~Ophelia
Aiden flipped through the document for a while, a scowl growing on his face. Then he shut it and met my eyes.
“What sort of crap is this?”
I blinked, deepening my sad expression.
“Crap? This isn't crap Aiden. It's the truth...”
He pushed the document to me and stepped back to the front door to open it.
“Get out. The boys will be here any second...”
Oh no, they won't.
I had Dion work a bit on their car to make sure I had enough time to get him to believe the truth I wanted him to know.
“... marry her and so you need to leave.”
My attention went back to him.
“Aiden—”
“Goddammit Ophelia. Get out.”
His tone indicated 'I'm trying to not get mad'. But this was the only opportunity I was going to get to manipulate this man and get everything I wanted... if not more... and there was no way I was going to let it slip away from me.
I let out a sigh, forcing tears into my eyes.
“Aiden...”
“Don't do that please” he stopped me. “It's my wedding day. I can't walk into that church knowing I've been inconsiderate. Not today.”
Oh, you're not going to be walking anywhere by the time I'm done with you.
“I know” I sniffed, “And I promise you I'm not trying to cause any problems for you. I just need you to listen to me. Please. I know I've been unfair to you, Aiden. And I regret every second of it. But that is also the reason why I can't let them deceive you anymore. You've taken too much and I... I won't let this go any further.”
He sighed and reluctantly closed the front door.
“What exactly is this whole thing about?”
“Your child is alive, Aiden.”
“Ophelia—”
“No, Aiden, let me talk” I stopped him.
He sighed and nodded for me to go ahead.
“I know you said you had it under control. And I know you asked me not to get involved. But I couldn't just sit there. And maybe it's because a part of me was trying to make amends with my little girl...”
His shoulders tensed a little.
“And so I had my contacts follow up on the surrogate. Robert Davies was the one who told me about the arrangements. And they found her...” I pulled a tablet from my handbag, “... with her sister and father.”
Aiden's expression that read 'nothing new' immediately changed.
“What?”
I nodded.
“I thought she said she didn't know where they were.”
“She lied to you Aiden. Along with everything she probably told you that day.”
Aiden's eyes widened and I lowered my head.
“Maybe I should go Aiden—”
“What no!” he stopped me.
Ha.
“You have to tell me, Ophelia. What happened?”
Oh, I will.
“I don't...” tears fell, “... I don't know if I can't tell you” I put a hand to my chest.
“Ophelia...”
I sniffed.
“I think you should watch this” I whispered and passed him the tablet.
Aiden stared at the thumbnail for a few seconds before pressing play.
And the plan is set.
It was a video... one I'd forced Rudolph James and his daughters to make... saying what I wanted them to say and making Aiden here believe everything I wanted him to believe.
I stole glances at him as I dabbed at my eyes. He looked angry, confused, hurt, broken... all the bad stuff a man who'd just been told his sperm was sold to fertilize another woman... the same one he was supposed to marry today, would feel.
I thought it was going to be tricky to get him to look at the documents again but Aiden clumsily set the tablet down on a table somewhere and reached for the documents from me.
His eyes scanned through for a few seconds then he saw exactly what was supposed to break him, and it did, completely and perfectly. Maybe too much... because his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, and from the way he had clutched onto the papers, it wouldn't surprise me if he flipped a table or anything.
But I stepped back just in case.
“She knew...” he let out, “All this time, trying so hard and insisting to help me find my child... she knew. And yet she...”
“I'm sure she panicked, Aiden,” I said slowly and carefully, “That's why she asked your surrogate to lie about Roman.”
He met my eyes. For a second, a huge fraction of doubt began to cross his face. But I had to kill it, and fast.
Thank goodness I came prepared.
“Think about it... how out of all the other companies she could apply to for a job... it was yours she did. And how she didn't mind how close Iris got to the child. Any mother should be concerned about strangers getting close to their kid. But not her. Not Breanna. Because she knew Roman was yours all this while.”
His eyes moved around the room.
“And her family” I spoke again getting his eyes back on me, “How they just easily accepted you into their lives. Because they've all known Roman is yours. And yet they—”
“They nothing.”
Now that was a tone I'd never heard him use before. It was beyond dangerous... and in any other situation, I'd be thrilled. But not in this one where he looked like he'd caught on to my lies and was going to rip off my head.
