CHAPTER-2: Disowned

“So what's the problem? You should go and apologise to Elijah and your sister.” Rita, Helena’s stepmother said, crossing her hands across her chest and levelling a glare to Helana.

“You finally realise your place. You were the one who was running after Elijah and never gave him space with your clingy behaviour. So now he knows what's best for him. Now let Victoria and Elijah be happy, Helena. They both love each other and it would be cheap to come in between two lovers. Let them live their lives.”

Helena looked at her step-mother stunned. Did she hear her right? “Apologise to them!” She sneered at her stepmother but what could she even have expected from that woman?

Helena held her father's arm and questioned him. “Dad, are you hearing what she is saying? Won't you say anything to her, Victoria and Elijah cheated on me. They took Mama’s land from me, Dad. Help me get that land back. It was Mom’s dream to open an orphanage there.”

Just then Victoria arrived there with a crying face. “Mom, she won't let me be happy, why can't she just understand that love can't be forced!” She sobbed, making Rita hug her daughter. “Shh! Baby, Your Papa won't let anyone come between you and your happiness.”

Helena gave them both a heated glare before shifting to her father yet again. “Dad, I need your help. Please do something about this.”

Arom Gelati looked at crying Victoria and pulled his arm from Helena’s grasp. “What help, Helena! Nothing like this would have happened if you had not acted like a stubborn brat girl. Giovanni was ready to pay millions for that piece of land but you denied. In the end he got the land one way or another. There is nothing you or I could do. Drop this issue and accept whatever that is happening. We are lucky that Elijah is genuinely in love with your sister. We will be associated with powerful people like Rossis. Leave this matter and let them be happy if you want peace in life.”

Helena took a step back from her father. Astounded and horrified. How could her own father do this to her?

“See, even your father agrees with me. Victoria is your sister, don't come in her happines, Helena.”

Helena felt like her heart would burst at any moment. The last hope in her shattered totally after hearing her father’s response. She knew he was greedy for money and power but standing against her own daughter? She never expected that from her father, her only family.

“She is not my sister!” Helena turned and snapped at her step-mother. “She is a bitch just like you. You snatched my father from me and your daughter did the same with my baby!” the words left from her mouth before she could stop them.

Both Arom and Rita’s eyes widened upon hearing her. Victoria ceased her crying with a stunned face.

“What baby, Helena?’ Rita asked after a moment. Helena paled and recalled what she told them. But now that the truth was out. She was not going to hide it from me. “My baby. I am pregnant with Elijah’s baby.”

Rita threw a hard look at her daughter as if reminding her it was her plan to get pregnant with Elijah’s baby but now she failed and Helena won. Victoria lowered her gaze, gritting her teeth. Arom was blankly looking at her daughter.

“Abort it” Rita ordered her. “Abort the baby as soon as possible, Helena. Imagine how it would look to the world, one sister is married to Elijah and another is pregnant with his baby. I won't let you become a shame on the Perez family. Be a good girl and abort the baby…” she said, grabbing Helena’s arm. Arom shook his head at her daughter too.

“No I won't,” Helena snatched her arm and glared at her. “I won't abort my baby and neither would I be letting anyone have my mother's land,” she said then turned to her father. “You don't want to help me, Dad. Don't. I will fight for justice alone.”

Rita’s insides boiled hearing her words. She could imagine their dream shattering in front of her eyes.

“Honey, are you listening to her? She is going to make us lose our faces. Imagine how people will react to the news. One daughter is getting married to Elijah and another is pregnant with his baby. We will be laughing stock, Arom.”

Helena was disgusted by her manipulations. “Dad, are you really going to listen to her?”

Arom nodded and grabbed her arm tightly making her look at him. “You are aborting this baby, Helena. I am not letting you make a mockery of me around the world. I am finally getting where I wanted to be in my career. With Victoria’s marriage to Elijah, I will be known around Italy. You can't snatch all this from me.”

Disgusted! There was no other word than that to describe the greed of her father. “I already swallowed the hard pill of betrayal from your dear daughter and my Fiance, Dad. I am not getting anything except for my mother's land from them. I will expose the Rossi’s in front of the whole world. And as for aborting this baby, I won't. This is my baby. I won't let any harm come to it,”

Arom straightened up before raising his chin. “Is this your final decision?” he demanded, getting into her face.

Helena nodded. “Yes. I…”

“Then get out of here! You have no place in my family and house anymore, leave and never show me your face again! I disown you Helena!” He said, grabbing her arm and shoving her hard. Helena somehow managed to not trip on her foot.

She pressed her lips tight, staring at the floor. She took a moment for herself not to break down and turned back, glaring at her father. He disowned her for these hideous people. Let it be then!

“You don't have to push me away Mr Gelati. I was already leaving this ugly place. But remember one thing, I will make every one of you pay for the wrong you did to me,” she promised, looking at each of them and walking out from there. Arom clenched his jaws in anger before walking to his room.

“Mom, do something. She is pregnant. What if she goes to the media? Elijah and his father would never forgive us. Never.” Victoria screeched and Rita thinned her lips in a straight line looking at her stupid daughter.

“What did I tell you? You need to get pregnant with Elijah’s baby to get into the Rossi family. But see, that bitch is smarter than you!” Victoria whined and cried looking down. “But don't worry! I wouldn't allow any harm to your happiness.”

Rita patted Victoria’s hand and called Giovanni Rossi. She told him everything. “She knew how we tricked her into signing the land in your name, Mr Rossi. She is pregnant with Elijah’s baby and is going to use that as proof against your son and you.”

Rita heard the man taking a deep sigh before uttering four decisive words: “I will handle it.”

Rita smirked and squeezed her crying daughter's arm. Now Giovanni Rossi will solve the problem for them.