Family Secrets

She went back home with a heavy heart that day. She didn't feel any motivation to continue this job. More than her revenge or closure, she had secretly just wanted to see her father. And she couldn't directly because he never visited, on birthdays he sent a card, some money. A few presents but usually money. When they had gotten divorced, her mother got a settlement for her shares and reinvested it into his friend's company. They had been living well for all this time because of her investment and shares in the other company. Besides, in this matter as her mother often said, her father was generous with money and never hesitated to help her even after divorce. Fiona knew that whenever the time came, he would not hesitate in giving their daughter whatever she owed of his inheritance. She had however, never bothered having these conversations with Ava. She still had much to follow in terms of her career and dreams. She never wanted her to join the business monopoly anyways.As Ava got home, she figured that mother was probably not home, all the lights were turned off and the maid was also not there. Fiona went to her room, and saw her mother sitting on the chair of her study table, with the yellow file in her hand. Ava had written all the details of Helix, she had gathered the details of opening positions, the map of Helix, what her father aimed for Helix and the board members. She had written everything, to her surprise she never knew Noah had existed all this time until she saw him there. That is what she had been trying to figure out this whole day.Her mother saw her, she looked tired. "What is this Ava?" she asked with an exasperated expression. "Ma, why are you in my room? And why do you suddenly care what I am up to?" she fought back."I don't want you to mix up with these people, why don't you get that?" "I am not. I just want my answers, the ones you never bothered answering to" Ava glared angrily at her."Ava, what would you do with the answers, isn't it enough that your father has never had any role to play in your life?" Fiona asked her calmly this time."Why did you guys get divorced?" she looked at her with the hope that she might answer this time."There were many reasons. Not just one." "What were those reasons? Did he cheat, or did you?" She mocked her mother."How dare you say that to me, Ava? I am your mother, are you forgetting that?" she got up from her seat with a boil of anger in her eyes."He is ill.Really ill. He might not even make it. But why would you care?" "What? Who told that to you?" her mother had a shock painted all over her face.Ava didn't reply, she took her phone from the desk where she put it after coming and went out the house.She needed some air, and to calm her heart.______Tears welled up in Fiona's eyes. She sat down. On the same chair. For a moment, she took a deep breath, trying not to sob.Her hand had immediately gone to her neck, she always wore a pendant. Seemingly a simple long bar of gold. Only, it had Fiona Michael engraved on one side of it, and the date of their wedding on the other side. She always wore it in a way so that no one could see the engravings.His name touched her skin, the plain bar, faced the world. Whenever she had a weird feeling, she held it in the palm of her hand. Or fidget with it. She had loved him, with all her might. She took her phone in her hands, opened the keypad and dialed a number she knew by heart. She could feel her fingers trembling slightly. Her teary eyes now had enough and the hot water gushed down like a river flowing on her cheeks. She waited for her call to be picked fidgeting with her fingers, she had now put her phone on the desk and put it on speaker mode."Fiona?" a calm but heavy male voice answered."He is dying…" She could say only that and broke into a fit of tears."Fiona, relax. We need to meet him" he said calmly."Did you know?" She collected herself after a few minutes and wondered why he didn't seem so surprised."I got to know a few days ago. Didn't have the heart to tell you." he explained, sighing."Could you do something? I want to see him.""Are you sure? He is currently with his new wife.""I know""I know you do""I want you to figure a way, but I also don't wanna show him I've come for him""You and your ego Fiona.""It's not ego. Just please do something""Alright"She hung up, worried about where Ava would be.______She came home late that night. Kept walking in the park and thinking about things that were wrong with her life. Didn't have dinner at all. She opened her phone upon entering the house and Ma had called 6 times.'Now suddenly she cares' she thought.God knows where she is. She didn't bother looking for her. She went directly to her room and laid on the bed. After some time she noticed her mother coming in and turning the lights off for her.She shut her eyes, she needed some energy to go back into work tomorrow._______