Sad Announcement

Vivian’s POV

I decided that I wasn’t going to dwell on what happened at my place of work some days ago. It had been a couple of days now after the incidence, and after Syrus came and promised to be a part of the whole process, and nothing yet from him.

Not that I was keeping counts anyway.

I settled at the dining and scooped some cereals into my mouth. Belinda was right; it was useless brooding over any of it.

“Hi, you,” my dad said as he stepped into the living room. He had just returned from his golf course. “How many bowls of that have you had?” he chuckled as he came over to me and kissed my forehead.

Ever since I got pregnant and began to eat like an elephant, I have been constantly and mercilessly teased by my family and Belinda about being a foodie. In truth, the babies made me want to devour everything in sight, and I was barely a month gone.

“How was your golf course?” I asked him, trying the steer the conversation away from me and my intense desire to eat as much as I could get.

“It was great. You really should have come along instead of sitting here and eating an entire drum of cereal,” my dad said.

He had invited me on his way out, but I was just not interested in joining him. Besides, I went with him once before I met Syrus, and it was the most torturous one-hour game I had ever had to endure.

“No, thanks, and please, this is just the fourth bowl of cereal,” I corrected him and we laughed cheekily. “I should make dinner,” I said and got up from the chair. Manny would be home soon, and we all know how he hates to get home and dinner is not ready,” I teased, but I noticed that my father’s mood dampened almost immediately.

“What’s wrong?” I asked instantly worried, “Is Manny alright?”

“Yes, Manny is great,” my dad responded.

“Then what is the problem? You have turned pale,” I said to him. “Talk to me, dad, has something gone wrong?” I pushed.

“Vivian, your brother would be coming home in two weeks time,” my dad informed me.

Usually, I should have been happy to hear such news, but on the contrary, my spirit dampened also. My other brother was the most hurt when I turned my back on all of them and chose Syrus, and ever since I returned, he had barely called, just to avoid accidentally talking to me.

“Do I have to leave?” I asked, almost shakily. 

I have been so starved of love and attention for a while now that being with my family made me realize how much of it I was lacking. I have also been basking in all the love and attention that I hadn’t thought of how awkward and uncomfortable it would be for my brother and I once he made up his mind to come home.

“No, why would you ask that?” my dad asked. I could see the pain and hurt in his eyes.

“I am sorry, dad. I just wanted to know. It would be uncomfortable and super weird to be in the same space with me, and I don’t want to make him feel like the stranger,” I said.

“What are you talking about? You have lost me,” my dad sounded and looked genuinely confused.

“I am the stranger here, dad. I should leave,” I said, even though my heart beat faster and the words were too heavy for me to say. “I would put up with Belinda until I am able to get my own apartment. Besides, she has been pestering me to come live with her for some time now,” I said and chuckled drily.

Belinda was my best friend and judging from sharing dorms in high school and college, it would be super fun to hold up with her for a couple of months, but honestly, being with my family seemed more like a better and comfortable option to me.

“Stop spewing nonsense, Vivian. This is much your home as it is his. Nobody is going anywhere,” my dad said, got up and wrapped me in a bear hug.

I surrendered to the hug and soaked myself in the heat of his sweatshirt.

“We are all going to be fine and happy as one family again,” he said with certainty. “And I will ask Manny to have a word with him,” he said

“You don’t have to, dad,” I protested weakly.

“Of course I do. Now why don’t you fix that dinner while I wash off this sweat and exhaustion, huh?” he said with a war smile.

After making sure that I had returned his smile, he walked into the house. I turned towards the kitchen, but the doorbell rang, and for a minute I thought it was my brother whom we had just spoken about, but then I remembered that it would not be until much later before his arrival.

Then again, I also wished it wasn’t Belinda, because I was not up for her chit-chatting that never seemed to have an end.

But as I opened the door, I froze. 

“What are you doing here?” I asked Syrus.

He was wearing one of the sweatpants I really liked to see him wearing, but the stony expression on his face as he glared down at me made me feel almost terrified.

“When would you ever let go, Vivian?” Syrus asked coldly. He was very angry and bitter, and it was obvious from the look on his face and the sound of his voice.

“What are you talking about?” I was genuinely confused.

“You asked for a divorce, I gave it to you willingly. You kept the pregnancy a secret from me until I heard it from someone else, and yet, I did not antagonize you for it, so why this?” Syrus asked.

“You are confusing me,” I said.

“Oh please, quit the freaking pretense!” Syrus bellowed. He brought out a paper and shoved it in my face, “Then who the hell has asked the court money for damages?!”