Chapter 56 Chapter Fifty SixSYDNEY’S POVI raised my eyes at the headline of the news that just popped up on my notification bar. The eye- catching headline read, “Scheming Woman Suffers Miscarriage, Loses Her Ticket into Wealth.” A photo of Mark carrying Bella who was covered in blood into an ambulance was attached to the blog post. Though their faces were slightly blurred by thin mosaics, anyone familiar with the upper echelons would recognize them at a glance, especially since Bella had been flaunting her pregnancy pictures everywhere on social media.“Did they have a fight or something?” I wondered curiously, but the curiosity wasn’t enough to make me open the news and get distracted from work.I sighed and swiped the screen to the picture of the sample of the jewelry that a client wanted – it was why I had picked up my phone in the first place. I compared it to the sketch I had made and shook my head. I was satisfied with what I was doing. I was definitely on the right track and the one I sketched seemed even more beautiful. The client had requested that our studio should add a little additional detail to the one we would make and what I have here is stunning. I am sure the client would love it.I dropped my phone and started to add the finishing touches so that I can get to bringing the jewelry to life. A few minutes into this, my phone vibrated beside me and disrupted myconcentration.I hissed as I shifted my gaze from my work to the phone. It was an unfamiliar number. It might have been from a client but the call didn’t come in through my work line but my personal line. I decided to ignore it. I had managed to immerse myself in work again when the phone rang out again. It was still the same number. I groaned and absentmindedly answered the call, my main focus on finishing my sketch.“Hello?”“Sydney, how’re you?”My hands, together with my whole being, froze. Then I frowned in annoyance and disgust at his persistence. Because he kept on calling me with various unknown numbers after I blocked the ones he previously called with, I could now tell the voice apart anywhere and anytime. I low–key feel traumatized.I should’ve known he would be the one calling again with a new number!“For heaven’s sake! What do you want?!”“Sydney,” he started, “Mark and Bella have broken up and our company’s investment won’t be injecting new investments into our company.”My frown deepened as I responded indifferently, “And how is that my problem? Because I‘ fail to see how their break–up and your company’s investment concerns me.”“Could you please plead with Mark not to pull his investment too? Otherwise, your mother and I will end up bankrupt and homeless.” He sounded really pathetic.“Look, it does not concern me if you go bankrupt or end up on the damned streets. I cannot speak with Mark. I threw my hands in the air. “We’re divorced for eff’s sake. And even if we weren’t, I still wouldn’t speak with him because we really were never on good terms. Was it when I was the two goody shoes wife that he never listened to or when I was raving mad at him that I would rather sleep under a bridge than talk to him?“The highest I can do,” I continued when he remained silent, “Is to donate sleeping bags to you, so that at least, you’ll have a comfortable place to sleep.There was a long pause and I was already thinking of ending the call when his pleading voice filled my phone’s speaker again, “Sydney, I know I haven’t fulfilled my responsibilities as a father, but in this situation, can’t you help us? We’re your parents.”Chapter 6 Chapter Fifty SixI drew back and raised my brows. Now they were claiming rights as my parents?“Why do you always call me asking for favors?!” I could not hold back my cold laugh, “Because nothing warrants me to help you or even give you the confidence to believe that you have that right. You’ve done absolutely nothing to earn that right, I bit out coldly, “You exploited me when you can. Even Bella that you claim to care about, you use her for your self gains!”“We genuinely-”I reclined in my seat and interrupted him. “Quick question, is a daughter just a tool to be used by you? Is that what all we are to you? Is that what Bella has always been to you?” I paused and an image of Mark carrying a blood–covered Bella crossed my mind. “I’m genuinely curious, have you visited Bella in the hospital? Or you’ve not heard?”“I…” Dad’s voice choked up. I was even irritated with myself that I still saw them as my parents. “I’ll go right now!” He finished.“I advise you to stop while you still can. Save up for yourself and mom before it’s too late and you really end up homeless. And please! Don’t call me again!” I told him decisively, then hung up the phone and blocked the number. I wonder which number he’d call from again.I slid my phone across the table as I felt a surge of frustration course through me as I recalled. how neither of them had bothered to find me after I got kidnapped years ago. If I hadn’t found. them after I graduated from college with the information that Lucas had provided them I was sure I would still be somewhere wondering who my parents were because they would still remain unbothered about my disappearance.Even their reaction when they saw me just showed their surprise and it dimmed my excitement. They had shown no sign of remorse or guilt or even happiness. They had just stared at me like I was some stranger who waltzed into their home. They must have gone like, in their minds, ‘oh, there’s our long lost daughter, who would have believed she is still alive? Shocker.I had thought they hadn’t reacted because they were still in shock but after spending days in their house, their grumbled response to my greetings and indifference to my presence had made me give up on my expectations from them.I had had to swallow my hurt and keep on living my life like
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they still weren’t in it.I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and trash all those memories. Then I dived back into work.Soon enough, another unknown number called.“I knew it!” I exclaimed to myself, “I knew he would call back with another unknown number.” I just hadn’t expected it to be so soon.Infuriated and frustrated that I kept getting distracted from my work, I picked up the call. “I told you not to call me again. What part of that is so confusing and difficult to grasp?!” I yelled into the phone without waiting to hear whatever favor he wanted to ask again.“Uh…It’s me.”I blinked, my l*ps turning down in annoyance. It didn’t sound like Dad. “I believe you have aname!”There was a pause then, “It’s Mark.”I rolled my eyes. Another pest. “What do you want, Mark?” I bit out sarcastically. Why do they all suddenly want something from me?! Besides, shouldn’t he be by his lover’s side on her hospital.bed?He sounded hesitant but he relayed why he called anyway, “I want to meet and talk to you.”I didn’t even bother to give it a thought. I erupted, “I’m busy!”I’ll give you a hundred thousand dollars. Just meet with me.”I froze. All my anger and exasperation and even the zeal to work evaporated. My l*ps stretched into a grin and my eyes shifted to the wall clock. I still had time. I could simply come back to work later.“Alrighty, boss. Just forward me the address and I’ll be right there.”Chapter 56 Chapter Fifty Six,Chapter 56 Chapter Fifty Six