Chapter 79: Chapter 79

"Everything? "

" Yes everything. I think it's time. I mean it's not fair to him, it's not fair to either of us. I have always known it's the right thing to do but I couldn't myself to tell him." She stared at her friend, her eyes shining with tears, her lips wobbling. " It would crush him."

"I'm so sorry Rella I wish there was something I could do."

"There's also the issue of my not being actually married to him. Van it's all just a lie. "

" What? B.. but you were the one at the wedding, you signed the marriage certificate."

Rella shook her head miserably. " It's not my name on the certificate A signature is useless."

" How did you come to the conclusion that you two are not married for real? "

"Christian. "

Van's eyes went wide. " How does Christian know that did you tell him? "

" No. It's a long story. "

" Is he threatening you is that why you want to come clean to Stefan? "

" No he knew for months and didn't tell Stefan the one I'm scared of is Lucille."

" Lucille the bitch sending you those anonymous notes? "

" Yeah. Lucille and her cousin know the truth and she almost told Stefan and everyone else in the society at the Charity ball."

"That conniving weasel I swear to God…how did they find out?"

"I don't know and I'm scared to confront them. I'm scared of what might happen if they decide to sell the story to the rags."

Van clasped Rella's hand on reassurance. "You've got to have faith that everything is going to work out."

Faith was a hard feeling to come by these days. Stefan was on a business trip to Paris, Rella decided that she would tell him everything once he gets back in three days.

Van’s heart almost flew right out of her chest when both she and Ash walked into the house the next day and there was Jake Calloway talking to her grandfather in the living room and they both seemed cosy with each other. She did not expect to see Jake again so soon.

"What's wrong?" Ash asked and it dawned on Van that she'd frozen in the middle of the room.

Grandfather looked up just then acknowledging their presence, he looked pleased with whatever it was Jake said to him. Grandfather stood up and gestured towards Van.

"Come meet my granddaughter..."

"Hello Van." Jake smiled, he actually smiled which made Van angry.

Grandfather glanced between the two puzzled. Ash was standing behind her in a protective stance.

"You two know each other?"

"No."

"Yes."

They both said simultaneously and Van wished she could wipe that self-satisfied smile she'd grown to detest off his face.

"Really?" grandfather looked more pleased than surprised.

"Actually it's one of the reasons i'm here." Jake started to explain, his eyes never leaving Van’s. "I like your granddaughter Mr. Montenegro and I would like to ask your permission to date Van."

Van was seething.

If this was his way of trying to earn her forgiveness then he'd never get it because all Van wanted to do right then was smack his head and send him out of the house.

"This is quite unexpected." Grandfather said.

"I think you should leave." Van said between clenched teeth levelling her most icy glare at him.

"That is no way to talk to a guest young lady." grandfather admonished.

But Van’s glare never wavered. It probably took a minute or two before Jake finally got the message and decided to rest his case.

"It's okay sir, i'll come back some other time. I'll like you to think about what I said."

"Certainly."

"He's grown up to be a decent young man like his father."

If Van had to sit there at the dinner table for another minute as grandfather continued to praise Jake she knew she was going to lose her appetite or worse get sick.

"If only Perla had listened to me she would've lived a better life and not have been miserable with that good for nothing."

That was her father he was talking about, the man who loved her and Karl unconditionally something the old man didn't possess. Should Van mention to him that if her mom had married Jake’s dad then Jake would’ve ceased to exist but she was in no mood for an argument.

"Can we talk about something else?"

The name Jake Calloway is giving me indigestion she wanted to add but wisely left it out.

Grandfather glared at her. "You know i've had it with your insolence for one day. I don't know what problem you have with that cultured young man but you need not be rude about it, I just might accept his proposal."

Ash stiffened but not too noticeably. It had always been hot and cold with the old man Ash should be used to him by now except he's not.

Van stood up from her chair. "What is this?" she exclaimed. "Are you trying to finish what you started with mom?"

"Sit down young woman! You will not talk to me in that tone." grandfather stood up as well slamming his napkin on the table.

Grandmother reached for Van’s arm pulling her slightly. "It's okay let it go."

"Did you see what is happening Corazon? She talks down to me in my own house."

"I'll leave if you want so don't start to meddle in my life because you don't know the first thing about me or my brother."

"You are ill-mannered and uncultured on top of that you’ve got loose morals it's why you got yourself pregnant by some unknown street bum who's probably uncultured as well."

"Felix that's enough!"

Van blinked back tears stinging her eyes, she refused to let him put her down.

"Grandfather please calm down." Ash was beside him now.

"My sister is a decent girl you have no right to insult her like that."

Oh Karl.

"You think that i'm ill-mannered and uncultured I don't deny it, if you've lived the life I had with an absent mother and an invalid father and you'd have to work every single day to put food on the table then you'd be uncultured too. You say Jake is a good guy, that he's decent well guess what he's not a saint because he's the father of my child and believe me you don't want to know why I left him and that's thanks to what you did to my mother years ago!" Van had that momentary triumph of seeing the old man caught off guard for once, there was a gasp around the table and then Van bolted.

There was an awkward silence around the dinner table

"In case she wasn't clear enough it means he's her husband." Karl deapanned. all three at the table turned to face him their meal forgotten. "Yeah, they got married and I was there." When no one said anything, he got on his feet pushing back his chair and cleared his throat. "I'm just gonna go…"

Ash was speechless. More than that he was frozen where he sat, his throat suddenly closing that it was difficult to swallow. His fork clattered unto the table at her outburst. Jake Calloway that bastard!

He fumed, his fists balling so hard his knuckles turned white. He'd kill the damn bastard if he laid eyes on him again. Ash remembered when he'd introduced them both at the party last night and there wasn't any indication that the two of them knew each other he'd simply thought Jake Calloway was mesmerized by the granddaughter of Felix Montenegro because she was beautiful and he held her hand a bit too long. If he had known..

His nostrils flared.

Husband.

Van was married to Jake Calloway.

Ash felt the bile come up his throat and he forced it back down.

All this time he thought he stood a chance. He thought he was giving her time to forget about her lover and the result of her mistake– because he'd thought the pregnancy wasn't supposed to happen–but he was wrong and now she was being taken from right under his nose and there's nothing he could do about it. He had a feeling grandfather wouldn't object.

Grandfather stood up after Karl left muttering words Ash didn't catch and left the table. While he just sat there like an idiot.