Bittersweet Memories IV

"Natasha, my dear, what happened, what is wrong?" asked Ernest as he rushed into the house and he saw Natasha curled up against the wall as she was still sobbing silently with her head buried in her knees.

"Grandfather I…" said Natasha as she raised her head and Ernest walked towards her, he had told his driver to drive as fast as he could, and still yet with that, he could only get here in one hour and thirty minutes, it was 15 minutes to 8pm, and he was worried, why was his granddaughter in law crying?

"What's wrong my dear?" asked Ernest as he walked to Natasha and he helped her up as she hugged him, she had sounded distressed over the phone and she sounded even worse now, Ernest had never seen Natasha cry like this before, it caught him by surprise, Natasha was always a very happy girl, he wondered what could have made her like this.

"Grandfather… Dom… he…" said Natasha as she cried even more.

"He what??? What did he do Natasha, tell me?" asked Ernest as he was sure whatever his grandson had done to make Natasha cry like this was something terrible.

"Grandfather he hates me… Dom hates me" said Natasha as she cried, she felt so much pain, so much indescribable pain.

"No my dear, don't talk nonsense Dominic can never hate you, you both are together, you are married" said Ernest as he smiled.

"No Grandfather" said Natasha as she sniffed and she broke their hug as she looked at Ernest.

"He hates me, he said it himself" said Natasha as all those words Dom had said to her indirectly meant that he hated her, and he did not trust her.

"But my dear, what made you jump to that conclusion?" asked Ernest as he knew that Natasha was not one to overreact that was Lia's character, and not Natasha's, Natasha was always the calm, calculative one, the one who never jumped to conclusions.

"Grandfather, he thinks that I drugged him" said Natasha as she cried and Ernest sighed as he was trying to take all this in.

"Alright my dear, let's go and sit down first, and you can tell me what happened calmly" said Ernest as he smiled, he knew that this would not be a quick story at all.

Natasha nodded her head as she seemed to have calmed down now.

"It's alright dear" said Ernest as he smiled and he rubbed Natasha on her back and they walked to the living room.

…

"And that's what happened Grandfather…" said Natasha as she looked at Ernest, he had just sat there, listening to her talk about what happened yesterday night, and how she woke up feeling horrible in bed with Dom, and how he was upset with her, and he went out and came back saying that he hated her when all she wanted to do was to talk to him.

"Grandfather… say something" said Natasha as she sniffed and she looked at Ernest who was sitting across her in the living room.

"My girl, there is nothing for me to say" said Ernest as he smiled.

"You don't believe me as well do you Grandfather?" asked Natasha.

"Oh that's nonsense Natasha, of course I believe you, you would never do anything like that, it is not your nature to be evil" said Ernest as he smiled and Natasha sniffed, he knew that someone was trying to ruin the perfectly good marriage he had arranged for his Grandson.

It was at about this point that he was somewhat regretting forcing things between Dom and Natasha, but there was no room for regret now, what was done was done, and what was important right now was solving this matter and finding whoever was responsible for this.

"Oh Grandfather thank you" said Natasha as she smiled and she blew her nose as Ernest handed her a tissue.

"But Dom… he… he doesn't believe me" said Natasha as that was what hurt her the most, the fact that Dom did not believe her, that he would think that she was capable of doing such a horrible thing.

"Don't worry about him dear, for him to think like that, someone… or something must have shown him otherwise" said Ernest.

"But who?? Who would have filled his head with such nonsense…? I can never do anything to hurt him I…" said Natasha as she paused, she loved him, sure yes she did love him, but that did not mean she would stoop so low to get him to be with her, no not at all.

"My dear, I am sure that he has calmed down now, where is he?" asked Ernest as he smiled.

"He's in his office" said Natasha.

"Alright then, let's go my dear" said Ernest as he smiled and he stood up and he took Natasha's hand as she stood up and she followed after him.

"Everything will be alright dear" said Ernest as he smiled and Natasha nodded her head as she really hoped so.

Ernest and Natasha walked up the stairs as they walked to Dom's office as Ernest let go of Natasha's hand and he knocked on the door of Dom's office.

"Go away" came Dom's voice from inside the office.

"Dominic, open the door and stop acting like a child" said Ernest as his tone sounded stern.

"Oh what a surprise, she already called the calvary" said Dom as he scoffed and he shook his head.

"Dominic, you childish grandson of mine, come out here now, don't make me call you again" said Ernest.

"Grandfather… just leave him…" said Natasha as she looked at Ernest.

"No dear, he will come out and face me like a man" said Ernest as he looked at Natasha and he turned back to look at Natasha, she did not want Dom to get even more upset than he was.

Ernest turned back to look at the door as he knocked aggressively and he heard Dom drag his feet as he walked to the door and the unlocked as he opened the door and he stepped out as Ernest stepped back.

"Good Evening Grandfather" said Dom as he sighed, he knew that this would be a long night.

"Dominic, why did you make Natasha cry?" asked Ernest as Dom turned to look at Natasha and she looked away from him.

"Did she tell you what she did?" asked Dom as he looked at Ernest.

