Chapter 25-Déjà vu
“What is it, son? Do you think I want to bully the young woman?” Edmund asked his son with a deep frown on his face.
It was because Aaron had defensively asked him why he wanted to talk to Tessa that Edmund responded with his own accusatory question.
Aaron furrowed his brows. His father was a strict business man but he was a good man. Although sometimes, as people grow older they begin to get stubborn.
If it was back then when he was young, all Aaron had to do was say the word and his father would have moved heaven and earth to cancel that contract.
He glanced at his father and remarked, “I didn’t say you would bully her, Dad. I just want to know what business you have with her. If there’s something you want to know, I’m in a better position to give you the answers you seek.”
Edmund’s frown deepened and the air around him turned frosty as he glared at his son. Clicking his tongue, he spat, “Do you think I’m a fool? I want to talk to her because she’s the only one who’s
suitable to give me the information I want.”
Tessa saw that they were about to fight so she decided to stop them. She peered at Aaron and said. “It’s ok, Aaron. I’m sure your father just wants to know more about the children. Go and show the kids the horses. I’ll be fine.”
The space between Aaron’s eyebrows tightened. A sense of unease settled in his stomach and he didn’t want to leave Tessa alone, even for one minute.
However, the kids tugged at his pants impatiently, “Let’s go, Daddy! We want to see the horses! I want to ride one!” Willa chirped. “Yes, Daddy. Don’t worry about Mommy, she’s with Grandpa.”
Aaron had a conflicted look on his face but Tessa nodded at him in assurance. He then glanced at his father and mouthed, ‘be nice’, before leaving with the kids.
Edmund clicked his tongue again when he saw this. He looked at Tessa and commented. “It must have been hard to raise three children on your own. How did you cope?”
At his question, Tessa briefly took a trip down memory lane. She remembered how it was hard to feed three babies at once. Sometimes, it was hard to find money for milk and she often asked Harry for help.
That vulnerability was what made her take a course in architectural design and it was the right motivation that pushed her to work hard.
She didn’t want to find herself in a situation where she was broke and not able to take care of her kids. Her suffering was what fueled her passion to be an independent woman.
Her eyes stung when she recalled the painful memories but she quickly blinked back her tears. She might have gone through hell on earth, but that situation was what made her grow into the woman she was today.
A smile crossed her lips as she responded to Edmund’s question. “It wasn’t easy to raise them for sure. But I persevered and managed to provide for them like any responsible parent would.”
Edmund nodded in approval. He thought the young woman was quite resourceful. Raising three kids was not an easy feat. Heck, he remembered how hard it was for him and his wife when they just had Aaron By that time, the company was just starting so they struggled a lot.
A thought suddenly occurred to him and he chuckled. ‘No wonder Aaron is in love with her.’ Peering at Tessa, he questioned, “I can see that my son is smitten with you. Do you love him?”
Tessa’s eyes flew open at his question. Her heart rate skyrocketed and she felt something twist in her stomach. She wasn’t expecting him to ask that question.
Love? She didn’t dare think about it. She was just happy with their current arrangement. Aaron loved the children and that’s what mattered.
Edmund squinted his eyes at her. He noticed how she looked hesitant to answer and a wave of anger surged through him.
‘She doesn’t love my precious boy and yet she gave birth to his children? What is her aim?’
His demeanour turned cold as he questioned her, “Why aren’t you responding? Don’t you love him?”
Tessa shifted in her seat. She braced herself and decided to tell him the truth. She looked at him and began to reply, “A lot of things happened-”
However, Edmund cut her off before she could finish her sentence. He had wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt because she gave them adorable children but after seeing her hesitate, he changed his opinion of her.
“No need to say it. I’ve already gotten my answer. I’m afraid I cannot allow my son to marry you or else he will be unhappy.”
Tessa’s eyes grew into the size of dinner plates. ‘What is he talking about? When did I say I wanted to marry Aaron?’
Edmund sighed and took out a chequebook. He then opened it and placed it on the coffee table.
“You can enter any amount you want. As the kids’ mother, you deserve more.”
Seeing the chequebook, Tessa’s heart sank to the depths of her stomach. She felt a sense of déjà vu as she recalled how Aaron had given her a cheque in a similar manner.
