Chapter 7 Exposed Secrets

Just to see Mr Felix, Valeria was asked to wait at the reception seat. She waited since, she's determined.

"Isn't he around?!" Valeria's stormed. Her voice filled the air like an aroma, Mr Felix came to see what was happening for himself.

When he saw her, he was shocked but angry with the fact that she was causing another commotion in his work place.

"What else do you want here, Valeria? Why the noise?" His eyes narrowed at her.

"She wanted to see but I asked her to wait. For no reason, she raised her voice at me, sir." Lydia reported, a little bit offended.

With this, Valeria walked towards him, with his question, unanswered. He was shocked her audacity and never thought it was as real. 'She should be in school right now or wasn't she able to pay her turn fee yet?' he thought.

Miss Lydia wanted to explain herself again, but he told her not to worry. It was so unlike him and he wasn't settled at the thought of all he had done to her.

Mr. Felix walked to her and watched the seriousness in her eyes. It's as if fire was burning, and she had something to say. "Come on, let's go." He demanded.

Valeria followed him into his office and he closed the door immediately.

She sat on one of the chairs face ng his marbled deal while he sat opposite her, in his executive chair.

"Why the commotion again, Val? What's it again? I thought we were settled?"

She suddenly looked tensed. If felt as if his frozen words her stabbed her heart. Unable to start any argument, she handed him the pregnancy result. Mr. Felix was wondering what it was exactly and opened it, out of curiosity.

"I got this few Days ago from the school clinic." She started.

"What? Tell me this is a lie!" he blustered speechlessly, as his eyes scrolled through the sheet of paper.

"I wish it was, Mr. Felix. My life wouldn't have been as miserable as this. I would have been in class receiving lectures by now. I'm pregnant for you sir, and I can't keep quiet right now. I can no longer hold any more secrets."

"You have no choice! Do you think you have the right to refuse?!" He walked up to her, sitting on his desk. Facing her her and slightly stoops, grabbing her face and twists her chin with force but she jerked his hand off.

"You will tell no one about this! You'll do as I say, else? I'll force myself to do what I've been avoiding all these years! I'll kill you... Just the way I killer your parents!!"

"What! You did what?!" Tears formed in her eyes. She just couldn't believe his words.

"Yes, you heard me right! Your sister, Zainab is my biological daughter and I had her with your mum long ago just like I had with you... Poor woman, I guess she wanted a son to save her marriage."

"What?! That's isn't possible! Mum would have never done that! Except if you had forced her the way you usually do!" A single tear rolled down her red cheek.

"Keep it down Val! You're in my office. I can easily silence you forever, you know... And nobody would know about it!" He warned.

"It's a lie Mr Felix, Mother would never stoop so low you must have drugged her or something... That's what you're good at. I hate you, Mr. Felix. You're worse than the devil... You ruined my life, and my family!" More tears poured down her face as she spoke, almost choking in her own tears.

"This is so unbelievable! You must be cooking stories up just to silence me somehow, right?" She faced him, wiping off the tears that lingered. "I know my parents more than you'll ever do!"

"Oh, stop saying nonsense... I've known your parents over twenty years now, long before your birth. I introduced the both of them together, you know. I was meant to marry Michelle. In fact, I fell in love with your mother long before Ben came and snatch her away from me. It's an old story, you won't understand... " He hissed, pouring hot coffee from a stainless flask.

Valeria felt her heart racing as the hatred for him increased. Mr Felix looked at her and fell into a wicked laughter. Then, it fades into his usual crooked smile.

"Think whatever you want, Valeria, you have no idea what I'm capable of." he gulped down the hot coffee into his dried throat and focused his eyes at her with a stern look.

"I wasn't sure your dad would have kept quiet for long so... I took him out of the picture. It was so unfortunate, wasn't it? Yet, your mother didn't marry me even after his planned death. She was meant to suffer like that and die in my hands after all."

He squeezed her face and pushing her away.

Valeria felt used and abused, knowing she really meant nothing to him. Not even her family, or her dad.

