Part 102 - Flavia & Abigail Secrets (END)

The two teenagers turned their heads simultaneously towards the aisle as they saw an ominous aura spread around them. Moreover, people were now looking in the same direction. Where the woman Flavia and Abigail had not expected to see had just appeared.

"Why is that woman there?" Abigail whispered to her best friend.

Flavia who had been engrossed in her digital camera and taking pictures was now holding it languidly. "I don't know." She replied innocently. She looked back at the photo produced by her hand, choosing to ignore Abigail and her suspicions.

"Shall we go closer to them?" Abigail asked in a challenged tone.

Flavia raised her head again and looked at her best friend with a furrowed brow. As Abigail started to take a step, Flavia held her back by holding Abigail's arm tightly and shaking her head.

"No, Abby." She said.

Instead, she pulled her best friend's hand to walk away from the reception room and left the hall by walking in the hotel's garden area to take some photos as a memory.

Moments later, their interest in taking pictures disappeared.

"Shouldn't the event be over by now?" Abigail chimed in again, making Flavia who was still watching the camera look up again "Shouldn't we go inside too?" She asked, which was answered by Flavia's nod.

From the plan they had made, they would not be returning home together, but they would wait until Antony and Claire left for their honeymoon.

"By the way, Papa are you going to take my aunt on her honeymoon where? Italy? Korea? Switzerland? Japan?" He asked curiously.

Flavia shook her head while pouting her rosy lips. "Papa didn't say anything, he said it was a surprise for 'mommy C'." Said the girl with a smile on her face.

Then, just as they were about to enter the hotel, they saw Claire passing by in the car driven by Gladwin.

"Didn't I see it wrong, that's my aunt and uncle right? Why did they go together, where is your father?" Abigail asked curiously.

Before the question could be answered, they could see Antony walking hurriedly and not even noticing their presence. Both could see the creepy look on Antony's face. The man clearly didn't look okay. He clearly seemed to be holding back anger.

"Papa, where are you going?" Flavia asked in confusion. She was about to call out her father's name, but before she could make a sound, Abigail had silenced her. The girl pulled Flavia's arm and then ran off with some difficulty considering the dresses they were wearing at the time.

Antony got into his car hurriedly and Abigail got into a taxi that was already there. Either waiting for a pickup or something.

"Sir, follow that car." She ordered the driver who, although looking confused, immediately started the engine and accelerated.

"Why are we following my father?" Asked Flavia still confused.

Abigail shrugged. "I don't know either, I just feel like we should follow him." She said carelessly. "But did you bring any money? I'm afraid I don't have enough money for the taxi." She whispered in Flavia's ear.

Flavia nodded her head, the girl was indeed using a small sling bag that contained a small wallet and also her cell phone. The digital camera was still hanging around her neck.

They followed Antony for quite some time until Antony's car stopped in front of the door of a luxury hotel not far from their family's hotel area. The two of them looked at the hotel Antony had come to and were indeed quite confused by it. Why did Antony have to leave the family hotel where they held the reception to come to another hotel?

Trying not to be seen, the two followed Antony from behind, who hurriedly got into the elevator whose doors were open.

"Where are we going now?" Flavia asked confused.

"Just check the floor. What floor the elevator stops on means that's where your father got off. Abigail's suggestion made Flavia wince.

It wasn't a very sensible suggestion, but one that Flavia couldn't help but follow. Luckily, the elevator never stopped. And it only stopped at one floor where Abigail instantly pulled Flavia into another elevator that slid down and opened a few seconds later.

Once the elevator opened, Flavia was again confused. Unlike Abigail, the girl seemed to firmly pull Flavia's hand back and lead her out of the elevator.

"Abby?"

"How about we knock on the door of each room. There are only six rooms here, Via. It won't take too much time." Her suggestion was answered with a shake of Flavia's head.

"Don't be crazy, Abby. What if we get reported by security for trespassing?" Flavia refused firmly.

