Chapter 21

Gwen sat on a large sewing machine, her eyes were laser focused on the material she was sewing. Behind her were her staff who were also paying attention to what she was doing.

"Miss" Jesse walked into the huge room that had materials of different textures and color hung around. "It's Mr Grey"

She stretched the phone in her hand to Gwen.

"Hello"

"Good afternoon Mrs Gwendolyn" Grey sat at the back of his car, which was parked in Gwendolyn's Empire.

"Good day Grey, I am currently working on the design as we speak" she smiled

"That's good, the fashion week is in a month time so let's get to work" Gwen didn't really mind he's somewhat offensive tone. "No slacking off"

"Slacking off?" She sighed tiredly and collected the phone from Jesse. "Don't worry Mr Grey, I won't let you down okay"

"I hope so" he hummed an hung up. Gwen stared at her phone blankly and handed to Jesse.

Grey stared at his phone sadly. He felt messed up right now. His butler looked at him through the window feeling sorry for his master.

"Won't you go in sir?" He asked

"No" Grey replied and relaxed on the car seat. He looked like a lost teenager facing emotional heartbreak for the first time. He just had the feeling Gwen can never be his.

The only thing in the world he could never have.

"Take me home" he goaned.

"Is everything alright with Mr Grey?" Jesse asked concerned.

"I don't even want to know" Gwen replied irritated and continued what she was doing. She really had to finish up the first layer of the clothes.

Jesse looked a little bit sad but she smiled and walked out of the room. She felt sad for Mr Grey, he probably loved her boss and is in pain knowing he won't get the same feelings. Jesse fell in love with Mr Grey from the very first day she set her eyes on him.

"I wish I could tell how I really feel about you" she whispered to the phone number on the phone screen. An idea popped in her head and a bright smile glimmered on her cheeks.

Picking her phone from her pocket she immediately saved Grey's number.

It was lunch time and Gwen hadn't stood from her seat. Her eyes were now on the stones that she was designing. Beads of sweat formed on her face and neck as she was paying full attention to the design she had marked out.

"Aren't you eating Miss?" One of her staff asked. The lady was really hungry and wanted to eat but couldn't cause she was presently helping Gwen.

"You can go" Gwen noticed the faces of her staff. "I'll be fine " she smiled reassuringly and continued to tend to the clothes. Her workers left one by one. Once all were out Gwen gently placed the clothe aside and slumped on the couch in the room. She was beyond exhausted, she had presently being working for two days without rest. Who knew outing with Darren would create all whole new level of work for her.

She turned to her wristwatch and checked the time on it. Her eyes twitched in an unpleasant way, it was already time to pick August.

"Jesssseee!!!"

She yelled out tiredly. Jesse ran in scared only to see her boss resting on the couch.

"M–miss?"

"Keys please" Gwen goaned out.

Gwen got to August school a little bit late, most of the kids had gone home, only a few kids were playing in the school premises.

Her eyes scanned through the kids in school, she could hardly spot her boy anywhere.

"Excuse me" she walked to a teacher who stood by the gates. The teacher quickly recognized her and bowed.

"Your son is in the nurse's office" she quickly said. Gwen felt air knocked out of her lungs. She quickly ran in not having a slight clue of the location of the nurse's office.

"Mrs Gwendolyn" August's teacher walked out of a classroom with a worried look.

Gwen grabbed the teacher harshly and shook her "where's my son?"

"Calm down Mrs Gwendolyn" his teacher tried to calm her. "August just had minor injuries that's all"

Gwen kept panting like a wild beast. "So where is he?" She left the woman's collar and backed away. "I'm sorry, please lead the way"

"August got into a fight with a student" They both walked down the school's hallway. Gwen could hear her heart banging against her ribs. All she could ask of God was her son being safe.

When they finally got to the principal's office, Gwen slammed the door open. The nurse who was tending to a severely injured child jolted.

"AUGUST!!" Gwen ran to the nurse and pushed her aside. To her surprise August wasn't the blonde child who had a broken nose and bandages on his body laying down on a bed. She sighed in relief and turned to the nurse.

"I'm here mommy" August pulled her jacket, he had a bandage on his head and arm. Gwen quickly pulled her son and scanned his body like an X-ray machine.

"Are you okay? Did you hit your head? Ahhh!!" She mumbled all the words in one go.

"Ahem!!" A gruff voice echoed in the room. "Are you the mother to that child"

Gwen turned to see a very hefty man standing beside the severely injured boy. She picked her son up and nodded slowly.

"Your son beat up my boy to a plum" Gwen found it hard to believe but at the same time couldn't speak. She knew how August injured himself when he was small, imagine what he'd do to someone else.

She bent her head low and just listened to the insults rained on her. "What are you teaching your son? To be a ninja or an assassin? Huh? I'm going to call the corp for sure"

The school nurse and August's teacher begged on their behalf. Gwen felt ashamed to the core, she didn't even know how to apologize. She kept bowing to the man and apologizing. August stood beside her, staring at the boy on the bed with hallow eyes.

GWEN'S POV

I helped August get into the car. His teacher walked up to me and handed me a letter. I opened it and found out my baby was suspended for a week and I had medic bills to pay.

"I'm really sorry for the trouble you might have faced" I bowed to her deeply. If it weren't for her and the school's nurse I'd be signing a lot of paperwork.

