She turned to her father. “Let’s see how quickly you come to your son’s defense,” Mya snapped. She turned to leave and then stopped to say one more thing. “Oh and Heather? It’s now your turn to know the same hell you put me through when you had me framed.” Mya left the room leaving everyone stunned.
Henry ignored all the commotion and stared down at the papers and photos in anger. It was Heather who did this to his family. No wonder Mya thinks Hunter is involved.
Wondering what the heck just happened, Hunter stared at the door Mya exited.
“How could you Heather?” Henry’s deep voice boomed as he stood to his feet.
Heather jumped and stared wide-eyed at the furious look on Henry Trent’s face.
After watching Mya storm out, Hunter finally snapped out of it. “Dad?”
“I pray Hunter, that you had nothing to do with ruining this family. We all knew how you distrusted my daughter; even after it was proven that she was mine. You have made her feel unwelcome and frighten without just cause.”
“Dad, I-I never…”
“Silence! Tell me son; did you hate her when you took her to bed? Did you suspect her then?”
Heather came to Hunter’s defense. “She was not one of us, she…”
“Heather, if I were you I’d be quiet!” Sylvie shouted. Heather gasped.
“Son, all I want to know is did you do this to my daughter?” Hunter was still in the dark. All he knew was that Mya attacked Heather for no good reason.
“Dad, I don’t know what you are asking me.”
“Did you frame my daughter?” Henry yelled.
“Dad, I would never… I may not have trusted her, but I would never purposely hurt her!”
Henry’s eyes shifted to Heather. “Before I ask you to leave my house Heather, I want to know why.”
“Dad, what is going on?” Hunter asked.
“What is going on is that your fiancée was instrumental in causing the conspiracy against Mya. She hired someone to do her dirty work. She paid a man named Clayton Harris ten thousand dollars to get rid of Mya.”
Sylvie moved to Heather. “How could you Heather? In my face smiling and acting all giddy, knowing all along what you did to my daughter and this family. I knew you were conniving, but I never knew you were such a hateful bitch. You ruined the life of a beautiful, sweet woman and my family for some selfish reason that probably made sense to nobody but you!” She turned to Hunter. “I love you son, but if you are involved in any of this…” Sylvie paused as tears rolled down her face. She began to move away, when Heather stepped in front of her and began slinging the reasons why she did what she did against the wall, hoping that one of them would stick.
“Mrs. Trent I did it for the family! She was not one of us! I did this for Hunter! I was going to be part of this family! Hunter was obsessed with her! He complained about her all the time! She was coming between us and…”
Sylvie slapped Heather so hard across the face that she left her handprint. “Get out of my house now!” She said before moving away. Heather grabbed her face and sobbed, while Henry sat down heavily behind the desk.
“Dad?” Hunter called out to him. Was everyone in here losing their minds? Henry lifted his head.
“Look at this Hunter. Look at what the woman you want to marry did to us,” he sadly ordered.
Heather rushed to him and grabbed his arm, but Hunter shook her off and looked at the photos and notes.
“Hunter I did it for us. I did it for you. You hated her… you were obsessed with her,” she said, trying to plead her case.
Hunter remained silent as he carefully looked at all the information, and then turned to Heather with dark blazing eyes.
“You did all this? You ruined my family because of some misguided loyalty to me? You are responsible for Mya going to prison?”
“Hunter I did it for you!” She screamed. “You broke up with me because of her. You were mine before she came here. You said you didn’t trust her, so I helped you!”
“That still gives you no right to ruin a person’s life!”
“Hunter, after we get married…”
“Heather, I’m not marrying you! Not after what you’ve done!”
“But don’t you understand that I did it for you Hunter? You were so unhappy with her being around; I was just trying to help. You were worried that she would be like her mother; you told me that. She didn’t belong. If you want, I’ll apologize and then we can still get married!”
She sounded desperate.
“Have you completely lost your mind Heather? Apologize? Can you take back the time Mya spent in prison or give her back her dignity? Whether she belonged or not, it was still not up to you to take her life into your hands and destroy it. She is my father’s daughter! Somebody please get her out of my face before I do something I’ll regret!”
He began to walk away, but Heather followed him. “I’m not going anywhere; I need to be with my fiancée!” She rushed to Hunter and wrapped her arms around his waist as Hunter pulled at her arms trying to get her to let go.
“Heather! Get off my son!” Sylvie shouted.
“Hunter loves me; I do belong!” She screamed, blinking in an attempt to wring out some fake tears.
Sylvie looked at her with disgust. “Have some dignity Heather. You can either walk out on your own or be dragged out by force; it’s entirely up to you.”
“No! I am not leaving!” She screamed, still holding onto Hunter.
Hunter had had enough. He pushed her away so hard, he almost knocked her to the floor. “Get Out!” He shouted.
“But Hunter!” She wailed.
“Don’t make me repeat myself Heather!” He warned.
“It’s your fault Hunter! You are just as guilty! You slept with her and had those brats! I knew it was more than your mistrust of her; you wanted her from the start!” Heather accused.
