Chapter 57: She can’t hide it anymore
Ryan’s POV
“I know, Ophelia. I am Jeremy’s dad. You don’t need to keep hiding it from me anymore,” I uttered to Ophelia as I stared down at her, with a sinister smile curving my lips upward.
She seemed horrified as her mouth faltered and opened before it immediately flapped shut. She couldn’t meet my gaze, and her breathing rate fastened.
I quickly shuffled back to give her some space to process everything I just said. Thankfully, her breathing rate stabilized and she glared up at me.
“What do you mean you’re Jeremy’s dad? What gives you the audacity to make that sort of a baseless statement?” She spat, her glare faltering when I didn’t back down, and instead fixated my gaze on her.
I laughed mirthlessly and shook my head, “I know everything, Ophelia. I know more than you think I know. And overall, I know Jeremy is my son. I have eyes and ears everywhere, so of course I’d know that. I was waiting for you to tell me the truth, but it seemed that’d never happen, so I had to take the bull by the horns and confront you,” I confessed, feeling a wave of guilt and self-loathe crash over me when I saw how scared Ophelia suddenly seemed.
She exhaled sharply, “I-I can’t do it. No, I won’t do it,”NôvelDrama.Org content.
I was perplexed by her statement, “What can’t you do?”
She swallowed harshly, inhaled deeply before she stared up at me, “I will never let you into our lives. We have been doing great without you for the past three years, so why the hell do you have to show up now? Of what importance is your fucking existence to us?” She screamed, with furious tears brimming in her eyes.
“Ophelia, please. I know I did something horrible to you which I’m extremely sorry for. Please believe me, I will do anything you want me to but I’ll never be able to live apart from our son. I don’t care if you file a restraining order against me, so what? I can sue for his sole custody too,” I muttered, clearly not meaning the last part.
I only wanted to ruffle Ophelia’s tough edges a little and instill a great dose of fear into her. But my plans backfired as she chuckled darkly.
“You will do no such thing,” She whispered, searching my eyes.
“You can’t st-” I stopped my utterance midway as the elevator doors slid open, and a young man attempted to walk in.
I glared at him, “Get out. Take the next one,” I barked at him.
As expected, he was petrified. He nodded fervently, quickly sensing the sour tension in the air before he got off, and I slid the doors shut again.
Afterward, I inputted the furthest floor on the keypad, and turned to face Ophelia who had tears rolling down her cheeks, though she still had a defiant expression rooted to her face.
“So, where were we?” I mumbled to myself.
“Right. About Jeremy’s custody. I won’t sue for his sole custody, if you let me into his life. Please just introduce me to my son, and I promise I won’t make you regret doing so. It’s obvious the t-”
“Are you threatening me?” Ophelia cut in with a huff.
It was then I realized how wrong I had worded my statement.
Fuck, I never failed to let my arrogance and stupidity get the best of me in every situation.
“No, of course not. I will do no such thing. I’m j-”
“You just fucking threatened me, Ryan. I am not stupid, you asshole. Do you think you still own me? Is that it? Who the hell do you think you are to say bullshit about getting sole custody? Do you even think before you talk?” Ophelia thundered angrily, with her fists bunched up by her sides as she murderously glared at me.
I shook my head, “No. Please listen to me, Ophelia. I’m sorry I spoke like that. What I mean is that I also want to get parental rights to Jeremy. I want him to see me as his dad not a mean asshole who did something horrible to his mum before he w-”
“And you are not?” Ophelia interrupted once more.
“I’m not what?”
“Are you not a mean asshole who did something horrible to me?” She scoffed, to which I sighed heavily.
“I-I’m sorry for everything, Ophelia,” I mumbled.
“Pocket your sorrow. I don’t need your meaningless apology. My decision still remains the same and will never change. I won’t grant you any parental right to my son. Jeremy is my son not our son. Get that into your thick head. I will never let you ruin Jeremy,” She spat wrathfully.
“Ophelia, don’t you think you are being selfish?” I spat back, holding her glare.
I couldn’t take it anymore. I had heard enough of her rants.
I could accept the fact that she’d hate me forever but I would never be able to accept that I’d never get to call Jeremy my son nor tell him I was his dad.
To me, that was borderline selfishness. Nothing more.
“I am selfish? Are you crazy? How am I selfish?” Ophelia huffed.
She didn’t let me reply as she went livid with rage, “Did you expect me to accept you with open arms and a cheerful smile after what you did to me? Fucktard, you almost killed Jeremy and I that night! You didn’t care about us at all, did you? If I had died that night, I’m sure you’d have been the happiest person on earth, wouldn’t you?”
“No, never. I’d never wish death on you. I know, I was a coward that night, and I’d never be able to forgive myself either but please let me see my son,” I replied, to which she snorted angrily.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get that restriction order very soon. Hopefully, that will jolt you back to the painful reality that you have nobody left in this world,” Ophelia muttered as the elevator came to a halt and slid open.
Without as much as a backward glance, she trudged out of the elevator.
I gazed at her retreating form as despondence clenched my heart.