Valerie

by Richa Resa

  I felt a different kind of comfort in Drew's destruction, like I was waiting for it. Everything is done. Now I can put this past of mine behind, and finally move on. I never will have to worry about it again anymore.

  I wanted to climb the Everest and fucking shout from there that I was satisfied with telling the truth and saving a life from being ruined. I could move on with my life without looking at them anymore. I didn't fucking care in hell what Drew wanted to say to me. The hell with it! He would be running to save what was left of him after this, and if he came after me, I would call the police and have him arrested. I will face whatever that came my way. I had no fear left, Okay, maybe I had one not every one of them was gone. But I was fucking over the moon!

  "Val, talk to Shay she has something important to tell you." My dad quickly gave me the phone, and I frowned. Taking the phone from her, I put it on speaker.

  "What is it, Shay?" I swear, if she came out with some joke, I would tape her sassy mouth.

  "I think someone has eventually made up the connection and unnamed man's name now is disclosed. The world knows that it is Aiden. I don't know who this woman is, but she has written that she is sure that this unnamed man is Aiden." I stood there stunned. Who was she? She was protecting me and at the same time revealing Aiden.

  "Does she have any name or username?" I was fucking curious.

  "Yeah, I’m just checking it out. I swear this girl has just forgotten that she had connected her facebook to twitter. I mean who does that when you are telling the world such a thing?"

  "Maybe she forgot in a hurry. It happens, Shay. Just look and tell me who she is. Everyone isn't smart like yo--" She cut me off.

  "Bloody double shit!" Shay yelled, and my dad looked at me with the expression what the hell happened?

  "It is your freaking secretary, Melanie! I mean your secretary who was fucking excited for this wedding. The one who was sweet, cute and understanding. God, she was the one who did this! I thought she would be on Laura and Drew’s side. She worshipped them as a couple for heaven's sake!"

  Now I was fucking double shocked, Melanie? I mean, what Shay was saying hundred percent true. I swear I had thought that she would give me the cold shoulder when she came to know that I was the reason behind the exposure of Laura and Drew. I was expecting her not to believe me, even hate me and shout out my name to the world, calling me a liar. But this, was not what I had expected at all. I mean this was what I had been least expecting to happen!

  "God, I think I need to sit down," I told dad before my knees gave up, as I sat down on the table seat. The world now knew that the unnamed man was Aiden. It wasn't my intention to reveal his name but heaven and heart knew that I didn't regret publishing this report. I didn't know how to feel about this. I mean he had been the man whom I had loved and given my heart after mending it, but the truth was that he had never loved me and had hurt me beyond limits. It shattered my heart just thinking about it.

  I wanted to hate him but at the same time, I just couldn't find myself hating him as much as I hated Drew. I was fucking confused about whether I should feel sorry for him or happy for myself. His name was going to be dragged into this and it wasn't going to be pleasant. His name and reputation would be at the line and he was more into business world than Drew. I didn't know how he would handle this news. Would he be angry at me like Drew was when I had burnt his house to ashes? I didn't know what to expect from him. Dad told Shay that I would call her back later and ended the call for me.

  "You alright kiddo?" he asked, concerned. I nodded and gave him a weak smile.

  "Be happy, Val. This was what you wanted, wasn't it? You wanted to make the truth reach Laura's ears and somehow you have made it possible. However, it is eyes in place of ears, though. Aren’t you happy?"

  "I’m, dad. I’m way happier than what one can expect. I mean, the world knows what a bastard Drew is, and how the two men played me. Even Laura might be saved from getting her life ruined. I want to cry from my happiness, but there are some unexpected turns, you see. I mean, some people are really aren't what I expected them to be. I was even thinking that people would not believe me and I would feel worse than before but knowing that people actually believe me, even if it was only a few of them, made me happy. I’m content with it. I just feel like it has changed me. I had stopped believing in the good in this world but now I can."

  He gave me a small smile and a pat on the head.

  "Dad I'm not a dog," I said and he laughed at this.