Hunter’s rage had hit the tipping point. “Heather! Get! Out!”
Henry came to his feet. “You ought to be worrying about me pressing charges. I suggest you go Heather before I forget that you are a woman,” Henry suggested with deadly calm.
Seeing that she wouldn’t get her way on this one, Heather finally settled down. She turned to Hunter and had a few last words for him.
“This is not over Hunter, you had better believe that,” she said before storming out.
Mya sat on the floor with her babies while they slept and quietly sobbed. She cried for the hell that she had to endure for the past year, she cried for the weight that was lifted from her shoulders, and she cried for the future she could now have. She could finally put the past behind her and move forward. She didn’t want to live off her father’s generosity and guilt. She wanted to be independent and work for her son’s welfare while making something of herself. She wanted to be someone that her sons would one day be proud of saying, “Hey, that my Mom.”
A soft knock sounded at the door. She rose. “Come in,” she called as she wiped at her eyes. The door opened and Hunter stood there.
“Mya,” he said softly.
“What do you want Hunter?”
“I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am that this happened. I swear I knew nothing about it. I would never do anything like that to ever hurt you,” he replied.
Mya turned away. “Why did you hate me so much Hunter? Do you know the hell I’ve gone through behind bars?
Hunter walked further into the room. Stopping behind her, he reached out and turned her to face him. Her head lowered, and with a finger under her chin, he gently lifted it.
“No, tell me,” he coaxed. Mya move to the window in her bedroom. Could she relive that awful time of her life? She was just starting to sleep through the night with the dreams. Mya took a cleansing breath.
“You have no idea about the hell I have been through, and it was all for nothing. My first day in prison, I attacked by a woman because she claimed me as hers. I fought her to save my life and to send a message to any of the o
thers who wanted to try me, and while inside I did what was expected of me and kept my mouth shut. At the arraignment hearing, the DA made me sound like a woman jealous of the life her father has. They brought up my mother’s past and used that as a strike against me the same as you did Hunter. When they discovered that I was pregnant the other inmates left me alone.”
She paused and glanced around the room.
“I never had a place to call home, but I wanted my sons to have one. You said that I’m the reason your family suffered, but at least you suffered with your family; all I had was hell. You people left me to rot in there, and to be honest, right now I don’t even know how to feel anymore. If Rodger hadn’t gotten me freed, they would have taken the twins and I would have prayed for death. I’d rather be dead than have to live the rest of my life fighting just to be free in a prison.”
Hunter saw the tears flow slowly down Mya’s face, and dropped his head. Even though Heather initiated her demise, Mya was right. It was also his fault. His obsession with her was extreme, and he realized a year ago that his preoccupation with Mya was not based on the fear that she would hurt his father or anybody else in the family. He was protecting himself. The connection he felt for her scared him because it was stronger than anything he had ever felt before. It was there from the very first time he saw her not so long ago, and was still inside him, and then after making love to her that first time, the connection was deeper, stronger than he could have possibly imagined. He fought harder trying to deny it, but he failed when he turned up at her apartment. Through his actions, he inadvertently ruined a beautiful woman’s life.
He still didn’t know what made him blame her for all of this, and as he stood off on the side watching her, his eyes roamed all over her. She was just as beautiful as he remember. She had a maturity about her, but he could still sense that sadness that she always had. All the family wanted to do was make her happy, and he let his skepticism ruin it along with the help of Heather. To think, he was actually going to marry her; in her selfish calculating mind, she probably did think that she was doing it for him. If anyone should be sorry and apologizing, it should be him. He should be begging for Mya’s forgiveness. He was so wrong about her, so unfair to her because of his selfish heartless reasoning. Reasons she never had a chance of contending with. He blamed himself for it all, even for Heather’s part in her scheme. He should have kept his family business private or at least realized how obsessive Heather was. He once again dropped his head. It broke his heart see those tears in her eyes. He loved his family and would do anything to protect them because they watched out for each other. In Mya’s case however, they were not there for her. He needed her forgiveness and he vowed then he would do whatever it took to get it.
“I never hated you Mya,” he replied softly. “I admit I didn’t trust you. I thought you had come to avenge your mother… no, that’s not true. The truth is that from the very first moment that I saw you I knew that there was something about you that scared me. In all honesty, I was protecting myself.”
Mya looked up at him with a confused look on her face.
“Protecting yourself from me? You somehow thought that I would hurt you?”
“No, not exactly,” he said, pushing his hand through his shoulder length hair. “Mya, so many things have happen this past year, and I feel responsible for them all. I want… no, I’m asking for a chance to somehow make this up to you. I’m asking for your forgiveness.”
Mya wasn’t quite sure how to react to this sudden change in Hunter, being that she was so used to the sullen, harsh version of him. Could she except him or forgive him? She studied his face for sincerity. He was the father to her boys, and there would be times that they would be together for them. More than anything, she was just sick and tired of all the hostility and anger.
“I’m willing to try Hunter,” she agreed, bringing a smile to his face.
