Chapter 78

~Eliana~

Alistair had dropped us at the house before ours, just like he had been doing since the past week, in order for my family members to not be aware of the fact that we were now on good terms, and I had completely forgiven him, after understanding the reasons for his actions, and seeing the honest truth that he was deeply sorry and remorseful about his actions.

Of course, my family, most especially, my parents, were not interested in knowing why he had done what he did, and they most probably weren’t ever going to forgive him for the pain and misfortune he had caused us, even though it had merely been to avenge his parents’ death, as well as to punish me because he thought I had betrayed him.

I had thought there was no reasonable explanation that could cover up the damage he had caused, but had I been in his shoes, I’d have been very hurt to learn that the same person, who I had given up my long-planned revenge for, and had shown unconditional love, had cheated on me and betrayed me.

I could understand him, but that still didn’t make up for what he had done. He still should have asked me about why I did what he thought I had done, or confirmed if it was true, before jumping into conclusion. So, even though I had sincerely forgiven him, I couldn’t forget what he had done, and our relationship was just basically co-parenting; nothing more, nothing less, irrespective of Ian’s dream of wanting the family under one roof.

For the past six years, I had lived for Ian, and had done what he wanted, but I also needed to do what was going to be in my own interest. I had a life to live, and I hoped that seeing his dad from time to time, even though he couldn’t live with him, could be enough for him.

Ian was holding his new Teddy bear tightly, and he hadn’t stopped smiling ever since we left the mall. He had definitely had a swell time today, and I was quite sure that he was going to keep today’s memory for life.

“Mum, can I have a video call with Audrey as soon as we get back inside? I want to show her this Teddy that I named after her,” He said.

“Yes, you can. I’ll call her mother via video call, while you talk her ears off,” I said, wearing a sly smile.

“I don’t talk a lot,” He argued.

“I never said you did. Did I? It’s your guilt that’s pricking your conscience,” I said, sticking out my tongue at him.

“I’m not feeling guilty, mum. I’m just telling the truth,” He said.

“And what exactly is the truth?” I retorted.

“That I don’t talk a lot,” He replied, with a pout.

“If that were true, you would have stopped talking a long time ago,” I said, opening the door, and we stepped inside the house.

“Why should he stop talking when it is the right time to start talking?” My mum asked, as soon as we got inside.

“What?” I asked, feeling very confused.

She was standing, with her hands placed on her waist, as if she was looking for a fight. “Where did you both go off to?” She asked.

My dad was sitting on the couch, tapping his feet on the ground, in an aggressive manner. Eleanora sat with her legs crossed, glaring at me. I was still in a daze, seeing the cold vibe my family was giving off, when Elvira stormed into the house, looking like she could strangle me at any moment.

“Mum, dad, I saw them again. He dropped them off just now,” Elvira said.

I scoffed, realising what the fuss had all been about. Somehow, they had figured out that things were okay between Alistair and I, and I also allowed him to see Ian, against their wishes.

“Are you ready to start speaking now?” My mum asked.

I gave a tired sigh. “Ian, go on in. I’ll be right there,” I said, already thinking of how to deal with my family.

“He’s not going anywhere until we’re done with this conversation,” My father said.

“He’s a child. He shouldn’t be listening to this,” I said.

“If you can let him be around a monster, I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t be listening to any of what is about to unfold,” My mum said.

“Mother!” I yelled, angrily.

“Eliana!” She yelled back.

“You can’t call his father names in his presence,” I said, getting really pissed.

“Oh, Eliana. You have allowed yourself to be blinded by love again. I thought that after what Alistair did to us, you would have gotten more reasonable, but then again, who can defy the longings of the heart? Out of love, I stayed with my ex-husband, Daniel, and it was a terrible experience. As someone who has experienced such in the past, I can boldly tell you that you’re treading down the wrong path. Love will hurt you in unimaginable ways, and will make you hold on to the very person you should be letting go,” Eleanora chipped in.

I laughed, hysterically. “That’s where you’re getting it all wrong, Eleanora. You stayed back and endured domestic violence simply because of your insecurities and low self-esteem, not because of love. You should be thanking Alistair for releasing the truth about your useless ex-husband, because if he hadn’t, you’d have still been there till date, suffering and dying in silence, so, don’t you dare preach to me. I know when it’s time to let go of someone and walk away, and I’ve already done that with Alistair,” I said, countering what she had stated.

“Who exactly are you trying to deceive? How come you’ve walked away from Alistair, but you’ve been sneaking off with him every now and then? Are you trying to lie to yourself or what?$ Elvira asked, eyeing me.

“Alistair and I may not be romantically involved, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s my son's father, and you may not agree with me, but Ian needs both of his parents. If they want to spend time with each other, I am not going to stop them. I will not take my son away from his father,” I declared, meaning every word that I had spoken.

“So, you want to say that you’ve only been seeing Alistair for the sake of Ian?” My father asked.

“Yes,” I said, firmly.

“Ellie dear, I guess you should learn how to lie a little better. It’s obvious that you still like him after all these years. You’re defending him, supporting him, and choosing him over your family,” My father said.

I rolled my eyes, and heaved a deep sigh. “I am not choosing anyone over anyone, please,” I denied.

“Oh, but you are,” My mother said.

“How?” I inquired, with my voice laced with frustration.

“If you had nothing to hide, why did you keep your meetings a secret from us? Why didn’t you want us to find out? Why didn’t you inform us that you had decided it was okay for Ian to meet that good-for-nothing?” My mother asked.

