❀ Noelle's POV
I stare at him, wondering if he's the man I married.
“Keith, how could you?!” Adalynn screams.
“I'm sorry. My love, I can explain...”.
“Don't touch me” I hold my hand up and step back.
“Noelle” he sighs desperately.
I just stare at him.
“Why?” is all I can ask.
“I was scared!” he cries out, gripping my shoulders. “I didn't want to lose you, babe. I...”.
“So you pretended to be my sister for eleven years, why? So you could keep me all to yourself?”.
“I didn't want to lose you, my love. I swear... I was just scared you'd want to leave if you found out they weren't fine and I can't bare to live without you” he says, his eyes frantically searching my face.
I step away from him.
“Where's the money?” I ask.
Stefanie laughs.
“This is the good part” she chuckles. “There's no money”.
Keith glares at her and I turn.
“What do you mean there's no money, Stefanie?”.
She arches her brow at Keith and I look at him.
“My love, I need you to trust me okay? Just trust me”.
“Keith, what did you do?” Sydney, who seemed to have sobered up, asks.
Keith threads his hands through his hair in frustration and holds me.
“I can explain, my love...”.
“What did you do, Keith?” Sydney asks again.
He groans.
“Just shut up okay, Syd?!” he shouts at her.
I jump back and he catches himself.
“I'm sorry, my love. I didn't mean to...”.
I cup his face in my hands and tilt my head to look at him.
“What did you do?” I slowly ask.
His breath turns shakey and he grips me tighter.
“I made some bad investments, my love, and I.. I..” he stammers.
Shit, shit, shit, Keith!
“I just...”.
“How much?” I cut him off.
He looks at me, fears in his blue-green eyes. His hands tremble as they hold me.
“Three million? Five? Ten?” I ask.
He shakes his head and closes his eyes. A tear suddenly drops and he loosens his hold on me.
“Seven hundred and fifty million dollars”.
My stomach sinks and I let go of him.
“Seven hundred... and fifty million?” I whisper. “What were you thinking?!”.
“I'm sorry” he whispers, lowering his head and holding onto me tightly again. “It seemed like a great idea in one minute and the next, it was an obvious mistake and I'd lost everything”.
It was all starting to make sense.
“That's why you were so hell-bent on meeting John Blase, weren't you?” I ask, shaking my head. “You needed that much... that much and you refused to let me help because you'd already invested everything I've been sending to my family for eleven years!”
“I can't lose the company, Noelle, I can't. I was desperate...”.
“So you had to lie to me all these years?” I sob.
“I didn't wanna lose you, I swear. I don't want to lose you. You're my life... my everything. I can't live without you”.
“And so you had to do what you did?” Adalynn asks, a disgusted look on her face. “Keith, that poor woman is probably in a coma because of your actions. She's been asleep for six years... missing out on her children's and grandchildren's lives. How would you feel if someone made you miss out on your children's milestones, huh?”.
“I didn't wanna lose her, mom” he says to her and turns to me. “Noelle, I can't lose you”.
I shake my head at him, my tears falling.
“Why, Keith?” I whisper.
“I'm sorry” he whispers back desperately.
“And you were going to drag my husband into it?” I hear Melanie ask.
I turn to look at her.
“What husband?”.
“John Blase” Remy whispers. “She married him three years ago for our sake... for mom's... because we had run out of options”.
My heart thumps.
She's his young wife?!
“You what?” I whisper to my sister.
I could feel Keith's hold on me grow tighter.
“I had to do what I had to do, Noelle. Mom was getting worse and... I couldn't lose another family member” she sobs.
“No” I sob and pull away from Keith to hug her. “I am so sorry, Melanie” I whisper.
She squeezes into me and I rub her back.
“It's okay. I'm happy and so is our daughter, Ivy”.
She points to the little girl asleep in Angela's lap.
The child from the photo!
I sniff.
“She looks so much like my granddaughter” Adalynn says with a sad smile.