  "I can't love my child like this now! I swear, you used to be so happy when I patted your head like that when you were young. You used to feel proud. It is so sad to know that all you think of it now, is that it is only to be done to a dog. You hurt me, my child." He faked being hurt by my words.

  "Really dad?"

  "Okay sorry about that but that aside,” He got in a serious tone. “I think this world hardened you up. I mean, my actions forced you to protect yourself. What happened when you were young, what you saw, it affected you. When Drew broke your heart, you built up walls around it, so that nothing could reach your heart. The countless heart-breaking experiences have not only hurt you, but they have clouded your vision from seeing what this world really is like. I have not been a good father in the past, Val. I regret it. I really do, but when the time comes and you have to meet your real father, I won't hold you back. I don't know what kind of man he is, but I would want you to meet him at least once in this life."

  I started to protest but his eyes told me not to interrupt.

  "You are your own person and I know it. The world knows it. He is last of what is left of your parents. I’m always going to be there in your life, Val. Even when I’m old and complaining a lot, I would annoy you and force you to meet this old father of yours most of the days and force you to bring my future grandchildren with you. I love you, my child. You will always have me. You don't even have to tell him that you are his daughter. Just meet him once, and see what kind of man he is, even if he didn't want you. I don't want you to regret the fact that you never had the chance to talk to him. I know what regret feels like. I regret leaving and treating your mother badly and I don't want you to have any regrets in your life, Val. I just don't want you to feel what I had felt before." His eyes grew sad and I understood what he talked about.

  Regrets. They would leave us empty and sad. I don't think I would ever regret not meeting my sperm donor, but for my dad, I would do it. I saw the father inside of him I had always wanted and I was not going to make him sad or lose him over small things. However, his words did get me worried.

  "I will meet him one day when the time is right, dad. Until then, we are going to live a happy life and even enjoy today. Though it is bad to celebrate someone else's destruction, but hey it is my victory too!" I was elated.

  "Would you ask Carmen to come in too. I have to go and face the world today. I mean, I can't hole up in my house while everyone is gossiping about me in my office. I need to go to the office and face the crowd, surely acting innocent. No one needs to know it was me, even if they do know it was me." We both laughed at my statement.

  "I will ask her. Want me to make something special for tonight?" He asked standing up.

  "Nope we are either going to eat out, it is my treat. We are going to celebrate today like it is our birthday." He shook his head and laughed at that.

  "I love you kiddo," he said before he grabbed the newspaper and went back to reading it.

  "I love you, dad," I yelled back as I walked into my room. As I looked at the clock and the table calendar beside it, I felt something. Today was the day when I could start anew, leaving behind the painful life I had led and look towards a happy future, maybe.

  However, there was a date on the calendar that seeped worry into me. I didn't know what to do with it or how to tackle the situation that was coming. I just wanted to be happy and I knew I would be, because I had the will inside of me to be happy. I would try to fill my life with happiness and I hoped tha
t god will help me in it too.

  Chapter 24

  Aiden

  The shrilling noise of my phone startled me from my own sleep. I looked at the screen and Travis's name flashed over the screen. Confusion filled my mind. Why was he calling me this early?

  Did something happen to Laura? The thought popped in my head instantly. I didn't wait for a second and answered the call.

  "Travis, Is Laura alright?" I asked immediately not giving him a chance to breathe a hello.

  "No fucking way she is!" He yelled before sighing.

  "She is not at all fine, Aiden! Everything is so fucking wrong! She had received a call this fucking morning from a reporter at five in the morning. He fucking said things about Drew and mailed her something. God! Laura has been in tears since then. She hasn't given us many details but speaking his name is nothing but a sin. She says it is going to be out in the fucking newspaper. We all are helpless in this fucking moment, Aiden. Just come as soon as you can. Only you, can help us." His voice sounded desperate.

  *********************************

  "How dare you try to blame it on Valerie!" Laura's voice roared in the mansion as I walked inside the living room. I had seen the morning paper after Travis's and spat all my coffee over it after having only taken a glance at it.

