Chapter 2 Chapter 2: A Cold Revelation
Ava Duval
Two months had passed after I overheard the discussion between Damian and Serena. I was too scared to confront either of them, afraid of what I would find out.
But I used that chance to dig, and the horror I uncovered was enough to break one person.
I had slowly become a stranger in my own home with the way the children began tilting towards Serena and giving her more of their affection.
Even Damian, who was always busy with work, often stayed back these days to spend quality time with Serena under the guise that he needed to look after her health since he couldn't trust me to do that.
Day by day, I found my marriage slipping out of my grasp, and there was nothing I could do to save it. I was scared of letting go because I had no other place to go. I had given up my entire life just to make this marriage work, and I was scared for my future.
Something pressed over my face, and my eyes snapped open instantly, everywhere was dark and heavy. I couldn't breathe. There was a weight over my head and face, and in panic, I jumped to my feet, shoving whatever was on top of me away.
"Leo!" I yelled when I saw him holding on to the pillow and nursing the bruise on his forehead.
"I was playing," he whispered, his eyes glistening with tears from hurting himself.
"Playing?" My voice came out sharp. "You put a pillow over my face. Do you know what that does? I couldn't breathe! Do you know you could have killed me if I was in deep sleep, huh?"
My chest was heaving up and down as I was still struggling to take in deep breaths of air to calm my lungs that had almost collapsed.
His chin trembled, looking dejected as he looked down to the floor, unable to meet my eyes. "I'm sorry, mommy. I was just playing, and I…" He was already snivelling as the tears poured from his eyes.
My tone softened as I walked towards him and pulled him into my arms. "You don't play like that. Ever. Do you understand me?"
He nodded as he burrowed his face into my neck, and I welcomed the feeling.
Our little moment was interrupted by the sound of Serena coming down the stairs with Isla in her arms. Leo, on seeing her, jumped out of my arms and rushed towards her.
"Leo…" Serena cooed as she bent low to scoop him into her arms too, and I felt my heart drop, and the sadness I had been trying to bury resurfaced.
"How are you… Wait!" Serena's voice turned sharp instantly, which made me snap my head towards them.
"Did you do this?" Serena slowly dropped Isla on the floor and picked up Leo to show me his wounds.
"Did you do this to Leo? How dare you? How could you be so wicked and vile to do this to a little child? Is it because he didn't come from your womb? Is that the reason why you would hurt an innocent child? Aren't you despicable, Ava?"
I was stunned by how everything just turned out to be my fault. "No, it's not that. I wasn't…" I was trying to explain, but Serena wasn't having any of it as the tears began pouring from her eyes.
"You're a terrible person, Ava." She sniffed. "I wonder what Damian saw in you in the first place. Is this the way you behave when he's not around?"
She was raising her voice this time, and I knew it was to get Damian's attention.
Soon enough, the sound of his footsteps came, and he was behind Serena in a second, already taking her side without trying to find out what the issue was.
"Ava…" Damian began tiredly. "Why don't you want Serena to have peace in this house? Why are you always stressing her? Why are you always making her yell? Don't you get tired of your bad behaviour?"
"Damian…" I shot at him. "You haven't even asked what happened, and you're already taking her side."
"Do I need to ask?" He responded stubbornly. "Serena is already shouting, isn't that enough?"
"If only I was shouting because she hurt me, but look…" She sniffled as she pointed to the little bruise on Leo's forehead. "She is harming the kids, Damian. See it for yourself."
"He tried to suffocate me, and I panicked, okay? I panicked!" I tried to explain myself but to no avail because Damian's eyes had turned red instantly.
"How dare you, Ava?" He shouted. "You know how fragile the children are. Why did you hurt him? Do you know I can have you arrested for this? Do you know the trauma you have caused this child? Is it because they didn't come from your womb?"
That was the statement that broke me. The fact that my husband brought up the worst pain I had ever gone through five years ago, and threw it in my face just because of his mistress. The corners of my eyes prickled with tears as I rose to my feet.
"Damian…" The first tear rolled down my eyes. "Why would you bring that up? Why? After everything we went through during that period? After I took care of them regardless of my mental health? Why would you think I would hurt the children I raised and loved? Why, Damian? Is it because of her?"
I pointed towards Serena, and Damian hesitated for a second, seeing the tears in my eyes.
"We have security cameras all over this house, and if you want to check if I've ever harmed them, you have the liberty to do so, but why will you bring that up?"
My chest burned in pain as I turned on my heels and hurried towards the guestroom I was now staying in. I wouldn't cry in front of them.
Alone in the room, I reached under my blouse and pulled out the locket, pressing my thumb into the engraved initials until they bit into my skin. A.V.
I had built a life without any family to call mine. I had made a family from nothing. And now Serena was telling me that even that had been a lie. I shoved it back and wiped my eyes.
"She's hurt, Damian. Let me go talk to her, okay?"
I vaguely heard Serena stopping Damian from following me until I got to the room and was about to close the door when Serena stopped it from closing and stepped inside.
"What do you want?"
The corner of Serena's mouth pulled into a smirk.
"Haven't you had enough of everything? Why can't you leave already and let Damian and me live together as a happy family? Why don't you get the message?"
"I built this life with him, and I'm not letting you come in and screw everything up. I took care of the children with him and created memories. If anything, you should be the one leaving!" I told her, not caring how pathetic I looked under Serena's cold stare.
"You think they are your children?" She scoffed and folded her arms across her chest.
"Yes, they are my children! I raised them myself!"
"Oh?" Her smirk deepened as she began twirling her pinky finger in her hair.
"For children that Damian told you he adopted for you, you're really referring to them as your children?" She leaned in closer. "Will it interest you when I say the children are biologically mine and his?"
I did not flinch or step back as I shot back with gritted teeth. "They don't have to be my blood to be my children."
Serena looked at me with a sudden realization.
"So you do know that the children belong to him and me, but you've not confronted him, have you? And why is that? Scared of the truth? Of what he will tell you about my relationship with him? Of how he will tell you I sabotaged your pregnancy and felt bad about it because I was jealous?"
I felt my blood run cold. "What. Did. you. Say?"
"Heh…" She chuckled slightly. "You didn't know? We gave birth on the same day, sweetheart. And Damian was with me the entire night while you had no one to drive you to the hospital."
She paused, and the evil look in her eyes was back. "And when you finally managed to get there, what happened? I asked the nurse to switch the medication. So, after your prolonged labour plus the medication, guess the best news I heard?" She cocked her head to the side. "You lost your womb."
"You're lying. None of that is true." My blood was boiling. There was no way any of this could be the truth.
"Oh? You don't believe me?" She shook her head in pity. "I almost died after birth, which I would say was my karma, due to kidney failure. But, again, guess whose kidney saved my life? Guess whose kidney reunited me with my children again?"
"You're lying! You're a sick woman, and you're lying!" That was the only thing I could believe. My mind could not comprehend such vileness. "Damian would have you arrested for this!"
"Oh, please… Wait until I sleep with him again tonight and give him another child, and we'll see if he would believe a barren and broken woman, or me."
"You bitch!" I saw red as I rushed Serena and gave her a loud slap on her cheeks.
Serena screamed at the top of her voice, and Damian came running to the scene, where he saw Serena clutching her cheeks and her tummy.
"She's crazy, Damian! She wants to kill our child." She cradled her stomach. "She wants me dead too!"
And that was when I realized, with horror, that Serena was already pregnant with my husband.
