Making Progress (B)

Matt

I walked into my vast house, sent all my staff home until further notice and locked the door. If I'm lucky enough, Abigail doesn't have a spare key. I needed to be left alone with my thoughts; have some time to figure things out.

I didn't know how I was going to face Claire again after what happened. I needed no one to tell me how much she'd resent me.

"All of this wouldn't have happened if Doris had agreed to follow me!" I thought aloud, tossing aside my jacket. I sat on the carpet and ran a miserable hand through my hair.

But it wasn't Doris fault... If you'd go back to the very beginning, it was my fault; all of it.

When I first met Doris, I'd just lost my Dad to a heart attack. Not only that I had lost my best friend; I had to take responsibility of all the companies, hotels and factories he owned. I had just turned twenty and it wasn't at all easy to process. I wanted to live one last time before I'm swept up with the responsibility of taking care of the businesses and the family as well.

I hit up a club and drank away my pain. Then I had a one night stand with the first girl my eyes fell on, Doris. I mean, she looked like a dork and was clearly asking for it. But who knew? We were both wasted.

Anyway, I was finally coping with my grief and getting a hang of how to do my job as the CEO of Wagners world-wide. About two months after the incident with Doris, she suddenly shows up at my mom's house asking for child support.

I was suddenly torn between my responsibility to my family and my responsibility to my unborn kid. I could have had both, but my Mom wouldn't hear of it. She insisted that Doris was just a golddigger and she probably wouldn't have showed up if she didn't find out that I inherited billions from my late Dad. I didn't want to believe her; Doris was so cool about everything and couldn't stop talking about having a family together.

To prove her point, my mom gave me a condition that it was either Doris or my family. She promised that if I chose Doris, she'd disinherit me and then we'd see if Doris would stay or not. Clearly I chose my baby, since she comes with a mother, it's a win-win for me. The only thing I regretted from that decision was having to hurt Abigail in the process.

We have been friends since we were in diapers and although we weren't actually dating, there was this unsaid decision that we would get married when we were ready. But that didn't stop her from supporting me, no matter the crazy decision I made.

I hate to admit, but my Mom was right. As quickly as I was disinherited and thrown out of my home, Doris's attitude changed. She wasn't so enthusiastic about having a family, she complained non-stop and nothing I did ever pleased her; she never left though. When our daughter was born, she seemed to calm down a little; probably she thought that my mom would have mercy and give me my inheritance back. That almost happened, but instead of wanting to overlook the fact that I'm married to Doris, she insisted that I came home with only Claire and Doris could take a hike.

I couldn't do that to Doris, she was the mother of my beautiful daughter and she was already my wife. No matter what it took, I had to be there for my family.

My mom stopped trying to convince me. She completely shut me out and handled the business herself. It was just Abigail and Luciana that occasionally called and offered their support. Luciana had her own inheritance which was actually a lot, but it was almost useless to her since she married a multimillionaire, Thomas and they already had a kid a few months older than Claire.

Claire was an amazing child; even when she didn't get the toys she wanted or had the healthiest meals, she was extremely happy. There was hardly ever a time she was sad. I mean, I felt blessed because it wasn't easy trying to get ends meet.

Doris on her part was bitter and was never cheerful. She'd nag the life out of me but tried to make sure Claire never found out.

When Claire turned ten and we had a second baby on the way, my mother started calling again. This time, she screwed with my head, telling me of how disappointed my Dad would be; he left me everything and I just abandoned it because of a girl. She got deep into my head and I got convinced; it was unfair to everyone. Doris clearly wanted to live in wealth, Claire needed a more comfortable upbringing and I couldn't betray my Dad because of my stupid mistake. I agreed to go back home and resume my duties as CEO, but then Doris refused to go with me. She said my family hated her and she won't deal with them; she couldn't care less what I did with myself... I either stayed or I don't. Then she told me just what my Mom said, that she didn't care about me and only wanted to keep Claire because she found out I was rich. And now, it didn't matter to her anymore; she wasn't going to let anyone insult her because of money. I knew that was the case already, but it didn't help pacify my anger. Clearly our children meant nothing to her, all the effort I put into trying to make our family work was useless. I had already given her ten years of my life and if it was worthless to her, then it was better I left.

I promised her that I would come back for my kids and I also promised to send child support. I left before Claire could wake up, without any explanation. I went back home to my duties but I didn't forget my promise; I sent child support and it bounced back to me. It was like Doris and Claire disappeared; no names or records matched their profiles. I panicked and hired private investigators but no one could find them. Whatever she did, it was as if she dug up a hole and hid herself and the kids away from society and civilization. I had to fear the worst; what if they were killed in an accident? But there was no such record, so I couldn't be so sure.

I didn't give up but I was slowly losing myself. Abigail, Luciana and my mother were there to support and encourage me, but it wasn't enough to fill the void.

I finally met Nicholas who's known to be the best private investigator; he has been searching for them for a year now and finally had a breakthrough. But isn't it too late? Doris is dead and who knows what happened to the kids? When we do find them, Claire would never forgive me, it was all my fault.

Maybe if I had stayed, or maybe if I had taken her with me... It's useless thinking about that now. Maybe she's still my cheerful girl and she'll forgive me.

I stayed locked up in my house for nearly two weeks, barely eating and hardly communicating with anyone. Abigail stopped by often but I never unlocked the door for her. She'd drop by with food, make sure I'm still alive, then she'll leave. It went on like that until the end of the second week and I finally got a call from Nicholas.

"Mark Willis, Doris's younger brother. He has the kids, Claire and James." That was the greatest news I had received in a long time, probably after I found out that I'm going to have another kid. I had a son! How was it possible that I forgot about Doris's brother? It was true that I'd only met him twice, but yet, it was obvious that the kids would go to him.

"Do you have an address?"

"Unfortunately no. Turns out Mark is really influential and they can't just give out his home address. But I know a place where you can meet him."

"Great!" I grinned for the first time. "You've been of great help Nicholas, I owe you big time." He chuckled on the other end.

"If you weren't my friend, I'd ask for a yatch, but you deserve to reunite with your kids, you've worked hard for it."

"Thanks, buddy." I hung up.

Kids, Daddy's back!