His mouth felt so wet and soft that he gently chewed on his lower lip with another evil plan growing in him with anger. An anger that was hard to reach and impossible to find at any way.

The director grabbed the phone on his table and called in the security guards.

"Take this!" he threw five thousand dollars notebook to her face.

"I don't want anyone to know about this, Valeria! Abort the pregnancy as soon as possible and let's forget anything ever happened between us."

"What?! Look here Mr Felix! You can't throw me out of your life like this okay! You used me! You owe me so much sir! I'll never forgive you! Perhaps, I would never murder an innocent child just because you want to keep this a secret. Put it as the back of you're mind Felix! I'll never abort this baby!!" She spat at his face, Not bothering about picking or even looking at the money. His filty money.

He rolled his red eyes at her, already feeling bittered.

Two built security guards came in not long after.

"Take her away and never let her in, ever again!" Mr. Felix commanded.

"You are a liar, Mr Felix! All you said was a lie. My sister, Zainab can never be your daughter! I swear on this day sir, you'll surely pay for humilating me like this! I promise you!! You'll regret ever ruining my family!!!" she barked as the guards dragged her out.

Her struggling voice faded in an echo until she was thrown outside.

Mr Felix glanced at the security guards until they completely left.

"Take that filty thing out of here right now and make sure she never comes her, ever again. Beat her up if you want, I don't care! And please... I need to be alone. No more visit or for today, okay?" He announced to the other guards and Miss Lydia, his secretary.

"Okay sir!" They replied in obedience.

"I'll definitely come back, sir! I'll report you to the police and make sure you pay!!" She cried as the guards pushed her to the ground like a piece of trash, out of the building and locked the entrance door.

Things are getting out of hand for Valeria. She was helpless once again in her life. First, her mother's death. Now, she's pregnant with a bastard child of someone she hated the most in this world. Nobody knows what would happen next; maybe, giving birth to it, alive.

'How would I give birth to this baby into this wicked world? How would I abort an innocent child when my mother didn't abort me.... I can't bear the pain of abortion, it would hunt me later in life. The experience of having an abortion at 17 would be a disgrace to my upbringing. How can I go through with this? I'm sure, mum and dad's spirit would be disappointed in me right now. No! I have to keep this child, no matter what.' Valeria pondered over the thought.

She stopped a taxi and went back to Mississippi. That afternoon, Valeria decided to meet Doctor Ashley and her little sister, Scarlett. She had to tell them the truth no matter how bitter. The truth would always remain the truth.

Scarlett was on her way back from school when she met Valeria by the gate. She would have easily used the alarm or called Doctor Ashley but she choose to stay outside instead.

'Thinking of how to get in, what to say and how she would say it...' this was what was praying on Humaira's mind.

Scarlett watched Valeria waiting by the gate. Excitement laced her eyes as she recognized that it was her sister.

"Sis Vally!" Scarlett ran to her sister with a big hug. "When did you come back from school? Why did you come so early??" She asked the questions with a bright smile.

Valeria felt emotional as she was hugging Zainab. Tears clouded in her eyes because, she loved Scarlett so much and it was very painful to think she didn't severe as a good sister to her. She wasn't a good example for Scarlett at all. Instead of protecting and easing her from any more problem and worries, she was adding to it, instead.

The thought of Mr Felix claiming to be Scarlett's biological father ran through her mind. She couldn't help but to think about what he said. They might be not be blood related after all, whatever happens, she would never tell Zainab about her true identity. Whether the claim was true or false...

The thought of loosing Scarlett to Mr Feix would be another heartbreak. Valeria decided to keep it a secret from her, for as long as possible.

"Let's get in." Valeria smiled, as the two sisters walked into the storey building.

"Doctor Ashley isn't around. She usually gets home from work in the evening." Scar reported. "Why don't you call her, sis?" She suggested. Taking off her bag-pack.

"No... I want to surprise her the way I surprised you." Valeria joked.

