Chapter 74: Chapter 74

“When we couldn’t have a child I resorted to drastic measures…”

“Yes, you invited me to your mom, Mrs. Hayes, under the guise of a friendly invitation, drugged me, and assaulted me in the hopes of getting pregnant when you feared your husband was sterile. You almost destroyed my marriage!” Bianca’s dad yelled holding on to his wife protectively.

Judging by Siobhan’s reaction to the news this was the first time she ever heard of it. Her mouth hung open and if Anton hadn’t been holding her she probably would have fainted.

“I apologized for that,” Edna moaned softly, her voice croaked. “I know it doesn’t change what I did but I regretted my actions that day, I felt like a monster for almost destroying you, and believe me even now I regret that decision.”

“Yet you made another terrible decision, Edna. When does it end? The lies, Edna, when do they end?”

“They end now. I’ll tell you what happened.” She sniffed. “Years after we got over that unpleasant issue I found out why we couldn’t have children. It wasn’t because of you, Anton. You were very much fertile and so was I but I discovered I had a weak womb, I couldn’t bear children because I lacked the biological support so I approached Michelle again.”

All eyes turned to Michelle who buried her face in her hands and cried into her husband’s shoulder. I got the impression that she was as emotionally frail as she was physically.

“She was pregnant at the time but I needed a surrogate and she was the only one I could think of. I didn’t expect that you would help me after what I did to your husband…but I’m afraid I took advantage of your kindness once more.” She broke down in tears again and crumbled to the floor. I thought she had passed out and I wanted to run to help her since no one else looked ready to help her up but then she put her head up and let out a long drawn-out sob.

“Anton, do you remember when I asked for semen samples from you? I said they were for fertility tests. I lied. I lied about that. What I needed them for was an IVF. I found out a fertilized egg can be implanted in a surrogate and I wanted Michelle to be my surrogate. Even though she was pregnant at the time the doctor said it was possible and it was.”

“You were never pregnant?” Anton asked in disbelief.

“I was never pregnant. I made it look like I was,” she cried. “I took extended trips abroad to avoid suspicions.”

“And you knew about this Cole?”

Bianca’s dad averted his gaze and nodded. “I did. I felt sorry for Edna. She wanted to have a baby so badly and even after everything she did to me and Michelle, I couldn’t not help her especially when she was so desperate. Besides, she offered us money and we needed it very badly then."

“You want a child, Anton. You wanted an heir and I didn’t want to fail you.”

“You can’t blame this on me! I loved you even without kids but you were desperate to give me a child.”

“I know,” Edna sniffed. “I know. But it worked. The insemination worked and Michelle successfully carried two girls until she went into labor and gave birth. I was there where the cords were cut and when both girls made their first sounds. I saw the nurses place them in cribs and label them with their chosen names.” She started to sob again. “But when I looked into the cribs and saw how beautiful Siobhan was I couldn’t help myself, I switched both girls so that Siobhan would be mine and Bianca would be theirs. I was so selfish I couldn’t help myself but cheat Cole and Michelle one last time. But fate had other plans. Just when I thought I had my secret hidden, Bianca and Siobhan met each other and became best friends. They became so close they were like sisters. It hurt to see them together every day knowing what I had done. I wanted to come clean. I wanted to confess but I was scared,” she cried pitifully.

Siobhan crashed on the floor holding her chest in her hands in anguish.

“I can’t believe this,” she wailed. “Mom!”

But she wasn’t the only one weeping. Even Michelle was crying uncontrollably.

“Siobhan is my daughter?” it was a soft question almost lost in the sounds of the crying women.

Anton stared, seemingly lost in the craziness of all that was happening. Suddenly he whirred around and headed for the phone which he picked up. He dialed a number and waited.

“I am guessing you’ve heard of the Edwin and Co. incident? Yes, I need you on that case because my daughter is missing.”

When he finished talking on the phone he went back to stand before Edna. When she reached up to hold him he moved away from her touch.

“Don’t you dare! You gave up your daughter, your own flesh and blood for another child just because she was a beautiful baby? How sick are you?!” I could see the tears brimming in his eyes even though he held them back.

“I am sorry. I said I made a grave mistake and I am sorry I did it. I don’t know what came over me Anton, you have to believe me.”

But he wouldn’t listen to her. When she tried to hold him again he walked out on her leaving the rest of us there.