  It was fucking shocking to see it in the newspaper but as I read the coffee stained article, anger boiled inside of me. The article wasn't about the writer or Valerie but on fucking Drew! He was so busy fucking a woman behind Laura's back all the freaking time and none of us was aware of it!

  Val knew about it and Drew was scared that she would tell Laura. He tried to fool me by giving a reason that Laura would be hurt if the truth came out but all the while Drew was trying to save his sorry ass. I had every intention to break his every bone. He hurt Val but reading how cruel of a man he was to kill his own child! I wanted to rip apart his heart. What the hell did Laura see in a bastard like him?

  "I’m not lying Laura! This is just her, trying to break us apart. I swear all you read in this newspaper is a lie." Drew was on his fucking knees begging while Laura's mother restrained her daughter to go any further towards Drew.

  "You fucking want me to believe in your lie? You are a fucking liar Drew! I hadn't believed Arnold at first when he called me yesterday telling me everything. I believed in our love more than anything. I called him a bastard and liar but I was the fucking blind one! I was planning our wedding while you were fucking other women. You fucking filmed them with you and blackmailed them and you still have the courtesy to say that this is all a lie!" She barked at him.

  "That fucking reporter promised me to send every fucking bit of things he had to prove what a fucking ass you were. I read those fucking contracts saw all those videos and it made me feel like shit just to think that I was with you."

  "Laura," his pleading voice hurt my ears because it was fake. He had never loved her. He had been backstabbing her every day.

  "Mr Johnson please believes in me. You know what the truth is. You have even met her! Please tell Laura that Val is doing all this just to hurt me and because of some sick revenge she has upon me."

  I didn't wait for another second before rushing towards Drew to beat the shit out of him. How dare he blame this upon Val? Though the knowledge of Laura's father visiting her was new to me, Drew was just getting on my nerves by blaming it all on Val! She didn't do a fucking thing in this, but just reveal the truth.

  Laura's father beat me to it, as the booming sound of his hand connecting with his face, left all of us shocked. Laura's father was Drew's advocate in our family, the only man who would take Drew's side in every fucking case, even when Laura didn't.

  "You have met her?" Laura's mother, Ira asked.

  "I.. I ..did," Her father stuttered. He feared Ira, well anyone would, if he was in his place. Laura's mother was a force not to be reckoned with. Even my mother was not one to fight with. If she came to know of the way I had hurt Val, she would disown me.

  "Isn't it nice to see my brother like this?" Travis asked, coming beside me. I nodded, absent-mindedly.

  "And you never told me!" Her voice left goose bumps on my skin. If Laura would have been even a bit like her mother, I assure that Laura wouldn't have been in such a situation.

  "I .. didn't ..believe her then..."

  "And now you do, miraculously?" She asked, while her father shrivelled like a leaf.

  "I just saw the pictures clearly, now?"

  "Oh wow! Should I give you an award for that? Why in the hell didn't you tell me about it earlier?"

  "Because, it was all a fucking lie!" Drew yelled out of nowhere.

  "Shut the hell up, you fucker! I swear one more word out of your mouth, and I would bury you in the gardens and send a sympathy letter to your parents when you go missing and are claimed dead," Her voice was low and dangerous.

  "I’m glad I didn't marry her," Travis quipped.

  "Travis," the name rolled out of Ira's tongue in a dangerous way. Travis held his hands up in surrender.

  "Laura dear, come here," Travis asked and she walked towards us but rather than going to him, she hugged me. Tears streamed down her face as her arms wrapped around me. I didn't know what to do as my arms wrapped around her involuntarily. I stroked her hair as she wept in her arms. Drew was glaring at me from across the room where he stood like a scolded child who couldn't get what he wanted.

  "Tell me why in the hell you didn't tell me about it? Why the hell do you believe in her words now?" She screamed at her husband and Laura cried harder in my arms. I tried to soothe her but it was of no use. My eyes pleaded with Travis to do something but he just shrugged.

