**please read authors note at the end!! <3
"Arabella?"
"Christopher? Hi." My voice shook. I didn't want to sound nervous, but my voice gave it away instantly.
"My goodness. It's so nice to hear from you. I've been following you on your mom's facebook all these years. I know more than you think. I'm so proud of everything you've accomplished and I'm so glad you seem to be living a happy life."
"I bet there's still a lot you don't know though. Mom and...dad weren't supportive at all. Mom only recently was. However, dad is still pissed about me going to Cal Tech if that's even what I should call him anymore." My tone was unwillingly full of anger.
"You're upset." He said with disappointment.
"Well yeah, I don't really know how else to feel. I find out I've been lied to my entire life. The dad I grew up with never really accepted or loved me. It's been really hard. I've had to fend for myself and create a future that could actually be mine. You know they just wanted me to marry rich or become a model trophy wife?"
"I'm sorry. I had no idea your mom-I, I couldn't reach out to you. She didn't want me to."
"So what? I'm your kid. You could've ignored her. Don't try to pin all of this on her because you're the one who walked out on me just to have another kid that I also know absolutely nothing about. How do you think this feels? Finding out all of this at eighteen years old?" I was beginning to raise my voice. Years of anger had been built up. Everything suddenly made sense, and yet nothing made any sense at all.
"Arabella, please. Hear me out. I know I messed up. I've messed up a lot in my life. I walked away because I knew I wasn't fit to be a father at that time. Your mother and I weren't happy together anymore. The timing was just all wrong and I'll never be able to repay you for those lost years, but I want to know you now. I want to be a part of your life. I know it won't be a normal father/daughter relationship, but I have to try. This has haunted me for years and I want to fix it. I want you to meet Faye and I want to see you graduate college and be there for you."
His words made me tear up, and I knew in my heart that he meant the words he was saying, but the pain in my chest was still there. "I just don't know how to handle this."
"It's messed up, I know. Your mother and I were wrong to put you through this and it kills me knowing I hurt you. Can you give me a chance?"
"Yes." I let out a sniffle and wiped my tears away.
"When are you coming to California? I really want to see you so we can talk and work everything out. 18 years worth of talking can't happen on a phone call."
"Not until August 20th. That's when I get to move into my dorm and then the orientation is that week."
"But that's almost two months away!" He said with surprise.
"You waited this long. What're two more months?" I said bitterly. There was silence for a moment.
"I deserved that. I'll talk to you soon. Things are going to change and get better when you move here Arabella. I promise."
"No, they're not. I'm going to have to leave my boyfriend and my best friends. They're the only good things in my life right now."
"You have a boyfriend?" He said with sadness. I could tell he was realizing how he truly missed out on my life and knew nothing about me.
"Yeah, an amazing one."
"He can visit. We have a guest house by the beach. You can stay in it instead of a dorm if you like and-and he can come to visit and stay with you sometimes. I just want to fix this." He said desperately.
"Guesthouse? Are you loaded or something?" I said in disbelief.
He laughed, "Something like that. We're well off. Your mother has always been stubborn about taking money. I've tried to give you some through her at times. When your birthday would roll around I would ask her what you wanted and how much it was, but she always refused.
"Wow...really? Why the hell would she do that? Are you telling me I could have a telescope if it weren't for her being stubborn?"
"All I can tell you now is that I'll make it up to you. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Talk to you soon, Arabella. Bye."
"Bye." I put down the phone and plopped down onto Daniela's bed.
"Well, that was intense." She sat down beside me. "So...he has money?"
"He has money, money," I said staring at the ceiling.
"Girl, you're about to get spoiled rotten. Like eighteen years worth of presents rotten. Did I hear you mention a guest house?"
"By the beach."
"BITCH! You're taking me, right? Let's go tomorrow!"
"I'm in shock. How is this my life right now?"
"I don't know but do you know what this means?" She asked with excitement.
"What?"
"All of your problems are going to be SOLVED. Well you know, financial problems. Do you think he'll buy you designer stuff?"
"Dani, I got a scholarship for Cal Tech, I'm only paying for the dorms and books...which is still a lot, to be honest."
"Maybe he'll take care of it! Take advantage of this, Arabella. It's the least he can do."
"I don't know. It just feels wrong. I don't want him to try to buy my love or respect."
"Then don't let him. Let him buy stuff just because he can and you're his daughter. You think Faye is living large?"
"I don't know. I know nothing. I'm guessing she's cool, I'd hope so. I could use an older sister that can be like a friend. It would make moving easier. And as if on queue, my phone began buzzing frantically with text messages.
Uknown Number: Is this Arabella?
Apparently, I'm your sister
well half-sister
and no one decided to tell me?
