CHAPTER 5: CONFRONTING RACHEAL

I will need to find Racheal’s house address and locate her; I need to see my daughter; I will have to make amends and be a part of my daughter’s life; even though the divorce papers have it that I will take full custody of our children, I can’t possibly take my daughter away from Racheal now; and besides, my daughter probably doesn’t have any idea that I exist.

I quickly took out my laptop from my bag and started doing my investigation online, looking for Racheal’s house address. She now works for the Rome City Police Department, so it’s not going to be hard to find her address. After an extensive search, I finally found her house address.

***

I stood outside the modest house, my heart pounding in my chest. This is the address I found online. The thought of seeing my daughter—the daughter I never knew existed—filled me with a mix of anxiety and resolve. My palms were sweaty despite the cold weather. I had to do this. I had to meet her.

Taking a deep breath, I approached the front door and knocked. Moments later, the door opened, revealing a young girl who looked strikingly like Racheal at that age. My breath caught in my throat.

“Hi there,” I said, my voice trembling slightly. “Is your mom home?”

The girl looked at me with wide eyes, curiosity evident in her gaze. “Who are you?” she asked, her tone cautious. Even though she was the same age as Lorenzo, she was so vibrant.

“My name is Benjamin Alessandro. I… I’m your father,” I said, my heart aching as the words left my mouth. Even though it felt weird, I knew I had to introduce myself properly to her.

The girl’s eyes widened even more, and she took a step back. “Mom!” she called out, her voice echoing through the house. “Mom, there’s someone here!”

Racheal appeared moments later, her face a mix of shock and anger. “Benjamin, what are you doing here?!” she demanded, her voice cold.

“I had to see her, Racheal,” I said, my voice pleading. “I had to meet my daughter.”

Rachel’s eyes flashed with anger. “You have no right to come here unannounced! You’re disrupting our lives! How did you even manage to find out where I live?”

“I’m not leaving until you let me know, my daughter,” I said firmly, meeting her gaze.

“You don’t have a daughter; get away from this house before I call the police on you. You are trespassing!” She yelled at me with a lot of anger. 

“Do whatever you want, but I am not leaving here today until I meet my daughter, and she knows I am her father!” I wasn’t going to let her scare me away so easily.

Racheal took a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure. “Kyla, go to your room,” she said, her voice gentler as she addressed our daughter. Kyla turned around and attempted to leave as I rushed and grabbed her from the ground and hugged her. Kyla struggled for me to let her go, but I kissed her on the forehead.

“Let her go, Ben!” Racheal screamed from behind me. 

“I won’t let her go easily! She’s, my daughter!” I wasn’t going to give up on being in my daughter’s life that easily.

“If you don’t drop her now, I will arrest you!” Racheal yelled with a lot of authority in her tone.

I felt I had no choice but to drop Kyla down, as I did. 

Kyla looked scared and confused by the situation. “Mom, is it true? Is he my dad?”

Racheal’s expression softened for a moment before hardening again. “Yes, Kyla, he’s your father. But this isn’t how I wanted you to find out. Plus, he’s not worthy to be your father, especially after all the things he did to me.”

Kyla stood there, looking at me with a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty. 

Racheal sighed, running a hand through her hair. “It’s complicated, Kyla. You shouldn't consider this evil man your father.”

“But you just said he's my father, mom,” Kyla said, in a tiny tone. 

Rachel looked at me, her eyes filled with hate and anger. “Benjamin, you need to leave. This isn’t the time or place for this.”

“I’m not leaving,” I said firmly. “Not until you let me explain. Not until I get a chance to know my daughter.”

Racheal glared at me, but there was a hint of resignation in her eyes. “Fine. But this is on my terms. You come in, we talk, and then you leave. No promises beyond that.”

“Thank you,” I said, relief washing over me. I knew what she said didn’t come from her heart, but I am glad she wanted to give me a chance.

Racheal led me into the living room, where Kyla sat on the couch, still looking at me with those wide, curious eyes. I took a seat across from her, my mind racing as I tried to find the right words.

“Kyla, I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you,” I began, my voice heavy with emotion. “I didn’t know you existed. Your mother… she had her reasons for keeping you from me. But I’m here now, and I want to be a part of your life.”

Kyla looked at Racheal, then back at me. She was confused with the whole situation.

I continued “Your mother and I… we had a complicated past. I made mistakes, and she made choices to protect you. But I care about you deeply, and I want to make up for lost time.”

Racheal watched us, her arms crossed, a wary look in her eyes. “Benjamin, you can’t just waltz into our lives and expect everything to be okay. Kyla needs stability, not more chaos. I don’t want you to hurt her like you hurt me.”