Chapter 5

Lorraine's Pov 

I couldn't help but feel a deep, seething anger. How could Callum be so callous, so insensitive, to bring a child into my life?

My jaw clenched as I stared at the beta and the child who looked much like the man I had loved. 

"Please go away. I don't want to see you or that child in my office." I said desperately, trying to calm down with my eyes glaring at Liam. 

I felt a deep sense of embarrassment. 

Embarrassment that I expected Callum to come, but instead, I had found his child here.

There was a small part of me that believed he had changed, and I was angry at myself for believing such nonsense. 

"No, I don't want to go. " The child mumbled

"I want this pretty journalist to help me to find my mother. "

Immediately, I heard his voice; something snapped in me.  "Get out right now, and I don't want to see you or this child ever again." I said to Liam.

Neither Liam nor the baby moved.

"Please, I just want to find my mom." His voice even had an uncanny resemblance to Callum's voice

What does he mean by his mom? Isn't his mom, Lana? Did she go missing? Or did Callum remarry or?

"Enough!" I snapped, my voice filled with anger as I pointed at the baby. "Take him away, now!"

The child's lips quivered, and his eyes were filled with moisture as he clung to Liam's pant leg.

Liam lifted him and cradled him. He looked at me with disappointment.

"He's still a child. I don't know why you would lash at him or anyone like that for no reason,"

I didn't answer him. "You need to calm down, Lorraine. I don't know what's up with you," Liam's voice sounded in my ears, and I knew he was right.

I was just being self-centered.  I knew the boy was just a child, and it wasn't his fault that his father had mistreated me. 

I couldn't understand where that surge of anger came from.  I sighed.

"I deeply apologize for my inappropriate conduct."  

I said hastily, grabbing my bag, eager to leave that space for reasons of shame and fear of reproach. 

As I entered my apartment, I leaned against my door. 

Images of Lily playing across the room appeared to me. She had suffered a lot before she passed away. 

I walked towards my room to a quiet corner. I never liked seeing Lily's cot tucked away in the corner. Anna had told me to get rid of it and that I should move on, but somehow, it comforted me seeing it there.

I had packed Lily's belongings into a box. 

Unwrapping the box, I looked at the blankets she had used, which still had her unique baby smell, and I took in her scent, remembering all the times we had spent together. 

Lily was meant to grow up and be a wonderful child. 

She was everyone's favorite and had the prettiest little smile. 

I looked at our first picture where her hands were reaching towards the camera in excitement. 

I remember the moment I discovered I was pregnant.  It was very uneventful. I had just been kicked out of the pack, and I was in the streets for days begging for food just to survive. 

A few weeks later, I was vomiting by the roadside when a kind older woman stopped by and asked whether I was feeling well. 

She assisted me to a restaurant, bought me food, and asked whether I was pregnant. I didn't know what to say at that moment.

She volunteered to buy me test strips to check just in case, and I couldn't thank her enough. 

Through the test results, I found out I was pregnant. It was a moment of mixed feelings, and I cried a lot because I knew who the father was, but he had chased me away. 

I swore to keep my baby safe and away from any harm. The older woman offered me a job at her cafe, and I discovered her name was Sendy.

The cafe was named after her: Sendy's Little Cup.

I reached out to Anna and she met up with me, and spoke up that her parents had refused her to do reach out to me all the while. so she had to wait. 

Anna told me that she had been searching everywhere for me, and she was glad she finally found me. 

I didn't know what to think anymore, and I had broken down in front of her because I had finally found someone willing to help me.

I told her about my pregnancy, and she advised me. We built our relationship back, even though it was slow and steady. 

Not long after my pregnancy had progressed, Anna and I had gotten close, and I moved in with her.

She became Lily's godmother even before she was born. She stayed with me during labor and even assisted me in those dark times when I couldn't go on. 

After Lily was born, Anna did her best to help us when we discovered my daughter had a terminal disease. 

I had exhausted all my funds, but still, Lily passed away sadly. 

Heavy rain had fallen that day, and I had stayed in the hospital with Lily the day she passed. It was her birthday, and with shaky hands, I had baked her a chocolate cake–Her favorite. 

She weakly held my hands and gave me a small, sweet smile until her eyes lost all signs of life. 

I wasn't the same for a while. I stayed inside more, no matter what Anna tried to do, and I couldn't see the point of living. 

Hot tears streamed down my face as I came back from memory lane

I had many enemies and knew many had started to hunt me down. Yet, I didn't care.

Why I didn't care, I was yet to find out.

Callum had reopened the healing wound in my heart. I vowed never to forgive him.

I was no longer on the fence, and I just hated him.

I heard a knock on the door, causing me to clean up my tears while I rushed downstairs.

Standing outside my door was Liam, and behind him was a black Range Rover Sport with tinted glasses.

I never hated Liam. I missed him, and I had forgiven him for not standing up for me seven years ago as I realized that it wasn't his fault.

Liam had a sad look on his face as he spoke to me.

"I thought you loved children. What happened to you?" I suddenly recognized the look on his face as one of disappointment, but I didn't care as I had made up my mind. 

"Callum happened to me. I hate him, and right now, I hate everything that reminds me of him."