So hi.
umm
I just want you to know my dad and I have something special over here in cali
I don't have a mom, and you do. A mom AND a dad.
I only have my dad.
and I don't want you to come to ruin what life we have
I'm sure you're great and I'm excited to meet you
and don't worry
I'm just as pissed as you probably are for him lying to us.
facetime me if you can, I wanna see if we look anything alike.
"I think Faye found out about me." I moved closer to show Daniela the messages.
"What the...that's aggressive. Sounds like Daddy's Little Princess is threatened by a new princess. How old is she?"
"She must be younger than me because I'm assuming she was born after my dad left me and was ready for a kid. Her mom must have left though...I wonder why. It's like our stories are reversed. She sounds like she's going to be a pain though."
"Well, call her and get some answers! I'm dying to see what she looks like."
"Fine, here goes nothing. This is too much for one day." I Facetimed her number and waited for her to pick up. After two rings, there she was. She was stunning. People always tell me I could be a model, but compared to her, I wasn't anything special. She had sleek black hair and perfect eyebrows. Her lashes were long and curled, her make up was flawless, and when she flashed a smile at the camera, her perfectly white, straight teeth were exposed. I could see a resemblance in our eyes though, as well as her bone structure. It was like looking at a Kardashian version of myself.
"Hi! Oh my gosh, I'm actually meeting you. You're so cute!"
"Back at ya!" I could feel how awkward it came out. There was no other word for this situation. It was just awkward. She was acting as if she hasn't just been slightly threatening in her texts.
"Sorry if I seemed like a total b*tch in those texts. I just wanted to get that out of the way so that you knew your boundaries."
"Uh," I was at a loss for words. Before I could say anything. Daniela snatched the phone from my hand.
"Hey, sorry. I need to talk to her for just a sec- boyfriend stuff." She lied and gave Faye a fake smile as she put my phone on mute. "Are you really going to let her talk to you like that?!"
"What am I supposed to say!"
"Stand up for yourself! Her father is just as much yours as he is hers. She doesn't have any right to talk to you like this. You came first into this world anyway!" Daniela exclaimed.
"You're right. This kid can't boss me around and tell me what I can and can't do." I unmuted myself and put the camera back on me. Faye was reapplying lipgloss. I'm not going to lie; Her beauty was intimidating. She's the kind of girl Hollywood searches for to be the next "it girl".
"Okay. Listen, sweetie. I know you're used to being an only child and you don't understand that he's just as much my father as he is yours, but you're not an only child. Our dad has been trying to reach out to me for years and is making an effort, so you can't tell me what to do. I'm an adult and you can't order me around. I'm not in high school."
"Oh, neither am I, sweetie. I'm 19 years old. Turning 20 in six months, in fact. My dad just feels guilty. Trust me, it won't be a lasting thing. You're not going to become apart of our lives as you think. You'll be more like a cousin we see occasionally."
Daniela and I looked at each other in confusion. "How are you older than me?"
"You don't know the story, wow. Of course. Why would he tell you? He always leaves out the important details of a story. So like Dad." She rolled her eyes.
"He didn't tell me any of the story. All I know is he wasn't ready to be a dad when he had me, so he left to California to focus on his career and...I assumed you came later on."
She laughed, "Wow, they really lied to you. My dad told me the details recently. I knew part of it as a kid, but he conveniently left the half-sister part out."
I was getting frustrated, "Okay. Tell me then."
"Okay, so my mom and dad were happily married for a few years before having me. About a year later after I was born, my dad cheated on my mom with your mom. Your mother, the other woman, is what split my parents apart. Of course, mom left, leaving me behind because I was just a painful memory of my father. My mom didn't find out a year until after the fact, so by the time he went running back to your mom, she had already married your step-dad. Complicated right? He figured he'd let you live your best possible life and leave your whole family alone."
"Can I call you back later? This is a lot to process."
"Of course. Sorry, you had to find out like this." She shrugged, then hung up.
"Arabella...this is a new level of messed up."
"I know. I had no idea. I feel awful. I feel sick." I put my hand on my stomach.
"I'll go get you some water. You look pale." Dani said walking out of the room. Oh no, left alone. The tears began streaming down. They wouldn't stop. I wanted to call Darren, but I didn't want to talk. I just wanted his comfort.
I was born of infidelity.
A/N: TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE NIGHT?! I know, crazy. I was going to make Faye a chill, hipster girl who helped Arabella out with life but where's the fun in that! I made her b*tchy in the name of the PLOT! and admit it, you kinda love the drama.
I hope you have a great morning, night, whatever time of day it is where you are.
Don't forget to comment and vote <3
I'm also planning on printing this book (it'd only be about 5 bucks or something) so you can physically have this book on your bookshelf! Comment if you'd be interested in that once the book was complete!