To get rid of her. Her eyes turned red and for some reason, they welled up with tears. She peered at Edmund and asked angrily, “What is the meaning of this, Sir?”
Edmund sat back on the couch and narrowed his eyes at her.
“It’s a token of appreciation for giving birth to the children. However, they need to start getting used to the woman who will raise them, so they should live here. You will still be their mother and can still visit them but they will be raised by Serena and Aaron when they get married ”
Tessa felt like someone was squeezing her heart and then a wave of fury rushed through her.
“I am their mother! I’m still alive! Why should they be raised by another woman?” She growled, her motherly instincts coming to the surface.
‘I knew this would happen! They want to get my kids from me. I will never allow it!’
“Serena loves Aaron and she wants to marry him. You want to raise the kids but you don’t love him and don’t even want to marry him, do you want my boy to grow old alone?” Edmund spat angrily.
Tessa got to her feet. She was too angry, she was afraid she would say something that wasn’t appropriate for an elderly man.
“I’ve never stopped Aaron from getting married. He and Serena can marry and live a blissful life. for all I care. But I’ll not be handing my kids over to them. THEY ARE MY KIDS! With all due respect, Mr Wentworth, stay away from us.”
Her chest was heaving and she was breathing heavily. She turned in the direction that Aaron and the kids had left and ran after them, shouting, “Reagan! Willa! Nia! Come, let’s go home!”
At the same time, Aaron was smiling from ear to ear as he helped his kids ride his black horse, Sasha
All three of them were on the horse and he held the reins while he guided the horse to walk around the field.
“Wow! I love riding horses, Daddy! Sasha is a good horse!” Willa chirped with a big grin on her adorable face.
She had cried at first because she was scared of the horse but Aaron managed to calm her down. It wasn’t easy but he got the hang of it.
He was getting used to having kids and how to handle them.
Nia began to bounce on the horse but Aaron quickly stopped her.
“Sit still, Nia. We don’t want to agitate the horse. Just be calm,” he said and she listened.
“Can we ride Sasha every day, Daddy?” Nia asked in a cute voice, her blue eyes gleaming.
“Only during the weekend. You have to go to school during the weekdays, so it’s not possible to come here every day,” Aaron replied gently.
“You should teach Mommy how to ride horses, Daddy. She doesn’t know.” It was Reagan who said this time, not forgetting to remember his mother.
They were on a mission to make her marry Aaron so that they could live together and he was trying his best to bring them closer.
Aaron chuckled and ruffled his son’s dark brown hair. He was about to reply when Tessa’s voice caught his attention.
“Reagan’ Girls! It’s time to leave. Let’s go home!”
He furrowed his eyebrows and steadied Sasha Tessa didn’t sound like herself and worry crept into him as he wondered if something bad had transpired.
“Whoa whoa whoa…” He said, pulling at the reins to stop the horse. When the horse stopped, he helped the kids down and then handed over the reins to the worker.
“Let’s go check on Mommy. She’s looking for you,” he remarked as he led the kids away from the field. They soon found Tessa but smoke was coming out of her ears and her eyes were bloodshot. For some reason, Aaron’s stomach knotted. A bad feeling crept into him as he approached her.
His eyebrows creased in worry as he inquired, “Tessa, what’s wrong?” However, Tessa didn’t feel like talking to him. She spread out her arms and called for her kids.
“Reagan, Willa, Nia, let’s go home.”.
Willa clutched onto her father’s pants, her bottom lip wobbled as she refused, “I’m still playing with Daddy.”
Tessa’s heart clenched. The children had gotten used to Aaron. They would be heartbroken if she stopped him from seeing them.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and proposed. “Let’s go and have ice cream. Don’t you want ice cream?”
Aaron noticed that she was deliberately ignoring him so he questioned, “What happened? Did my father say something?”
“Why don’t you ask him? I just want my children, Aaron. Please give them back to me.” Her voice was cracking and Aaron could tell that she was about to cry.
He bent over to look at the kids and said, “Go and wait with Mommy in the car. I’ll take you for ice cream”
The kids were not moving so Tessa moved forward and pulled them to her side, she then cast Aaron a cold look that felt like someone had stabbed him.
“Please stay away from us. I wish you a happy marriage.” She then turned and walked away with the kids.
