CHAPTER 85

GENEVIEVE 

‘Mummy! My head hurts. I don’t want to go to school today, please.’ Hope cried, removing her blouse for the umpteenth time. 

‘Don’t do that, Hope. Also, I told you that we aren’t going to school but are returning home today. Our flight leaves in a couple of hours, so I need you dressed like your brother.’ I rattled, trying to put on her blouse again.

After completing Mayor. Kim’s project, James and I had to travel to Nashville to settle a business deal and represent our family in the quarterly executives board meeting. It was a big stress on me because Vera was busy and Estella was down with fever. The kids had to follow me, and it was exhilarating. The questions, the congratulatory messages, and the curious gazes as Nicholas and Hope jumped around the company didn’t make things easier either. 

Once we returned home, James had to do some shopping to prepare himself for Kanebi’s wedding. Also, Kanebi suggested that I stayed an extra three weeks before he left for Spain. We ended up appearing at a lot of public events and places where Kyle was. I saw him on three occasions, but I didn’t bother acknowledging his presence. He tried to interact with me, but Kanebi was always available to dish him some nos. He finally accepted the fact that I didn’t want to have anything to do with him.

The doorbell rang suddenly. It couldn’t be Vera. She had travelled home yesterday due to some urgent business. I knew it was a poor excuse to visit her latest fling, who was leaving the United Kingdom for Finland for a vacation. He was everything she wanted, and I wasn’t surprised she was finally making an effort to settle down. 

‘Mummy, there’s a tiny ant on my blouse. It’s moving!’ Hope giggled, pointing at a beetle.

How did a beetle get here? I wondered, squashing it and throwing her blouse into the basket. Estella would do a lot of laundry once we got home. The kids used their clothes like they were models for a high-class fashion house. I had given up trying to make them maintain an outfit for a whole morning without staining it.

I stood up from Hope’s bed and led her into Estella’s room. I hadn’t finished packing, and trying to convince a smart five-year-old to wear her blouse wasn’t going to help me.

‘Tessa, Kyle is in the living room. Where are the kids?’ James asked, lowering his voice a bit as he walked towards me.

Panic crawled in immediately. What did he want? Oh no! Did he get any information about Kanebi’s wedding? If he did, that means my plans had failed. An epic failure, to be fair.

I checked my hair and adjusted my black sleeveless gown while thinking of how to be as cold as possible to make my point clear. Also, I had to think of a perfect lie to explain Kanebi’s absence in case he didn’t know about Kanebi’s wedding.

‘Kyle, what do you want?’ I asked, going straight to the point. There was no need to beat around the bush when it had to deal with him.

He sighed, getting up slowly. ‘Good morning, Tessa. How’re you and the kids? Also, your husband?’

I hissed, walking towards him. ‘That’s not what I asked. What do you want?’

‘Alright. I am sorry for showing up at this odd hour of the day. I heard from a mutual friend that you will be leaving today, and I wanted to ensure things were settled between us before you left.’

‘Interesting, Kyle. I don’t know if you’re dumb or something, but I thought I told you that you were four years late. There’s no forgiveness for you here, and coming into my home at seven o’clock won't help you either!’

He swallowed, ‘I am sorry for everything I did to you. I already lost Mayor Kim’s twenty million-dollar grant. Isn’t that enough for my sins?’

I laughed. ‘You always think everything is about the money, right? Well, I am glad, Mayor. Kim withdrew the grant. You didn’t deserve it anyway!’

‘Tessa, please. I have accepted it; I don’t deserve it, but I need your forgiveness. Please,’ he said, kneeling down.

What? He was finally kneeling down. I wish Vera was here so that I could tell her, ‘I told you so.’ I was grinning until I saw James’s disapproving gaze from upstairs. I had forgotten he was watching us in case Kyle tried anything funny.

I took Kyle’s hands and pulled him up. ‘You don’t have to kneel down, Kyle. My kids are here, and if they see you doing that, I will be explaining a lot to them. Even if I forgive you, it won’t take away the hurt you implanted in me for years. I am sorry, but you will have to live with your restless and guilty mind. See it as my parting gift to you.’

He smiled weakly. ‘Is this what you want, Tessa?’

I nodded. ‘Yes, Kyle. Whatever I felt for you five years ago is dead. I will advise you to focus on your wife and getting a child from her. I hope your mother will have the patience to wait for that. By the way, send my regards to her. If she hadn’t been so unreceptive of me, I probably wouldn’t have returned to my family.’

‘I apologise for everything she said to you, Tessa. You didn’t deserve to be treated like that.’

I smiled. ‘It’s all over, Kyle. I am bigger than that now. I am the CEO of the largest interior design company in the United Kingdom, and soon I will be in the States. Would I have accomplished that if I was still your wife? No. Thank heavens, I am not Ava. She’s a supermodel and all, but it’s clear you aren’t happy. Anyway, it’s not my business.’

He sighed, staring at me. ‘You can still read me like an open book. That’s great. I will stick to your advice and try not to show up in places you are ever again. Have a great life, Tessa.’

I smiled, watching him close the door. Somehow, I felt for him. No man deserves to be kept away from his kids. Maybe one day I will tell him, but certainly not today.