Chapter 3 I Only Ended Her Pain

A resounding slap landed on Natasha's cheek. She had just being slapped by her father, "you disgraceful daughter! How did you get pregnant? Huxley said he had never laid with you." Huxley was her ex fianceé, the bastard who cheated on her.

Natasha didn't know how her father found out she was pregnant. Apart from the doctor that already knew, she hadn't revealed it to anyone yet.

Holding her burning cheek that had just been slapped, her father, Mr. Lewis, continued, "you have brought shame to me. Did you know how much we stand to benefit if you get married to the Powell's family. Huxley was infact the second son of the Powell's family. The Powell's family were one of the upper class families in Leaf City. And they are widely known for their prominence and wealth.

"Dad, I caught Huxley having sex with one of his female employee," Natasha defended herself.

"And so?" Lewis asked irritatedly, "men are polygamous in nature, that's not a big deal. It's not as if he cancelled the engagement between you two."

Lewis further added, "Why didn't you tell me after you caught him having sex with his staff, why did you go ahead and have sex with someone else? Does two wrongs make a right?"

Natasha was stupefied at the words coming out of her father's mouth. How could her father say such! Has he be cheating on her mother too since he believed that men are polygamous in nature. Thought he was very faithful to her mother?

Before Natasha could utter another word, the door opened and Natasha saw two women walk in. One was in the age range of her late mother while the other was just as young as her.

Natasha watched in horror as his father's angry face dessipated into a calm one, he went to welcome both women and with the way he welcomed the woman who was in the same age range as her late mother, one could tell they had something going on.

"Dad, who are they?" Natasha couldn't hide her curiosity.

"Oh! I'm Zara by name and here is your stepsister, Ruby," Zara chirped in before Lewis could respond.

"I don't have any stepsister." Natasha's family had been a nuclear family. A father, a mother and her. So she couldn't relate when Zara was claiming that one young lady is her step-sister.

"Oh yes, you do!" Her father, Lewis spoke. "I've been keeping an affair with Zara secretly for a long time. And now that your mother is dead, I have permitted her and my daughter to come live with me."

"What!" Natasha's heart broke into pieces, her eyes immediately got labelled with tears. "How... could you?" She cried.

"I already told you it's men's nature. It's the harsh reality of life." Lewis spoke without regret. "Go and find Huxley and apologize to him. Tell him you will abort that nonsense in your belly. The engagement must go on."

"To go and beg the man that cheated on me?" Natasha was enraged. She could literally feel hatred replacing the love and respect she used to have for her father. Her father didn't even mourn her mother's death. It's barely two months that her mother had died and here was her father, bringing in another woman and her daughter home.

"If you don't do as I've said, I'll renounce you publicly as my daughter and you know what that means, it will be impossible for you to build a career for yourself in this city anymore." Lewis threatened.

Is this really her father? It was hard for Natasha to believe that her father could behave in this manner. He even threatened to renounce her as his daughter!

"Sweetheart," Zara called on Lewis, leaning very close to him, she added, "she's just a kid, please don't be too harsh on her."

"Dad, stepsister is still mourning her mother, she's not mentally stable yet, if you are too hard on stepsister, her fragile heart will break." Ruby, Zara's daughter spoke.

Lewis received a phone call at that moment and answered it, after having a very brief conversation with the person on phone, she said to Zara and Ruby, "set your luggage in any of the rooms and feel comfortable here, okay? I'll be back later in the day." Then he hugged both Zara and Ruby.

Shooting an angry look at Natasha, he said, "you better do what I want or I'll make your life a living hell." Then he walked away.

Natasha's heart shattered even more and she burtsed into more tears. First, her fiancé cheated on her and then her mother died. Then she got pregnant for an irresponsible man and now, her father brought another woman home, telling her to go and beg Huxley and even threatening to disown her as his daughter. What greater misery can can befall someone?

Natasha suddenly heard a outburst of laughter and when she cleaned the tears blurring her vision, she noticed it was Zara laughing. She squinted her lean eyes in surprise, not understanding the purpose of their laughter.

"If you know what is good for you, you carry your luggage from here and leave." Zara said.

"This is my father's house, you don't tell me what to do." Natasha shot back in anger.

Zara scoffed, "How did you think your father found out you were pregnant?"

Natasha looked at her curiously as if expecting her to explain what she just said.

"I've had eyes on you for so long. Let me be blunt, I arranged the death of your mother and I also made your doctor confess what you met him for."

"What!" Natasha screamed in anger, "you murdered my mom, you witch!"

"I'm growing old and it looks like your mother will never die. Yet I need to move into this Mansion. Your mother had been sick for so long, I only ended her pain." Zara said mischievously, "just so you know, I've convinced your father you aren't his biological daughter and that your mother is a cheap slut."

"He won't believe that." Natasha said swiftly but deep down, she began to understood why her father suddenly started acting strange towards her. Was it because he didn't believe she was his daughter anymore.

"Dear, all I'm saying is, if you want to live long, leave this house," Zara smirked evily and then made a gestured to Ruby. Natasha watched as both women walked in.

She fell slowly to her knees, covered her face with her palm, sobbing hard. All her sorrows came crashing on her. She felt as if the weight of the entire world was on her. She kept crying and sobbing aggressively, clenching her fist tightly even as she absorbed the pain coursing through her spirit, soul and body.