Stolen Identity: Mute Heiress

Chapter 296: I Need Time

Abigail stood up slowly, her stomach squeezing with anxiety as she faced Genevieve. Her heart raced, as she thought about what to say to Genevieve. She wasn’t prepared to talk to her yet and had been hoping to do that in a week.

The entire room went still.

Josh still had his small arms wrapped around her neck, unaware of the heaviness in the air.

Genevieve looked up from Josh to look at Abigail, and she froze when she saw Abigail’s face.

Her eyes widened in surprise. ”How? Your face...”

Abigail smiled slightly. ”It was a mask. I didn’t alter my face.”

Lucy cleared her throat to get their attention, ”Dawn, you can take her to your room to freshen up, I’m sure she’s tired from the long trip. You two can talk privately in your room. Josh darling, come sit with your daddy. Your mommy and aunt needs a moment alone. Stefan, join us. Brenda, get Salome to prepare two extra plates of breakfast for Stefan and Genevieve,” Lucy ordered and immediately Brenda left to do as Lucy had instructed.

Josh stepped back from Genevieve now, sensing the tension. Jamal walked over to Josh, and placed a hand on his son’s shoulder, gently guiding him back to his seat.

”It’s okay, champ,” Jamal murmured, trying to distract him. ”Mummy and Aunt Genny just need a minute.”

Genevieve looked from Abigail to Lucy like she wanted to say something, but Lucy shook her head before she could speak.

”When you are both done, we can talk,” she said firmly.

Genevieve gave Lucy a nod, ”Thank you,” she murmured softy before letting Abigail lead her away.

”I thought you were going to be there for some more days?” Jamal asked Stefan as he took the seat Abigail had vacated.

”That was the initial plan. But Genevieve suddenly insisted at night that she wanted us to leave. She didn’t feel comfortable staying there and acting like nothing happened when so much was going on. She wanted to apologize to everyone and also go see Ryan alongside Abigail and Callan,” Stefan explained.

Stefan’s breakfast was served, and he ate with them. As they ate they talked about random stuff, and when Tom observer that his kids and Josh were done eating, he looked at them.

”If you’re done with your breakfast, take Josh to the Den and excuse us,” Tom said, looking at his kids.

Without a word, all three of them rose and shuffled away from the dining, taking Josh along with them.

After they’d left, Tom looked at Stefan. He didn’t like that Stefan had showed up at his place with Genevieve unannounced despite the excuse Stefan had given but he decided to let it pass.

”I believe she came to Ludus with you, with a plan in mind. What’s her plan now?” Tom asked, and Stefan filled Tom in on everything.

Meanwhile upstairs, in Abigail’s bedroom, once Abigail had shut the door behind them, Genevieve turned to her and went on her knees.

”What are you doing?” Abigail asked with a frown.

”I’m sorry for all I did to you. I’m sorry for every thing. I have no excuse for my actions. I was cruel, I said hateful things, I treated you in the worst way possible. I don’t expect you to forgive me. I know I don’t deserve it. And you’ve been more than kind to me by giving me a chance to open up through Stefan. You can punish me however you deem fit. I’ll accept whatever punishment you give me,” Genevieve cried without looking into Abigail’s face.

Abigail stepped closer and sat on the floor in front of her. ”Let’s sit down. I can’t talk to you while you’re kneeling this way.”

Without lifting her head, Genevieve sat down on the floor.

Abigail inhaled deeply. ”Can you tell me everything you remember?”

”I—” Genevieve’s voice cracked. ”I don’t even know how to start. Where do I start from?”

”From the beginning. How you came to live with him. Do you remember?” Abigail asked softly.

Genevieve nodded shakily and slowly brushed at the tears already gathering again.

She told Abigail everything. How her mother had handed her to Ryan’s mother who took her to Ryan. How Ryan had claimed he wasn’t her father at first, but then had let her live there with him. How she had loved living there and really wanted him to be her father because she didn’t want to go back to living with her mother, who was a druggie and prostitute.

As Genevieve spoke, tears flowed down her cheeks as she told Abigail how Ryan had always been cold to her and never showed her any special attention.

”Now that I think about it, I guess I should have always known that I wasn’t his biological child. He never treated me or talked to me as a father would to his child. I was merely a pawn in his revenge game,” Genevieve said, then forced a smile, ”still I preferred it to being with my mom and living like her.”

Tears gathered in her eyes at her admission, and her lips quivered as she looked up at Abigail. ”I’m sorry. I feel really ashamed of myself for admitting to your face that I had a better life at your expense. I’m even more ashamed that I treated you so poorly...”

”Genny, the story,” Abigail said softly, reminding her to get back on track.

Genevieve nodded and went on to tell her how Ryan had told her several times that one day all that Dawn had was going to be hers. She explained that she had not understood it at first until he took her away on a trip one day and when they returned, they moved into a new home and he asked her to say her name was Dawn going forward, and he started giving her special attention publicly while Dawn became the neglected child.