  "Because I have seen the proof now. It was hard to believe, okay? I just thought she was just some crazy shitty woman who wanted Drew and his money and was spreading rumours, but I was wrong. As I looked at the things that were sent off to Laura, everything clicked in the right place and I understood that things were not how always thought them to be." He didn't stutter this time but there was an underlying fear in his voice.

  "If you would have just told me about this and Valerie’s rumours, this, right now wouldn't have happened. Unlike you, I wouldn't have just pushed it away! I would have gotten to the bottom of it, unlike you, who just shut it all away by believing in that asshole who stands right there!" Her fingers pointed towards Drew who gulped down air in fear. No one freaking said a word in front of her.

  "Why the hell didn't you tell me!" She demanded from him.

  "It would have... raised questions." He gulped down.

  "Raised questions? What fucking questions? It would have saved our daughter's life and she wouldn't have been so humiliated as she is now."

  "It wasn't my place to tell. Some new things came into light and it was better if they had stayed unknown," his voice grew a bit louder.

  "Wasn't your place to tell? It was not your fucking place to tell and things were better unknown? How the hell can you say that? You are just making things up so you could get rid of the guilt you feel. You know yourself that you were wrong and you are just fucking guilty, but I’m telling you won't get rid of this," she raged out.

  "I’m not making shit up! I’m not guilty of anything! I was fooled just like you and everyone else. Val and I talked okay? She didn't want the others to know about her so I kept my mouth shut because I believed it was for good. I did what was good for this family."

  For the first time we were hearing him talk back. It felt as if two bulls were fighting. However, Val, not wanting others to know something, piqued my curiosity. Val wasn't the type who kept secrets. She really didn't have many besides this Drew things, I had believed. I knew about how her father and her relations were.

  "What the hell, didn’t she want the others to know? If she wants to tell the truth, what was so goddamn important that she wanted to hide it?" She demanded, her voice rising in frustration.

  "That she was family!" He shouted as his eyes widened at the same time. Fami
ly? How could she have been family? Laura turned in my arms and looked at her father in disbelief. All of our eyes widened. What the hell was he talking about?

  "Family? What the hell are you saying?"

  "It isn't.... my place to tell, Ira," Her father was back to his weak self.

  "You are going to tell me now or you can live for the rest of your life on the fucking couch here. I assure you I would do it! So just tell the damn truth and not what you feel about it!"

  "Val, is Travis’s daughter," he sighed out, before dropping himself on a chair nearby. I blinked several times. It was supposed to be a dream. Val being Travis daughter? My eyes shifted towards Travis and even Laura stared at him.

  "What?" Ira asked, shocked.

  "That is why she looked so much like me?" Laura said unbelievingly. "It felt like we were sisters, but we really are," she said in disbelief.

  "You have a daughter Travis?" Ira asked him while he stood stiff and lost. "Travis," Ira called for him but was met with no answer.

  "She had told me about a daughter but I just left her," The words came zoned out.

  "Travis, who are you talking about and why the fuck am I only hearing about this now?" Ira demanded. The news was shell-shocking not only to her, but to everyone else as well.

  "Because he left her and her mother when she told him about her," Laura's father told us while staring at his brother.

  "She was barely ten when she found her mother dead in her room. She was the first one to discover her body. Her father whored around before and after his wife died. He didn't care. He turned his house into a brothel while Valerie lived with him. She was around eleven when she went on her own to live with her grandmother. The man she had called father for years just didn't care about him. She didn't have a childhood where things were always happy. She had faced the worse and still is, with these two assholes in her life," he said pointing towards Drew and me.

  "I think she didn't know about who her real father was. The man whom she had called father had only returned in the picture just a month back. She pleaded me with teary eyes to not tell Travis about her. Her father hit me, thinking it was you, Travis! It took me great time to explain it to him that I wasn't the man he thought me to be. She hates you, Travis." He didn't hide the distaste in his eyes for him.