"Via, this is a hotel. Everyone can come in here. Do you really think this is the president's office?"

But before Abigail could carry out her plan, Flavia pulled the girl's hand and hid their bodies behind the wall. Abigail frowned, but Flavia asked the girl to be quiet by placing her index finger in front of her lips.

They could faintly hear the high-pitched baritone voice from inside the room that didn't seem to be completely closed. Unfortunately, Abigail didn't understand the language spoken, but looking at Flavia's expression, it seemed that her best friend understood.

"Why did you have to come at such an important time?" It was an Italian question that Flavia heard coming out of what she believed to be her father's mouth.

Who was this woman? Who was her father questioning? That's what Flavia had in mind. Although she didn't speak Italian, she gradually understood what they were talking about.

Her mother! The woman her father was interrogating was the woman who had given birth to Flavia.

Then there was a woman's voice. She was sure it was the voice of the woman who had given birth to her, because she didn't recognize her. And the woman said the name Anastasia. A name Abigail also recognized which made the girl tap Flavia on the shoulder to ask 'who?'.

Flavia only replied with a shake of her head and asked her best friend to be quiet so she could listen again.

"Don't call me Mom." Flavia recognized the voice as her grandmother's.

So her grandmother was in there this time too? Then who else? Flavia thought. But the girl remained silent and listened.

"If you really want to know about Flavia, why don't you contact my mother? Didn't my mother give you a way to get in touch with each other?" That was Antony's question again.

Yes, Flavia said yes. Her grandmother had never stopped her from seeing her mother if she wanted to. But Flavia herself had never wanted to see her mother. Because if the woman who gave birth to her wanted to see her, her grandmother wouldn't have done her any harm by forbidding them to meet, would she?

Daniella.

Flavia finally knew her mother's name. And the fact that she had been cheating on her father ever since she was pregnant with him made Flavia feel disgusted with herself.

Flavia froze even more. The more she heard the more her heart ached. She now knew why it had taken her father so long to approach her. He had to heal the wounds she had caused. And to be honest, Flavia was ashamed to know the facts about her mother that even everyone in her house knew. And that woman, the woman she wanted so much to keep away from her father, also knew about this fact.

So, that Anastasia knew who Flavia's mother was all along? That's why she was always giving Flavia condescending and mocking looks.

Flavia encouraged Abigail to hide even more as she knew that Antony would be coming out of the room. With her heart pounding with fear of being discovered, Flavia silenced her own mouth.

Just as they were sure they were hidden, they saw Antony walk out. The man's back was stiff and behind him, a woman ran and even shamelessly knelt on the floor and grabbed Antony's legs to stop him from walking further.

The two returned to silence listening to the narrative that came out of Anastasia's mouth. That she only intended to help the woman called Daniella.

Anastasia also did not deny Antony's accusation that she had malicious intent on Antony and Claire's relationship. And she openly admitted that she was jealous of Claire.

The two teenagers listened to everything behind the wall where they were hiding.

For the first time in her life, after keeping her distance from her father, Flavia felt increasingly afraid of Antony.

Antony's angry glare at Anastasia made Flavia feel afraid that she might find herself in that woman's shoes. Although her father had always had a flat expression, he had never looked at her with such an angry gaze.

He had never been rude either. But seeing how he treated Anastasia made Flavia finally realize that her father had been very kind to her.

Flavia saw people opening the door and glanced at Antony and Anastasia. With that in mind, she tried to pull Abigail away with stealthy steps towards the fire escape. As soon as the door closed, the girl fell limp, leaning her shoulder against the banister.

"Flavia..." Abigail called out to her. The voice that was so close seemed to come from a distance. "Via, what's wrong with you?" Abigail asked curiously.

Abigail reached out her hand and then put her arm around Flavia's shoulders and embraced her, causing Flavia to turn her head to rest on her best friend's shoulder.

