Reading Calum’s text message makes me panic but I tried not to. He has the what? Files about Marco? How did he found some? I quickly put my clothes back on and wake Michael up but he’s being lazy and don’t want to wake up. I keep patting his arm.
“Michael, wake up.” I said and keep shaking him.
“Michael, I have to leave. If you’re too lazy to get up I’m going now.”
I stand up and walk over then he gets up and grab my hand.
“Leaving already? It’s still early. Come on Lai.” He begs.
“Michael, my mom is home already I have to go now.” I said making an excuse I have to see Calum.
“Let me get dressed first, I’ll drive you home.” He said.
“No need Mike, I can go home by myself.” I was really in a hurry and I’m already on the door.
“Lai, stop, we haven’t been spending a lot of time together and you’re acting weird lately. Seriously, what’s going on?” He asked while putting his pants on.
I don’t know what to tell him, I have to leave. I have to see the files, it’s also for him, what I’ve been doing. I’m not being selfish, I wanted to confirm if it’s really true or this is just all a misunderstanding.
I walk back at him I hug him really tight.
“It’s nothing Michael, I’ll call you later. I love you.” I said.
“Fine.” He said, I can feel his mad at me.
I pull away and didn’t say a word he go back and lay to his bed again and cover his face with his pillow, I open the door and I’m about to leave.
“Michael, I love you, okay.” I said and I went downstairs.
I almost cried seeing his face like his pissed, I don’t want to leave him right now but this is important to me. I know he won’t really find out who send him the letter but if that letter is just a joke or prank like what he said, well for me it isn’t. I took a cab and went straight home first before I meet Calum because I’m still on my uniform, as I got home. I wasn’t expecting that mom was really here this early.
“Where have you been missy?” Mom asked me both of her hands holding her waist and looks really angry at me.
I remember I just cut classes today.
“School..” I said, I can’t look at her.
“Well your school just called me that you have a stomachache, I forgot to call you because I was busy. So where did you really go?”
“I really do I was going home but I realize no one will be here so instead, I went to Michael’s place.” I said, making a reason again. I hate lying to my mom.
“Seriously? Alaissa, I know you don’t have a stomachache. Just tell me the truth.” She give me that angry face.
I let out a big sigh and biting my lower lip.
“I went out to see Michael. I cut my last two periods.” I tell the truth.
“God! Sweetie I know you’re not a kid anymore but can you please not do that again.”
“Mom, I know, I’m sorry this will be the last of it.”
“Yes, because you are grounded starting tomorrow, grounded for a week!” She shouted.
“But mom! You can’t, the fuck!” I yelled.
“Don’t yell at me Alaissa, I know you love Michael, I like him for you he’s nice but you have to learn for doing what’s not right, I don’t stop you on things what you love and dating boys but for this I might think Michael will be a bad influence for you. Be thankful it’s only one week and I’m not going to take your phone only your car keys.” She explained and goes to the living room.
Now I’m the one who’s really pissed.
I went to my room and change to my comfy clothes. I haven’t called and text Calum yet, Mom made me pissed. I decided to call Michael but he’s not answering me. He’s really mad at me. Can this day get any worse? I’m sitting on the ground resting my back on the side of my bed, trying to relax myself in a bit then I called Calum.
“Lai, finally!” Calum said over the phone.
“Sorry I didn’t reply quickly and answered your phone call, I was with Michael.” I said.
“It’s fine, look I read this documents and Marco, he had wife before and it’s Michael’s mom Karen Johnson.”
“What? Are you fucking serious? How did you get those?” I was shocked. I gulped.
“I had a friend on the pub and he’s quite doing some illegal shits, so I talked to him and pay him to found these documents.” Calum said.
“Calum! Why did you do that? You don’t have to, how much did you pay? I’ll pay you back.” I said, I can’t believe he done that for me.
“It’s alright, I just want to pay you back for all of the things you’ve done to me, it’s nothing, this is like my thank you for you, for being all nice and we’re still okay.”
“Alright, I’m so thankful.”
“But you have to meet me to get this, you should read this. Can we meet now?”
“I can’t maybe tomorrow?”
“I’m busy tomorrow, I guess I’ll just hand this to Bree, she knows about this I told her earlier.”
“Alright, thank you Cal, thanks. I don’t know what else to say.” I teared.
“No biggie Lai. I’ll see you soon, bye.” He said and he already hanged up.
So thankful that Calum did that to me but Marco really had a wife and its Michael's mom, so it could be really the truth, that Michael is really his son but why it needs to be hidden? Michael told me his dad left them when he was 3 years old. Mom never mention me that Marco had a child before they get married, all I know is Marco’s ex-wife file a divorce to him but of course not all story can be spoken or the truth can be written. There is really a big lie that is going on around here.
