Fan Fiction |
by Sensitivegal
Charlene sat in front of her father in the hotel room waiting patiently for the reason why Edison hated her father. Her father had gone to another room to talk on the phone before. She had to know. She didn’t want the man she loved to hate her father. She wanted the two people she loved to be civil with each other. And it won’t happen until she heard what really happened. She knew Edison wasn’t going to tell her. She was desperate to find out the truth.
‘Father, don’t make me wait any longer,’ Charlene begged.
Patrick saw the glint of pain in her eyes. He felt isolated that he lost his daughter to that young man. ‘It’s just a misunderstanding,’ Patrick shrugged it away.
‘I want to know the misunderstanding,’ she badgered.
Patrick sighed. ‘You really want to know?’
Charlene nodded.
Patrick glanced at his side to Daniel, Mel and Leo. ‘You three may leave. It seems you men need some rest,’ he dismissed them. They retrieved to their rooms. Charlene eyes didn’t waver. She was keen on knowing the reason and she wasn’t going anywhere. ‘This is going to hurt you,’ Patrick warned.
‘Hurt me?’ Charlene was confused. Where did she come into this? She repeated it out loud. ‘Where did I come into this?’
Patrick shook his head. ‘I might as well start from the beginning.’ He leaned back on the couch. He was looking at Charlene but his mind went back to the day where everything began. ‘I met Daphne Chan thirty years ago. I fell instantly in love with her.’
‘Who’s Daphne Chan?’ Charlene stopped him. It was definitely not her mother. Her mother’s name was Melissa Choi.
‘Edison’s mother,’ Patrick replied.
Charlene’s mouth dropped. Did she hear right? Her father was in love with Edison’s mother? She regretted asking to know about the past. Could she handle it? She thought. This wasn’t what she wanted to hear. But she had to hear the full story. She had to know why Edison hated her father.
Patrick continued. ‘Thirty years ago I was just finishing my masters in college. I met her by coincidence. She just broke up with Edison’s father, Louis Wu. She was in an emotional state and I wanted to help her so I became her friend despite the fact that I loved her.
‘We became really close after a week. She trusted me, told me everything and I to her except the biggest truth, my love for her. But I had to tell her one day. And that day came few months after when I thought she finally got over Louis. She hadn’t. She told me that she didn’t want to hurt me, that she was still in love with Louis and she didn’t think she could get over it.’
Charlene kept quite. She didn’t know what to say. This was beyond what she thought of her father’s past. All she wanted to know was how her mother came into this.
‘I was devastated. I left without a word to anyone. That time I’ve finished college so it didn’t affect my studies.’ Patrick sat up and rubbed his face.
Charlene for the first time saw her father differently. She didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. ‘That’s not the end of her is it?’ Charlene was almost scared to ask.
Edison went home instead of back to work. He couldn’t do anything, only think how much he missed her. He found his mother standing there waiting for him.
‘Aren’t you meant to be at your-whatever club you always go to?’
Daphne ignored that. ‘I have to talk to you about something important.’
‘I don’t have time,’ Edison answered. He took the stairs two at a time leaving his mother standing there. But she followed. ‘Mother,’ he said when he got to his room. ‘I don’t want to be disturbed.’
‘This concerns the Velcois family,’ she said.
This got his attention. He turned around to face her. ‘What about the Velcois family?’
Daphne went ahead of him into his room and sat down on his sofa. Edison followed her and sat next to her. Daphne didn’t look at Edison. She kept her eyes glued to her lap. ‘Whatever I have to say, I just hope that you forgive me.’
Edison stared at his mother. This must be really serious. ‘What is it?’
Daphne took a deep breath. This was the moment of truth. She couldn’t keep this secret from him any longer. And what Patrick said over the phone just a while back she had no choice.
Patrick shook his head. ‘Five years later I met her again. She told me she made a mistake. She started crying saying that she married Louis and had four children. She had been pregnant before she broke up with him but didn’t tell me that when we met. I didn’t know what to do. I thought I got over her those five years but I hadn’t.
‘I saw her everyday from that day. We would meet places where it was deserted. We had an affair that lasted couple of months until Louis found out,’ Patrick paused. He saw his daughter not enjoying any of it. He wasn’t either. It had to come out sooner or later. ‘Louis was furious. We got into a fight and both of us ended up in jail. Daphne got us both. From then on she went with Louis.’
‘Did you still see her?’ Charlene asked.
‘Yes, but only on the streets. We pass by and that’s it. One day she told me she’s pregnant but Louis wasn’t the father.’ Patrick watched his daughter’s eyes widened in shock.
Charlene shook her head. ‘Who… who is… the… father?’ she stuttered.
Patrick kept silence. He wouldn’t look at his daughter.
It only got her angry. ‘Who is the father?’ she raised her voice a little.
‘I am.’
That was the only thing she wanted to hear to confirm it. She felt isolated. How could this happen? She was in love with her half brother? She felt disgusted. ‘He’s my half brother?’ she had to be sure.
Patrick nodded. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘No you’re not!’ she yelled. Tears streamed down her cheek. ‘You’re not sorry!’
She couldn’t take it any longer. She ran out the room. Her father this time didn’t try to stop her or send her three bodyguards. This time he really hurt her.
Edison moved away from his mother as if she was a deadly virus. He backed away towards his door.
‘Edison,’ Daphne called out. ‘Please,’ she begged when she saw the hatred in his eyes.
‘Don’t you ever come near me!’ he yelled. ‘You’re not my mother!’
Daphne cried out. ‘Please, Edison, I know you don’t really mean that,’ she said.
‘You don’t know me at all!’ he shouted. He ran out the room. This could not be happening he said over and over in his head. How can this happen? He loved her so much. He loved his half sister, he corrected himself. He stopped at the front door. He punched the door with all his anger. ‘No! This can’t be!’ Tears ran down. He didn’t bother brushing them away. He didn’t care about anything no more.