HATRED

CHAPTER 23

I couldn't sleep throughout the night, exhausted from thinking about my broken family. And even though I hate to admit it, my mind was also wrapped around Sylvester.

I applied light makeup to cover the dark circles around my eyes-it's become my usual habit these days. I grabbed my bag and went to look for my father, but he wasn't home.

"Ms. Regina, your breakfast is ready," one of the maids said, but I shook my head and left. My mother always made breakfast.

I sent a quick text to Sylvester, letting him know I would be late because I needed to fix things with my father.

The drive to my father's company was hectic. The traffic was discouraging, and I knew my father would react badly when he saw me. I exhaled and prepared myself for what was about to go down.

"Ms. Allen, good morning. Please, how may I be of help?" the receptionist greeted politely, but my mood was sour, so my response wasn't as polite. "I need to see your boss."

She nodded and called my father through the intercom, but I didn't wait for her approval before walking into the elevator. Here goes nothing.

I walked out of the elevator, ignored his P.A.'s greetings, and barged into my father's office. "Hello, Dad."

He immediately graced me with his angry attention. Good, because I was equally mad at him and had more than a thousand reasons to be.

"Get out of here. I have a meeting in a few minutes."

I scoffed and moved closer to him. "Who the hell is Esther?"

"None of your goddamn business," he shot back.

I snickered. "Please tell me when it would be my business because Mom requested a divorce and left the house."

His expression remained blank and cold. I shook my head and was about to yell at him when he spoke.

"The only mistake I ever made was sending you to Canada to further your studies, because everything happening is all your fault. As if you haven't done enough to ruin this family, you had to go and have an affair with Sylvester. You are a disgrace."

On other occasions, his hurtful words would have broken me, but not today. This time, he was the disgrace. "I guess the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree. Who is Esther?"

The door suddenly burst open, and the answer to my question came from the familiar voice that entered the office.

"She is my mother."

Slowly, I turned around and saw Raphael standing there, dressed in a wine Armani suit, his hair overgrown but nicely gelled back. His stubble had turned into a beard, but it still looked good. I blinked my eyes several times to be sure I wasn't hallucinating.

"Raphael?" I whispered, disbelief coloring my tone.

"Gina," he replied, his voice steady but carrying a hint of something I couldn't place.

I turned back to my father, anger bubbling to the surface. "So, this is what you've been hiding? You have another family? Is Raphael your son?"

My father's cold demeanor cracked slightly. "No. It's complicated, Regina. There are things you don't understand."

"I understand enough," I retorted. "You've been lying to us, to Mom, for who knows how long."

Raphael stepped forward. "Gina,"

I glared at him. "Don't you dare call my name"

My father sighed deeply. "This is not the place for this conversation. We need to discuss this privately."

I shook my head. "I don't care about your secrets anymore. Mom deserves to know the truth, and so do I."

Without another word, I turned and walked out of the office, feeling a mix of betrayal and anger. Raphael's presence had complicated things even more, but I was determined to get to the bottom of this mess.

"Gina," I heard Raphael shout as he tried to catch up to me. I quickened my steps, but before I entered my car, Raphael trapped me with his hands.

"Get away from me, you asshole," I yelled. My body betrayed me, and tears fell from my eyes. "I am so sorry."

I wiped my tears and said, "You told me your mother's name is Margaret. Apparently, that was a lie." I chuckled and asked, "Was your mother's name even Margaret? Was this your plan all along? To get back at my father by seducing and dumping me at the altar?"

At this point, it was useless wiping my tears. "Y-you won," my voice broke.

He shook his head and said, "Gina, my mother's name is Margaret. She changed her name from Esther to Margaret many years ago. I have never lied to you."

I raised my brows and scoffed, but he continued regardless. "You will find this hard to believe, but I-I love you, and I hate myself for humiliating you that day. There was no plan. I never knew about the history between our parents until it was too late." His voice lingered with pain, but I have learned too well than to believe him again.

I sighed and begged him to let me go, and thankfully, he took a few steps backward, creating a reasonable distance between us. Without hesitation, I got into my car and drove off. I slammed my palm on the steering wheel as I sobbed. This wasn't how I thought my conversation with my dad would go.

I dialed Anita's number, and she picked up at the first ring. "I saw Raphael," my broken voice giving me away.

"Girlfriend, I am sorry for not telling you. Chris and I ran into Raph at the grocery store a few days ago. I didn't want you to be sad, so I told him to go back to Canada," she replied at the other end, and my heart broke further. "You knew he was around?" I asked but ended the call before she got the chance to answer.

This was too much for me to contain. I parked my car and texted Sylvester.

To the devil:

Something came up. I can't make it to work today.

Immediately, I got a reply.

From the devil:

What happened with your father?

I ignored his text and continued my journey to nowhere, but my phone kept vibrating. I kept driving on the highway for hours. It was difficult to clear my mind or confide in anyone. I finally stopped at a small bar in the mainland and checked my phone. Three missed calls from Anita, five missed calls from Sylvester, two missed calls from my mom, and two unread messages from Anita and Sylvester.

From Anita:

I am very sorry, Reg. I should have told you when I saw Raphael, but I didn't want you to get like this.

From the devil:

Where are you? What happened? You are driving me nuts. Pick up the damn call.

I stared at the messages, feeling overwhelmed by everything. Taking a deep breath, I decided to reply to Sylvester.

To the devil:

I'm at a bar. Just needed some time alone. Don't worry, I'll be fine.

Almost immediately, my phone rang again. It was Sylvester.

"Regina, where exactly are you?" His voice was firm, but I could hear the concern.

"I'm at a small bar on the mainland. I just needed to get away for a bit," I said, my voice trembling.

"I'm coming to get you. Text me the address," he said before hanging up.

kindly vote and comment on this chapter 😊

Thank you!!! 😘