"So what did you do?
You accepted a crazy offer, didn't you?" Ciara asked nicely.
"I guess you know the answer to that question. It's apparent," Kelly replied harshly. He was too scared to admit.
"It doesn't just add up. I thought you said he's the reason you had an education. Why do you keep confusing me? Let me guess, I want to assume that is the reason you don't have a job. He's the reason our life is miserable. He's the reason mom had to die because we couldn't afford to pay for her medical bills?" Ciara assumed. She had already judged George from the inside, regardless of what her father thought.
"You know that's not true,
George is innocent in all of this.
If there's anyone to blame for how my life turned out, it's me because I accepted his offer without being pressured. I had no gun pointed at my head neither was I kidnapped,"
Kelly justified his actions without being concerned about what Ciara felt about his decision.
"Unbelievable!
I can't believe you're defending George after he took life away from you. When are you going to come out of this illusion called friendship? Dad, I am so disappointed in you," Ciara yelled at Kelly without holding back
"Shut the fuck up, Ciara. I did it for you. I did it for us. I did it so you can have a future. Do you think I never wished to complete my education? Or would you rather I denied the pregnancy?"
"You did it for me?"
Ciara scoffed and shook her head disdainfully.
"That's the dumbest thing I've heard in a long time. What I don't understand is why you keep justifying your actions with the pity game. We both know you did it for yourself. Besides, I wasn't born then. What If mom lost the pregnancy? Would you have said the same thing?" She added and folded her arm.
She turned to the other side of the door and mumbled in anguish. She wished to get down from the car but at the same time, she doesn't mean to disrespect her father.
For over five minutes, no one said a word to each other as they remained in silence. None of them were ready to apologize or admit to being responsible for the outburst.
"I would rather not do this anymore.
I want to go back home," Ciara finally uttered. She was the first to break the silence.
"What did you just say?"
Kelly panicked, forcing Ciara to look into his direction.
"Exactly what I heard.
I can never be a party to this.
For crying out loud, that man deprived me of the life every child would wish for. It wasn't enough for you to sell your future to him. Now you want to drag me into your mess by forcing me to marry his son? Who does that?"
With a heart filled with pain, Kelly raised his hand to the air, attempting to slap Ciara when his phone rang. He felt distracted by the incoming call and was forced to drop his hands.
"Quite fascinating." Ciara applauded her father. "Were you actually going to slap me, Dad?"
Ignoring her call, Kelly reached out for his phone and discovered it was George calling him. He declined the call just to issue a warning to Ciara. "It's George on the phone. I would rather not hear you say anything. Are we clear on that?"
"Like I care?
I guess he wants to know if his errand boy has completed the task assigned to him," Ciara hissed. Unlike previous times, this one hit Kelly really deep, forcing him to react immediately.
"Get the fuck out of the car,"
He spoke to Ciara in a low tone.
She paid no attention to him and remained seated.
To spite him completely, she took out her phone and pretended to be busy with it.
With a move too fast, Kelly snatched the phone from Ciara just to get her attention and he did.
"Give me back my phone, Dad.
Why would you snatch it from me like that?" She cried.
"I finally got your attention.
I am glad we're making progress.
Now I want you to leave. That's the only way you can have your phone back," he warned her.
"Are you kicking me out of the car because I spoke the truth?" Ciara lashed back at Kelly. Not even the seizure of her phone could stop her from speaking.
"Good for you.
The truth just got you kicked out of the damn car," he responded. Just when Ciara thought it was all a drama, Kelly stepped outside the car.
He dashed to where she was seated and forcefully opened the door for her exit. It was at that moment Ciara knew her father wasn't kidding.
"I just hope you realize yourself soon enough. It's damn obvious that I've lost my father. I can't wait to have him back," Like a pathetic widow, she fought back tears and stepped out of the car after retrieving her phone.
Few minutes after her departure, Kelly started to realize how he fumbled to have kicked her out. To make amends again, he went searching for Ciara, but she was nowhere to be found.
"What have I done to myself?
Why would I treat her like that?"
He blamed himself. He was this close to crying. Fortunately for him, he was able to control his tears from dropping.
However, his heart was still troubled.
As he got back to the car, his legs were shaky. He could barely place them on his break pads.
His phone rang for the second time.
It was a call from George. Anxiously, he picked up the phone after struggling to breathe.
"Hi, George. Ciara just arrived at the mansion. I will keep you posted as time passes," Kelly hurriedly spoke and ended the phone immediately, as though he were being programmed to speak for a couple of minutes. He didn't wait to hear what George wanted to talk to him about.
"Phew! That was close," he muttered.