“They nothing, Ophelia” he repeated.
“Aiden, please. I—”
“She did” he finished.
Oh?
Ohhhh...
“Her family had nothing to do with this” he shook his head. “They're genuinely nice people. No one can fake be that genuine.”
Well...
“But Breanna... she... she...”
Was he going to cry?
“IVF? She never even mentioned seeing a fertility doctor, much less getting an IVF done with Gabriella's egg and my sperm to conceive her... my son.”
I could see how long he'd waited to say those words.
“Aiden, I'm sure she didn't mean to lie to you” I whispered, “This isn't something you just get up and talk about...”
“It's not?!” he seethed.
If looks could kill, I’d have stopped breathing right now.
“We're about to get married” he breathed brokenly, two hands, diving into his neatly prepped hair.
“Aiden, please try and calm...”
“Ten years... she took ten years away from me. Ten fucking years! And I'm supposed to try and calm down?”
I held back my tongue.
“That little boy in there is my son. Not one bound by marriage.... but by blood. My biological son.”
Oh shit! My trust fund baby is here?
“He's here—”
“Aiden?” I heard him call out from the stairs.
I turned, and there he stood... the only thing standing in the way of my trust fund. I'd already sent Dion over to get rid of that brat Iris.
The boy was mine to take care of.
“Are you okay?”
I blinked.
“You look... upset” his eyes flicked between us. “Did something happen? Is Mommy okay?”
I looked at Aiden whose eyes were glistening with tears. He sniffed and nodded.
“Everything's perfect, Rocket.”
Roman nodded.
“So... can we go now?”
Aiden cleared his throat.
“The guys aren't here yet, but hey...” he crossed over to him and knelt to his height, “... can you do me a favor?”
“Anything.”
“Go upstairs to your room and bring out your emergency luggage.”
The boy arched a brow.
“Why?”
“It's part of a little surprise we're planning for Mommy” Aiden forced a little smile, his jaw ticking in annoyance.
Poor Breanna.
At the mention of surprising his mother, Roman grinned and threw himself at Aiden.
“I don't even know what the surprise is but I'm sure she's going to be so happy” he giggled.
Aiden wrapped his arms around the boy, and even though I'd seen them hug before, this one was different.
Well, he did just find out about the kid being his, my conscience chortled.
Aiden let the boy go and kissed the top of his head.
“Go on.”
The boy ran up the stairs and Aiden got up, turning to me with an indescribable expression.
“Aiden?” I called, getting him to look at me. “What are you going to do now? You're supposed to be at the church—”
“Oh I'm not going anywhere” he cut me off.
Bullseye!
“You're... you're not?”
“I'm not.”
“Well, what are you going to do?”
He frowned.
“She kept him away from me for ten years, Ophelia. Ten years. And he's not even her actual son.”
I had the surrogate tell him it was her egg they used to fertilize Breanna.
When she truly has no womb.
“She was just a container. And she dared to keep my son away, force Gabriella to lie about the whereabouts of Veronica and Doctor Colby, and lie to my son about who his real father is?” Aiden shook his head.
This was going even better than I planned.
“I'll tell you what I'm going, Ophelia” Aiden said, another new level of anger seeping out, “I'm taking my son away.”
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
~Brie
“Oh, my little girl! You look like an angel” My mom tried to blink away the tears brimming at the corners of her eyes.
She adjusted my veil with a shaky hand, being mindful of my perfectly curled hair. With my vintage-inspired lace gown worth more than a year’s rent and shoes that glittered like the diamond on my finger, I felt like a princess.
The bouquet of colorful flowers shook against my chest.
This is it.
If I had my way, I would have eloped somewhere with only my closest family and friends by my side. But this wedding isn’t about me. Hell, it isn’t about Aiden either, given his preference for a simple ceremony too. But having this grand ceremony was my mother’s wish and as long as Aiden and I were married at the end of the day, it wasn’t going to be a bother.
My mother sniffled, “I can’t believe my littlest baby is getting married.”
“Please don’t cry, Mom.”
“It’s hard not to. I’ve always prayed for you to find someone who makes you happy and Aiden... it’s like he was made for you.”
“Oh, Mom.”
She nodded.