I nod.
“I saw her picture in his office. Melanie Grace, I'm so sorry” I whisper to her.
“It's okay, it's not your fault. You were just deceived like the rest of us”.
Stefanie fakes a gag and I almost forget she's holding us hostage.
“Enough. I'm tired of all of you taking advantage of my sweet, sweet, Noelle” she sighs. “Are you going to tell the truth, or should I?”.
“What truth?” I ask.
“About the child” she smiles at my sister. “She's not my uncle's kid, Melanie. Just drop the act”.
Uncle?!
My sister stiffens in my arms.
“Wha... what are you ta... talking about?” she stammers.
She's lying!
I turn to look at her and grip her.
“What is she talking about, Mel? And think very carefully before you lie to me” I warn.
She swallows and begins to cry, shaking her head.
“Maddox, sweetie? Why don't you take this one hm?” Stefanie smiles at my nephew.
I glance away from my heavily sobbing sister and look at my nephew.
“Didi? Do you know something?” I ask.
He glances at Melanie.
“Didi, please. If you know something just say it. Tell me, okay?” I whisper.
He nods.
“I do... but it's not mine to tell, aunt Noelle” he whispers. “I'm sorry”.
Stefanie groans.
“Well, I don't care about anyone of you in this room... except Keith of course... so I'll just say it” she says, sipping her wine.
Melanie shakes her head.
“Carter Gibbs has been sleeping with your sister for years” Stefanie chuckles. “The first time was on the night you disappeared. Way to comfort a teenager whose sister has just gone missing, Carter”.
I let go of her and turn to Carter who can't hold my gaze for a second.
No, no, no!
“The pregnancy came along and she thought it'd be smart to pin it on my uncle. But here's the deal, little girl, no one is going to take away from Stefanie Hamilton-Blase, what she's entitled to” she warns. “Not you, not your family, not Ivy or the other little brat you have on the way”.
“Mel, you're pregnant?” Carter asks.
I shoot him a look.
“Yep” Stefanie answers. “Walked in on her holding these,” she says, dropping two Clearblue digital pregnancy test kits on the table.
Shit!
“No, that's not mine” my sister sobs, shaking her head.
“Mel...” Carter starts.
“I swear, I found them in the bathroom. It's not mine”.
I step away from her.
“Noelle...” she sobs.
Keith attempts to hold me and I hold my hand up, stopping him.
“Please” I say.
Carter walks up to Melanie and hugs her tightly.
“We'll figure this out... I promise” I hear him whisper to her.
I cringe.
Carter and my little sister?
“You have some nerve, you punk!” Remy cries and throws an unexpected punch at Carter, sending him to the ground.
“No!” Melanie cries, lowering herself to the ground beside Carter.
“Remington, stop!” Angela cries out.
“He's a punk... taking advantage of my little sister like that!”.
“And you?” Stefanie asks. “You're not a punk for the affair you're having with your young TA?”.
I can't do this anymore.
My tears spill and I drop back in my chair.
“My love...”.
“Don't touch me!” I snap.
“You're having an affair?” I hear Angela ask.
“Angie, no. It's not like that, I swear”.
She laughs and nods.
“So it's like what? You're not sleeping with that girl? Because everything this woman has said tonight happens to be the truth”.
“No, I'm not having an affair. She's lying!”.
“So there was no kiss?” Stefanie taps her chin thoughtfully, lifting a yellow file lying on the table. “I swear I had a picture in one of these fil...”.
“Stop it!” Yuri, who'd been quiet since he got dumped, speaks out. “Haven't you done enough?!”.
“And you? You didn't think it was enough to sell Noelle's business ideas but you went ahead to hire Garrett Tucker to try and steal from my uncle”.
He what?!
“You what?” I ask.
“He found your college planner with all your surprisingly great business ideas and decided to pass them all off as his own. And the same man he tried to steal from, made him vice president of Blase Base for having your excellent business ideas” Stefanie says.