"And you expect me to believe that crap? Come on, Dad. You should know me too well. I am not a kid anymore. I have outgrown that phase where little things can easily deceive me. To set the record straight, it's quite easier for me to sense when you are upset over the phone," Derek said, as he doubted George's explanation. His level of intelligence is so high and George is quite aware of that. "Derek, not now please," George called out in frustration. He knew the kind of son he had, he opted to prove stubborn.His obstinacy couldn't save him anymore due to Derek's resilience.The only option George had was to confess what happened just to Derek to take the pressure off his shoulders. "Get on with it, Dad. You're wasting too much time by playing mind games with me isn't going to solve anything. You know me too well. You know I am not going to let it slide for anything in this world," Derek giggled. He had fun penetrating his father. "You are not far from the truth, Derek. I am curre
"What are you still doing here? You are the last person I expected to see at that hospital," Kelly asked Dexter who was spotted at the reception with his head facing the ground. Dexter didn't say a word. It was difficult for Kelly to tell if Dexter ignored him or if the latter was just sleeping."Hey, I am talking to you. Aren't you listening to me right now? Or do I have to repeat myself before you understand what I am talking about?" Kelly tapped Dexter on the shoulder to get the latter's attention.Lifting his head, Dexter mumbled in pain. "What do you want from me this time? Why can't you just let me have a moment of peace? Isn't it obvious that I don't want to speak to you or anyone right now? I just want to be left alone."Dexter's eyes were reddish like a tomato. He sounded too calm, which was enough reason that he was sleeping and not ignoring Kelly. "I thought you went home last night? I had no idea you were still around the hospital. And why didn't you sleep inside your
"Why me?" Why do I get to answer that question?" Ciara frowned."Because he's your father and you both went outside together. How else do you want me to explain that to you?" Escobar fumed. He was already upset at George for playing with his intelligence. Now Ciara is about doing the same thing. Rather than responding to the question that was asked, Ciara looked at George. The awkward glance meant a lot, and George could see that. At that point, the future of George's health status dwells on Ciara's shoulders. Doctor Escobar watched In the utmost confusion. He is the only one who could barely understand what was happening. "You heard the doctor, didn't you? Go ahead and answer the damn question. And please stop staring at me like that. It's partially strange, seeing you do that," George consented bizarrely, despite knowing how powerful Ciara's response was. She chuckled. "Do you want to speak the truth and nothing else? That I can do without a second thought,""Proceed!. Why sp
"What exactly do you want from me, Ciara? You seem so desperate. Haven't you done enough damage already?" George finally spoke, but with a faint tone all thanks to the immense pressure from Ciara. He was sick and tired of hiding his frustration. Not only was Ciara able to successfully mount the immense pressure on George, but she also weakened his soul to the lowest and made him less of a man. "I want you to stay far away from my family as soon as possible. What the heck am I saying? I want that to take effect immediately. And of course, that includes my father because he's the reason I'm having this conversation with you. I would rather not see you talking to him ever again, and am I not even kidding about it," she warned George. "Stay away from your father? Are you kidding me? The truth is, what you don't know is bigger than you. A little advice for you, little one; back off the damn case if you don't know anything about it." George laughed until he started coughing and shedding
"Lying to you?"Why would I even do that? You should know me better than that. Don't you trust me already?" Kelly frowned. He tried to play the victim card. He had no idea that George was already two steps ahead of him."I see what you're doing. But trust me, I am not falling for it. I didn't call just to argue with you. I called to find out if you have arrived at my mansion yet. The doctor is on my neck. And why is it so difficult for you to show up with Dexter?" George spoke for the second time in a different tone of voice just to make Kelly understand that he wasn't kidding around. "I am sorry about the doctor. Try to buy yourself more time while I sort this out over where. You want to know the truth, don't you? Yes, I am currently in your home. I just arrived. I am waiting for someone to come open the door and let me in. Are you happy now?" Kelly answered. "Now that's what I am talking about. You should tell me about this before. You made me understand that you've arrived, an
"What did your friend say to you over the phone? The conversation wasn't on speaker, which made it difficult for me to hear him. Did he say he was coming with your son already? Please, I need to know," Doctor Escobar asked George in the ward. He was standing next to George as he witnessed everything that happened. George was shocked to the bone. He kept staring at his phone and wondered why Kelly had to end the phone in such a disrespectful manner. "That son of a bitch ended the call. What the fuck was he thinking? I don't want to believe he's messing with my head." "Mr. Cooper, we're running out of time. I just asked you a question, and you haven't responded yet. What did your friend say to you? Should we expect him in the next few minutes?" Escobar raised another question that was left unresponsive. That was the attitude that pushed his button and made him lose his cool. "You know, I do hate it when someone gives me a silent treatment and that's precisely what you are doing. Yo