Mya gasped. This was the second time she had seen him smile, and it was just as devastating.
“What about Heather?” She asked.
“It’s over. There will be no wedding. Dad’s pressing charges,” he informed her.
Mya sucked her teeth. “Her father is a state senator. She will not spend an hour in jail for her crimes. What’s the most she’ll get anyway? Probation? I seriously doubt anything will be done,” she shrugged her shoulders, stepping away and putting space between them.
Hunter knew Mya was right. Even as broke as they were, Heather’s father would make every effort to help his daughter out of this jam, and do so more than likely by calling in favors. “She’s going to pay for what she has done to you, Mya.”
Mya turned to face him. “What can be done about it now?”
“It’s useless to sue them; the family is broke,” Hunter paused thoughtfully. “But we could put something in the paper. Something like a retraction to the article that someone leaked to the paper. I wouldn’t be surprise if Heather was behind that as well.”
Mya’s eyebrow lifted. “Yes that would work. Do you think Dad will go along with this?”
“Dad wants her to see the inside of a jail, so yes he’ll go along with it,” he assured her.
Just then, the babies started to stir. Mya looked over at them and smiled. “It looks like they are ready to eat, and you did promise to feed them tonight,” she commented. “Since you are so good I diaper changing, you take one and I’ll get the other.”
Chapter 15
Except for the occasionally sound of the babies followed by the laughter of their parents coming from upstairs, the Trent household was relatively quiet. While Henry was on the phone with his lawyer trying to find a way to have Heather prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for her misdeeds, an elated Sylvie was on another line calling family, friends, and just about anybody else who would listen, and happily letting them know that the wedding was off. The sounds of babies and laughter died down, and a little while later, Hunter stood in the doorway.
“Mom, Dad can I talk to you?” He said, sounding as though he had a lot on his mind.
Noticing the seriousness in the tone of his voice, Henry immediately stopped what he was doing and urged him to join them. “Yes son, please come on in.”
Sylvie rose up from her seat and looked at Hunter. “I’m going to see my grandsons and leave you two to talk alone. I think it’s time to admit how you really feel about Mya, son.”
“Mom I’m sorry about all this,” he said taking her hand and kissing it. She kissed his cheek and left the room closing the door.
A heavy-hearted Hunter took a seat. “Dad I’m sorry,” he said, dropping his head. Henry moved over to him and rubbed his shoulder.
“Son, what exactly are you apologizing for?”
His head rose. “For everything Dad. I didn’t trust Mya and because of my mistrust, I poisoned your mind against her as well.”
“Why didn’t you trust her son?” Henry asked.
Hunter shook his head and rose up from the chair. “From the moment I saw Mya…” He paused, recalling the first day that he saw her.
“I don’t know; I could feel my defenses slipping away. Everything about her pulled at something deep inside of me. I never really believed she was like her mother; I just used that as a shield because it felt as if I was drowning each time I was in her presence. I never hated her Dad, ever.”
Henry studied him for a moment. If he didn’t know better, he say that Hunter was more than just attracted to Mya, and that would certainly explain why he fought so hard against her.
“I knew you didn’t hate her son, but all that is not important right now. What is important is that she is home with your sons, and we, as a family, can finally move forward and put this all madness behind us. Now, I don’t know about you, but I think that bit of good news calls for a celebration.”
Suddenly, there was a commotion, and they could hear Sylvie shout out from the foyer. “How dare you barge into my house?”
Henry rushed out of the room, followed closel
y by Hunter, and saw an enraged Clarence Burton standing there glaring at his wife. When he turned and saw Hunter, he went ballistic.
“How dare you!” He shouted angrily. “No one treats my daughter like that!”
Hunter took a step in the Senator’s direction, but Henry having the cooler head of the two, halted him in his tracks. This was a matter for the lawyers now, and it wouldn’t look too good if Senator Burton was accosted while on the premises.
“Who in the hell do you think you are?” Hunter shouted. Henry quickly raised his hand to silence him.
“Senator,” Henry advised through clenched teeth. “I suggest you leave my home right now and not look back.”
“Leave your home? Your wife and daughter attack my Heather and you expect me to do nothing about it? I will sue for you every dime you have!”
Allowing his cooler head to prevail, Hunter spoke up.
“If that is what you need to do Senator Burton then fine, do it,” he said in an ominous tone. “Your scheming daughter with her conniving ways nearly ruined the life of my father’s daughter, and we have proof that she paid someone to fraudulently have her imprisoned for a crime she didn’t commit. Now we might take this to court and expose your daughter for the worthless piece of trash that she is or we might not. More than likely she will be brought up on charges, and our lawyers are weighing our options as we speak. I’ m sure Senator that you do not want your dirty laundry nor your skeletons aired publicly. So, having said that, if you feel strongly about this Senator Burton go right ahead and get your lawyer. We will see you in court.”
Knowing that they had him dead to right, the Senator backed down. He looked from father to son dumbfounded, and when Sylvie joined them, she had the final say on the matter.
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