Chapter 44

44 44. The Gifts from Her Daughter(s)

Vanessa followed her brother. William deliberately did not bring Vanessa to face their parents because the situation was not pleasant. He took Vanessa straight to her room upstairs.

William sat Vanessa down on the couch in her room. He put her luggage in the corner.

“Please wait! Don’t lock the door. I will be back soon.” Then, William fetched a can of Orange Crush and some food from the kitchen.

“Eat! You’re hungry, right?” William asked attentively.

Vanessa nodded and smiled. “Thanks,” she whispered, “a lot.”

“No matter how heavy your problem is, don’t forget to eat. Do you know? Paula never missed a meal, no matter what. She said that your problem will never be solved with an empty stomach.”

Vanessa burst out of laughter.

“Can I ask you something?” Vanessa asked then.

William nodded.

.....

“Why is Lea here? Did you break up with Paula? I mean ... get divorced?”

William had expected his sister to ask about that. He sighed deeply. “It’s a long story.”

Vanessa smiled, she then devoured her pasta without saying anything. He only hoped that one day William would tell her what happened. However, who would tell Vanessa? She loved to gossip.

“Listen, Will. Honestly, I like Paula. She is very kind, smart, and fun. But I don’t hate Lea. Whoever you choose, I will support you, Will,” Vanessa said after swallowing the last pasta. She sipped the soda directly from the can and added, “As long as you’re happy.”

William smiled and stroked Vanessa’s dark hair. “Thank you for your support, cupcake! You are indeed my sister! Promise me not to run away from home. Think twice before you leave. You are a minor. I don’t want something bad to happen to you.”

Vanessa nodded. William planned to visit Vanessa’s school tomorrow to ask for a cancellation of the exchange student program. More precisely, ending the program early due to family matters. He didn’t want Vanessa to run away while she was out of his sight.

***

Meanwhile, Alex, Lisa, and Lea sat pensively in the living room. Lisa was still looking at the birthday present from her adopted daughter with teary eyes.

“I’m sorry, Lisa! I didn’t know that today is your birthday,” said Lea, who felt guilty because she didn’t know the hidden purpose of the dinner. Recently, she only cared about how to get Paula out of William’s mind.

“No problem. Never mind, dear! Even William doesn’t remember that today is my birthday,” Lisa said, giggling lightly. In her head, Lisa continued, ‘I’m not even sure that Alex will remember if I don’t tell him.’

“I’ll get you a present later,” Lea said, although she had no idea about what gift to give because she didn’t know what Lisa liked.

“Never mind, you should get some rest,” Lisa replied while stroking Lea’s back. “Pregnant women should get plenty of rest.”

Lea obeyed and immediately went into her room, leaving Alex and Lisa who had been silent all this time. Both wanted to blame each other, but both knew it was pointless. It’s all over. Vanessa knew the truth.

Lisa carefully unwrapped Vanessa’s gift. A small jewelry box containing a gold round pendant. Inside, there was a photo of Lisa and Alex.

Happy birthday mom,

I ordered this gift from an amateur jeweler. He’s my new friend in the student exchange program. Sorry, because this is not as fancy as yours. I ran out of pocket money. I hope you like it.

Best Love, Vanessa

Lisa’s tears flowed uncontrollably. Vanessa was so sweet.

“I still remember when we and little William visited the orphanage after the first charity event held by the company. Pure and beautiful little Vanessa has stolen my heart,” Lisa said, recalling their first meeting with Vanessa, seventeen years ago.

Lisa couldn’t get pregnant again after giving birth to William. Though, she still wanted a daughter so badly. The presence of Vanessa, a baby who was abandoned in front of the orphanage, was certainly a blessing for Lisa. Even though at that time Alex didn’t agree, Lisa kept on persuading him.

Finally, Alex agreed to adopt Vanessa on the condition that she would get nothing from him and the company. Only a trust fund from Lisa, nothing more. Lisa also agreed on the condition that Vanessa would be treated like their own child, no one should tell her that she was not an adopted daughter of the Montgomery family.

“Never mind. Maybe it’s about time she found out,” Alex replied coldly.

Shortly after, a maid approached them, delivering a tiny brown-colored package decorated with a beautiful golden ribbon. “Here’s a package for you, madam!”

Lisa’s brows furrowed. A package? From whom?

Lisa opened the box and found a greeting card.

Dear mom ... ah maybe I should get used to calling you by your name, Lisa,

Happy birthday!

Sorry, I’m very busy and can’t drop your birthday present myself. This is my family’s brand’s latest design which will be released next month. I hope you like it.

It’s a little sad because our family relationship will end soon. However, I hope that we will remain friends.

Love, Paula

Lisa’s heart clenched. The person she never expected would send a gift, the person she currently hated the most for betraying her son, was the one who cared about her.

Paula even knew that she loves jewelry, to the point that she sent her family’s flagship jewelry product that had not been released yet. Lisa looked again at the gold bracelet with her name on it decorated with tiny diamonds on each letter. So luxurious and personal.

“Alex, is Paula truly having an affair with Samuel?” The question just slipped from Lisa’s lips. She began to doubt that Paula was that kind of woman. Paula was like a daughter to her.

Alex could only shake his head. “I don’t know. I don’t care. There’s no point in thinking about their problems. The important thing is that they don’t abandon the company. That’s all I want.”

***

It was late. William left Vanessa’s room after making sure her sister was asleep. He wanted to go back home, however, he promised to stay here because Vanessa felt awkward seeing Alex. No one would deny that Alex’s statement hurt her feelings.

The soft clatter of William’s shoes was still audible because the house was quiet. William took one of the bottles off the shelf and pulled up a chair at the home bar. As usual, he always drank his problems away despite him knowing that the problem would never be solved with drinking.

As he took a sip from a crystal glass, Lea, who looked so hot in a red night dress, approached William. “Can I accompany you?”