Chapter

Ever since Serena had sat down to dinner with Sarah, she has kept her eyes on the plate while stirring her soup with the spoon in a distracting way.

"Did he tell you that?" Sarah asked with disbelief, Serena nodded "you should have given him the strongest blow of his life in his stupid face" she folded her arms "he's an idiot. Serena he doesn't know bout anything you when through; a guy got you pregnant and abandoned you, at least he is lucky enough to have the chance to be with his daughter but, he is judging you, after not even being able to support his daughter on her play, what a son of a bitch". she drunk angrily from her glass of water.

Serena decided not to correct the little fact that her boss was the same man who had abandoned her five years ago and that, that was the reality that had so deeply hurt her. For Sarah Elliot was still unaccounted for and since he had acted as if they had made a clean slate, she has refrained from making claims, therefore, he did not know the dire consequences with which he had left her behind and it was better to maintain everything as it was, besides, the more Sarah hated her boss the better; that way it would prevent Elliot from discovering how her past relationship has affected her and as for Elliot, she will continue to show him the mirage that for her there had only been an adventure without compromises between them. She had to be smart, if Elliot finds out that they had a daughter she will never be able to recover her, and without her maternal rights

re-established she would lose all hopes if taken to court.

"Hey ..." Sarah said covering Serena's hand between hers, pulling her out of her reverie, why don't you look for another job? This is not good for you from what I see.

"I just need ... to rest and I'll know what to do," Serena answered, trying to end the issue so that Sarah wouldn't give it any more thought.

"I think you already know what to do, you should report him for labor abuse and find another place," Sara continued more subtly but she already knew that Serena would not do any of that.

She knew something else must have happened for Serena didn't take everything at heart and it was hard to see her as devasted as she has found her by the foot's of the couch a while ago.

"But I need the job," Serena supported herself effusively.

"Okay, okay," she smiled as she squeezed her hand. "You can stay then, but don't let yourself be abused." She got up and took the dishes to the sink.

For Sarah, Serena was one of the people for who she cared about after the death of her parents, so if she had to speak up for her she wouldn't turn her back on the issue, after all, she did not work there, which would allow her to speak to the bastard of her boss with complete freedom.

"Well I ..." she sat next to Serena again, "I think Collins is deceiving me," she said in a sad voice "he has excuses ... and once lied to me about where he was going."

"I don't think that's it," Serena tried to excuse Collins but she couldn't think of anything more than what it already seemed to her. "I don't know, what it could be, but there has to be some explanation.".

" oh, yeah?" She took a short sip of her coffee, "for he still hasn't given it to me".

"Sarah, Collins and you have been together for a long time and have always been close; I think there's something else going on". She smiled at Sarah to calm her down when her mobile made the whole table vibrate, releasing tensions from the situation.

"Who is it?" asked Sarah, taking more sips of her linden.

Serena looked at the screen with suspicion and doubt "I don't know" she saw a private number on her cell phone and it was the first time she had seen it.

"Aren't you going to take it?" Sara asked and she finally gave in to answer.

"Alo?" she asked and waited a few seconds for the receiver's intervention.

"Hi, Mom!".

Kloe's voice invaded each of her ear canals, such was Serena's surprise that her eyes widened into a bewildered expression.

"Who is it?" Sara asked again looking curiously as she wore a half-smile.

Serena looked around trying to figure out what the best next move would be and decided she would start by keeping the conversation private.

"I ... I...I'll be back" she got up clumsily from her seat and hurried out of the kitchen leaving a stunned Sarah to be able to attend to a persistent Kloe calling her.

"Mom?" Kloe asked on the other end of the line. "Mom," she crooned calling her once more.

"Kloe ... honey ... where are you?" she asked, trying to calm herself but the mere idea that Elliot was aware of everything made her hysterical. She started walking from one point to another.

"I'm at home, I'm going to sleep," the girl commented excitedly. "Are you going to help me sleep, mom?"

"I ... very well darling, go to bed" if she was lucky, her boss didn't even know that her daughter was talking to her "very well, you are a beautiful girl" she could hear her laugh and move, which created a great smile on Serena's face.

"Mommy, are you not going to sleep with us?" suddenly a bad feeling settled in her chest, something was certainly not right about her having her father's phone and even being able to call her.

Her mind started imagining thousand and one situations in which she could excuse what she has done, she could describe him the situation in which she has found kloe in with those two girls and terminate saying she has done it to save her the embarrassment, that could do, and she wouldn't be far from the truth .she knew that something was wrong

" honey..." she swallowed the bile that was drowning her "where is your dad?"

Serena heard her jiggling and playing around before she said :

"Daddy ... is here".