“I was worried you were never going to get out of the ditch Beck put you in. That you'd be filled with bitterness toward what he did and that would get in the way of showing you how to move on despite the hurt.”
“Mom—”
“Not all men are like Beck. And I’m glad you took a chance.”
“Me too” My voice cracked.
I was about two seconds from falling apart.
Hormones.
She cupped my cheek with her hand.
“I’m proud of you my darling. And you deserve all the happiness in the world.”
I smiled, willing myself not to cry.
“Thank you, mom.”
Aubree stepped out of the bathroom.
“Are we done with all the sad stuff now? This is a wedding, not a funeral.”
Mom and I burst into laughter, and the moment was truly perfect.
“I’m going to go see what’s keeping the girls hm?” my mother said and left my sister and me alone.
I sighed happily.
“Mind explaining why you sent my nephew to come give me some TLC?”
I shrugged.
“He was concerned about you. Said he didn't like to see you sad.”
“Because we share a face, Brie” Aubree laughed.
I shook my head.
“Whatever. He cares about you, you know that.”
She nodded, her expression changing.
“Brie, there's something I need to tell you. And I'm sorry I've held on to it for this long but it's just hard for me to—”
I took hold of her hands, causing her to stop.
“Aubree, I already know.”
Her eyes widened a little.
“Y-you... you already know?”
I nodded.
“Yeah. Beck came by my office to tell me.”
Some amount of relief washed over her and she closed her eyes, but opened them and they held guilt.
“Breanna...”
I shook my head.
“It's not your fault. And I forbid you from blaming yourself.”
“But—”
“Nothing, Aubree. But nothing” I stopped her.
She exhaled.
“I just...”
“It's okay” I cooed, squeezing her hand, “And I know you're going to be fine. I promise you're going to be just fine. I'll always be here for you. Roman and Aiden too.”
Now she looked confused.
“Don't worry. I haven't told anyone about the divorce. Not even Aiden. It's not mine to tell. But when you're ready to tell our family, I'll be right by your side.”
She blinked.
“The divorce.”
“It's okay” I smiled. “Whatever you need, I'm here okay?”
“But Breanna, that's—”
“I insist,” I said in a final tone. “I'm your sister. And we both know how Beck is. I'm on your side, okay?”
She opened her mouth to talk when the girls hurried into the room.
“Oh thank God!” Nia exhaled.
“Why? What happened?”
“The guys had a little car trouble on the way after leaving here” Megan explained.
I nodded, letting my sister go to hitch the skirt of my gown up so I could walk.
“So they're going to be late, that's fine. We'll just meet them there. C'mon,” I smiled.
But they didn't move.
“Well? C'mon guys” I chuckled, pushing past them and going down the stairs.
Their footsteps shuffled behind me.
“Why are you guys back here?” I called out to Aiden's groomsmen who were standing around with my parents.
Then I froze on the stairs.
“Oh my goodness, is Aiden here?!” I exclaimed, “He can't see me in my dress, it's bad luck!”
“Calm down” Emmett called out to me, “He's not here.”
I exhaled, a hand going to my stomach before going down the rest of the stairs.
“Well is he already at the church?” I asked, “And where's Leslie?”
“Going to the house to check on Aiden” Zach replied.
“Why? I thought you'd already gone there. Hi Daddy” I kissed his cheek.
“Well not exactly. The car stopped before we could get there” Emmett said.
“And?” I probed for him to continue.
“And Aiden's not answering his phone so Leslie is gone with Iris to go check up on him and they called five minutes ago that Aiden's car is gone... and Roman's with him,” Dove told me.
I put my hands on my waist.
“He's probably already on his way to the church” I chuckled.
“And he not answering his phone?” my dad asked.
I shrugged.
“I don't even know where my phone is,” I said with a laugh.
“See?” my mother smiled, “You're all worrying for nothing.”
I nodded and smiled at my dad.
“Can we go now please, Daddy? I wanna get married now” I whined a little.
It brought a smile to his face and he took my outstretched arm and wrapped it around his.
“C'mon then.”
“I'm going to keep calling just in case” Ron sighed, following the rest of us out.
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
I paced up and down the backroom of the church.
What's taking him so long?
I tried not to get negative thoughts in my head. It was hard enough not to try to feel nauseous and suffer a panic attack.