"She did not do anything, what needs to happen now, is that you need to reconcile with her and apologize, because Natasha did not drug you, she would never do that, have you no consideration for her, I thought that I and your Father raised you better than this Dominic?" asked Ernest.

"*Tisk*, Grandfather, you have always been on her side, and I never minded that, but now, that is unfair, just please stay out of this Grandfather" said Dom as he scoffed.

"How can you talk to me like that?" asked Ernest.

"Natasha is your wife, you are not supposed to make her cry, you are supposed to clear for her, but you are failing as a husband, whoever or whatever made you see her in such a bad light, is wrong, wake up Dominic, wake, up" said Ernest.

"I should wake up Grandfather?" asked Dom as Ernest nodded his head.

"Grandfather, I want you to see this, and tell me if you are sleeping" said Dom as he brought out his phone from his back pocket as he pressed a video on his phone and he gave it to Ernest.

"What is this?" asked Ernest as he looked at Dom's phone.

"See for yourself" said Dom as Ernest looked at Natasha as she looked at him, looking just a confused as he was.

"Alright then" said Ernest as he walked closer to Natasha and he played the video.

On the small flatscreen of Dom's phone, the video played, it was in black and white, Natasha knew this setting, it was an overview shot of their kitchen.

The video played, and she saw herself walk into the kitchen, she knew this video, she remembered the day, it was just yesterday evening, she was wearing a white shirt and plain blue jeans, and her hair was up in a ponytail.

Natasha wondered how she was not aware that there was a camera in her kitchen? She had never noticed, not even once, meanwhile Ernest was watching the video intently, there was no sound, but all Natasha's actions could be clearly seen, she moved around the kitchen as she prepared two plates, one for her and one for Dom.

She seemed to have finished dishing out everything, when she walked back out of the kitchen, out of the frame of the camera, and then she walked back in a few moments later, with a strange sachet in her hand, and she opened the sachet as she sprinkled whatever was in the sachet on the food, and also in the wine glasses that were set nearby.

Natasha turned to look up as she faced the camera, as if she knew it was there and then she smiled as she walked out of the Camera's frame and the video ended.

Ernest looked at Dom as he had a puzzled expression on his face, that was Natasha, he could recognize her clearly.

Natasha only had one thought in her mind… she had been framed, that was not her at all.

"That's not me!" said Natasha immediately in her defence, she knew it sounded crazy, but that was not her at all, yes, she did step out of the kitchen for a while but that was to get the door since someone pressed the doorbell, but there was nobody out there at all.

Whoever that person, whoever that imposter was, she had worn her same clothes, tied her hair in the same way, she even had her face, Natasha was scared to say the least.

"That is not me, you have to believe me, yes I did walk out of the kitchen, but that was to get the door since someone rang the doorbell, but there was no one there, so I went back to the kitchen, and then you came home from the office… that's…. that's not me" said Natasha as she explained.

"Oh Natasha save it, at least stop lying and admit it, all your actions were caught on camera" said Dom as he scoffed.

"Believe me, that's not me, not at all, there has to be some sort of…" said Natasha as she was cut off.

"Oh just be quiet Natasha, I never knew that you could stoop so low, for crying out loud, you even turned to face the camera, your face was seen visibly" said Dom as he shook his head.

"That is not me, why would I turn to face the Camera??? Think Dom, this isn't reasonable" said Natasha as she raised her voice.

"What isn't reasonable is the fact that you thought you would be able to get away with this by during yourself as well" said Dom as he scoffed, he did not know that he had been living with a crazy woman all this time.

"Dom, I… I am innocent, believe me, that isn't me, what am I to gain by drugging you and myself?" asked Natasha as tears began to fall from her eyes.

"Oh Natasha, save your lies for someone that will believe them" said Dom as he scoffed and he looked at her.

"Your probably just want to get pregnant as a way to tie me down" said Dom.

"NO!" said Natasha as she cried out loud, this was injustice to her, she was being of a crime she did not commit, and what was worse was that there was so called evidence against her that was fake an obviously tampered with.

"Michael already checked the footage, it is not fake, and neither was it tampered with, the scenes run smoothly in real time" said Dom as Natasha felt like her world was crashing down, just who did she hurt that decided to make her suffer like this?? She did not even speak anymore; tears were just dropping from her eyes.

"I will not press charges because of Grandfather, and the Company, but I don't want to ever see you again Natasha, you are dead to me, you can leave the house for all I care, or don't that's up to you, just don't you care, call me, speak to me, or even come near me again" said Dom angrily as he walked away to the left, he did not even care about his phone at all, he had left it with Ernest.

"Grandfather… Grandfather believe me… I didn't do it, I didn't that's not me" said Natasha I between sobs as she cried and she looked at Ernest as he turned to look at her, he had snapped out of his thoughts.

"Oh my dear, I know that you didn't do it" said Ernest as he sighed and he hugged Natasha as he rubbed her back and he cried even more.

"Just relax my dear, and let Dom be, I will investigate this myself" said Ernest as he sighed and Natasha cried.

"Everything will be okay… trust me" said Ernest as it sounded like he was saying the words more to himself than to Natasha.