When she tried to reach for her daughter – well, now we know she’s not her daughter – Siobhan let out a sob and ran away leaving Cole, Michelle and me to deal with the crying mess that was Edna Hayes.

I didn’t know what to do. In the first place, I was an intruder, I shouldn’t even be hearing these things. But my heart broke for everyone involved in this story and even worse for Bianca and Siobhan became they were innocently thrown into this mess. And now that the truth was out, everyone’s life is affected.

To my surprise, Cole and Michelle moved to help Edna up. I see how Bianca got her kindness. Even after everything Edna did to them they still helped her up and took her to a seat. She was shaking so Michelle brought a throw from one of the other couches and threw it over her.

It was then Cole noticed me standing there. Even before he said anything I was tempted to pee my pants and confess.

“Are you Bianca’s classmate?” he asked.

I froze on the spot. “Yes, sir, I am.”

“I’m sorry for what happened tonight. You must be shaken after everything that happened in your school and now this. You should get some rest.”

I didn’t need to be told twice before fleeing upstairs. But I didn’t go to my room. I looked down the hall to Siobhan’s room and after a few seconds of deliberating, I went to knock on her door. There was no response but she was sobbing inside.

The door was open so I pushed it and went in. There she was in front of the window, her head bent to her chest crying. I felt sorry for her.

She looked back and saw it was me who entered and smiled sadly through the tears in her eyes. “Sad irony eh? Do you think I started the chain of events of everything that happened today? First I betrayed my best friend and now this?”

I took a few steps to close the distance between us. “You are not the cause of anything. You didn’t switch yourself at birth, your mother did.”

She tried to laugh cynically but could only cry some more. “Funny how she chose me because I was the better-looking baby. What kind of a mother chooses beauty over her daughter?! All these years and she could have said something yet she wanted to keep me so she could show everyone what a beautiful daughter she had?! She’s a monster.”

“You don’t know she’s even right about her confession yet,” I said holding her shoulder because even to me it felt surreal. Both girls looked so much alike – well it was because they were both blond and sometimes appeared to have the same eye color - still, even as a stranger I had a hard time believing Edna’s story.

And Anton’s response to it? That was just the height of hypocrisy. He didn’t want to help the Davies at first. He had dragged his feet about getting the law agency on the matter but once he learned that Bianca might be his daughter he went straight for the phone. I get that what Edna did before, drugging Cole and all was very bad but Edna is in the wrong here not Cole. He doesn't have to punish the Davies for something his wife did.

But what can I say? After all, is said and done, I am the outsider.

Siobhan turned away from the window and clung to me as she sobbed. I rubbed her back feeling my heart break all over again for being responsible for the turn out of events tonight. I will have to call Carol, she can’t know about this new development and there’s no telling what she can do when she knows. I know she only wants to get me back for now. Kidnapping Bianca was not because of the money, it was because of her jealousy of me and Bianca.

I didn’t want to ask Siobhan for her phone since it wasn’t the right time. She was mourning and so I comforted her.

For a long moment, we stayed as we were in silence, mourning what was lost. She suddenly raised her eyes to my face. Her eyes scored my features for a second and then she parted her lips and rose to kiss me.

I leaned back. “No.”

A tear leaked from her eye. I felt guilty, after all, we hadn’t officially broken up when the truth about me and Bianca came out.

“Why?” she asked softly.

I was suddenly aware of the softness of her body pressed against mine and foolish as I was, I was getting an erection but I released her and stepped away.

“You already know about me and Bianca. All these shouldn't have happened this way but then what was the right way when you already moved on to Aaron? It’s over, Siobhan. I can’t kiss you, I can’t touch you. I am in love with Bianca.”

She nodded her head sadly. “Even in my time of need you won’t…you must really love her,” she started to weep again. “Even Aaron, he loved me but he would have chosen her. Does anyone even love me at all? Does my mother even love me or my looks?!” she hiccupped, her eyes showing her hurt. I felt sorry for her but there was nothing I could do. I didn’t want to betray Bianca any more than I already did. “Did you even…” she sniffed and straightened her back. “Leave.”

“What? No! I can’t leave you right now when you’re crying…”

“Leave Andre, please. And don’t make me scream.”

I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to stay and comfort her but she didn’t look like she wanted me around anymore so with no other choice I left and went to my room.