“Where are you, Aiden?” I sighed, glancing at the clock.
My father stepped into the backroom and I threw my hands in the air.
“Finally? What happened?”
“Calm down” he chuckled, kissing my forehead. “They just called. They're almost here.”
I exhaled, a relieved chuckle escaping me.
“Are you ready, honey?” My dad asked me.
“More than ever, Daddy” I hugged him tightly, careful not to press my face into his suit so I didn’t get any of my makeup on it.
“You’re happy, right?” He asked, his voice quiet as he stared at me.
I didn’t even have to hesitate.
“I am, Daddy. So much. He’s everything I could have ever dreamed of.”
My dad extended an arm to me.
“Shall we take you to your husband, then?”
“Yes please,” I murmured, my eyes tracking to the door and imagining Aiden standing there.
Except when the music started and everyone stood to turn their attention to me, Aiden wasn't there.
“Daddy? What's going on? Where's Aiden?” I asked, taking my eyes away from the spot he was supposed to be standing in at the end of the aisle.
Emmett was by his side whispering something I didn't quite catch but from the look on his face, I doubted it was good.
“Brie?” Zach's voice came from beside me.
I whipped my head to look at him.
“I need you to come with me.”
The music had cut and had been replaced by whispers and murmurs from the guests in the church.
Calm down.
I simply nodded and let him lead me back into the back room as Ron addressed the guests.
“Okay, what is going on, Zach?” I let out, not being able to contain it any longer.
However, his eyes were fixed behind me.
“What are you looking at—” I turned around, “Iris!” I exclaimed, “What happened to you? And Leslie, are you bleeding?”
“Some psychopath shot at me but luckily, the bullet just grazed my shoulder.”
My heart twisted.
“Someone shot at you?” I asked in disbelief.
“Timmy” Iris said, taking the ice pack away from her bruised neck. “He tried to strangle me.”
“The gardener?” I frowned.
“Gardeners don't strangle and shoot at people Brie” she shook her head, “And I think he has something to do with Roman and Aiden's disappearance.”
I let out an unamused chuckle.
“Disappearance?” I asked looking around, “Okay fine! You got me. Where are the cameras?” I laughed.
“Breanna” Iris said firmly, her eyes burning with seriousness, “This isn't a joke. Aiden's clothes are gone and so is Roman's emergency luggage.”
“What?”
“Calm down, I'm not sure they've been kidnapped because the house wasn't ransacked,” Leslie said.
“What are you saying, Les?” I frowned.
“That they left all on their own” he replied.
I groaned.
“What the hell are you trying to say? Why would Aiden and Roman leave?”
“I might have a very good guess” Aubree's voice rang through the room.
I turned and she was standing behind a terrified-looking Beckett Lewis.
“Aubree?” mom called.
“Dude, why do you look like you're about to shit your pants?” Zachary asked, Beck.
Aubree raised a gun in the air.
“Because I'm holding him at gunpoint.”
“Aubree!” everyone gasped.
“Hey, put that down, young lady!” my dad frowned.
“Not until he starts talking, Dad.”
“Talking about what?” Dove asked, “Aubs put that away.”
“No” she sniffed, brushing away what looked like angry tears.
“Aubree” I held my hands out, “You don't have to do this, okay? It isn't worth it. The divorce is enough, you don't have to—”
“Wait what?” Mom asked, “You're getting a divorce?”
My sister exhaled.
“Aubree, please—”
She pulled the slide of the gun back and pointed it to Beck.
“Start talking, Lewis. Or I swear—”
“Okay, okay” he held his hands out, turning to face me. “Brie, there's something you need to know.”
My eyes flicked between my sister and my ex-husband.
“I have a feeling this isn't about the divorce anymore, is it?”
My sister slowly shook her head, touching the gun to the back of Beck's head to gesture at him to talk.
“I err... I might... well...”
Aubree frowned.
“Tell her what you did, you pig!”
“Hey calm down, Aubree,” I said, “Beck, what did you do?”
“I'm...” he sucked in a deep breath, “I'm not... I'm not Roman's... biological father.”
I narrowed my eyes, then rolled them.
“Yeah, okay. And I was adopted. Thank God that's out of the way.”
“Breanna...”
