PART- 004

Tessa

Logan's wish to sleep in separate bedrooms was the last nail on my pride, it wasn't only heartbreaking but also humiliating because he wanted to avoid any possible proximity between us, 

I agreed to move out of our bedroom last night. I cleaned the small bedroom where I decided to stay for the remaining days, kept thinking about my future for the most of the night after that and didn't realize that I slept on the sofa causing me a backache when I woke up.

Once I signed the divorce papers, I'd be left with nothing. So, I applied for job in different companies.

But at the same time, it wasn't easier because it had been over four years since I quit my last job and chose to devote my time to my family.

"Mommy!" A frightened Lucas ran inside and hugged me.

"What happened, baby?" I got panicked and hugged him back.

"You were not in your room. I searched you everywhere and you are here in guestroom. Why were you not in Dad's room?" He sobbed and looked at me with sadness.

I bit my inner mouth. How could I lie to an innocent soul?

"I was having back ache on the mattress in our room so I thought a change of place might help." I lied through my teeth,

He blinked his big eyes at me. He still didn't look convinced,

"You won't leave me and Dad, right?" He asked me the question I had been dreading to hear from him.

"No, I am not leaving you. Don't think too much. Come, let me help you to get ready for school." I tried to divert the subject and led him back to his room.

It seemed it was getting more difficult for me to keep lying to Lucas.

No sooner I sent Lucas to his kindergarten, I received a call from my uncle and he ordered me to come to their house.

I had to be prepared for another round of drama at their house but I had no other choice because I didn't want them to come to my house and create unnecessary drama at my house and humiliate me in front of my house staff.

“Why are you not leaving Logan’s life already, you ungrateful brat?”

My aunt’s shrill voice bled my eardrums and I spotted the Cowper family present in the living room, sitting on the sofa so comfortably like they owned the place, it was my parents' house, Once, I used to live a very happy life but it was a long, forgotten memory.

"Auntie, please, keep your voice down because I am not here to take your insults." I said in a firm voice and in the next moment, a hard slap from her stung my cheek.

The intensity caused me to stumble and my elbow hit the corner of a table. It hurt but I didn’t show it on my face.

"How dare you to order me! You have stolen my daughter's place but not anymore. I want you to leave so Logan can marry Ray sooner. My daughter has suffered enough." Susan hissed in anger.

Raelynn was soaking in tears. Her eyes shone when she watched her mother unleashing her hatred upon me.

I scanned her from tip to toe. Her body was smooth, flawless and there was no sign of living a struggling life. It seemed like she walked out of a salon, her hairs looked shiny.

Only her parents and Logan could believe her snobby story. I couldn’t forget the moment I caught her talking to her ex-boyfriend in hospital alley and how they were frightened when they thought I’d tell everyone.

“But you lied to my son. He deserves to know that I am his mother, not an imposter like you, Tessa. You manipulated my son against me. He doesn’t remember me.” Raelynn wailed.

“He was just a toddler when you disappeared, Ray. How can you expect him to remember you? And don’t you ever question my love for him. I treated him just like I would have loved my own child.” I reminded her.

She was only talking in absurdity.

"Tessa, I called you here because I need you to sign the divorce papers and leave Logan Wilfed." My uncle said in a serious tone and rose from his chair, “I let you marry him when my daughter wasn’t here, it was a favour but don’t get used to it. It was never your place.”

I chuckled humourlessly.

“You did a favour on me?” I laughed, “You treated me just as a pawn to establish links with the Wilferds for your own advantage, Uncle. I was just a liability for you and marrying me off to your daughter’s fiancé was an easier way to get rid of me.”

My response made him even more furious.

“Don’t forget that if it wasn’t me and your aunt, you’d be a poor orphan rotting God knows where. So, be grateful and do as I say. You must divorce Logan as soon as possible.”

"It doesn't sound good from your mouth. Both you and I know that you can never be satisfied even after seizing my father's wealth. You and your family have been living on the hard work’s fruit left by my parents. So, be grateful and stop meddling in my life." I retorted back at him.

The girl who used to respect and fear him was gone. I had nothing to lose anymore.

I was just a burden imposed upon them by my father who trusted his sister and her husband. They became my guardian. They slowly took everything under their power, leaving me with nothing but on their charity until I married Logan.

“Tessa, how could you be so mean to us? I don’t want you in Logan’s life anymore. You stole him from me four years ago and now my son.” Raelynn scoffed.

“Logan already gave me two weeks and I’ll only leave when these fourteen days will be over. I do not you and your family to bring this subject again because it won’t change anything.” I said with finality in my voice.

“You’ll regret being this stubborn. Live this luxurious life for another few days because once the title of ‘Mrs. Wilferd’ will be stripped off, you’ll be nothing but a rat in the streets.” My uncle smirked.

His derogative remark cut deeper through my heart.

“Don't worry, Uncle. Even if I'd have to beg on the streets, I won't come to you and please, forget about the idea of threatening me again because it won't work on me anymore. I was never after their wealth and when I am leaving, I won't take a penny from Logan." I said firmly.

He shot me a glare.

They looked ready to kill me.

“It was a warm homecoming..” I said in a mocking tone and was about to leave when my phone rang.

With trembling hands. It was from Lucas' nanny, I put it near against my ear.

“Hello?” I frowned because I could see hushed voices from other side.

“Hello, Mrs. Wilferd. It's about Lucas! We picked him from the school and when we stopped by the bakery to buy him the cookies he wanted, he just slipped out of the car. We have searched everywhere but he isn’t anywhere in the neighbourhood. We’re scared.” I heard the nanny sobbing on the phone and my blood ran cold.

Lucas was missing.