"It's alright ma'am, to be honest I think he deserves a few days away from school" she turned to August who sat quietly in the car. "August is usually bullied a lot"

I was quite shocked about the news, he never mentioned anything about him being bullied.

"Well ever since he hung his family tree in class which happened to only have your picture, and the fact his bearing your name as a surname. It was quite easy for his subject teachers to know he doesn't have a father. I don't really know how it got to the students, but that's how we got here" she bowed to me sharply.

"Please I am deeply sorry for not telling you the first time he got into a fight. I will try my best to caution his classmates to stop bullying him" I was speechless. Being bullied a few times while growing up, I could easily understand why he would beat up his classmates.

Being bullied can be so frustrating and sad, some people who are bullied usually fight back while others fall under and turn depressed. I was glad that August decided to fight back rather than turn depressed.

What was I even supposed to tell him. I felt guilty, August had been going through bullying because I didn't tell his father about him from the very beginning. It kept me wondering since the last time we went out with Darren, how my life would have turned out if I did tell Darren about my pregnancy.

This had to add to my problems, sighing heavily I got into the car with a smile. I didn't want to bruise my boy's heart more than he had received.

"We'll spend the night at the plaza okay" I looked through the mirror, his eyes were saggy and red. I really wanted to ask what happened.

We finally got to plaza after a long ride of silence. I dropped of from my car and turned to help August.

"Come down dear" August didn't move an inch from where he sat. Sighing heavily I got in and sat beside him. "Wanna talk about it?"

He shook his head slowly and clasped his hands together. "I'll tell Jesse to get you popsicles okay, it's just a fight right?"

He didn't say a word "i mean I fought in school, though it's the second time it's occuring no need to beat yourself up" I rubbed his head slowly and kissed his head. "Just walk away that's how to be mature"

Picking his bag and lunchbox and dragged him out of the car gently.

"Now stop sulking, I'll send Jesse right away"

We walked towards the entrance of the plaza, I could hear sniffing sounds from behind me. No doubt he was crying. I turned to him and sighed tiredly.

"It's alright August, I'm not going to punish you" I rubbed his head once more. August gradually looked up and into my eyes.

"What is a bastard mommy?"

"Huh?" I was dumbstruck by his question

"Ted said I'm a bastard B-be-because my dad don't want me"

"Hey hey baby, you're not a bastard" I tried to console him but he pulled his hand away from me.

"Who's my daddy?"

"Doesn't he love me?"

"Why don't be want me?"

"Why don't he want August?"

My heart broke with every passing word, I didn't even know what to say. I could only stand there and watch my boy cry, squeezing his shirt tightly. Tears brimmed my eyes. I caused this, I caused all of this, guilt flooded my heart so much I could hardly breathe.

I thought what I did a few years ago was for the best but here I am. Lost, not having the slightest clue of what I'm doing.

"Please stop saying that (sniff)" I could hear my voice weak and quivering. I was never strong when it came to this topic. It was the one topic that left me plundering on the decisions I've made in life.

THIRD PERSON POV

"I'm sorry" Gwen bent down slowly and hugged her son gently. "I'm sorry" she kept crying. "I made you a bastard"

August hugged his Mom tightly and wailed "please forgive mommy"

A few workers stood at at the door watching them. Jesse felt so sad that she kept wiping her flowing tears. They were all working inside when they spotted their boss kneeling on the ground and crying.

"If only I told Darren I was pregnant and- and at least asked for his opinion"

"I thought I could do it on my own but it's hard being a single parent. It's so hard, I'm not okay, it's not okay at all. Please forgive mommy, I messed up so badly"

"I can't even train my own child" Gwen wailed like a child squeezing August like a teddy. "I'm the reason why you're being bullied in school"

"Miss" Jesse covered her face with her hands and squatted on the floor. Being in the same shoes with her boss, she could just tell how Gwen would be feeling every single passing day.

"I'm sorry for making that man shout at you" August sniffed while rubbing his red nose. Though he had stopped crying,his mother was still crying. "Stop crying mommy" August nudged her shoulders with his small hands. Wiping away her tears. "Mommy"

A huge figure emerged behind August hugging both of them. "Please stop crying"

Gwen looked up slowly sniffing her nose. "Darren" she whispered slowly and looked up to his worried face. August who was trapped between the both of them, hugged his mother gently and used his little hand to rub her back.

Darren gently wiped off her tears and kissed her forehead. "Please stop crying" he placed another kiss on her cheek "please stop crying" another on her chin "please stop crying"

Gwen who's face was both red and flowing with tears didn't feel the urge to resist. She savoured every single kiss on her face. It was a pain reliever to her heart. Especially the one that he placed on her lips.

"Please stop crying" he whispered before grabbing her lips.

All the workers who stood by the door gasped in shock.

Darren pulled Gwen closer to his body, digging into her lips the more. He had long wanted this feeling, the one feeling that'd make his heart beat so fast and breath hitch.

Gwen gently wrapped her hands around Darren's neck and crouched closer to him.

She had long forgotten the thorns piercing her heart. Right now all she felt was calm and soothing peace.

Darren broke away from their kiss and hugged her gently, he could feel August against his chest too. "Are okay?"

"I am" she snuggled herself in his body "thank you"