“Stop it, Beckett, you're not funny. You've never been funny. Now can somebody here please find my fiancé and my son so I can married and have a freaking cheeseburger, please?!” I snapped.
“Brie, breathe” Emmett came up behind me to rub my shoulders.
Then he frowned at my sister and her husband.
“Aubree put the gun down. And Beck, stop with the nonsense okay? Aiden and Roman are missing and we need to find them—”
“They're not missing, Em” I folded my arms.
“Okay, but we need to find them—”
“Breanna, listen to me,” Beck said firmly, terror in his eyes as he shook his head, “I'm not Roman's biological father. Breanna, I didn't even know it was ever possible for me to have kids till you got pregnant—”
“With Roman. What is wrong with you?!” I exclaimed.
“No, after Roman” he took a breath. “Norway... ten years ago. It wasn't the spiritual cleansing fertility trip bullshit I made you believe we were going on. I was taking you to see a doctor... and have him do an IVF on you.”
I blinked once.
“Excuse me?” Nia questioned.
“Beck, what are you talking about?” my mother asked.
He put his hands down, shoulders sinking.
“I can't have kids. Turns out the only chance I had at that died... when Breanna lost the pregnancy. But... I have a condition where it makes it ninety-nine percent impossible for me to have children. I couldn't tell anyone... I couldn't tell you, Brie. And so I made you believe you were the problem. When it was me all along. And I saw how it was breaking you... how much not being able to get pregnant was breaking you... so I did for you... for us. I had had him sedate you through every process... every time, till the procedure was done. I'm not Roman's biological father.”
I sucked in a deep breath and nodded.
“Okay. I'm mad... I could kill you right now, but no. No. Not today, maybe tomorrow but not today. And no one here is going to say anything to my son, do you people understand?” I asked with a little laugh. “Now somebody please find Aiden for me. I'm starting to feel sick, please” I whispered.
“That's where you're ending?” Aubree spoke up, finally lowering the gun.
I looked at her.
“That's where you're fucking ending, Beckett?!”
“There's more?” Zach frowned, his fists clenched.
Beck swallowed.
“Turns out... the sperm they used to fertilize your egg was...”
Aubree shut her eyes and turned away like she didn't wanna hear Beck talk.
“Turns out it was Aiden's.”
My stomach grew cold as the room got even quieter. I could hear nothing but heavy breathing. Then my chest began to shake with silent laughter, making Aubree turn around to stare at me, wide-eyed and full of tears.
“That's got to be your worst joke yet, Beck,” I said, hitching up my gown and attempting to turn away from the back room only to have Katie-Ann cut in front of me with a blood-stained folder in her hand.
“He's not lying” she whispered, holding the file out to me.
“You're in on this too?” I shook my head.
“No, Brie” she sobbed.
“Where'd you get that?” Iris asked, “Because I saw it lying around...”
“Your brother's house” Katie-Ann finished. “Beck told me this morning... about the biological father of my nephew and... and so I went to go look for him but I saw him drive out with Manny and an older woman...”
Older woman?
“Ophelia” Beck whispered.
“And so I tried to follow them but I lost them on the highway—”
“Highway?!” my mother cried.
“So I tried to go to his house and I saw a tattooed man run out of Aiden's house. Then Iris and Leslie thirty minutes later. I... I was confused but they left the door unlocked and the security guard had been knocked out so I went inside and... and I found this” she sniffed.
“What is this?” I asked, very annoyed.
“Everything” she let out a wail. “I'm so sorry, Brie. Beck was only trying to make you happy. He didn't know the biological father would be the man you're marrying today—”
“Supposed to!” Iris shot up, “Because if Ophelia was in that house with my brother all alone, she's obviously made him believe something dark and twisted to get him to jilt his bride and kidnap his own son! So thank you for ruining everything for everyone, Miss 'my brother was only trying to make you happy'!”
I blinked again and then shook my head before I opened the folder in my hand and flipped through the document.
Three pages in and I was surprised my knees hadn't given up on me. There were flight records, DNA test results, and the contract signed between Beck and the doctor we went to.
So it was all true. Beck wasn't Roman's biological father and Aiden was. I was the one who'd kept him away from his son for ten whole years. And if he had truly run off with my son, and I wouldn't see any of them again, I was going to die.
Thank you so much for reading! ✨