The Billionaire's maid

Chapter 8

Back home, I let Ellen leave earlier so she can enjoy a half day off with her family. Several times I look at my phone, waiting for my uncle to call me and say Nick doesn't want me to work for him as I stepped off half a day earlier than agreed. Normally I'm not the person who would give up so easily but with the breakup and dad, my emotions feel like a rollercoaster. I can't even control my thoughts.

"How was work?" Dad asked silently, bringing me back to reality as I'm staring at the kitchen wall.

"Good," I answer him quickly and I feel so bad for lying to him again. I watch him take a seat across from me at the kitchen table. Looking at the way his expression is changing back to being sad I know he's sane and ready to talk.

I cross my arms and gently watch him struggle to find the words I have been hoping to hear and at the same time not want to know anything about it.

"Your sister's name is Lila," he says with a pained voice and I swallow by hearing her name, as it's so familiar with mine. "Your mother took her away when you were so little, it's only understandable you don't remember her...It's my fault..." Father breaks down in a cry.

"Dad?" I ask him softly reaching for his hand. "I'm sorry for my reaction yesterday, it wasn't fair of me," I admit, feeling somewhat relieved I cleared that up. Dad always taught me a few values in life and I've never forgotten that if it comes to showing remorse, respect, and forgiveness and that's what he deserves. He must have had his reasons to keep this hidden from me for so many years.

"You're too good to me, sweetheart." He stammers, wiping away his tears with a handkerchief. "I never wanted to talk in a bad way about your mother, but it kept rambling through my head for so many years now and I think it just exploded yesterday," Dad says sadly.

"Dad, I want you to tell me everything. Please," I almost beg him. "Tell me the truth,"

"Okay," he nods softly before inhaling and exhaling loudly. "Your mother was the most beautiful girl in high school. From the moment I laid my eyes on her, I was lost. She occupied my mind and my soul from that moment. Your mother studied economics and I only saw her when I had to switch classes as I studied medicine of course. She was a tough woman from the start, however, I managed to get her attention," he smiles as he's telling it like it was yesterday. It pained me, even more, knowing they were happy once...

"We dated for two weeks when we made things official. I was ecstatic and knowing what I know now I probably always loved her more than she ever loved me." Dad stops for a moment, his eyes fixated on something on the table. I watch him struggle with his thoughts but keep quiet as this moment is so important for him as well is it for me.

"We both graduated and soon we bought our house. I was already busy building my practice when we started having several fights a weak. I didn't give her the attention she needed, but at that time I had to work a lot to earn money for our house, to start a family with her, but she accused me of betrayal and that sort of thing. She hurt me in many ways, sweetheart." He sighs and composes in his seat, finding the strength to carry on.

"Then she got pregnant with your sister and things went even worse between us. She ignored me and only took care of your sister as her top priority. I loved my wife so I asked her to go with me and talk with a therapist as I wanted to work on our relationship and she accepted. We went two times but when she couldn't hear the truth she stopped. After that things seemed to ease a bit more and she accepted my affection again. We were heading toward a better future. However, when she got pregnant with you she changed drastically. When she was eight months pregnant she admitted she had betrayed me several times and that she wasn't sure the children were mine," Dad says and I could feel my breathing become shallow. I knew my mother left us and now I could punch myself for not asking more when I was younger. I guess I've always been so angry at her for leaving us and it never occurred to me to ask any further to get more details about her.

"After you were just four months old she left me with your sister and she never looked back. I searched for her but it was like she vanished." Dad says, blinking his tears away.

The room became very silent, only the breathing sound of my dad was hearable. I felt horrified by my mother's actions. How could she do this to her family? Why did she leave me and not my sister? Didn't she love me? Why did she leave us? Why...? So many questions swirled through my mind like a lightning bolt. Questions I would never get the answer to...

"Now you know sweetheart...The thought of not even knowing you're my blood made it even worse. Couldn't she just walk away and give me that credit of knowing I'm your true father?" Dad says in a tired and frustrated way. "She destroyed me and I blame her for my condition. It's all her fault that I'm not able to see my baby girl again. She took the best away from me and she left us in pieces."

I've never cried for my mother, but this was all too much information to handle. I lost my mother and my sister and now I'm not even sure my dad is truly my dad. I'm crying because I'm angry, not sad. Angry because she took everything away from us and split our family in two. She didn't even care to take me with her so what kind of a mother is she?

Dad stands up and walks to me, embracing me tightly. "You'll always be my everything, sweetheart. Never forget that you're the reason I've always kept on fighting for us, for a good life." He says, his tears dropping on my shirt.

I wipe away my teary face and face him. "She can not get this satisfaction, not after what she did to us. You are my father. I can feel it in my core. We are the same, trust me." I assure him, gently pinching his arms.

Dad nods knowingly, but the guilt is still present on his face. He lost a daughter that day and I can't even imagine how that would feel. I'm sure it crushed him, however, I was too small to recognize his pain as I was just a baby, helpless and needing her mother... She's the worst person in the world and I'll never stop hating her.

The afternoon was pleasant. We watched Game of Thrones, also dad's favorite series, and afterward, we went to buy some comfort food. The evening carried on very serene and calm until my phone rang.

I eye it curiously and look at who's calling me. It's Nick's number. "Aren't you going to take that phone call?" Dad's soft voice appeared from the kitchen, in one hand he carries a bowl of popcorn.

"Yes, I'll be right back dad," I say, before getting up from the couch and making my way upstairs to my room.

"Hello?" I pick up the phone in annoyance.

"I want to talk to you." He says without even greeting me with a normal hello. Typical him...

"Why?" I ask him shortly. Not in the mood to talk with him about anything.

"Meet me in an hour in The Vision. Do you know where that is?" He asked before ordering me like it's the normal thing to do bossing people around.

"We ended our conversation on bad terms and that's not a good start, isn't it?" He carried on like he was talking like a coach and I'm in council with him.

I roll my eyes and sigh. If I want to keep working for him or even keep my job, I'll need to find a way to get along with him in a professional way. I exhale loudly and with an inner struggle, I answer, "Yes I know the place. I'll be there."