Perfect disguise by Elizabeth A (speld decodable readers .txt) 📗

61.

Diana.

"Diana, listen," Dominic said, still holding my hand. "This is a misunderstanding."

I was just too frustrated with everything that was happening to listen to him. What does he mean by it was a misunderstanding? I tightened my hands within his hold. I couldn't believe he would come up with that lame excuse as if his infidelity was just a simple misunderstanding which I was overreacting to. The least I deserved was an explanation not denial or pretense. And he was making it worse by acting like he didn't do anything wrong.

"Is that what you call it?" I hissed at him, struggling within his hold. "I call it cheating!"

"Get your dirty hand off my sister!"

I looked ahead and saw my brother approaching us. The wedding guests he was talking to at the cabana glanced at us with confused eyes. 

The amount of heads that had turned to our direction was just the clarification that we were causing a scene. 

Ever since I fainted in the bathroom, Chad had assumed Dominic had something to do with it and he might be just as frustrated as I was. Besides, I wasn't certain I had fainted because Dominic cheated on me. I thought it was due to the pregnancy.

Dominic loosened his grip on my hand before he glared at Chad. "Back off, Richard!"

Chad growled.

He walked up to us and snatched my hands away from Dominic's grip. I was glad to be finally free from Dominic, but I couldn't suppress the ache that slashed through my heart at the sight of Dominic's pained facial expression. 

As I walked away from him, I started to wonder if I was missing the bigger picture in the situation we were going through. 

Before we started dating, Chloe had done lot of things to get Dominic to have sex with her. It was even the main reason Dominic had agreed to date me so what could she have done to make him eventually agree. I sighed. This wouldn't have been so difficult if I hadn't seen the evidence of them spending a night together at a hotel.

I removed my hands from Chad's and stopped walking. We were almost close to the hotel.  I looked at the sky for a second so as to dry up my tears before glancing at my brother. The night was cold and the moon seemed to be shying away behind the clouds.

"You should go back to Annie," I said. "This is your day, I shouldn't ruin it."

He looked at me and pocketed his hands. "I can't do that," he said. "What's going on, Diana? What did that idiot do this time?"

"Dominic."

He frowned. "What?"

"His name is Dominic," I clarified.

He exhaled deeply and waved his hand to dismiss my correction. "Alright. So, what did he do?" he drawled. "Wait, don't tell me he reject the pregnancy because I'm going to break all his bones if he did that." he snarled. 

I furrowed my forehead. "What?" I was lost for a moment.  When I finally understood what he was saying, I quickly denied it. "No, he doesn't even know that I'm pregnant."

"Then, what did he do?"

I sighed. 

"It's a long story."

"Diana…"

"Chad, I just want to be alone for now."

He hesitated for a while before nodding. "Okay," he relented. "Just make sure you get some rest."

I smiled. "Thank you."

He nodded and went back to meet his bride at the beach. And I went to my hotel room because I didn't want to ran into Dominic again.

⚜⚜⚜

It's been a week since I saw Dominic after our encounter at Annie's wedding. I haven't picked up his calls and denied him any access to approach me at the mansion or at my workplace. I needed to talk to him at some point, but I just needed time to think about everything. Eventually, he would find out our my pregnancy and I needed time to come to a decision regarding us.

It was a sunny afternoon and I sat at the terrace, looking at the wide clear sky. Behind me, the grass swished and footsteps emerged. I turned and saw my mother walking towards me. Without looking at her for too long, I turned back and focused on the sky. We haven't really been on talking terms ever since the night I realized she killed Emily.

She sat beside me and I jerked up. I wore my flip flops sandals and was about to leave the terrace when she spoke.

"I'm sorry."

Her words were so shocking that I took a second look at her to be certain she was the one who said it. 

"What are you sorry for?"

She stood up and walked to my front. "I'm sorry for being a bad mother to you," she said. "I know I've hurt you so bad and no amount of apologizing can make up for it, but I still want you to know that I"m truly sorry."

I took a deep breath and blinked back the tear that threatened to fall. I didn't know if it was due to the pregnancy, my chest tightened and my heart ached. My mother was apologizing to me, I should be happy about it, but why do I feel so broken.

"You've… really neglected me," I stuttered, feeling at the verge of tears. "You have never… You've never treated me like your daughter."

"I'm so sorry," she begged. "Please forgive me."

I shook my head and rubbed my hand on my nose. "Even if I forgive you, it can't change what you did," I sniffed. "You destroyed everything, Mom. You took away everyone I loved including Emily and Liam."

"I'm going to confess everything I did to Emily and face the punishment," she confessed.

I frowned. "But why now?" I asked. "What makes you apologize?"

"It's because I couldn't stand the way you were treating me," she said. "And it made me realize I am such a terrible mother." 

We talked for some while before she left. After she left, I stayed at the terrace until sunset. I was almost dozing off when one of the maids came to meet me.

She stood before me. "Ma'am, someone wants to see you."

I sat up and groaned. "I've told you not to allow him to come inside."

She shook her head. "No, she is actually a female."

"Who is she?"

"She said her name is Chloe."

‍​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‍