Chapter 58

THE NEXT DAY...

A hand fell on top of the bed as Alex searched for Robbie. Her eyebrows creased as she opened her eyes and did not see him. She slowly rose from the bed, holding the sheets to cover her nakedness.

'Where did Robbie go?' she wondered, and stood up from the bed then walked over to the closet.

She picked out some clothes and started getting dressed. After putting on her shoes, she grabbed her purse and took her phone out to check on the time. It was already eight in the morning. She frowned as she realized she had overslept.

The whole cabin was quiet that she wondered if something happened to Robbie and Sasha. She walked out of the room only to find a note on the table. She took it and read:

'Hi Love,

Don't want to wake you. Sasha and I went to the lake. Be back soon.

Robbie'

"The lake? Was it okay to go there already?" she said to herself.

It had just rained so hard last night and she wondered why they decided to go to the lake when it was still probably flooded.

Worry started to engulf her as she quickly walked out of the cabin and dialed Toni's number.

"Hello, Alex. What's up?" Toni asked.

"Robbie and Sasha went to the lake this morning. I just want to know if it's safe," Alex tried to talk calmly but her voice still trembled.

"Hey, Alex. Don't worry. Michael was with them. They were fishing."

"Fishing?"

"Yeah. You know how the rain always brings fish in the lake, so they took advantage of it."

"Oh... I see," suddenly she felt stupid to think that it was dangerous.

"Why don't you come by and have breakfast with me? I'm sure you'll be starving from all the ACTIVITY you did yesterday."

Alex chuckled. "Okay. I'll be there."

Alex started walking the path to Michael and Toni's cabin when suddenly Elaine showed up beside her.

"Hi, Alex!" she greeted as if they were best friends. "How was your sleep?"

"Elaine..." Alex said as she smiled smugly at her. "What are you doing here?

The last thing she ever wanted to see was this bitch ruining her beautiful day.

"Oh! I was planning to see you."

"Oh yeah? Why?"

"Listen, Alex, I know how I acted yesterday and I'm really sorry. I thought, maybe, since our daughters play nicely along, maybe we could be friends, too and set aside our differences... forget our past."

"I see..."

"So, what do you say? Friends?"

Alex plastered a fake smile on her face and stopped to face her.

"What do you really want from me, Elaine?"

"What do you mean? I already told you. I wanted to make amends."

"Make amends? From what? From the past? Look, Elaine! If you are befriending me so you can have a gossip about the juicy details of our lives before anyone else does, then no. I don't like a fake friend. That's not my style."

Then she turned her back on her and continued walking. But the woman tugged on her arm like a little girl.

"Oh, come on, Alex! I'm not here to fight. I just want to be friends, for real."

Alex sighed. Would she give this woman a chance? She didn't know if she would be able to trust her. But she stopped and faced her again.

"Fine. I don't want to get angry, too. But look, our daughters are friends and we can just be casual about that. But for us to be friends, give it some time, okay."

"Thank you," Elaine said, relieved. "I'm sorry about what I said yesterday. I... I actually envy you and Robbie, you know... Oscar and I had never been like that."

Alex did not intend to listen but she felt she needed to. Elaine sounded someone who needed it.

"You see... Viola is really not his..." Elaine revealed and Alex stopped abruptly.

Why is she telling her these things?

She then realized that Viola did not exactly looked like her dad. The little girl has the same blue eyes and plump lips like her mothers but no resemblance of anything with her known father.

"Elaine... you don't need to tell me these things."

"Well... I just thought... I had to tell someone.... You see, I have so many failed relationships but only Oscar accepted me for who I am."

"Does he know?"

"N-No..." and she started to break down crying. "I-I had a boyfriend when I met Oscar. My mother knew about the pregnancy and she immediately arranged my marriage to Oscar, thinking if we consummate our marriage, he would never know it was not his. I never loved him... and even after we got married I still secretly meet up with Viola's father."

"And... who is Viola's father?"

Elaine looked up at Alex with red swollen eyes and Alex was shocked to hear the next words she uttered.

"It was Miguel."

Her heart stopped beating for once.

Did she hear her right? Miguel was the father of Viola? But how?

To her estimation, Viola might be at least four years younger than Sasha. That means...

"Miguel and I saw each other again four years after you broke up," Elaine started. "My mother had tried to set me up with different men, hoping I would somehow find the right man to stop me from being promiscous. But then, I never liked any of them despite of their fame and fortune. I thought, maybe, if I find someone I truly love and get married, then Mom would stop setting me up.

So, when I went to my best friend, Gina, on her birthday party, I did not know that she invited Miguel. We catch up... then next thing I know, we were on Gina's bed, drank and... naked. I thought I was safe since I was on a pill but I didn't know I skipped one day. So... two weeks later, I'm pregnant. We tried to work it out for at least a month, but knowing Miguel, he was not the person who wanted to be tied down.

Mom found out I'm pregnant with him and... she was furious. Immediately, she talked to a friend kf hers, the Crainshaws, and found out that Oscar was still looking. I never liked Oscar at all... but he was nice. So even I don't want to get married, I agreed... just to give a name to my child."

"But you said... you're still seeing Miguel even when you're married," said Alex.

"Yes."

"Did he get to meet Viola?"

"Yes. But I told him not to introduce himself as the father. I don't want her to get confused and... Oscar will know. He threatened to tell... once but I begged him. He told me he won't unless.." and Elaine lowered her eyes.

"Unless what, Elaine?"

"I... I give him money."

'Typical bastard!' Alex thought.

As expected, Miguel was as cunning as a fox.

She gritted her teeth in anger. Although she never liked Elaine, it was still unfair for her to be treated that way. Knowing Miguel, he was still the same jerk that tried to squeeze out something from you in exchange. He would use people to the end.

Just like how he used her for sex.

Now with Elaine, he was using her for money and their child to blackmail her.

Alex sighed as Elaine held her arm.

"Please, Alex. No one can know... especially Oscar."

"You can count on me, Elaine."

"There you are!" said a male voice that made them turn towards it. It was Oscar. "I've been looking for you, hon."

Elaine smiled faintly to her husband, and glanced at Alex who smiled back at her.

"Oh, hi Alex. I hope my sweet wife was not bothering you."

"Oscar..." and she glared at him.

"I'm sorry. Very well the . We'll see you around, Alex. Nice to see you."

Alex just nodded as the couple turned walked away from her.

She was still in shock from the revelation she heard from Elaine. Could it be true? But the way Elaine had told her, it did sounded real. With Miguel's nature there was a huge possibility that he was really trying to use Elaine.

Alex sighed as she walked towards Michael and Toni's cabin.

"What took you so long?" asked Toni as soon as she arrived at their cabin.

"Oh... nothing. Just talking with Elaine," she lied.

"I hope she was not in her bitchy self again."

Alex chuckled. "Don't worry. It was good now. We put our differences aside and decide to be civil."

"Okay then. Why don't you eat your breakfast and tell me everything that happened in that hill?" and Toni winked at her.

Alex laughed.

But as much as she wanted to feel happy, the conversation with Elaine still bothered her.

Would this revelation affect their family somehow?

She just hoped it would not.

For it would truly devastate her...

The last thing she ever wanted was to be involved in the Crainshaw familly affairs.

"So did he give you the ring?" Toni's question startled her.

"Ring?"

"Engagement ring, silly!"

"I-I know..."

Was Robbie supposed to propose to her?

Her heart suddenly skip a beat as she saw Robbie bounding up the path towards tha cabin.

Suddenly, her worries were gone and the only thing that was left was the idea of Robbie proposing.

"Hello, my love..." he sweetly said as he came into the cabin.