I gave an exasperated sigh. “Isn’t the answer to that quite obvious? Do you really need me to spell it out for you? I didn’t let you all know about it because I knew you were going to be this way. I knew you’d have never approved of Ian meeting his father when we wanted to, and you’d have deprived him of a father’s love. That is why I didn’t want to inform you about it,” I explained.

“Well, you’re not wrong,” My mother agreed.

“Exactly,” I said.

“Anyway, it’s all good. We already decided to forgive you even before you stepped in,” My mother said.

“Seriously?” I asked, surprised.

They all nodded their heads, in the affirmative.

“If everything was okay, why did you have to make it seem like all wasn’t well?” I asked.

“That’s because there’s a condition attached to that forgiveness,” My father said.

“What condition?” I inquired.

“We are willing to forgive your actions, and just see it as a momentary weakness, only if you promise to stop seeing Alistair, and cut all ties with him,” He said.

I scoffed. “Oh, really? You’d forgive me on the condition that my son never gets to see his father again? Thanks, but no,” I said, without even bothering to think of their absurd condition.

Who needed their forgiveness? Irrespective of whatever happened, they were still my family, and with time, they were going to come around.

“At the end of the day, you ended up choosing Alistair over us,” Elvira said.

“I knew she would do just that,” Eleanora said, shaking her head.

“It’s a pity that you’d let your son even go anywhere close to that evil being. I’m disappointed in you,” My mother said, with a sneer.

“Good or bad, he’s still Alistair’s father, and like I already said, nothing is going to make me keep my son away from his father. I guess we’re done here,” I said, and took Ian by the hand, who looked like he had been trying to contain his anger, preparing to leave their presence.

“And where do you think you are going to?” My father asked.

“To my room, of course,” I replied.

“You don’t get it, Ellie. If you’re going to disrespect this family by seeing the same man who ruined my life, reputation and my children’s future, then, you don’t deserve to be here,” My father said.

“What?”

“You heard him right. It’s either you stay in this house and stay away from Alistair, or you remain by his side and get out of our house. It’s too small to accommodate you and your son after all,” My mother said.

“You’d send away your own grandson?” I asked, shocked by the wickedness I hadn’t known that my family members possessed.

“I don’t want a grandson like him. By spending time with his deadbeat father, he would eventually become like him. He would grow to disrespect us and tarnish our image,” My father said.

“How dare you say that about my son in his presence?” I yelled angrily, as a drop of tear slid down my face.

“Stop shedding crocodile tears, Ellie. Pack your bags immediately, and get out of here. You’ve never belonged here, and you know that. You’re a disgrace to this family,” My father said.

Before I could think of what to say, I noticed my son growl, and I immediately turned to face him, with my heart beating very fast.

“Ian,” I called, crouching before him, as my eyes welled up in tears, seeing how he struggled to suppress the beast in him.

He had heard more than enough from my family, and it was getting too hard for him to control himself anymore. I took him into my arms, and began to pat his back gently, making him turn back, in order for my family not to see his glowing eyes, claws and fangs.

“Who do you choose to be, Ian?” I asked, as tears fell from my eyes, soaking his t-shirt.

There was no reply coming from him.

“What is wrong with him?” My mother asked, looking concerned.

“Why do you care?” I retorted.

“If this is a plan to make us go back on our decision, you and your son have failed woefully. You’re already teaching him how to pretend and lie. What a shame!” My father said.

Ian growled softly again.

“Just stop talking, please. You’re making it worse,” I said, as I pressed my son closer to my chest.

“Ian, you want your family under one roof, right? If you calm down, I promise to take our stuff to your father’s place,” I told him.

“Whore!” My mother yelled.

I ignored her, and kept on patting Ian’s back. “Just calm down, please. I’ll take you to see your father,” I told him.

He granted something, which sounded like a reply, but it wasn’t audible.

I closed my eyes, and whispered into his ears softly, “You have nothing to fear, you have nothing to prove, you have nothing to lose. So, now, who do you choose to be?” I asked.

A moment of silence passed, then slowly, he withdrew from my embrace, and I saw he had returned to normality. “It’s ‘lose' before ‘prove'. Nothing to fear, lose, then prove,” He corrected, wearing a smile.

I smiled back at him. “What matters is that it worked,” I said.

“What truly worked was when you said you’d take me to be with dad. Did you mean that?” He asked.

I looked at my family members, then, I nodded my head, giving him a positive reply. “Yes, I meant it. You should grow up in an environment where there is love, happiness and forgiveness, and not one which is filled with hatred, discrimination and bitterness. You should grow up wherever you are allowed to have your own opinion, where you are taught that it’s okay to make mistakes, where you’re loved even if you’re different. I want the best for you, my baby, and I won’t let you stay here any longer,” I said.

“Thank you, mum,” Ian said.

I took my son in my arms, and hugged him tightly. I never knew that my parents hadn’t really changed, and that even though they claimed to have protected me when they treated me like an outcast, they had actually been monsters who taught they were the best. You don’t just treat a child badly and claim it’s for their own protection, and I could boldly affirm that Alistair was a better person than they were.

From the moment I first laid my eyes on Ian, I wanted to give him the world, and I made a vow to myself that he was never going to go through what I had suffered in the hands of those that called themselves my family. Just like how Alistair had made my life which was filled with emptiness become filled with immeasurable happiness, I was going to give him a chance to give Ian a better life than we had both had, and I didn’t mind going against my family for that to happen.