章 13: I Am Not Your Mother
None of them said anything to each other for close to five minutes.
"I will take my leave first if you have nothing better to say," Jillian said. She swerved and strolled towards the rooftop entrance without a care.
"Actually, Marley and Monalisa are not my biological children. They are my elder brother's twins and he died not long ago," Brayden confessed, his balled fists stuck into his trouser's pockets.
He tilted his head and stared at her. True to his guess she paused in her tracks as soon as he started talking.
"I was staying in Chicago. I came back for his burial only to learn that he had willed his property along with his girls to me…"
"But no one ever wills their children to anyone. They are not properties but breathing human beings," Jillian cut in. She turned and peered at his face.
"You are right about that. I guess he was forced to be the first one to do that because he knew nothing in this world would make me accept to take responsibility for the girls except this. If I refuse to comply with the terms of the will, Marl and Lisa will have to be taken to the orphanage. That was clearly stated in the will, " Brayden revealed what no one else except his family and lawyer knew about.
"How could that be when she has relatives? And what about their mother? Why didn't he leave the twins in her care instead of giving them to you?" Jillian let her curiosity get the best of her.
"Hmm…" Brayden trailed not knowing whether he should tell her the truth.
"Marl and Lisa didn't grow up to meet their mother," He replied as concisely as he could.
"Why? Is she dead? Also, why do they repeatedly call me mother? How on earth did I come into the picture?" Jillian bombarded him with questions.
"This is not the right time but I promise to tell you everything if you take care of them during the period that our house is under repair," Brayden replied in a serious tone.
"If that is the case then you can keep your answers to yourself. It's not that important anyway," Jillian said and turned to leave again.
"The problem right now is not about what you and I want but what the kids desire," Brayden blurted.
"After we parted ways that day in front of the hospital, I have been living in hell every day. Marl and Lisa torture me every day and call me a liar because you never showed up like I promised them you would…"
"I never made such a promise, but you did, so how is your suffering any of my business?" Jillian hissed and continued walking away.
Although her words hit him hard, Brayden knew she was right about what she said. He was the one who made the promise to the girls despite knowing very well that they might never run into the mysterious lady again.
He did this with good intentions but it was true none of this was her business.
"I will pay you five times higher than any company can offer you. If that is not enough I can triple the amount as long as you agree to take care of them," Brayden made an offer he knew nobody in their right senses would reject.
"If you are that rich why don't you use that money to find a capable babysitter instead of wasting your time on me," Jillian sneered, not pausing to listen to what else he had to say.
"Do you think I haven't done that already?" Brayden snapped, peering at Jillian's moving back.
"Of course, I have done that but unfortunately it's only you Marl and Lisa want," Brayden shouted after her.
"If that is not enough, how about I add one year rent-free?" Brayden asked. A sweet smile crept onto the corner of his lips when he saw her halt.
"The house belonged to their father but right now it's under my name. As long as you say yes, I will have the contract drafted in your favour," Brayden said, hurrying to her side.
"So what do you say?" Brayden asked, his eyeballs concentrated on her sideline.
"Like I said. I am not fond of kids. Even after I got married I never planned on having one. That should tell you that nothing will make me agree to your terms," Jillian refused to change her mind. She strolled away without giving a second thought to Brayden's terms.
"Let's see whether you will still be able to insist on that statement of yours when the girls wake up," Brayden grinned knowing too well that even though he had failed, Marley and Monalisa definitely would not.
Not long after they returned to the room Marley woke up followed by Monalisa who opened her eyes fifteen minutes after Marley did.
A few minutes later, Jillian got ready to leave for home. According to what Brayden said back then, she only had to stay until the girls woke up and now that they were awake, their agreement had expired.
"Marley, Monalisa…"
"Daddy always called me Mona. You can call me that also," Monalisa permitted. She clutched onto Jillian's right hand as if she would vanish if she let go.
"You normally freak out whenever anyone calls you that, apart from your Daddy. I remembered you almost bit off my index finger the last time I called you Mona. How come she gets to do that and not me?" Brayden complained bitterly.
He didn't forget to stick out his index finger that Monalisa nearly bit off the third time they visited him in Chicago.
Because of the severity of the bite he wore a bandage on his index finger for a week. He could still vividly recall how badly Ethan had scolded her for almost making his brother handicap.
"Only Mommy and Daddy can call me that. Am I right, Mommy?" Monalisa asked while staring into Jillian's eyes.
After the fire incident, Monalisa in particular seemed to have developed a deeper bond with Jillian.
The way the smiling Monalisa stared at Jillian was quite different from their first encounter.
Instead of answering, Jillian stole a glance at Brayden hoping he would help her out but the wicked guy looked away from her.
"Mom, why didn't you come back for us again like you promised?" Marley, who had been unusually quiet ever since she woke up, asked out of the blue, catching Jillian unawares with her question.
"Are you going to leave us too like Dad did because we haven't been good girls?" Marley quizzed almost in tears.
"What do you mean by that Marl?" Brayden demanded, surprised that those words came out of little Marley's mouth.
"Auntie said we have to be good girls if we don't want to lose someone close to us again," Monalisa beat Marley to repeat the statement a distant relative whispered into their ears at their father's funeral.
"That is a lie!" Jillian and Brayden chorused, both exchanging glances afterwards.
"Marl, Lisa, don't believe whatever that Auntie told you because such a thing won't happen hmm," Brayden assured the two girls who had surrounded Jillian on both sides.
He moved closer, bent and patted their hairs one after the other.
"Also, Dad didn't leave because you girls were bad. He had always adored the two of you ever since you came into his life. I am sure he would have chosen to stay by your side forever if he had another choice," Brayden said exactly what he had witnessed without lying to make the girls feel better.
Which young single vibrant man would choose to raise his twin girls alone without employing the help of a nanny to be in charge of them?
To further understand his new responsibilities and take better care of his girls, Ethan employed the services of a professional Nanny who taught him how to raise the girls.
Even when Madam Lawrence volunteered to look after Marley and Monalisa so he could focus solely on the companies, he declined her offer.
Although he wasn't in the country, he knew that Ethan dedicated the last six years of his life to giving his children a good life and a blissful home.
In his entire existence, he hasn't come across any young man of his brother's age who would do what Ethan did and deprive himself of for the sake of his children.
"Is it true that you won't leave us again Mommy?" Monalisa asked, peering into Jillian's eyeballs.
With Marley and Monalisa's attention fixed on her face Jillian didn't know what to do.
Brayden had barely managed to assure them that they weren't a nuisance who would be discarded anytime they misbehaved.
Wouldn't she be seen as the cruellest being alive if she said anything contrary to what he did?
However, that wasn't the least of her worries. All she wanted right now was to get far away from these three sets of people who threatened to take away her peaceful life.
Although the girls were quite pitiful. She had never given birth to a child, so why should she be forced into taking care of another woman's responsibility?
"I am sorry to say this girl but I am not your mother," Jillian blurted after giving much thought to what she believed was good for the girls.
...
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