Devon picked me up off the ground. We lay in his bed for what felt like years. I cried the entire night and he stayed right by my side, not saying a word. He just played with my hair and let me openly bawl my eyes out. I cried so hard it hurt my entire body and I was sore the next morning. I didn’t know when I fell asleep, but he woke me up with a glass of milk and breakfast.
“No…I’m not hungry.”
“Kid, it’s not for you.”
My heart hurt. I nodded, understanding his innuendo. I ate every last bite, drank the entire glass of milk, and it made me feel better. He took away the tray of food and placed it on the ground.
He genuinely smiled. “You’re going to be a mom.”
I breathed out, laughing, “Yeah.”
“You’re going to be such an amazing mom.”
“I hope.”
“I know. That baby is so lucky. He’s going to have an amazing Uncle Devon and cousin Ethan.”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“You’re going to be okay. Have faith that everything will fall into place.”
“You promise?”
“Promise.”
A week later, I was walking up the steps and into an office I never thought I’d step in again.
“Bella Rosa.” Madam embraced me and I let her. “You have no idea how much it means to me that you’re here.”
I smiled. “We need to talk.”
“I know. I’ve wanted to call a million times, but I knew, I knew in my heart that you would come back. You’re my granddaughter. Do you have any idea how happy I am to be able to say that to you?”
“I’m happy to see you, too.”
“Come…come have a seat. I had the chef prepare all of your favorite foods. Let’s have lunch and talk.”
“Okay.”
We ate and she told me about everything. I didn’t even have to ask.
Her pregnancy.
Her mother.
My mother.
How she took over VIP.
How she found me.
The accidental rape.
Getting me to Miami.
And everything else is history.
Although she didn’t say that her accident was planned, I knew it was. That’s just the kind of woman she was. I also didn’t have to question her about Mika. I honestly…didn’t want to know. I imagined he had some story to tell, but I didn’t care to have her share it with me.
“Bella Rosa, can you ever forgive me for everything?” she asked with sincerity in her voice.
“Of course. I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t. I’m ready. I want to make you proud, Grandmother.”
Her eyes shined bright. “Well…no time like the present. Let’s get everything in order.”
“Perfect.”
I spent the next week signing away my life.
VIP was mine.
I was The Madam.
Another month went by and I was nineteen weeks pregnant. The doorbell rang to The Cathouse and Chance was barking incessantly.
“Stop! Shhh…go, Chance, go!” I shouted, making him run along. I opened the door and I was slammed with papers in my face.
“Ysabelle Telle?” she asked.
I nodded.
“You’ve been served,” a woman stated, giving me the envelope.
“Served?” I called out. She didn’t stop and drove away.
I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottled water from the fridge. Pregnancy was turning out to be fairly easy. I drank half the water not realizing how thirsty I really was. I sat down at the island and opened the yellow envelope. There was a letter among a stack of papers.
ABF Defendant to Miss Telle,
Sebastian Vanwell has hired the legal representation of Jacobson and Myor Associates. Attached are two documents; Child Custody Legal Rights in regard to full custody of said child, and Dissolution of Community Property of estate 96 Sunrise Drive in Turks and Caicos.
Mr. Vanwell has agreed to divide said estate mutually and earnings will be split 50/50.
Mr. Vanwell has agreed for visitation rights ONLY in his presence. OR away from defendants property titled, “The Cathouse.”
Mr. Vanwell has agreed for the defendant to be involved in any of the child’s upbringing as long as it’s away from defendant’s business or The Cathouse residence.
Mr. Vanwell wants to be informed of every doctor’s appointment and be updated on the health and progress of said child.
Mr. Vanwell wants to be in the delivery room when said child is born.
Mr. Vanwell will be on the estate property of 96 Sunrise Drive from September 19 – September 29, collecting his personal items. He has requested that you not be present during that time.
Defendant has thirty days to respond to the affidavit.
Sincerely,
Jacobson and Myor
I think I read the letter ten times before it processed. There it was, in black and white, everything I lost. I rubbed my belly, wanting to feel comfort and it helped.
I looked over at my phone. “Shit!” I said to myself.
I drove in a blur for the next twenty minutes and pulled into a parking lot, parking my car beside the last person I expected to be meeting. I got out of the car and she walked over to me.
