Chapter Five

Whitney point of view

I'm so grateful to finally be feeling better after a few months of recovery.

Thanks to the support of my parents and Jason, I've regained my health and am now fully ready to resume my school activities.

I was soaked with self-pity wondering why everything was looking so gloomy for me when my mom called.

I hesitated but decided to pick it up seeing she wasn't going to relent if I don't. I knew how persistent she can be.

I picked it up reluctantly. "Hello mom", I replied.

"Hello my baby", she voiced out. She seemed to be really happy today. I couldn't help it.

I hated to see her happy when she was busy hurting other people like me and my dad.

"Aren't you excited to be meeting with Mr. Randolph", she informed me over the phone.

"Mom.....mom, get a grip of yourself you aren't a teenager", I informed her.

"Don't talk to me like I am some old woman, I am very much young and charming", she announced.

There was no doubt about that. My mom had me when she was sixteen years old. She was still in high-school. She and my dad had to get married after having me.

My mom had said it was to give me a family to grow up in. But now that I am an adult she said she no longer wants to be tied to such a life.

Luckily for her she had found love again.

"Hope you will be coming?", she asked, disrupting my thought process.

"Sure mom, I will", I couldn't afford to not be there plus I wanted to see Mr. Randolph son.

"Very good child", she said over the phone.

I sighed deeply wondering the day I would be able to break free from her and live my own life.

She seemed so relaxed and unbothered about a lot of things, especially my feelings.

I found my way home and knocked at the door. I opened in and walked in.

They were already seated in the dining area. I fixed my gaze at the table to be sure or counted correctly.

It was just the two of them.

"Sorry, I am late" I said and found my way to the table.

"At least you came, that's what matters" she voiced out as she put some rice on my plate.

"Thanks mom", I appreciated her.

"You welcome sweetie",

Mr. Randolph spoke next. "I am so sorry, my son couldn't be in attendance", he announced

"It's no longer a problem Randolph, we can always have another time isn't it?", she replied.

"Sure, I really wanted both of them to meet and get to know each other", he said.

"Absolutely",

"Whitney, how are you doing?", he asked with concern evident in his voice.

"I am better now", I said as I ate my food quietly. I wondered why his son wasn't here. Perhaps they weren't so excited about his decision as well.

What could be the reason for him leaving his family and hooking up with my mom.

After dinner Mr. Randolph planted a kiss on my mom and waved me goodbye before leaving.

I reciprocated.

My mom turned her gaze at me. "So what do you think about you being my chief bridesmaid",

I rolled my eyes. I wasn't cut out for all these.

"I don't know mom", I replied.

"I need you to say yes!", she said excitedly.

"Fine, I will", I replied.

As soon as we were done clearing the dinning the table. We both sat on the couch together.

My mom wrapped me in a blanket.

"I called dad?", I said calmly.

"okay, What's up with him?",

"He seemed good?", I replied.

"He said he loves me no matter what, and I should blame myself for the divorce", I said.

She nodded. "Infact, you should be really proud of yourself, your dad and I won't have lasted this long without you",

I averted my gaze to her. "Why did you bring me to this world if you knew you weren't going to be together, why did you fucking have sex",

For once I could see regret in her eyes flown from like tears. "Because it's complicated, we were young, I wasn't ready yet but I had to because we were practically living of your dad's parent, I had no money, I didn't know what to do",

"He had to accept their conditions, but along the line I realised he never really loved me Whitney, if I had never gotten pregnant with you I wouldn't have been in his life, I needed someone to love me for who I am, am I asking for too much",

"I am sorry that it looks like I wasn't thinking about you, but I have lived for you for so long given I have forgotten what it feels like to be happy", she said much to my amazement.

"When Randolph came I felt something different, something Luke couldn't give me for years", she said amidst tears.

I leaned closer and held my mom tightly. "I am so sorry for judging you mom", I voiced out.

"I...I didn't know you had this bottle up inside of you", I stammered.

"You deserve to be happy and if Randolph makes you happy then you have my full support", I said calmly.

"I will be your chief-bridesmaid", I informed her.

I wiped the tears from her face and didn't miss the smile that displayed as I said those last words.

I couldn't watch seeing my mom in such a state of despair. We might have not agreed on a lot of things together but I couldn't handle seeing her cry.

"Very well...we have a wedding to plan nevertheless", she wiped her face properly.

"I really don't like going through those memory lines at all", my mom said with a charming smile.

Would Leighton be truly happy if she gets married to Mr. Randolph?

Chapter Six

Jason Point of view.

I found my way back home. The ride was pretty hard. I couldn't help but feel so bad for the way my mom is handling the whole divorce issue.

What is worse is that my dad, who she has been busy crying over, has moved on.

I sighed deeply wishing she would forget about him.

I arrived at the house and walked in. My mom had sadness written all over her.

I leaned in closer to her. “Mom, you have to accept that he isn't coming back”, I said, holding onto her tightly.

I didn't want to give her false hope. He made his decision and was fine with it without looking back.

I stood up to get a glass of water for her. “Should I get you something to eat?”, I asked her.

“No ... .I am not hungry”, I stared at my mom and couldn't recognise her any more.

The divorce has hit her so hard that she wasn't looking at herself anymore.

“Dad…he wants me to meet with his new family but I am not interested”, I informed her.

I wouldn't betray my mom behind her back by choosing to be a part of his life.

She sighed deeply. I didn't know if she was happy about my decision or not.

“Thank you” she said, handing me the glass of water.

I dropped it at the table beside both of us.

“When did he inform you,”she asked, still very much interested in his life.

“Yesterday, while I was in class,” I told her.

She rolled her eyes. “Do you want to?”, she asked a rhetorical question.

“Ofcourse not!”, I yelled

“I won't ever do anything to hurt you mom, we are a team but I need you to be strong if we are going to go through this together ”, I said firmly.

She cupped my face using her hand “The only thing I don't regret in this marriage is having you”, she said much to my amazement.

“I'm proud of you”, she said softly.

“I love you mom”, I voiced out standing up and walked down to my room as soon as I was sure she had fallen asleep.

I entered inside and picked up my phone to dial his number.

His phone rang and he picked up after the first call.

“Hello son, what is your decision?”, he asked.

I scoffed in annoyance. He didn't even ask about me or mom. All he cared about was his so-called mistress.

“I am not interested”, I voiced out.

I was ready to cut him away from my life and act like he never existed.

I couldn't imagine having him around my corner anymore.

He paused for a while before speaking. “I…I know you are mad, but I need you to understand this is for the best, your mom and I have a lot of issues that we couldn't find a way through”, he said.

“What do you mean?”, I asked. “I don't understand”,

Why wasn't I aware that there was a big misunderstanding between both of them.

Why did they hide it until now?

My dad didn't say anything further.

“I need you to know that whatever happened I still see you as my son and won't ever deny my fatherly responsibility to you”,

My whole body trembled with shock.

What is he trying to say?

I couldn't believe my ears. Was I adopted?

A shiver ran down my spine. There was more to this than meets the eyes.

The call ended creating more questions swirling in my mind.

Confusion written all over my face.

I headed down to my mom's room. I am sure she would be able to make sense of this situation.

I entered her room to meet her deeply asleep.

I didn't want to wake her up. I took my car and drove away looking for somewhere to cool down my head as a thousand and one thought filled my head.

What do you think is the reason for their separation?

Will my mom open up to me about it or keep it a secret like my dad?