Flavia cried softly. Leaving a stifled sob that made Abigail also shed tears without knowing the cause. Long afterward, for who knows how many minutes, maybe a dozen or tens of minutes, Flavia cleaned her nose and wiped it with difficulty with the hem of her skirt.

"Abby..." she said nasally.

"Yes?" she replied briefly.

"Inside, there's my mom." Flavia said brokenly. Abigail looked at Flavia with her forehead deeply furrowed. "That woman, you remember, who stood next to Anastasia on the aisle?" Abigail frowned. She didn't see the woman other than her back and the brown color of her hair. "That woman is the woman who gave birth to me." Flavia replied softly. Tears rolled down her cheeks again and Flavia wiped them away roughly. "She came, I heard she came to apologize to my father. He said that Anastasia was the link so that he could meet me."

"What?" Abigail looked at her best friend uncomprehendingly.

"But it was all a lie, both of them lied. That woman never wanted to see me and Anastasia never intended to bring me and that woman together. All that they did was to hurt Papa." She said with another sob. "That woman even cheated on me since she had me. Abby, I feel disgusted with myself." Flavia said as she rubbed her hands together roughly.

Abigail tried to stop her best friend's movement and hugged Flavia tightly again.

"Stop, Flavia. Forget what you heard earlier. Even if he cheated on you while you were pregnant, it wasn't your fault. It was his sin."

"But that's why my father didn't want to see me all these years. That's why my father doesn't love me. He hates me because that woman betrayed him."

Abigail shook her head violently. She then lifted Flavia's head and asked her friend to look at her.

"No Via, none of this is your fault and your father never hated you." Abigail said confidently "What your father feels is just confused. He doesn't know how to treat you and he's also confused about how to show his affection towards you. Didn't Aunty C ever tell you that? And I think all fathers are like that. Didn't you see that my father was like that too?" Abigail tried to calm her down. But Flavia shook her head again.

"Obviously my father is ashamed of me. Or maybe, he's been doubting whether I'm really his son or not?" Flavia asked with a dazed look.

Abigail shook her head. "Obviously you're your father's child. Why would your father bother taking care of his mistress' child if you're not his?

"If he really wanted to, he should also still live with your biological mother and still keep her as his wife, right?" Abigail asked logically.

But Flavia couldn't be bothered to think logically at that moment. The girl wasn't even sure what was going through her mind. Let alone believing what Abigail said, she herself didn't believe her identity as a child.

"Why don't we go over there again and ask that woman to clear up your curiosity?"

But Flavia refused. The girl shook her head violently.

"For the life of me, I don't want to see that woman. I know enough that she exists, but I don't need to know who she is." She said softly.

Abigail just nodded in agreement. Perhaps at the moment, Flavia was trapped in her own emotions. Later, when her best friend's emotions had subsided, Abigail might be able to help her in other ways.

"Abby..." Flavia raised her voice again.

"Hmm?"

"Promise me that you won't discuss this with anyone. Not Aunty C, not my father and not anyone else." She asked with a pleading look.

Promises were sacred to Abigail. She knew that once she had made a promise, she could not break it. But in a way, she also wanted to know the truth that Flavia was questioning about herself. And by making a promise to Flavia, it meant she would have to keep silent for the rest of her life.

"Abby..." Flavia called back to her. "I don't want anyone else to know that I, we, know what happened there." She said in a pleading tone.

Abigail looked at her best friend. Yes, she would have asked the same thing if she were in Flavia's shoes, right?

Flavia held up the little finger of her right hand in front of Abigail to ask for the girl's promise.

"Promise me, Abby." She asked.

Abigail forced herself to smile, held up her little finger and then linked it with Flavia's. "It's just our secret. Promise."

"Promise." Abigail said.

The two then went back to sitting there in silence. Not long after, they walked out of the hotel. Not wanting to let her best friend continue to be silent, Abigail said.

"But your dad, when he's angry he looks like the Hulk, doesn't he?" she said, which made Flavia glare and laugh out loud. From then on, their friendship only grew stronger.