Chapter 16- The past?
"Gregory Chandler! How dare you shout at an innocent child and how dare you do not ask questions and try to figure out what happened before berating another's child." Rhiannon's voice boomed across the playground. It scared the parents and children, making everyone and everything quiet.
Hearing that voice made Gregory tremble unconsciously. Although he didn't remember what exactly happened that night, he nearly lost his life. He was sure it had something to do with Rhiannon. An instinctive fear curled up in the bottom of his stomach.
Like a tornado, Rhiannon rushed over as inhumanely as possible. Ivan and Arina took up her rear when they realized the beta's daughter was lying on the floor crying. Rhiannon knew from the moment she saw the little boy and Gregory together that they were father and son. But the kicker was, the child was at least 5 years old.
And they had been together for 5 years, this could only mean one thing. Not only did he cheat in the beginning of their relationship, but he also had a whole other family. How in the hell did she not notice this.
During the past years, they each had lived in dorm rooms with their college roommates. She had always worked and went to school, which didn't give her a lot of time for a romantic relationship. She used all of that money on him, putting him through college, believing he was from an even poorer situation than she was.
And now see, the man she was once deeply in love with had a whole child, and a whole family. Did she pay for the upkeep for his child? The more she thought of this, the darker her face became. The rage that she had simmered down was now threatening to erupt.
"This... this is your child?" Rhiannon whispered in a deadly voice. "You have had an entire family for the entire 5 years we were together."
She laughed crazily. Her sharp and gloomy gazed fell over the woman with a mask over her face. The woman had long blonde hair and dark brown eyes, freckles could be seen all over her face.
She was a little taller than Rhiannon. How could she forget her college roommate Brittany Jackson. Brittany was a year older than them but went to college late, however she eventually dropped out by the second semester. Noone knew where she went.
"Brittany Jackson, long time no see." Rhiannon narrowed her eyes. "Now I'm not sure which one of us was the other woman but now it doesn't matter. I do have to say the two of your ugly people have created an ugly child…"
"Why did you yell at our little Elmira, don't you see she's on the ground while your son is standing." Rhiannon bent down and lifted Elmira, wiping the dirt from her closet. She took Yulia and gave her to Arina before turning around.
"Hmm. We may have been overreacting." Brittany cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Had you asked, your child would have told you he was crying over sand being in his shoe. Once even more ridiculous, he pushed down our Elmira when she wanted to console him. What kind of person does that." Rhiannon huffed out in annoyance.
She folded her arms and raised her eyebrow. The way she looked at them was full of disdain. The crowd of parents started to murmur to each other, some youngsters took out their phone to record.
Rhiannon waited for one of them to speak. Gregory could only stand there awkwardly. He bit his lower lip anxiously; he wasn't keen on having his family's embarrassment for others to see.
"Well, there was no need to be all snippy about such a small thing. They are just children." Gregory put on his most charismatic smile as he tried to downplay the situation.
PAK!
A resounding sound echoed throughout the playground. A bright handprint could be seen on Gregory's left cheek. The handprint stung as it darkened. Rhiannon's expression that had started to soften immediately turned ugly; the bubbling rage split over as she slapped in three more times. She got so excited as she hit him that she started to smile ruefully.
There are just children, as a child you can hit another just because he is annoyed.
What a pathetic Prick.
Like father, like son!
A total scumbag.
"Your child needs to apologize to our little Elmira. We will not take anything less of there off. If he does not, I will beat him and you both in front of everyone. I'll embarrass you all until you'll not want to ever come out of your home, which I'm pretty sure I paid for." Rhiannon's voice deepened and grew louder as she spoke.
Rhiannon folded her arms across her chest, her head was held high as she narrowed her eyes dangerously. Her long hair swayed as her head swiveled back and forth.
"Child, stop your crying or I'll give you something to truly cry about." Arina growled menacingly. "Pathetic weakling."
Ivan held his mate tightly in his arms as she struggled to get free. A fierce light was in her eyes and the wind picked up significantly. It whipped everyone's hair in the faces but because the clouds had already started to form it seemed normal to them.
The fact that the news broadcaster that morning said it was going to be sunny all day long, didn't register to them at all. San Francisco weather has always been finicky. Before Gregory could say anything, Brittany crouched down and stood up her stunned child and turned him around.
"Junior, come you must apologize to the little girl you pushed down. It's not right to hit people, especially when they are trying to help you. You can't be ungrateful, okay." Brittany told her son in a soft and coaxing tone.
The little boy looked at his mother with watery eyes, pouted his lips before nodding in agreement. He looked at the scarry Rhiannon and the equally scary lady behind her. He didn't want to get hit like his father, so of course he would do what his mother told him.
Junior walked up the little girl, who had been put down beside the huge man with the red beard. He bowed his head timidly before apologizing in a loud voice, it was clear and steady without any hesitation. It was clear that the boy wasn't completely lost with his character.
Brittany stood up as she held her son's hand. She narrowed her eyes in disgust as she looked at Gregory. He had a frown on his face, his hands were stuck in a form of a claws as stood there arrogantly. With a roll of her eyes, she turned towards Rhiannon. The look in her eyes didn't hold any disgust or contempt like Gregory, it didn't even hold pity or smugness as some might have expected.
"Rhiannon, I apologize to you. I should have told you the first time Gregory and I got together, and I should have told you when I got pregnant. At first, I thought it was a stupid drunken mistake and it would eventually go away, so there was no need to tell you.
But… as she can see, nothing went away. I was afraid to tell you and I didn't tell Gregory, to be honest I don't think he remembered because he never mentioned it and he always acted like nothing happened.
You guys always seemed in love, and I didn't want to ruin it. That was the main reason I dropped out and transferred somewhere else. It wasn't until two years ago that we met, and I told him about his son. Since then, he has given me child support and has been a father to his son.
We are not in any other relationship other than co-parenting. Ever since I left, I have not kept up with the old gossip and I had no idea you guys were still together and that he didn't even tell you. He made it seem that he was free and single but now I know different."
When Brittany first started to speak, Rhiannon wanted to go up to her and slap her like she did Gregory but the hurt and rage slowly calmed down as she listened. As a woman she could understand the logic and if she was under with herself, she would be really mad at Brittany. Her rage was completely aimed at Gregory the scum bag.
Plus, the child, it was clear he was taught the right way so how could she still be mad at them. But Gregory this is another notch she would not forgive. Rhiannon looked up and the very public park was filled with a crowd watching a show. She didn't realize she was starring in a drama.
"Brittany, I don't blame you. So, let bygones be bygones. Gregory and I are no longer together anymore. Although I still have many unresolved issues with him, I will not take them out on you." Rhiannon said as gently as she could.
"Okay, Thanks Rhiannon." Brittany nodded before leaving with her son, she ignored Gregory as he called out to them.
"And you, prick… this will not end here." Rhiannon said scornfully at Gregory. "Come on guys, it's getting late, and it should rain soon."
The moment she said that a loud clack could be heard, and lightning streaked across the sky. The rain poured down in a torrent of wind and leaves, making the area soaked and flooded. The crowd dispersed easily as people headed to their cars and drove home.