UNKNOWN

I was angry. Very angry. So angry that I shook. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I felt like I was going to explode at any moment. My anger boiled over and I felt like I was going to burst into flames. I didn't know what to do or how to stop the anger from consuming me. It was a feeling I had only experienced once and that was when Lucas married Sophia. I had vowed to separate them and I succeeded even if it took so long.

Why did she have to come back? I had a plan. It was going well. I was going to send the kids to her. She should have waited a little longer. Now she's back and I'm back to point zero.

Just mere thinking of her makes my head pound.

To worsen matters, that darn teacher tried to blackmail me. How dare she? She brought death upon herself. I didn't plan to kill her, I wasn't going to get blood on my hands. I was going to send her somewhere far away when she was done but she flopped it.

I still wasn't going to kill her but she blackmailed me without daring to think of what I was capable of doing.

She was just a girl, and she was trying to get ahead in life by any means necessary. She knew that I had a lot of money and that I could help her.

Someone I wanted to help, blackmailing me? I was so mad that I couldn't think straight. I called one of my men and had her taken care off. Speaking of which? Where is that darn boy.

As if on cue, he knocked.

"Come in!"

"Ma'am." he greeted bowing slightly.

"What took you so long?"

"Someone stole the phone from the scene of the accident. I had to locate the person and steal it back."

"So? How did it go?"

"Very well ma'am. There is no way it would be traced back to you."

"Good. You may leave."

Now I'm back to square one. I have to think of a way to get ride of Sophia again. What if just kill her. In fact, it was an interesting thought. That way I wouldn't have to worry about her coming back

But first I need to get her out of his head and heart and make him see that she's just not her type that he should only have eyes for me.

His heart may not be in it, but I know he has a softer side that only the right woman can make him let out. But I'm not even sure if I will be able to do that.

I shouldn't doubt myself, I can do anything once I set my mind to. I just need to think of something that makes him love me like that.

***

CLAIRE'S POV

I laid still for a few seconds, waiting, listening, for any sound that proves she was still in the room. No sound. Three seconds pass and I slowly opened my eyes, certain she was gone.

"Psst! You awake?" I called to Aiden.

He rubbed his eyes, and sat up. I motioned to him to lay on his side, so I could climb in. I carefully crawled in beside him.

"So? What'd you think?"

"I don't know?"

"Well, I think dad still likes mom. Did you see how he hurried over when I called him plus he was super worried."

"That could just be a natural reaction."

"Nope, I think not. And why are you being so negative? Don't you want them to get back together?"

"Of course I do. I don't want to have to live without one of them but I don't want to get my hopes up and have it crashed down. It'll hurt than when mom first left."

"Optimism helps too. There must be some form of love left between them. We just have to set the atmosphere and everything will flow."

"Okay? So what do you have in mind?"

"We'll have to find a way for them to always spend time together."

"How? They can't stay for five minutes without fighting."

"We have to make it so they won't."

"How?"

"Yeah! So next week, we're supposed to have interfamily sports in school. Let's get them to come."

"Mom and dad together? That'll be a disaster waiting to happen. They can stand each other, but they can't stand each other. Imagine the drama that would ensue if mom and dad got together. They would argue about who was more important in their lives, who did more work around the house, who was more responsible with us. There would be a lot of yelling and that too in front of the whole school. It'll be too embarrassing."

"There you go again with your.. Smh! They wouldn't want to embarrass themselves and us so they'll keep their cool.

"Oh! Yeah. That's right. But the problem now is to get them to agree. And another thing, mom's still shaken up. Do you think she'd be better by then. Like strong enough to come?

"She loves us a lot. Whether she's strong or not, I think she'll come." I said.

"Uuuhh. Harsh! Shouldn't we give her time to recover?"

"We don't have time. What if they decide to get a divorce before then?"

"Oh! I see your point. So how do you intend to make them agree."

"I've got an idea."

The next day, Aiden and I went into action.

We had on a sad and gloomy face from when uncle Dominic picked us from school till it was dinner time and we made sure mom and dad caught it.

We ate dinner in silence with mom and dad stealing questioning glances at each other. I guess they were wondering what we were thinking about.

I was wondering if they were ever going to ask. I felt a bit sad thinking out plans might mot have worked.

I couldn't help but feel a little sad when I saw the way mom and dad were acting. Maybe it was because I was expecting them to act the same way as they did before, like they always did.

They couldn't stand the sight of us being sad even for a second but now they've completely ignored us till dinner even though we made it obvious we were not happy.

Mom opened her mouth as if to say something when dad's phone rang. He excused himself from the table to answer it but we could still hear what he was saying.

"What's the update? What do you mean you didn't find anything at the scene? My wife-I mean Sophia. Sophia said the teacher was on the phone. You should have found a phone. That means the perpetuator was there. You know this means more work for you right? Good! Call me when you have feedback. "

He ended the call and looked at mom." Still nothing. " he said.

Mom didn't seem to care about that. She pointed at me with her eyes. Dad glared at her before facing us.

"Hey kids! Buddy? Claire? What's up?"

"Nothing." I answered sadly.

He glanced over at mommy who gave him a press further look.

"You can't say it's nothing. You've both been sad and gloomy since you returned from school. What's the problem?".

I sghed, dropping my spoon.

"We've got inter-family sports next week."

"Inter what now? What's that?"

"Daaaaad? We've had it every other year. How could you forget?" Aiden asked.

"That's because he doesn't come?" I said.

"Oh! Wait. Is it that thing I send Tanya or Nancy to?"

"Yes!" Aiden and I said.

"It's no problem. I'll just send one of them again."

Mom dropped her spoon, with a surprised look on her face.

"You send the workers to parents activities in school?"

"I was too busy. I still am."

"Then why did you have kids if you know you wouldn't have the time for them."

"Well, I had a wife then."

"Oh! You mean you'd have left me to go alone when it's PARENTS activity, meaning it's for both of us."

"Don't try to pin it all on me. You're the one who left. I had to bury myself in work to forget about you."

The glared at each other for a while before mom spoke.

"Don't worry kids. We'll be there this time."

"Speak for yourself Sophia. I won't be...

"We are going and that's it." Mom said half yelling.

"Don't you dare....

"Please dad. We'd get laughed at again if you both don't show up." I said

"Laughed at? Again? What do you mean?" dad asked.

"Well, our classmates laughed at us saying with have different moms and no dad."

"Jesus! Lucas? How absent have you been from their lives?"

"Fine! I'll go. I'll go."

Aiden and I smiled at each other, doing a high five underneath the table. Step one done.

"Now what are we going to do?" Aiden asked when we were in our room.

"Nothing. We wait till the end of this week and see what happens."