CHAPTER 12

CELIA’S CHAOS

Celia watched as Savannah floundered to grab his medication. He lay on her bed looking sickly. She had caused that; she felt terrible seeing that he could not even look her in the eye.

He was looking at his nurse in admiration as she carefully portioned his dosage. How hadn’t she noticed this? The way he looked at her. It was so obvious.

What was Savannah’s plan with his son? What did she want from him?

“Please excuse us, Mom, I just want to rest right now.” Savannah was seated next to him on the bed with a glass of water in her hand. He was still looking at her.

“I’m so sorry, Javyn, I just…” He was taking his medicine, and afterwards he lay back facing away from Celia. The hurt mother was hurt; nonetheless, she knew when to surrender.

That was the result of allowing a man from her past to poison her mind with all that information. She desired the truth so much that she hurt her son.

She knew her son was hiding something when he reacted subtly to his father’s murder investigations being reopened. That was unlike him.

He had paid multiple private investigators over the years, becoming more frustrated every time they gave no answers.

She only knew one man who could access the information and give it to her without holding back. Someone who still craved her validation after she trampled him long ago.

Mr. Wright was waiting for her when she arrived. He donned a perfectly fitting black suit, his new trademark. But unlike his clothing, his mannerisms towards her hadn’t changed. He pulled the chair for her as she sashayed towards the table.

“You haven’t aged a day, Celia.” He sat across the table from her, scanning the way her eyes avoided his.

“Wish I could say the same. It seems a deceitful life comes at a price.” She was scanning the place unimpressed. He was amazed to see that her pride remained intact even when she needed his help.

“Not all of us are lucky to be born into wealth like your late husband, my deceitful money once took care of us, Celia…” She pushed her chair and stood up, ready to walk out.

He was hurt once more seeing her shut him down. He ceased being good enough for her the moment she tasted James Andrew’s wealth.

“Please stay. There’s a lot you don’t know about your son.” He was going to shake up her world as she had done to him.

{THIRTY YEARS AGO}

Abel Wright was exhausted after a long night patrolling the block. His wrist was still aching from the previous night’s altercation with some of their rivals.

The car engine almost gave up on him two blocks away. He would have to get his jalopy checked once more. That didn’t affect their budget much since his friend Ray owned a repair shop.

He hoped his lovely wife was still awake; he’d scraped up enough to buy some baby clothes for their unborn child. Celia was three months pregnant, and they were looking forward to starting their family.

She was not home when he arrived. That was unusual; she would never go out without informing him. He tried calling her, but her phone was switched off.

It was while he was throwing away some leftovers that he saw the pamphlet that spooked him. He grabbed it from the bin without thinking twice.

What business did his wife have reading this? He was a bundle of nerves. Celia could never do that. She loved him, didn’t she? He was working hard to build a future for them.

He sat on the cold floor with his head in his hands. It all made sense now. The refusal to have him take her to the last prenatal check-up. She no longer teased about what an amazing dad he would be.

How he wished it was all a terrible dream. He heard the door open and immediately knew it was her. She rushed towards him, enquiring about what was wrong.

His tongue was stiff, so he defiantly threw the now wrinkled pamphlet to where she stood. “You didn’t do it, did you?”

Celia stared at the abortion clinic pamphlet expressionless. She never wanted him to find out this way. There was so much she was yet to tell him.

“I’m sorry, Abel, I was going to tell you about it, but I just never found the right time.” She made up her mind a long time ago about it. She was not going to bring a child into poverty.

“You were going to tell me? You got rid of our baby!! Did you at least think to ask me what I thought? What if I lost you as well, huh?” Celia walked to their bedroom. She knew what she had to do.

She could hear his sniffles as she carried her bag. He looked up at her as she stood there with her belongings in hand. “You’d lost me either way, I’m leaving. My lawyer will deliver the divorce papers to you. Please sign them.”

She did not wish to hurt him more than he already was. Celia had never seen him cry in the ten years she’d known him. He was a pitiful sight.

“Divorce? What’s going on, Celia? You’ll let five years of marriage go down the drain like that!? What about the promises we made as teenagers? Don’t do this, please.” He was looking at her with pleading eyes, and he was now on his knees.

“Don’t make this harder than it already is. Bye, Abel.” She walked out of their tiny apartment, never to return. Her lawyer visited him the following week.

He learned of her marriage to Mr. Andrew through the newspapers weeks later. This was enough to numb him to all emotions. He was never going to allow a woman to betray him again.

He was going to become a threat. His future wife and daughters would answer to him as he pleased. To him, women were cunning, wicked humans. They would mercilessly ruin any man with no form of power.

****

The man before Celia was a bitter man whose remorse had finally expired. He waited for years for her to run back to him, something that never materialized.

Now that she wanted the truth, he would give her the truth and watch her family crumble just as theirs had.

Mr. Wright lived on the devil’s policy. He was here to kill, steal, and destroy. It was what got him to the top. It was what was going to keep him there.

Celia walked right into the trap he had set. She was scared of what that meant for her family. Her son knew what to conceal; he wanted to keep the family intact.

Mr. Wright took his time spilling the beans. “You don’t know your son, do you? He takes after her father more than you realize.” He had a wicked smile on his wrinkled face.

“Don’t mess with my head right now.” Celia maintained her stern demeanor; she knew dealing with him was no different from dealing with the devil.

“Who knew he’d be stealing wives. The young man has his father’s taste.” He laughed after that. Celia was befuddled, and that satisfied him. “His little nurse does more than treat him, Celia, didn’t you see that at the dance?”

She couldn’t listen to him anymore. She grabbed the brown envelope he had placed on the table and fled out of there.