Chapter 6

EMILY'S POV

Today has been a whole lot to process.

Finding out about my pregnancy, my first pregnancy after four years. I spent the rest of the day preparing my surprise party for my husband… or rather ex-husband. 

It hurt me to say it, but it was the truth. He had, after all, not waited for me to tell him our news and had thrown divorce papers at my face. 

Then finding out that he had cheated on me with none other than my cousin. Lucy.

I knew she had always had the hots for Gregory and I never thought this day would come.

When I thought I couldn't get any more shocked, I found out for the first time that I had a grandfather that was alive, and not just any random person… The William Wesley! 

I was completely overwhelmed with all that I had experienced today. 

Now I was traveling all the way to Montreal on a private jet, which, by the way, was also my first time in one. 

Too many firsts in one day.

I just wanted to sleep and wake up and find out that this was all a dream. But the flight attendant wouldn't even let me do that.

She had come twice before to urge me to have dinner, but I had declined both times.

This time she came with the tray and dropped it for me.

“Just for when you feel like eating,” she said with a practiced, plastic smile.

I gave a small smile back at her.

If only she knew the day I had had.

I murmured my thanks and tried to take a bite of the sumptuous meal before me, but I couldn't even stomach the food properly. I abandoned it after that.

I thought of Gregory again. He was at home, with Lucy. The way he had looked at me with disdain was something I couldn't forget in a hurry.

 How could I eat? 

I shook my head, why was he thinking about him again? He had chosen to divorce me. He wasn't worth my thoughts.

I had given him four years of my life only to be treated like I was worth nothing.

I instinctively rubbed my stomach.

My baby...

I didn't mind raising him on my own at all, because his father didn't want me.

With a vengeance, I grabbed my plate and forced myself to eat. I had to for my growing child. The last thing I wanted to do right now was focus on someone who rejected me.

I felt eyes on me.

It was Thomas. He was sitting across from me with a small smile on his face.

He was watching me with interest like I was a character he had never seen before.

I realized how I looked devouring my food and I slowed down and gave him an awkward smile. He shook his head and went back to staring at his tab.

I finished my meal and cleared my throat.

"How far along are we?" I asked, to make conversation.

Thomas looked up, his eyes widening a bit. Like he hadn't expected me to ask questions. Like who wouldn't?

It was my first time finding out my grandfather was somewhere alive in this world.

"We'll be there in the next twenty minutes." He replied with a smile, as if to reassure me.

"How well did you know my mother?" I asked 

He set his tablet aside, like I had asked how the world began.

"Your mother... Hmmm," he started, "I'd known her since she was a child. I have been Mr Wesley's assistant for over forty years."

This time my eyes widened. He didn't look that old.

If it had been under different circumstances, I would have asked what his skin care routine was.

He continued not noticing my amazement.

"Mr Wesley is a tough man." He said with so much respect in his eyes, "But after your mom... after she left, he had the first heart attack."

My mouth opened in shock.

"His health began to deteriorate since then. That's why he wanted to see you..." Thomas looked at me intently.

I didn't know what to say.

But somehow I felt sad for this man I had never met. 

But I refused to give in easily.

"What makes now any different?" I said harshly, "Why didn't he search for her while she was still alive?"

A passing emotion shone in his eyes like sadness or regret, I couldn't tell.

"He did. But your mom changed her name and number. She wanted to disappear completely. Even when she fell ill, she never reached out to Mr Wesley.”

I picked up the envelope he had given me earlier with all the pictures. I saw the glint in William Wesley's eyes as he stood beside my mother. I didn't know if I had it in me to call him grandad yet.

I had led a tough life not knowing I had family somewhere in this world, and it was not the kind of life I wanted for my unborn child. Its father was already out of the picture by his choice and I would do anything to protect my child. 

I didn't understand the situation with the granddad story right now but I held a wall over my heart until I met him.

I stared at the photograph again, and I felt all sorts of emotions seeing a younger, little version of my mom. I also felt a different form of emotion for this man who claimed to have been looking for my mother for over twenty years.

What was the feeling? Happiness that someone wanted me? Anger at my mother for lying to me? Suspicion that all this could be just one big fat lie?

I couldn't place my feelings yet. But these were reasonable feelings that fitted my situation at the moment.

My mother's smile was one of a kind. Some even said I had her smile. I traced my finger across the photograph.

I whispered under my breath, "Mom, I don't know what the hell is going on..."

Or what was waiting for me as soon as I landed.

•••

Just as he said, twenty minutes later we had arrived. I didn't know where we were.

The plane touched down on a private runway.

How rich was this grandfather of mine really?

"Where are we?"

"This is your grandfather's private lane."

I rolled my eyes dramatically. Obviously, I could see that.

Just when I started to feel a bit cold and pulling my coat tighter around myself, a black car came around and stood in front of me. A tall older man got out of the car.

You could tell from his stance that he had never struggled in life.

There was something familiar about him though.

The sharp eyes and the pointed nose... just like my mom's. Just like mine.

"Mr Wesley," Thomas said.

"Thomas, how was your trip?"

Rather than replying, Thomas just nodded and, for some reason walked away leaving just the two of us.

But I was still stuck at the name.

Mr Wesley? But he didn't look old enough to be my grandfather and was certainly not the man I saw in the photo. He looked like he was in his early forties.

He looked at me for a long time till I began to feel uncomfortable. It took me a moment to notice that there were tears in his eyes.

Then he pulled me into a hug, surprising me.

"You look so much like her..."