“I’m sorry I’m running behind, Julia.”
She smiled. “It’s okay. I’m surprised and happy that you called me.”
“I’m thrilled you accepted.”
“Can I?” she asked, pointing to my belly.
I nodded. “Of course.”
She placed her hand on my stomach. “Can I say I hate you a little bit?” she laughed, making me nervous. “You’re five months tomorrow and you’re barely showing. You don’t even look pregnant, how unfair is that?”
I immediately felt at ease. We walked into the restaurant and they seated us in a booth. I ordered milk and she had a glass of wine.
“I craved milk when I was pregnant with Christian, too,” she announced.
“It’s weird, I hated the stuff before. Sebastian drank it by the gallon.” I shrugged. “So…”
She sadly smiled. “Have you talked to him?”
I shook my head. “No. Not since…no. I did get served with papers today, though.”
She sighed. “Yeah…he told me they were on their way.”
“I don’t blame him. I would do the same thing if I were in his position.”
“Are you going to fight him on it?”
“I don’t know. He’s selling our house…I just can’t believe this is even happening.”
“I understand.”
“I love him, Julia. I’m pregnant with his baby and it’s the only thing that has kept me going. I’m so fucking stupid.”
“Ysabelle, you made a mistake, people make mistakes.”
“I know, but he can’t forgive me. He hasn’t even tried to contact me.”
She grabbed my hands on the table. “I don’t want to get involved, but I promise you that he is hurting, too. He’s a mess.”
I bit my lip.
“Anyway, I didn’t call you here for this. I don’t want to put you in the middle.”
She nodded.
“I wanted to say that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything that I did. There hasn’t been a day that has gone by that I haven’t thought about what I did to you. I wish I could tell you that I regretted it, but I can’t. The only thing that I do regret is that it hurt you. I knew he was happily married and I didn’t care. I never once thought about you or how any of it would affect you. I’ll never forgive myself for breaking up your marriage,” I sincerely stated.
I felt like I had been liberated. It didn’t matter if she threw her glass of wine in my face, being able to tell her how I felt and apologize to her was enough for me.
“You’re an amazing mother and if I can be half the mother you are, I’ll be lucky and grateful.”
Her eyes widened and she frowned. “I lost Christian at Niemen Marcus when he was four years old,” she blurted, her eyes started to water like she was reliving it. “I let go of his hand and turned my back to look at the new fall wardrobe, I forgot about him. I forgot about my child for a designer. I looked down, remembering that he was with me and he was nowhere to be found. I ran around the aisles for ten minutes and then I told the saleswoman that I lost my kid.” She paused.
“Ten minutes. Do you have any idea how much could happen in ten minutes? I should have told them the second I didn’t see him. I should have never let go of his hand.”
I couldn’t believe what she was disclosing and I took in every word.
“It took security another twenty minutes to find him. I called Sebastian franticly and he immediately told me to look under the dresses on the hanging racks. He said Christian loved to play hide-and-go-seek in them. I told security and they found him a minute later. He’s my child and I didn’t know any of that. He used to cry all the time when he was a newborn and I would panic every time. Sebastian always calmed him, always, no matter what. For the first six months, I thought he hated me.”
I listened to her like she was telling me a bedtime story.
“The first time we took him to the emergency room was because he burned himself with my curling iron. The one I left on, knowing my toddler was beside me. Thank God it had barely warmed and didn’t hurt him. I could go on and on about the mistakes I’ve made.” She hesitated, thinking about what she was about to share.
“My worst mistake was marrying a man I knew wasn’t in love with me. I manipulated both Olivia and Sebastian so they couldn’t be together. I precisely stepped in the way of my sister’s happiness because I was jealous and wanted him for myself. Karma is an evil and brutal bitch. I’m not perfect, I’m so far from it it’s not even funny.”
I squeezed her hand.
“The second I saw Sebastian look at you at The Gala, it was a rude awakening. I always thought that the way he looked at Olivia was true love. I was wrong. The way he looks at you, words can’t even describe it. Love has a way of finding you when you least expect it. I’m engaged to Anthony and I’ve never been happier. If it weren’t for you, Sebastian and I would probably still be playing house.” She shrugged. “Sometimes people have to walk away to realize what they have.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
“No, Ysabelle, thank you.”