TRUTH OF THE PAST V

Yvonne was discharged later in the afternoon after Chadwick took care of all the paperworks. He drove her back to her apartment after getting the address from her.

"This place was quite far from where you fainted. How did you arrive in that far place from where you live?" Chadwick asked after escorting her back to her place.

"I was just walking around. Thank you for your help." Yvonne smiled at him. She was about to open her door when she remembered what he said earlier. She turned to face him once again but her eyes were averting to look at him. "Uuhhm...Chad...it's not that I'm assuming but I have to make things clear. What I'm trying to say is...What I'm saying is...Uhmm..."

"I still like you." Chadwick cut her off. "All these years, I still like you. Am I too late?"

"Since it come to this point. I would be honest. I have a child now. I'm in the process of getting him back from my family." Yvonne truthfully told him her status. The pain and anger that crossed her eyes didn't escape Chadwick's observation.

"I guess there's more to this. I won't invade your privacy if you don't want to share it with me. I'll go home now. Goodnight." He kissed her forehead which shocked Yvonne the most but he didn't give her time to react before he left in a hurry.

"I'm so tired. I don't want to see him again. I just want to get my son back. Ivan." Remembering what happened, Yvonne couldn't help but cry from pain. Pain of not being able to keep her promise to the man she once loved. Pain of not getting her son back. Pain from being alone. Pain from being betrayed. Pain from everything in the world.

The world itself was painful to her.

A week later, Grace came knocking on her apartment with Ivan. "Good morning auntie!" Ivan greeted her with a basket of fruits.

"What are you doing here?" Yvonne asked her sister. Her eyes were still swollen from crying. She cried every night from pain and has been staying in her room all day. She didn't even face Chadwick who came to visit her the past few days. Seeing him brought pain to her.

"I wanted to talk to you. I don't think we could solve this without talking. There are things you must know if you don't want to lose Ivan." If the first statement didn't interest Yvonne, the last statement did.

"What do you mean?" Yvonne looked at her sister before looking at her son who stared back at her with unblinking eyes.

"Can we come inside and talk?" Grace asked since her sister didn't budge from the door.

"Get inside." Yvonne said and shut the door close after they got in. Ivan placed the basket on the coffee table. "I missed you so much." Yvonne caressed Ivan's face softly. Her eyes were full of longing and pain. "You play in that area first. I have to talk to your...to your..mom." Speaking to her son as an auntie drained so much of her energy. Ivan ran to the other side of the room where the toys are placed.

"If you want to keep him close. You need to move out, far from this place." Grace dropped an ultimatum to her.

"Why?" her question was just a word but the anger bubbling inside spoke too much.

"Your boyfriend's family saw Ivan. They looked very similar to his father when he was young and they are speculating him to be his child. Dad, asked us to change his last name and pretend as his parents. If they knew that Ivan is your child, they would take him away from you." Grace told her the truth. It was just one of the reasons but the important thing is to keep them closer even if they're not together.

"I won't give Ivan to them. No matter what happens." Yvonne said anger flashing her eyes.

"That is why you need to go away. I'll let Ivan visit you often, but you cannot change his last name or they will find out."

"Is it necessary? This place is fine." Yvonne refused her sister's refusal.

"This is not. They've investigated the place you've stayed before. Anyway, Gabriel and I bought a house in the suburb of city B. It's for you and Ivan. It's not so far but it would be convenient for the two of you." Grace offered to her sister. Even though she was wronged, she still cares about her sister.

"You're not betraying me, are you?" Yvonne squinted her eyes in doubt. It's really difficult to trust someone who betrayed you before.

"No matter what you think of me. I'm doing this for you and Ivan. Let me know what's your decision in a week." Grace stood up and called Ivan. "Say goodbye to your auntie."

"Bye auntie. I'll visit you again." Ivan smiled sweetly to Yvonne. He didn't know why but he likes his auntie better.

Not long after they left, Chadwick knocked on her door. Yvonne opened her door and raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"You look ugly." Chadwick commented on her with a grin on his face. Yvonne was about to slam the door on his face but he stuck his legs between the door and the doorframe.

"Off with your leg intact or leg broken?" she was so annoyed with his comment that she wanted to break his leg.

"Heart intact. Food for you." He reached out his hands with a bag of foods. Yvonne took it and opened the door wide for him to come in.

"You're very annoying." Yvonne told him but her face smiling.

"Alright. I'm annoying but you look awful. Have you been crying all night? Not able to get your son back yet?" Chadwick followed her to the kitchen of her apartment.

"You're damn honest, aren't you? I'm not able go get him but I could spend time with him. For some reason, I can't take him back."

"So it was clarified to you by your family? Where's the father of your child?" He really wanted to know who took her away from him.

"He's dead." Yvonne told him plainly.

"Hey. Even if you're not together, you don't really have to curse him."

"I mean it. He died before knowing I was pregnant. Anyway, I'd be leaving this place in a week."

"I just found you and you're leaving again. Are we really not meant for each other?" Chadwick joked at her but it was half meant.

"I didn't keep my promise. How unfair had I been to you? I don't want to keep you bound on that promise." Yvonne smiled but it didn't reach her eyes.