60 60. Good Bye

Everybody in the dining room looked thunderstruck. Momentarily, they didn’t know how to respond to Lea’s confession.

“D-do you mean, the baby is not our grandchild?” Lisa asked in disbelief.

Lea nodded. Lisa stared at her husband who looked so disappointed at the truth Lea said.

“You lied straight to our faces?” Alex snapped.

“Dad, let her explain,” Vanessa pleaded to her dad.

historical

“I am sorry. I know that I wronged you, Mr. Montgomery. That’s why I beg for your forgiveness,” Lea said, sobbing. “Paula found me pregnant, she misunderstood that I am pregnant with William’s baby ... instead of telling the truth, I used this as the opportunity to get your consent for our relationship.”

Alex couldn’t contain his anger. He stood up and was about to hit Lea in the face. But, fortunately, Lisa and Vanessa held him, preventing him from physically harming her.

“Dad, she is pregnant. Spare her, please!” Vanessa pleaded with her dad.

“Alex, William was also at fault. Let’s hear William’s part before we judge her,” Lisa begged her husband to stay calm.

.....

Alex looked at Lea who closed her eyes, ready to accept his anger. When he saw her tears, he softened a little bit. No matter the story behind her pregnancy, she was still a pregnant woman who deserved to be showered with love and care.

Lea’s current condition must prevent her from receiving that luxury. It was already hard for her to keep the baby. All she needed was support from her family and friends.

Alex lowered his hands. He knew what he had to do. “Then, what do you want to do, now? Do you want us to accept your bastard?”

“You can call me names, but please don’t call my baby a bastard. All children are innocent despite their parents’ sins,” Lea raised her voice, standing for her baby. “And ... I just want to say thank you very much for taking care of me. I appreciate it. From today, I will excuse myself.”

Silence filled the room. Lisa and Vanessa sobbed. Their hearts broke, seeing Lea’s current state.

“William asked you to take care of me because he was afraid of me doing silly things. He didn’t want me to get hurt, raising my baby alone in a faraway place. That’s why he didn’t tell you the truth. He was afraid that you would never accept me to stay here if you knew that the baby wasn’t his. I hope that you will not be so hard on him,” Lea explained again. She ran her tongue across her lower lip, and fastened her fists, trying to reduce her fear.

Nobody answered Lea’s explanation since they knew that what she was saying was the truth. They would never have agreed to take care of Lea if they knew that she wasn’t pregnant with their son’s baby.

“I knew, I didn’t deserve your kindness. I am sorry.” Lea tried to stop her tears since her voice started trembling and hard to understand.

“So ... where will you go?” Lisa asked. “I-I am fine if you want to stay here.” Lisa turned to Alex. He said nothing, it meant that he was okay.

But Lea shook her head faintly. “Thank you, but I don’t want to be a burden anymore. I knew this is my problem. William already did his part well.”

Lea came closer to Vanessa, shoving a big white closed envelope to her. “Please give it to William. I have no courage to face him directly because ... you know ... he is pushy. He will never allow me to do this and that.”

Vanessa nodded. She knew that William was the kind who always babysat her. He must do the same for Lea.

“Take care! I wish you all the best of luck,” Vanessa said, bursting into tears. She patted Lea’s back to show her support.

Lea pulled back, separating herself from Vanessa. Then, she turned to face Lisa hesitantly.

“Can I hug-”

But Lea could not finish her sentence. Lisa swiftly embraced her tightly, squeezing her small figure and covering her body with warmth.

“I am sorry ...,” Lisa sobbed, showing all her sincerity to Lea as she could. She knew that she shouldn’t oppose her son’s relationship because of Lea’s social status, but it was too late.

“I was the one who wronged you, Mrs. Montgomery,” Lea said in a low tone.

“Call me Lisa. Promise me we’ll still be friends.”

Lea knew that Lisa was never her friend but if she asked for it now, she would accept it. That was why she nodded and picked something from her handbag.

“This is your birthday gift. It’s not expensive but I hope you like it.”

Lisa accepted the red box from Lea’s hands and opened it. It was a nice white scarf for winter. It was not a luxurious one but quite acceptable for Lisa.

“Thank you, dear! Winter is coming soon. I will need this,” Lisa thanked her sincerely. Without thinking any longer, she then took off her necklace and gave it to Lea.

“Lisa, I can not accept this.” Lea tried to refuse, but Lisa insisted.

“This is a gift from a friend. Just accept it!” Lisa put the necklace on Lea’s neck. Lea couldn’t help but accept the overly expensive gift.

They shared hugs one more time, leaving the dark past behind. Lea then excused herself. She bowed to Alex who firmly wished good luck to her. She didn’t think that he was rude. It was just how Alex could deal with the shocking situation. He tried his best.

Lea turned her back. She was about to leave when she recalled that she had to say something to them.

“I almost forgot to tell you one more thing. You should be proud of William. He is a faithful husband. I tried to convince him to restart our relationship. However, in the end, he still chose Paula,” Lea exclaimed, wiping her tears when she finally accepted her failure. “He is a great man, no?”

In Lea’s eyes, William was a jerk. The wound William gave her would remain for good. But nobody would think like that about him. She acknowledged his role as a good husband for Paula despite his flaws.

In the mansion, Alex suddenly remembered that something was off. “Wait, If William didn’t cheat on Paula ... then, Paula was the one who betrayed him?”

Lisa shook her head faintly. “But, why didn’t Lea say something about it?”

Alex and Lisa then simultaneously threw their glare at Vanessa, pointing at the envelope in their daughter’s hands. “Open it!”

“Nooo! This is for William!” Vanessa quickly ran and locked herself in her bedroom.