Still, I’m so confused about Jc, about his parents, why is the answer is on my hands? What’s the connection of that to Marco and Michael and the letter, did Jc really send that to Michael? I can feel I’m not halfway there. This is still too much.
I tried to dial Jc’s number but it’s unavailable, I think he changed his number, then I called Michael but he’s not answering it only keeps ringing. I feel bad, we’re not like this, and he’s sullen at me. I tried to call Jen, she might know. Thank God she answered.
“Jen, hi.” I said.
“Hey Lai, I missed you. How are you?” She said.
“I’m alright, do you know where Michael is?” I asked.
“No, sorry. We haven’t been talking in a while. Wait let me ask Ashton.”
I can hear Jen shouting Ash, babe do you know where Mike is?! Then she went back on her phone.
“Lai, sorry he didn’t know too. What’s wrong?”
“I just left early at his place because I have to go home, I don’t know he got mad at me.” I said.
“It will be alright, don’t worry he can’t resist you.”
“Thanks Jen.”
I ended the call, now I’m so worried about Michael I want to go and find him but if I did, mom will get angry at me and she might take everything, I can’t afford that. He still doesn’t answer my calls so I leave him few text messages.
*Michael please answer my call*
*Michael, I love you stop ignoring me :(*
*It hurts me when you ignore me like this.*
*Michael did I do something wrong? Tell me, please.*
*I’ll call you again tomorrow. I’m grounded by the way, miss you already.*
I’m really bored and I don’t know what to do, so I decide to go now and talk to mom, about Marco, I think I have the guts now to open this up but I’m not sure how to start the conversation. I got out of my room and went downstairs, she’s on the living room and typing on her laptop, I sit beside her and hug her.
“Your still grounded Lai.” She says.
“Mom, I have to ask you something. It’s not about me getting grounded.” I said.
“About what?” She look at me.
“About Marco.”
She stared at me seriously.
“Why? Did he do something bad to you?”
“No mom, he didn’t. I know you know I don’t like him that much, he tries to be all good to me, I can see that but I just wanted to know how you exactly met him.”
She placed her laptop away and holds my hand.
“Exactly? Why you want to know?” She looks curious.
Suddenly I remember the day she was crying over the phone when she was talking to Marco.
“Well we can skip that but can we talk about the day you were crying, you look furious that day.” I said.
“It’s because she met her ex-wife there.”
“And? Mom just tell me the whole story.”
“Sweetie, I love Marco okay? I know you’re not interested to know that but I love him and he really loves me. He talks to me that he really tries his best to be a good father to you but he says, you try to stay away.”
“Mom, I get that. Just tell me what did he tell you, wait do you know, who’s his ex-wife?”
“I don’t know what she looks like but I know her name, it’s Karen.”
“Karen what mom?” I’m feeling breathless, maybe it’s all true, this secret, is this even a secret?
“I forgot her last name, why you’re so eager to know?”
“Nothing, for the last question mom. What did Marco tell you when his in New York? Because you cried, I mean you won’t really cried that bad if it wasn’t a.. sensitive topic.”
“He called me because he said he sees his ex-wife there and he told me that-“
“That what mom?!” I feel the adrenaline rush inside me.
“That he had a child with her.” Mom cried.
It makes sense to me now, I remember Michael telling me that his Mom went to Florida for a job thing but I guess she didn’t, she went to New York to see Marco, and how long is this keep on going? I don’t want to see my mom crying like this. I hug her really tight and rub her back.
“Mom, it’s alright. Did he really have a child before? I mean before you met him?”
“He told me he didn’t, I understand if he did I mean i have you, it will be fair enough for me. I talk to him about that when he got back here. He said his ex-wife keep it a secret to him before they got divorced. Now she suddenly open that up to him.”
“Do you know who’s the kid?”
“No, he says he hasn’t met him yet.”
Him.
She says him.
It's a boy.
Probably, it's really Michael.
After that conversation with mom she was feeling better because she finally let that out. But I was not better. Mom told me how she really love Marco, how he really cares about her and me. She said Marco has no intention to get back with his ex-wife, I quite believe about that, but how about Michael? I don’t know how to cope about that. Mom says Marco hasn’t met his child, it was a clear conclusion that Marco keep this as a secret and the fact Karen hates me it’s because the thing she saying that she wants the best for Michael is to finish everything because Marco is already give everything to him regarding to school. So the hindrance that she’s relying about is that I’m the step-daughter and it is a bad picture seeing your step-daughter dating your another child to your first wife, to your first family.
I cried. I can’t stop crying, why this should need to happen to me? When I already found the love of my life who really loves me back have to be this way. I can’t take this, I feel dying inside of me.
**
A/N
LAST 5 CHAPTERS LEFT :)