My Best Friend's Brother: The Husband - Book 2[First Draft]

Chapter 14: Family Secrets

Chloe:

My mother sat across from me, nervousness leaving through her pours. It's a whole week after the trial, that has been put on hold because of my emotional exit. Christian convinced me to call my mom and ask her about the truth behind my dad. He refused to let me know about my dad himself.

I don't know why but I just feel like he's hiding something. I know he'll tell me when the time is right but I still hurts that he's waiting this long to reveal whatever it is. When the stuff happened with Mike, I knew everything that happened the moment it did but when it comes to my personal life it seems like he's more hesitant.

"I know you have a lot of questions-"

"Are you sober?" I said cutting her off immediately. "Lisabeth is upstairs sleeping and I don't want her to see her grandmother drunk."

Mama sighed, "Mija, lo siento. When your sister died, it did something to me. She wasn't mine by blood but I raised her from the time she was a baby. I didn't want to believe that she'd do something that wretched."

"What about me, mama? You pushed me and Lisabeth away. That child hasn't even properly dealt with her mother's death. She's trying to get over it the same way I am, by being happy but you, you turned to alcohol and your ex-husband!" I replied in a controlled voice.

"Mija-"

"You think it doesn't hurt me? You think seeing the only sister I knew being put in the round was easy for me? We didn't always get along and I know she hated me but to me that was my big sis, and I loved her and she betrayed me. Then you reprimanded me for saying what I said at the funeral. Why mama? Why!"

At the end of my rant, a river was flowing out of my eyes. All the built up emotions about Lisa finally bubbled over and I felt like a wreck. Mama made a move to embrace me but I stopped her and took deep breaths, trying to calm myself from crying anymore. I don't want to waste my tears on someone who doesn't deserve them; not anymore.

"Start with Lisa," I demanded, breathing in deeply.

Mama got the picture and sighed, "Ronald and I were married very young. Our parents arranged it and everything. Even though it was forbidden, I fought hard to keep my last name and to be able to give it to my children because, I didn't love Ronnie. Over time we did catch feelings but by then, Ronnie wanted a kid and no matter how much we tried, I couldn't get pregnant."

She paused, looked up at me and sighed, "It was only in the ninth month of pregnancy did I find out the girl he loved was having a baby. I felt everything in me run cold. He got her pregnant while we were married. Our parents made us break off whatever relationships we had when they married us off so I was furious. I went to the hospital with him but I didn't count on what happened that night."

She looked directly into my eyes, a sort of malice in them, "There were complications with the pregnancy and as evil as it sounds, I prayed the baby would die because even though we weren't as close as a couple should be, I refused to see him with another woman, kissing their baby while I watched. In our household marriage is forever and if you break it for whatever reason, you were disowned.

"The baby didn't die though, instead the mother died and that was the first and last time I saw that man cry. He made me sign the birth certificate but I wanted nothing to do with the child. I did what was needed to be done for her, even gave her my last name and the first letter of my name but other than that, I despised her.

"As a woman, I couldn't let a baby pay for her father's doing but at the same time, I saw that woman in her everyday. It was only when she said her first word at ten months old did all that anger diminished. She called me mama. I had left her to cry but as I turned to yell at her she cried for me. she looked directly at me and called me mama."

A ball formed in my throat as I think up all the possibilities of my mom being a hateful person and I could come up with none. I don't know her this way, this person she is speaking about. "Why, why hate a child so much for so long?" I asked quietly.

A silence grew between us and my mind runs on the amazing, beautiful girl that's just upstairs and I can't imagine ever hating her because of what her mother did. My mother couldn't look me in the eye as she continued, "She was a reminder of what I couldn't have. I prayed and begged God for forgiveness because I wondered if my mind wasn't so corrupt if her mother would still be alive today."

Everything hit me all at once then. Lisa wasn't hers but I know for a fact that I am because I inherited her eyes, does this mean that Lisa hating me is her bad karma? Probably is. So then it was her fault. I sighed heavily and finally asked the question weighing on my mind.

"Mama, where is my father?"

~~~~~💍~~~~~

Christian:

I called Lydia earlier and told her specifically not to tell Chloe about Carlito Gravano. I need to be the one to tell her seeing as my family is tied into this. I have no doubt she'll have questions but Lydia cannot answer those questions because she doesn't know the full story. We all know the story of Carlito's long lost daughter but I just never thought she'd be my wife.

My employees keep asking about the design committee I put together. As much as I'd love for Rachel and Chloe to start working asap, I need to give my wife more space to let the trial blow over first so I put all projects on hold. We are focusing mainly on investments right now until the design committee is officially put in place.

I sighed heavily as I think once again about how to tell my wife about this thing. Once she knows, I'll need to send her over to Italy to get trained but I don't know if I can. Knowing about this means being sworn to secrecy and being able to get around with and without a gun. My Chloe is so fragile and pure and I don't want to taint her.

However she deserves to know about her father. I glared at the telephone in my office considering if I should call that damn frustrating cousin of mine and make him aware of the circumstances. Finally deciding, I pick up the phone and angrily pressed in his phone number.

It doesn't take long for him to answer, "Hello, my dear cousin." His voice is playful, something I never heard on him before. I can make out the faint outline of a woman's voice in the background but I paid no mind to it. That ass could never keep a girl but then again, he never let his guard down in front of a woman before.

I made a mental note to ask about it later, "Hi, I have a little problem over here." That was all it took for him to get back serious.

"What is it?"

"I am sure you already heard of my wife," I continued and he grunted in acknowledgement, "Well, we just found out her father is and I want to tell her because she needs to know."

"Cazzo di inferno(fucking hell), Christian! That's what you called me for? I was in the middle of something," he hisses.

I sigh heavily, "The problem is who her father is."

"Now I'm listening."

"Her father is Carlito."

There was a pause and then my cousin snickered, "So you found his long lost daughter. Well if you're gonna tell her you know dad needs to be there and his right hand who is of course Carlito."

I rubbed my temple, "Firstly, I know you're smirking, stop it! Secondly, tell uncle Gerardo to stay on standby because I know the risks of telling her and I don't want this world to end up hurting her."

"Anything for the great Christian Humphrey," he chuckled, "Don't worry, cugino(cousin). Things are going to be just fine."

"I sure hope so Vincenzo. I sure hope so."

~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~

Hi!! So it's been a while since I left an author's note but I really need to leave one this time. Some of you might get the hint in this chapter (that's if you are reading the other book as well, of course😜). For those who do not get it, I suggest you go take a look at my other book; "Behind Those Secret Eyes". It's a different field of writing for me but why don't you give it a chance yah?🙃

That said; I hope you guys have a fabulous day and happy reading!

Love,
Ally👄