Surprising revelation

The morning sun blinded me as I woke up. After showering and brushing my teeth, I headed downstairs, my eyes searching for my dad.

"Good morning, Arielle," the maid greeted me with a smile as she approached me.

I turned to see her holding some cleaning tools. "Good morning," I replied, returning her smile. "Your dad is in the garden," she said, nodding towards the door.

I headed to the garden and found Dad among the plants, his hands gently pruning. His eyes sparkled as he saw me. " Hey, Dad. Good morning!"" I said, kissing his cheek. " Morning, darling. Slept well?"" "Yeah, I did."

We chatted as he worked, the tension from last night's conversation wss overwhelming. After helping him with the harvest, we headed inside for breakfast. As we ate, Dad cleared his throat. "Arielle, about what I wanted to discuss..." My heart skipped a beat.

"Your mom took a loan before she passed away," he began, his voice quavering. " The company was struggling, but she saved it. The loan has been due for a while now,"" he said, passing me some documents.

My eyes widened when I saw the number, and instantly, I wished it was him finding out I had a daughter instead. "What can we do, Dad?" I inquired.

" From the paperwork, there was an agreement that if she wasn't able to pay before the due date, they'd take over the company. And we have a few days left.""

My mouth dropped. Mom built that company with her sweat; it's her legacy; they can't take over.

But there's a condition: the lender's willing to forgive the debt if you marry his son, Raymond Tristian."" I felt like I'd been punched. "What!!!?" Does his son have a disability or something?

Dad shook his head. "No, he doesn't."

I stood, pacing. "We can't lose Mom's legacy," but why are we just finding out about this loan? I sighed, rubbing my temples.

"What if you married Raymond Tristian?" My dad blurted out.

My eyes widened, "Dad, so you thought of selling me off like that to a man I don't even know." My dad sighed. "You know I'll always choose the best for you, and besides, you aren't dating anyone." I took a deep breath not to lash out.

" I have met him, and he is nice and good-looking, and he doesn't have a scandal to his name,"" my dad muttered.

I don't care if he's the perfect dad. I won't marry him; we'll come up with the money, and with that, I stomped to my room, so disappointed in my dad. How could he even think of that as an option?

...................................

Later that day, I decided to go see my aunt; it was an hour's drive from my dad's house.

I reached her estate, and I couldn't help but marvel at the environment; it was serene, with flowers planted in a unique way. I took an elevator up to her apartment.

As I rang the doorbell, I was engulfed in a warm embrace. I have missed you coming in, she smiled, her voice booming. My smile widened. I have missed you too, Aunt.

Look how beautiful you are. Video calls don't do justice to your beauty. I giggled, "Aunt, you're making me blush." My eyes darted around; I couldn't help but admire the interior of her apartment.

"Your apartment is beautiful".

"Well, coming from an interior designer, that's a huge compliment," she teased.

"What can I offer you?" she asked. I'm fine. "Can we talk"? "Arielle, dear, what's going on?" she asked, concern etched in her voice.

I filled her in, and she listened dumbfounded.

My throat tightened. "I can't marry Raymond, not when Crystal is in the picture and considering my experience with her father". My aunt nodded.

The only solution now is to try to find a way to come up with the money. I don't have that much money now, but before the week elapses, I'll come up with something meaningful to add up to what you and your dad had raised. I rushed to hug her. Thank you so much, Aunt. You know I'll do anything for the family, she replied.

I got back home and met my dad, who was waiting for me in the sitting room.

We talked, and he apologized; I told him about the plan to raise the money, which was a combination of mine, his, and my aunt's. He wasn't keen on the idea of involving my aunt, but he later succumbed.

The next morning, I was already putting calls across to my bank manager to be able to get the funds ready on time. It was supposed to be my mom's birthday, so my dad was sad and alone in his room. I decided to take his food to his room. I knocked on the door, but silence answered. I hesitated, then turned the handle and entered.

The room was dimly lit; the only sound was Dad's muffled voice. "I've failed you in many ways, and now your company's on the verge of a takeover," he whispered, his eyes fixed on a framed photo of Mom. His words pierced my heart. "If only you were here, company is the only way I have found solace since you left me". His voice cracked. "I feel so helpless, I miss you so much." Tears welled up in my eyes. I hadn't seen Dad so broken in years.

Not wanting to intrude, I quietly stepped out of the room. I couldn't shake the feeling of concern as I walked back to my room.

Hours passed, and I went to check on him. I tried to make him feel better even though he claimed to be alright.

I sent him my share of the loan payment, and he was relieved a little. My flight was booked for that evening, so I went to arrange my stuff. He wanted me to stay some more, but I just couldn't.

Arielle's nanny was paid for two days and my flight was booked for the evening. I arranged my other plans for tomorrow, so I had to be home. I bid my dad goodbye and promised to call him when I got home. I got home late that night, the nanny welcomed me, and Crystal was already asleep.

I didn't realize how much I missed her until I saw her sleeping peacefully. Not wanting to wake her, I headed to freshen up and get some rest.

I woke up quite early to relieve the nanny of her duty; I prepared breakfast and got Crystal ready for school. She was so happy when she saw me. The nanny left early, and I took Crystal to school that morning.

I got back home and decided to do some work and check out designs since I had been absent for days. As I sat down with my laptop on my work table checking some designs, I realized tomorrow was the deadline for the payment of the loan, so I decided to give my aunt a call.

I called, and she picked one.

" Hello aunt".

" Hi dear,"" Her voice quivered."" I meant to call you.""

" My account was frozen, and I couldn't send the money; I got mixed up with some illegal people. I'm sorry."

I froze; she was our only hope.

" I hope it gets sorted out,"" I found the courage to say and hung up.

What do I tell my dad? I was lost in thought when the doorbell rang. I got up to check if it was probably the neighbor.

I looked through my camera and found no one outside. I opened the door and looked round, but no one was there. My gaze landed on a bouquet of roses on the ground.

My assistant is so thoughtful. She called me earlier to apologize for not checking up on me. Even though I told her not to bother me with work till I resumed, now she surprised me today. I just dropped it on the table. It was time to pick up Crystal from school.

So I went to my room and dressed appropriately before heading out. My daughter's chatter about how school was filled the apartment as we walked in. And for a moment I forgot my crisis. Mummy, I love these flowers. Crystal said, picking them up from the table and smelling them. I didn't notice the card earlier, so I picked it up. Arielle, go take off your uniform. I said to her as she ran to her room.

My hands trembled, and my breath hitched as I read the contents of the card. " A beautiful flower for a beautiful mother. You can't hide from me forever.""

The words echoed in my mind, just like they had four years ago. My ex-boyfriend was back, the father of my child, my nightmare.