes as she saw her father on his knees.
Hannah stared at her father properly for the first time since they had met. She noticed he had so many wrinkles on his face and his hair was now gray. He was looking so old and weak.
Hannah looked away from him not wanting to see him on his knees.
She then walked away climbing upstairs to her room.
“Sir, you should stand up,” Humphery said as he tried helping Daniel from the ground but he refused.
“I’m not standing until she forgives me,” he said and everyone stared at each other.
“You can’t expect her to forgive you today, you have to give her time,” Humphrey said and then helped him stand up and made him sit on the chair.
Meanwhile, Arianna is seen lying on the bed in her room, talking to Micheal on her phone. She had a bright smile on her face while she talked to him.
She was so in love with Micheal and being in love with him had brought out her teenage self.
“I have to go now, I left the kids at the diner. I’ll be expecting you to join us ” Arianna said with a smile on her face.
“Sure, I’m close to Colby’s estate, I will be there in ten. I love you” he said as he blew her kisses on the phone and then hung up.
Arianna smiled and then stood up before going downstairs.
tBC