I cover my face and sob.
“Aren't you tired of ruining everything, huh? Just leave us alone!” Melanie yells at her.
“Watch your tone, little girl. Or I'll have no choice but to push you down fifteen steps as I did to Kimberly Arroyo”.
I raise my head.
“You pushed Kim?” I ask, standing up.
“I wanted to scare her so she'd cancel the shower and the party could go on. I didn't mean to push her. But it happened so, no hard feelings”.
I frown.
“You almost killed my friend!” I screamed launching at her.
Someone holds me back.
“And I will blow your brains out if you don't watch your tone around me” she warns.
“You're going to burn in hell!” I scream.
“Keith, your brother, your sister, Yuri, I... everyone who's made you cry... we all will burn in hell” she sings.
“Don't listen to her, my love”.
I forcefully tug myself away from his grip, disgusted by his touch.
“Noelle...”.
I shake my head at him.
I'll never forgive him!
“This...” I say, gesturing between the two of us, “This is over, Keith. I'm done”.
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❀ Vanessa's POV
I peep into my brother's room.
“Kee?” I call out. “Can we talk?”.
There's no response.
“Keith, are you in here?” I call again. “I just wanna talk and see if you're okay. You haven't been out of your room for days and I'm worried”.
There's still no reply. I sigh and am about to leave when I hear the shower running.
“Keith?” I call out again and fully step into the room.
I ignore the mess and move toward the bathroom. The door's ajar so I just step inside and find him seated on the floor under the running shower, with a half-empty bottle of Bacardí in one hand and a picture of Noelle in the other.
“Keith?”.
He doesn't look at me, but rather swigs from the bottle, his hands trembling.
“Keith, what are you doing? Get up. You're going to get sick”.
“Let me. If the love of my life isn't with me, nothing is worth it anymore” he says.
I frown and turn off the shower.
“You want to get sick? Then what huh? Who's going to explain to the kids why their mother isn't here and why their father is a mess?”.
“Because I am!” he shouts. “Vanessa, because I am a mess! I ruined my marriage. My wife hasn't been home for an entire week! She hates me, Vanessa. She hates me” he sobs.
“Hey, of course not” I whisper, kneeling beside him. “Noelle loves you... so much. You're just going through a rough patch right now. Everything will be fine...”.
“But it's not” he says quietly, looking up at me.
He was shivering.
How long had he been in here?
“It's over. She said it herself. She wants nothing to do with me. She's not answering my calls or my texts. She doesn't want me anymore”.
I hold back my tears. Never in my twenty-five years of life had I seen my brother like this.
I didn't even know he could cry.
I sniff.
“Kee, get up. You're shivering. You're going to get sick”.
He tugs his arm away from me and swigs the alcohol in five gulps.
“I'm not moving an inch if it's not to see Noelle” he says firmly.
“But Keith...”.
“I'd like to take a shower now, Vanessa”.
“Kei...”.
“Vanessa” he glares at me.
I quietly stand up and walk out of his room. Just as I close the door, my phone rings. I take in a deep breath and clear my throat.
“Hey!” I chirp.
“Uh-oh” he goes. “What's wrong?”.
“What do you mean?”.
“You don't sound like yourself”.
“And I tried so hard”.
“What's wrong?”.
I sigh and move toward the stairs
“Everything, Toby. Everything is wrong” I say, taking a seat on the steps.
“Any news from Noelle?” he asks.
“No”.
“How's your brother?”.
“At rock bottom” I answer. “How's your cousin?”.
“Bad”.
“And Lydia?” I ask.
“What do you think? Carter has been her boyfriend since they started college and they've been engaged for five years now. Then she finds out he's been sleeping with his best friend's little sister for the past eleven years?”.
Gosh!
I sigh.
“I just wish everything would go back to normal”.
“Me too. It's a good idea you suggested we put the wedding on hold for now”.