Scar took her sister into her room and showed her around. It was very beautiful and everything Valeria ever wanted in a room were inside. Just like it was before their father's death; a television set, shelf of books, a big soft bed, and a wide standing mirror. Scar went into the kitchen to prepare noodles for lunch.

Val admired her sister from afar. She has become a bit taller and fresher than before.

"She must be living a very beautiful and happy life here with Doctor Ashley." Valeria thought.

"How's studies?" She asked while Scar sets the table.

"Fine, fine. Everything is going on smoothly. I must say Doctor Ashley is a blessing in disguise. She paid my school fees and bought all my textbooks for this term... The ones I couldn't get. She also registered me for the school's after lesson."

"Wow! Seriously.... It's good to know. Just study hard, Okay?"

"Okay sis... " Scar muttered, gulping a cup of cold water down her throat.

"So... Any gist for me so far?" Scar brought up.

"No... Not really but I definitely have something! Trust me!"

"Hmmmm... I trust you." Scar laughed out loud. Excitement in her voice and action.

Valeria laughed hard. She had missed this part of Scar for a very long time now. And she needed it. Scarlett wasn't just her sister but her best friend. Her only best friend. Waiting to hear all Scar's school rants and all the area gossips she used to keep till her arrival from school.

"Please Scar! Tell me now." Valeria was getting impatient.

"It's nothing big and I'm not yet sure, but I heard Doctor Ash saying she wants to leave America."

"What?!"

"Yes, she was speaking with her daughter on the phone the other day and she said she was going to take me along. I think she's trying to work a transfer to Paris first. She'll be retiring in ten years."

"Seriously? That would be awesome! I'm so excited... " Valeria twitched. "So I might leave America to pay you a visit some day?"

"Yes but I'm not happy about it... " Scar admitted with a little frown.

"Why?" Valeria moved closer, interestedly.

"One, I don't want to say far from you. You know if not for financial issues, I would have followed you to Johnson and study in their staff school." Scar looked so sad while explaining. "Number two, The scholarship! All my hardwork to get a scholarship would go in vain just because I want to school in Paris."

"Don't worry Scar, studying in another country is better than studying in one place, you know. You'll get more experienced and we'll exposed. You'll dream big and live a better life. Wait and see. You don't know how fortunate you are yet, those people are more advanced than we are in everything." Valeria persuaded.

"Really?" Scar raised her eyebrows in unison.

"Yes, really. You might even meet your prince charming there... Don't just forget you have an elder sister in America."

"Vallie, please stop that joke. I would be going there to improve my studies not to search for price charming or whatever? Perhaps, I want to be a medical Doctor like Doctor Ashley... " Scar shyly confessed, burying her flushed face in both palms.

"Wow! That's nice... So can I call you doctor Scar now? I'm so glad you want to follow her footsteps, at least. Doctor Ashley can guide you through." Valeria advised.

Just then, they heard a sound of footsteps coming towards their direction. Turning back to see who it was, Doctor Ashley walked in and the girls went to welcome her.

"Hello darling. I'm back home!"

"You're back..." They chorused with happy faces.

"Welcome ma." Valeria rushed to her.

"What?! When did you come back?" Doctor Ashley looked surprised, noticing Valeria's presence.

"Just yesterday evening ma."

"What? Why didn't you come here? Hope all is well?"

"Yes ma, Everything is fine."

"Why are you back from school? I mean.... It's a surprise to see you again."

"Yes doctor Ashley, I even to see you for something urgent. I need your advice on an issue." She requested.

"And you couldn't call?" The doctor queried.

"No, it isn't a phone conversation..." Valeria muttered, dropping her head to the ground as if she suddenly went sad. Her fingers were peeling the nails of each finger. Watching her do this, Doctor Ashley knew she's just being nervous.

She could read the words in her eyes. "Okay then, I'm a bit tired now but let's go to my room, since it's something urgent."

Scar wanted to follow them but Valeria asked her to stay behind, it was an adult talk.