Wavering
That same night, Harriett got a text from Damien who asked for an opportunity to see the twins the next day. How he got her number was still a mystery to her but she didn’t bother saving his number as she planned on avoiding him as much as she could.
After much deliberation, she finally agreed but with a condition that he would report every of their activities to her in real time. It was her way of ensuring that her children wouldn't spend even a second with that wicked Evelyn.
She knew that her ex-husband could be easily manipulated by that sly fox.
All that was left was the hardest part- Telling the twins about their father.
It shouldn’t be hard especially since they had been wanting a father but Harriett couldn’t help but feel like she had cheated them for years when she had to lie about the whereabouts of their father. A few months later and she was revealing a man to them.
It made her feel terrible.
“You’re doing the right thing, Su ji. No matter how much you resent him, at the end of the day, he is still their father and deserves to be with them as much as you do.” Was her mother’s reply when she told her about the decision to let Damien spend the day with the children.
“I don’t know if I can trust Damien to keep my babies away from Evelyn, Mum. We all know how gullible Damien is around her.”
“Was.. He was gullible around her four years ago. We don’t know if he has changed during those four years, my dear. Give him the benefit of doubt.” Her mother said and Harriett scoffed, remembering how he had walked into the restaurant with Evelyn in his arms.
To her, it only meant that Evelyn still had him wrapped around her finger.
“I disagree with you, mum. But, I’ll let him see them anyways.” She said and retreated to her room.
*
*
The next morning, Damien got out of bed with a big smile on his face. Ever since he got the reply from his ex-wife, telling him that he could spend the day with his children, he had been unable to sleep as all he could think about was finally meeting his children.
He continuously checked the time and each time he did, a groan left his lips when he saw that it wasn’t morning yet.
When he checked the time and saw that it was finally 6:45am, he quickly got out of bed and jumped into the shower. He was too excited that he forgot about breakfast and just rushed out of the house, driving like a mad man to Harriett’s house.
When he arrived at the Edwards Mansion, it was already 8 o’clock and as the maids let him into the house, he suddenly felt his anxiety return. He had forgotten that Harriett didn’t live alone and in this very house was her father, Jake Edwards.
“Shit.” His first thought was to wait outside the house so that he doesn’t cross paths with her father but a voice inside reminded him that in order to win Harriett back, he would first need to be on good terms with her parents. So, he waited.
“Damien? For heaven’s sake, it’s just eight in the morning!” Harriett exclaimed in a low voice as she walked down the stairs in a casual outfit.
Damien couldn’t help the smile that crept unto his face as he watched her walk down. He was in awe of her natural beauty that he could barely focus on what she was saying.
With Evelyn, he had to deal with staring at her layers of makeup at every hour of the day.
“Are you even listening to me?” She was now standing before him with one hand on her waist.
“The agreement was to spend the day with them, wasn’t it?” Damien replied, not bothering to stand. Harriett lifted her brows at him, shocked by his gut.
“You understand that you’re still a stranger to them, right?” Harriett pointed out, crossing her arms.
Damien felt his chest tighten at her words. Maybe it was because of the excitement but he forgot that the twins had never seen him before and to them, he was a total stranger. He suddenly tensed up as he feared that the twins might not want to be around him.
“You.. you haven’t told them that they have a father yet?” He looked at Harriett but she said nothing in reply, her blank expression answering his question.
“Goodness, Harriett. That’s not fair!” He was careful not to raise his voice as he didn’t want to call the attention of the others in the house.
“Do not speak to me like that! It’s not my fault that you weren’t able to be in your children’s lives from day one. You brought that upon yourself. I’ll tell them about you when I am ready.” She said angrily even though she knew she was wrong.
Of course, she should have told the twins about their father already but for some reason, she was unable to and kept procrastinating. But, she couldn’t send them out to spend a day with him without them knowing who he is. So, she would eventually have to tell them today.
Damien wanted to give her a fitting reply but he held his words as he remembered once again that he needed to win her back.
As he opened his mouth to give her a calm reply, he heard loud footsteps from the stairs and when he looked up, his face hardened as he watched Tony walk down the stairs.
“What the fuck is he doing here?” He murmured through gritted teeth.
It was only 8 in the morning and expected the house to be void of any visitor.
Damien’s eyes traveled down to Tony’s clothes which was also casual, just like Harriett’s. It didn’t look like something he wore to come visiting.
Instead it looked like…
“Hell No.” Damien groaned as it finally registered in his head that Tony was also living here.. with Harriett and his children.
“Hey.” Harriett greeted as soon as she spotted Tony who walked to where she stood and smiled at her in the presence of Damien.
“I didn’t know we had a guest.” He said without looking at Damien and for the first time in Damien’s life, he wanted to commit murder.
‘You’re the guest, you idiot! She’s my wife!’ His eyes squinted at Tony in a rude way as he watched him hold Harriett’s arm.
It was more than obvious that Tony was doing it on purpose to spite Damien and God! Harriett loved it.
“He’s here for the twins. I’ll be back.” She said and excused herself before going up to the children’s room.
She didn’t know if it was a good idea to leave Damien alone with Tony but she wanted to believe that they would both act civilized.
When she got to the children’s room, they were already fully dressed, thanks to her mother who was now styling Addison’s hair.
“Thank you so much, mum.” Harriett smiled, sitting beside her mother.
“Nonsense! They are my grandchildren, you know?” Her mother replied with a chuckle.
Harriett picked up Adrian and placed him on her laps before turning to hold Addison’s tiny hand.
“Mummy is really sorry that this is coming now but.. you have a father… a real father.” She said and Adrian nodded, still playing the hem of his shirt.
“Daddy Tony!!” He screamed and Addison followed, clapping happily.
“No, not Tony. Someone else. Tony isn’t your daddy.” She said but the children were to little to understand what she was saying so she just decided to take them to him and let nature handle the rest.
“Damien is in the living room, by the way.” She said and her mother understood that she was telling her to make sure her father doesn’t come downstairs.
“Alright dear. I’ll go to my husband now.” Ha Young laughed and walked to her room.
She took Addison from her mother and carried them out of the room. As she approached the stairs, she could hear Damien’s voice sending threats to Tony. She decided to stop and listen to what was going on and when she did, she wished she didn’t .
“Keep your hands away from my woman! I don’t care if you’re her fucking Doctor or friend. Harriett belongs to me and I’m going to do everything to make her mine again, okay?” She heard Damien say in a low and scary tone and for the first time since Harriett returned to New York, she felt her knees buckle and her heart race just like it used to when she was in love with Damien.
If it was four years ago, she would have understood why her heart was racing upon hearing Damien claim her as his but now, she had no explanation.
“Get your shit together, Harriett!” She pinched herself and walked down the stairs. Immediately, the men quieted down as Damien’s gaze averted to the twins in both her hands.
“Daddy!” Addison screamed.
