Chapter 25
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The silence was tense, a heavy amount of surprise, shock and confusion floated in the air. Roux Addington was frozen in place. The shock was paralyzing. Thea Addington was back, alive. She tried to pull her children into a hug, she wanted to show them that she was real and that she fought for them.
The twins were frozen in place too. Before Thea Addington could even touch them, they burst into tears. Their eyes shifted from Raina McCoy to Thea Addington. They were confused and oblivious. Their small feet immediately took them towards Raina and Thea tried to hide her hurt and shock at the action.
She had been gone for almost seven months but her children had already forgotten about her. She slowly got up from her position on her knees and pressed a tight lipped smile at Roux, her husband. She was over the moon. She survived, so she would never leave her love in the first place. She was back.
As everything sunk into Roux Addington's head, he spoke to Raina without looking away from Thea Addington. He wanted to see if she would dissappear, if it was all just a dream or his hallucination. She could not be real, " Please take the children upstairs, Raina "
Glancing between Roux and Thea Addington, Raina wordlessly nodded her head and grabbed hold of their hands before leading them up the flight of stairs.
What a birthday surprise.
Roux Addington turned numbly on his heels and walked into his home office, silently ordering Thea Addington to follow him, and she did. Once the large door was slammed shut, Roux began pacing around his office when Thea Addington pulled him into a hug from behind. When he did not turn to wrap his arms around her, she pulled away with a frown, " Baby? Are you not happy to see me? "
Roux Addington let of a frustrated groan and gripped onto his braids before walking away. This was far too much for his brain to process, " I am. I am elated but..."
" But what? " Thea Addington pressed as she took a step closer to him. His familiar musky scent immediately attacked her nostrils as she held back a smile. She had missed him deeply.
Roux Addington ran his fingers through the lines of his cornrow braids in frustration and her gaze shifted to it, " Who put your hair in that, baby? " She almost sneered. Since when did he start braiding his hair?
" Raina did but ", Roux gripped both her shoulders and looked into her eyes, " that is far from the point, Thea " He attempted to pace around again but Thea gripped onto his arm, stopping him.
" Then what is? "
" You are here. You are alive, after so long, you came back and I am glad, B-but what happens to Raina? I– "
" She leaves. " Thea Addington stated with a confused frown like it was the easiest thing ever. It might have been easy for her to mention but Roux Addington could not stand the thought of her leaving, let alone the action.
He would never let Raina go.
" Raina can not leave, Thea " He ran his fingers through his braid lines once again in frustration and Thea Addington took a step backwards in shock.
She could not believe what Roux just said. She hoped her nightmares had not come to life. She hoped Roux had not fallen in love with Raina McCoy and broken his promise to her, " Why Roux?, Why can't Raina McCoy leave? I am back, am I not? "
Roux Addington stopped pacing around and stopped to stare at his wife. She could read the look in his eyes clearly, guilt. Roux Addington could not find the way to say it. He could not bear to look at her so he turned to face the wall as he uttered his next words, " I have fallen for Raina McCoy, Thea. I am sorry I broke my promise to you but, she cannot leave now "
The silence that followed after was torturous. Roux could hear his own words ringing in his ears like a bell, ‘I would promise to do as you have asked, my love. But don't ever expect me to love another woman. My heart belongs to you— forever ’
He sounded so sure. He said those words himself, so why was he going back on them? If only he knew that the woman who Thea Addington had chosen for him was a drug. If only he knew he would become an addict to that drug. If only he knew.
A chortle broke from Thea Addington's throat as tears pooled at the corners of her eyes due to how hard she hunched over in laughter. She covered her mouth and tried to keep in the sounds but Roux Addington's ‘joke’ was too funny to keep a straight face. What a joke.
" Oh Roux! I give it to you, you almost had me there for a second. I didn't know you still had it in you, babe " She applauded as she approached him. His jaw clenched in return. One thing Roux Addington loathed was mockery.
" You are my childhood friend, Thea. I did not expect you to laugh at me after I confessed my first love to you " He stated, earning a glare from the shorter woman.
Thea gripped his chin harshly and forced him to stare at her. She wanted to make her point as clear as crystal, " Listen to me Roux. I have no idea what game you are playing at, but get this into your head, Raina McCoy is not your first love. She is not even your love, I am. You are just feeling confused and I get that, I was away for so long and God knows what she had you believe "
Roux Addington's fists clenched at the side and he turned away from her. She thought it was confusion. She mistook his feelings for confusion. He and Raina McCoy both knew it was far from that.
" Breathe for me, Roux. You are okay.." Thea Addington rubbed on his chest, trying to get him to calm down. She sighed in content at the feeling of his toned muscles beneath her palm. She truly missed him.
Roux on the other hand was fed up with Thea Addington touching him that way. He felt like he was betraying Raina—the only person who could touch him like that. He might have regretted every bit of intimacy he had with Thea Addington, but one thing he did not and will never regret were his two bundles of joy, Emma and Ethan Addington.
Snatching her hand away from his chest, Roux tugged her towards him. He needed her to understand what he was saying. He was not some drunk man spewing incoherent words, " Listen to me Thea, I understand how shocked you are but I need you to know that whatever we had between us was a mistake. That was the confusion. I thought you were the one, but we did not connect in many ways. You were my best friend and I felt it was something more, something intimate. I thought you were the one for me, but Raina McCoy is "
Thea Addington snatched her hand out of his grip and slapped him across his face, causing his head to whip to the side. She gritted her teeth together angrily and pulled him closer by his collar, tugging the larger man down to her height, " You are spewing trash right now, Roux Addington. That same trash was where I picked Raina McCoy up from, like dirt. Tell me now, is this a stupid prank of yours? Answer me! "
"This is no prank, Thea."
