Chapter 371 – Beginning with a Daring Encounter

“Of course, we have to be worried! Did you hear her? Any lady crazy enough to go to that length to defame a lady like herself who suffered what our girl suffered is a monster! She is a beast without any emotion or human sympathy,” Janet said, and her husband placed a hand on her back.

“Calm down, babe,” he said, patting her back.

“How can I calm down?” Janet asked in a slightly raised voice as she stood up, unable to control her fast-rising temper, “Why should I calm down when she did that to my girls? I should find her and give her the sort of spanking her mother failed to give her that made her end up this twisted. Tell me, where is she? Where does she live?” Janet asked angrily.

Andrew stood up and walked over to where she was, “Celsie is not done talking to us yet. You should let her finish,” he reminded her in a calm voice that belied his own true emotion. There was no need to show them he was boiling with rage.

Who did that Anita girl think she was to mess with his girls in that manner? If it were a man, he would have charged to the man’s house or wherever he was and fought it out with him blow for fucking blow. But it was a little girl of his girls age who was messing with them. Maybe he should still take it out on her father, man to man, for raising such a brat.

Janet took a deep breath and let her husband lead her back to the couch where Celsie was still rehearsing how to deliver the real blow to them, while Sonia just watched the scene helplessly, not knowing what to say or do. That was why she hadn’t wanted to go with them when Celsie had asked to speak with her parents in private. She felt utterly useless in all of this.

“Go on, princess. Tell us, is Benne making any effort to deal with this? Or should we handle it?” Andrew asked calmly.

“You don’t have to be worried. Benne is already handling it,” Celsie was quick to assure them, and they turned to Sonia, who nodded in agreement.

“Benne is working on it. We are going to handle it, so you don’t have to worry too much,” Sonia said confidently, and Celsie went on to explain Benne’s plan to them, which relaxed them a bit.

There was nothing they could do that would be more satisfying than what Benne was already working on. The only minor detail left as far as Janet was concerned was giving the evil brat the slap of her life when she met her in court.

“That’s okay then,” Janet said, thinking that was all, but Celsie stopped her.

“That isn’t the only reason I wanted to speak with you,” Celsie said, and her parents frowned. There was more?

“What else? Did she do something again?” Janet asked as she stood up from the couch once again to walk off the next bout of anger she suspected was coming.

Celsie exchanged a look with Sonia, pleading with her eyes that Sonia should say it. Sonia took a deep breath, “We just found out that Rachel might have aided Jamie in Celsie’s abduction,” Sonia said, and Janet abruptly stopped walking as she looked at Sonia.

The room was filled with silence as neither Andrew nor Janet said a word as they each tried to process what Sonia had just said, “Rachel?” Janet asked no one in particular as she tried to make sense of it.

“How does that make sense? They were not even friends, or were they?” Andrew asked Sonia in confusion before turning to look at Celsie, who seemed a little pale.

Sonia shook her head, “I didn’t even know they knew each other.”

“So, where did you hear such nonsense from?” Janet asked, unwilling to believe it, more for her children’s sake than hers.

“It’s true. I heard the conversation between her and Anita myself. I mean Anita’s end of the conversation. That was how we knew they are related, and Lucas confirmed it…”

“Lucas? You spoke to your brother about Rachel helping Jamie already?” Janet asked in a half yell. Although she didn’t mean to yell, she couldn’t control it.

“Yes. I…”

“HOW COULD YOU DO THAT? How dare you tell him something like that without talking to us first? Your brother is shattered enough as it is, yet you tell him something like this?” Janet asked in a burst of temper.

“I thought he should know first since it involves the lady he was going to get married to,” Celsie explained quietly.

Seeing how his wife’s face was turning red from anger, Andrew reached for her arm, “Babe…”

“NO! It was not in your place to make that decision! We are a family, and we could have found the right time and the best way to tell him about it. He is there all by himself, God knows what is going through his head, and you dump this news on him? What were you trying to achieve? To make him feel guilty? He is heartbroken enough without you adding guilt to it!”

“Do you have any idea how I felt when I found out about it myself?” Celsie yelled back as she rose from her seat to face her mother, “Do you think it was easy for me to tell him about it?”

“That is exactly why you shouldn’t have said a damn word to him! You should have kept it to yourself until you talked to us! That is what you should have done for your twin brother who is vulnerable at this point! That is what family do! You are the older one, yet you have always been insensitive and…”

“JANET, YOU HAVE SAID ENOUGH,” Andrew barked at his wife, annoyed that she was going too far. Although he understood the points they were both trying to make, he also knew that his wife was allowing her worry over Lucas to blind her to the fact that Celsie was also hurting.

“Insensitive? Did you really just say that I’m insensitive?” Celsie asked in disbelief as tears dropped from her eyes.

“Celsie, please calm down,” Sonia said as she went to hold Celsie.

“You heard her, right?” Celsie asked, turning to look at Sonia.

“Princess…”

“It’s fine, dad. I’m alright,” Celsie said as she brushed away her tears with the back of her hand, “I packed your stuff already. Adolf is waiting to drive you to the airstrip when you’re ready. Benne has arranged for his pilot to take you home to be with Lucas. And thanks for asking, mom. I’m fine,” Celsie said, and without waiting for either of them to say anything else, she turned around and walked out of the Den.

Sonia looked from Andrew to Janet, whose body was trembling with a sob, and she hurried after Celsie, not knowing what to say or do. This whole thing was a disaster, and she didn’t know who to feel more sorry for.

“I didn’t mean to say all of that to her,” Janet cried while her husband embraced her, “I’m just so worried about her and Lucas. After hearing all of this, I felt guilty for going out to have a good time while my babies were suffering, and I lashed out at her unfairly. I didn’t mean to say those words to her,” Janet sobbed.

“Yeah, I know that. And although you owe her this explanation, as well as an apology, you also need a break. Trust me, watching our kids going through all of this is not easy on me either, but we both have to be strong for them. You can’t lash out this way at the kids you’re supposed to be protecting. Like Lucas, Celsie is hurting too. Being in a relationship doesn’t mean she has healed completely, and yelling at her the way you did was uncalled for,” Andrew said, torn between chiding his wife and comforting her. He had lost count of the number of times he had told her she was always more emotional than logical.

“I know. I know. I’m sorry.”

“You should go and apologize to her while I try to reach Lucas and find out how he is doing. I will join you both after I inform Desmond and Evelyn that we have to leave tonight. Even in her state, she made arrangements for us to go be with Lucas, yet you…” He let his words trail off when Janet glared at him.

“I said I didn’t mean that!” She snapped at him angrily before walking away. Andrew didn’t know whether to laugh or feel sorry, so he shook his head instead and dialed Lucas’ line.

After trying a couple of times unsuccessfully, he gave up and returned to the patio to inform Desmond that they had to leave at once to take care of a family emergency.

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