“Yes. But with Stefanie on the ran now, it might take a while before we can go back to our normal lives”.
“Don't worry, everything will be fine”.
I smile.
“Well, I gotta go now. I'm going with Carter to bill Yuri out of prison”.
I furrow my brows.
“Noelle's cousin is in prison?” I ask.
“He attacked John Blase... nearly killed the man”.
“Oh my gosh, that's terrible”.
Toby sighs.
“Yeah. Well I gotta go my love”.
“Okay, just let me know how it goes, yes?”.
“Okay. And if you hear from Noelle call me okay? My aunt and uncle are worried about her”.
I stand up from the steps and wipe my butt.
“I will”.
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❀ Kim's POV
“Mommy?”.
I turn my head and quickly wipe a tear away, plastering a big smile on my face.
“Are you okay?”.
“Of course, baby. Why wouldn't I be?” I ask.
“You just look sad lately” he whispers. “Is it because aunt Noelle hasn't been here in a while?”
“I'm not sad, baby. And Noelle will come to visit, okay?”.
Santiago gives me a look but I keep smiling.
“You wanna go play with Araceli and Yesenia? They're awake now”.
He grins.
“I'll go get the rattles and teddy bears”.
I nod and watch him run off. Then he stops, turns around, and hurries back to hug me before running off again. I chuckle lightly as he disappears up the stairs.
“You know you can't even tell a good lie to a six-year-old, right?”.
I look towards the voice.
“But I'm not lying” I say, blinking.
“You blink when you lie”.
I furrow my brows.
“No, I blink because I'm a human being and I have eyelids”.
“Well yes, but you blink repeatedly when you're lying”.
“No that's not true, Willow” I say to my second sister as I continue to fold the baby's clothes.
“Samantha?!” she calls out to her identical sister. “Get in here quick”.
I roll my eyes. My third sister pops her head through the door before fully walking in.
“What happened?” she asks, the same voice as Willow's.
“What does Kimmy do when she's lying?”.
“Blink repeatedly and say she's got a lash in her eye” Samantha chuckles.
“That is not true” I pout.
“Leave her alone, you two” Dahlia, the oldest of the four cuts in as she walks in with Araceli.
“Hi, baby girl” I whisper, touching my nose to hers.
She laughs.
“C'mon you two, we gotta go walk the babies”.
I give her a look.
“They're not dogs, you know?” I say.
“Says the one allergic to dogs yet has her private litter” Dahlia chuckles.
Willow and Samantha laugh. I cross my arms and they stop.
“Sorry” they say to me at the same time.
I turn to Dahlia and arch a brow.
“Take them out for a stroll” she corrects with a sigh. “Same thing”.
“Thank you” I say, gathering the baby clothes I'd folded into my arms.
“C'mon, girls” Dahila says to them.
I kiss my daughter and they leave. Walking to the closet dividers, I pack the baby clothes inside. Then someone knocks on the door.
“Did you forget something?” I ask, reaching up to the top of the shelf for the shoe basket.
“I'm not sure what you're talking about but okay” Aisling, the youngest quadruplet says.
I turn and Yesenia is asleep in her arms.
“Aren't you going with them?” I ask.
“With all the noise the boys are making? No way” she replies, gently putting the baby in the bassinet close to my bed.
“Wrong one” I caution.
She gives me a look.
“Nevermind” I chuckle and go back to arranging the shoes.
“Oh, I forgot... you have guests downstairs”.
I look over my shoulder.
“I'm not expecting anyone”.
“You weren't expecting all four of your sisters to come visit but, here we are”.
I chuckle.
“Well, maybe they're here to see mom”.
“With luggage? I don't think so”.
I stop and turn to her.
“Luggage?” I ask.
Aisling nods.
“They're asking for you”.
Thank you for reading!
Keep voting, commenting, and recommending.
I promise to update soon.
Chal!
~the_atticwriter 🦋