With a smile, Thea Addington let out a nervous laugh and gripped his cheek. A sheen of sweat formed on her forehead. Her nightmares had come to pass. Over the years, she had managed to control Roux Addington. She had him wrapped around her fingers. She made his decisions. She was the rule giver in the family, always carrying them along strictly.
That was one of the reasons she connected so well with Harriet Addington, both the women were alike.
" You just feel overwhelmed, baby. You will be fine. You do not need to worry, my love. Thea's here to set you back on track, like always. You do not need to worry " She pressed a kiss to his lips and patted him on the head before walking out of the office, trying to calm her healing heart.
This was nothing she could not handle. Like always, she would break him and make him again, into the strict and cold Roux Addington she had created.
•
" Is mommy really back? " Emma Addington stared up at Raina McCoy as she ran her fingers through the little girl's hair, just as she liked.
" Yes love, your mommy is back. Aren't you happy? " She faked a smile. She was good at that, masking her pain and taking away the pain of others.
Deep down, she feared. She was scared. She knew the situation Roux Addington had been put in and she was scared like before, he would feel obligated to pick Thea Addington again. Albeit, she was selfish this time. She was in love with Roux Addington.
Though, she hoped he made the right decision, even if the future did not hold her along with the Addington family.
" I don't know, mommy. What about you? What will happen to you? " The little girl pouted. She loved Raina McCoy, even more than she loved Thea Addington.
Raina McCoy was not strict. She did not care if they sat on the dinner table to eat. She did not bother about the perfect etiquette. She took them as they were and let the be who they were—children and man.
Thea Addington was stood outside Emma Addington's room and she listened in on their conversation and peeked at them through the space on the door which had not been closed fully.
" I am also clueless, love. Go to sleep now, you have school tomorrow " She sighed before getting up. Raina placed a kiss on the girl's forehead and covered her up before dimming the night lamp.
" I love you, Mommy " Emma Addington yawned out and Raina McCoy stopped on her tracks and turned to face the girl.
" I love you too, baby "
With one last glance, she stepped out. This was a feeling she was never going to give up. For once in her life, she had found a family. She had found home and she would be selfish for once. She would fight for her home if push came to shove.
Stepping out of the bedroom, Raina McCoy shut the door behind her and turned, jumping in fright when she spotted Thea Addington standing before her slicing on a red apple with a knife, " Thea, you're here.."
The woman's eyes slowly trailed upwards and stopped on Raina. She pushed herself off the wall and flashed the woman a fake smile, " Follow me "
Raina frowned in confusion as the woman turned on her heels and walked away. Nevertheless, she did as she instructed.
Thea Addington loved control. Power was something she craved, and that was why she took up the responsibility of making decisions. She loved the power she possessed, and the moment of her sickness had decreased her pride, but she was well now after the surgery. She was back.
They could not find a donor still in North Carolina. It was like the world wanted her dead—gone from it's earth. But she was a fighter. She had a family to fight for, and it seemed her choice was clawing to be her replacement. Not on her watch.
The two women walked into the sunroom with Raina McCoy slowly trailing behind. She was anxious on what Thea Addington wanted to speak to her about but she knew this moment was coming. She had to slip on her big girl pants.
" Have a seat, Raina.." Thea gestured at one of the plush chairs like she was hosting a guest who had never been to the mansion. If only she knew the woman now knew the mansion as well as she did.
Thea Addington internally mocked the woman's bad posture as she sat down. She was slouching slightly, and she hoped the actions had not rubbed off on her children. But again, it was nothing she could not fix.
" How much do you want, Raina McCoy? Name the price " Thea Addington stated formally as she crossed her legs, popping a slice of apple into her mouth.
" Price? What price? "
The woman slowly chewed and swallowed.
" The price you want me to pay you to leave my husband and children " She faked a smile as she twirled the small knife between her fingers.
The statement had Raina McCoy shooting up from her seat, almost knocking the chair over in the process but she could care less at the moment, " Excuse me? What makes you think I came here to earn money? "
She might have been poor before now, but unlike Thea Addington, she had a dignity to uphold. She worked for her meals, not begged for them. She had been through hell so she knew how hot the fire was.
" You might have come here for free and out of your kind nature but, " Thea Addington got up and took some steps towards her so their noses were almost touching. The woman was an inch taller than Raina McCoy and she smirked at the sight. Albeit, even a fierce ant could kill a lion.
" You were simply just here to fill up my space. Either ways I am grateful, you took out your hustling time to be here to care for my family. The kids have already started calling you their mother, something I would have to change, but I am here now and you're free from this job "
" This is not a job, Mrs. Addington! " Raina seethed as her fists curled at her sides. She might not have birthed them but they were her children also.
" This is business to both Roux and I, trust me. He does not love you. He just had to put on an act so the children would feel they still had a family. So tell me Raina McCoy, how much are you willing to get paid to leave? Ten million? Twenty? Forty? Eighty? " She cocked her head, mentally patting her back for her false words about Roux.
But Raina McCoy knew better. Roux was not faking anything. His confession to her. Their kiss. The moment they spent together. Everything was real and not just some act like Thea Addington had stated.
" I do not want your filthy money and I am not leaving either " Raina stated confidently and attempted to walk away but Thea angrily gripped her upper arm, digging her sharp nails into the soft flesh.
No one walked away from her.
" Then trust me Raina, McCoy. I will make your life here a living hell "
" Do your worst, Thea Dawson, but I am afraid your children need a mother " Raina retorted before snatching her arm from Thea Addington's grip and walking away, leaving the fuming woman standing there.
She had already been to hell.