”While he gave me loving attention publicly, when we were alone he’d always ridicule me and compare me to you. He’d say I was worthless and even though you couldn’t speak you were more useful to him than I was. He’d always say hurtful things and asked me to make sure you don’t get together with anyone,” Genevieve confessed.

”He told you to do that?” Abigail asked, and Genevieve nodded slowly.

”Yes. He didn’t want you having a boyfriend or any close friends. He wanted to be able to always know what you were doing or discussing with anyone. So, whenever you started getting too close to anyone he’d ask me to step in,” Genevieve explained.

Abigail could only stare at her, ”You mean all those times you seduced those boys...”

Genevieve nodded, tears dropping from her eyes. ”Yes. It was his idea. He said if you had your heart broken enough times you’d eventually give up on guys. I’m sorry. I knew it’d hurt you, but I didn’t care because I wanted you to be hurt. You always seemed happy despite being mute and living as a maid’s daughter, but I was never really happy while living as you. Seeing you happy always rubbed me the wrong way. Whenever he insulted or belittled me, I always tried to find ways to do the same to you. I hated my life so much and I wanted to make you hate yours too. I didn’t realize how wrong it all was and that the problem was me, not you, until it was too late.”

Tears spilled freely down Abigail’s cheeks hearing Genevieve’s confession. She pressed a hand to her chest, as if trying to stop the ache from breaking her in two. ”Oh, Genevieve,” her voice broke. She couldn’t imagine just how bitter Genevieve must have been all those years.

Genevieve’s lips quivered. ”I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness,” she whispered. ”Still, I came here to say I’m sorry.”

Abigail looked down at her, tears stinging her own eyes. She understood Genevieve and wanted to forgive and forget it all. She really did. But her heart wasn’t ready, not yet.

In that moment she realized that understanding the reason for an offense and wanting to forgive the offense didn’t make forgiveness any easy.

”Is that all? Why did you change? I noticed you stopped being so cruel when I returned. Did you fall out with him?” Abigail asked, and Genevieve inhaled deeply.

”Therapy. It helped me see myself in a different light. And I was just fed up of the whole thing. I could have reached out to apologize to you, but I didn’t know how to. I had no idea how to explain the reason for my behavior. Coming clean wasn’t an option. I was scared. When he said he wanted to hand over everything to you and Josh and I should get married to Jamal, a part of me was angry that he’d used me all these years and was discarding me just like that. I felt angry that my own father would do that to me. But I also felt partially relieved that I’d get to leave his shadow and live freely. But then the more I got to know Stefan, I just couldn’t continue with the pretense. I will accept whatever punishment you give me. If you want to get me arrested and sue me, I’ll accept it all. I can’t live freely knowing that I did all of that to you.” Her words cracked with anguish, raw and unfiltered.

Abigail’s lips parted. ”I don’t want to do any of that,” Abigail assured her in a soft but trembling tone.

Genevieve didn’t say anything as she waited for Abigail to pass her verdict.

”I don’t know what to say to you right now.” Abigail’s throat burned, and she touched Genevieve’s shoulder gently. ”But you should know that I don’t hate you. For a while now I’ve tried to put myself in your shoes, so I understand you. You took up my identity when you were only a child a little older than Josh. You treated me the way you did as a teenager and with your explanation I understand you did that from your place of pain and you were often following his instructions. You didn’t know better. I’m glad for your sake that you went for therapy. I really want to forgive you, Genevieve. But I still need time.”

Genevieve’s sob came out strangled, her relief palpable as she nodded over and over, pressing her forehead against Abigail’s hand as though it were salvation.

Abigail blinked away her own tears. ”You should rest, Genevieve. You look exhausted. Freshen up and get some rest. I’ll bring your breakfast up. And when we get news of his arrival, I’ll let you know so we can go together.”

Genevieve nodded, ”Thank you. I’m glad you not only found your voice and your family, but that you didn’t tamper with your face too.”

”Me too,” Abigail said, smiling slightly

Genevieve reached into her pocket and took out a flash drive which she handed to Abigail. ”I had Stefan copy out the stuff I told you about.”

”Thank you,” Abigail said as she took it from her, and they both rose.

As they straightened, Abigail embraced Genevieve, surprising her. ”I always wanted to thank you for being good to Josh despite how you felt about me.”

Before Genevieve could respond, Abigail gestured to the bathroom, ”You can freshen up in there while I spread the bed...”

”No. I’ll do it myself,” Genevieve said quickly.

Abigail smiled, ”Just go in and freshen up. You’re my guest here. This is my home,” Abigail said firmly, and Genevieve reluctantly went into the bathroom.

The moment Genevieve disappeared into the bathroom, Abigail raised the pillow and took out the condoms they never got to use, and went to hide them in her closet.