Her Last Plea✨

Chapter 26

Delphina had woken up due to a constant ringing of the doorbell. Walking out of the room, she heard her eldest snap at someone to 'get lost'. Rushing slightly to check what was wrong, she soon spotted her sister near the doorway. Curious about why Cordelia was here, Delphina hid behind a wall to rationalize everything she would need to say to her older sister.

Delphina did love her sister, but she also knew how much Cordelia had wanted to marry Mike. Despite being in the same year at Francesc's, Mike had never liked Cordelia. In fact, he detested her. Cordelia, however, had this insane crush on Mike and had continued to harbor her feelings for him all through her life. She had hoped that she would be chosen as Mike's wife and was sorely disappointed when that hadn't happened. Their parents had immediately tried to arrange Cordelia's marriage into an upstanding family as well, but since her first and only choice had been taken, Cordelia refused any proposal that came her way. Instead, she left New York and travelled all over Europe, getting married three times (that had been known to them that is) to any unsuspecting, wealthy European man that she could find so as to support her outlandish lifestyle.

Delphina was quickly brought back to the situation at hand as she heard Mike's disgusted reply to Cordelia's blatant attempt at flirting with him. Entering the room, Delphina reached her husband's side and placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "Cordelia? What are you doing here?"

"Oh my Delphi!" Cordelia exclaimed. "You look.....why, you don't look sick at all. Are you sure you aren't exaggerating your condition just a little bit?"

Delphina winced slightly while Mike had to physically restrain Mira from attacking her own aunt. Delphina knew that she herself was far from perfect, but compared to Cordelia.......... Delphina could easily consider herself to be an angel.

"No Cordelia," Delphina said slowly as if speaking to a child. "I'm not exaggerating. I am, most definitely, sick."

Mike gave his sister-in-law one last glare before turning around to face his wife. "Make. Her. Leave," he said slowly, trying his best to control his anger in front of the girls.

"And how do you suppose I do that?" Delphina whispered.

"Methods aren't important," Mike whispered back. "I don't want our daughters around her for any longer than it is necessary. You know that, Delphi."

Saying that, Mike picked Ara up in his arms again and tugged on Mira's hand, leaving the room with his daughters.

Delphina watched them go before turning around to face her older sister again. "Why are you here, Lia?"

"Well, Mother said that you were sick and someone needed to come and take your place. So, here I am!"

"I'm sorry? What?"

"How do you expect to take care of a family if you're dying? You are dying, right? Oh no, wait.....that sounded a bit insensitive. I didn't mean to - "

A bitter laugh left Delphina's lips as she interjected, "Of course." Sighing, she continued, "Uhh..... Cordelia, as much as I appreciate whatever this is that you believe to be offering, I'll have to ask you to leave. This isn't my house anymore - it's Mike's and frankly, he doesn't want you here. I'm sorry."

"Delphi," Cordelia began to say exasperatedly. "If you are sick and Mike's at work, who's taking care of the children?"

"We.....uhh, he has help," Delphina answered shortly, not wanting to mention the Greenes, Alexis or Alexis's parents just yet.

"These children deserve a mother," Cordelia argued.

"Of course they do!" Delphina exclaimed. "But they certainly don't deserve someone worse than me!"

Cordelia narrowed her eyes as Delphina continued, "They deserve more than the mother we have, more than the mother they have. When I'm gone - "

"Do you have to be so morbid?" Cordelia cut her sister off with a frown on her face. "Honestly, it's a bit depressing."

Delphina's eyes softened a little as she reached out and hugged her sister lightly. "I'm going to die, Lia. It's a matter of fact now."

She took a step back and smiled sadly. "If you wish to stay in New York longer, you can use my penthouse or you could stay with Mother and Father - I'm sure they wouldn't mind. But, you can't stay here, in this house. I'm sorry, but I just want to spend my remaining days peacefully - with my children."

A flash of anger mixed with disappointment crossed Cordelia's face. "If I were in your position, I'd be a little more grateful if someone offered to give up their life to help me."

Delphina shrugged and replied, "If you didn't have ulterior motives, I might have been a bit more receptive to the idea."

"Excuse me?"

"Mike won't replace me with you," Delphina stated, her face void of any expression. "He will never love you. He doesn't even love me - at least, not in the way in which you have coveted since your teenage years. He loves me like a friend at best, only because I'm the mother of his children."

Cordelia's face flushed at the accusation as if she was almost ashamed to be caught in the truth of her intentions. "I.....what......you.....Delphina! How dare you? The thought hadn't even crossed my mind!"

"Sure it didn't," Delphina replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"I can't believe I had even thought of helping you," Cordelia snapped at her younger sister.

Swinging the main door open, she exited the house and barked at the cab driver, who was waiting outside, to collect her numerous bags. The poor man had been waiting all this while as Cordelia hadn't yet paid him. Turning around, Cordelia gave a last scathing look towards Delphina before entering the car and leaving the premises.