Judas kiss

Marcela realized how much she cherished her daughter even though she didn't make it seem that way. Della was hardworking and dedicated. Della took care of her when everyone of her friends had abandoned her. Della took care of her when she was going through her drug abuse phase. This was her daughter, Marcela thought, she wanted Della in her life moreover...?she was in danger. the person she?called?father was the devil.

Marcela thought she was living a lie, she had her happy family. A successful caring husband and a son. Many times she told them she didn't have family, they all abandoned her when she came to chase her American dream. Marcela wanted to protect her daughter and grandson. She certainly couldn't do it alone so she had to let someone in even if she immensely distasted that person.

-

Andre's assistant had told him that a women had been requesting an appointment off his busy schedule. She had even went as far as coming in everyday, she was becoming very persistent. Andre regretted his decision of allowing the woman in when he saw his ex- mother in law walking in. She had her head raised high with pride, the whole scene made Andre every uncomfortable because all they ever did in the past was bicker and quarrel.

"Marcela.." Andre let out in a composed tone. "How may I help you ?"

"Wipe the smile off your face because I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my daughter." Marcela sat down on the vacant seat opposite his mahogany desk. This made Andre chuckle at how petty she was and had always been. "Some parents Della has." Andre sighed under his breath. "So your daughter is aware that you're here ?" Andre finally voiced out in a serious tone.

"Is Della my nanny ?" Marcela bit back. Andre shook his head not surprised at her verbal diarrhea. Despite Andre being the person who paid for Marcela's rehabilitation centre and all the other needs, he just expected her to be a tad bit grateful but boy was he wrong. It didn't bother him much because he did all that for Adela.

"Why are you here, Marcela ?" He shrugged laying back in his comfortable office chair. Marcela shook her now black hair tinted with bits of red on the edges.

"Della, no other reason. I'm here for my daughter." She said in a low voice. Her arrogant Fa?ade, dropping in a moment of agony.

"Della looks like she is doing well without you....without me." Andre muttered a small smile on his lips almost fading.

"She has always been strong but I'm afraid she doesn't know-" Marcela sighed. "I'm afraid she doesn't know who she is letting into her life. Della is desperate for love that she is looking for it in the wrong places." This made Andre raise an eyebrow.

"What do you mean, Marcela?" Andre leaned over the desk paying much more attention to what was being said.

"Garreth is the root of all evil." Marcela sighed bitterly. Her eyes flashed with sadness, tears appearing at the bottom. This made Andre much more attentive because Marcela was never one to be emotional about anything or anyone. He waited for her to speak...

"He just appeared out of nowhere and wants to take my baby girl away. Della is my daughter, i love her so much. I don't know what I ever did to deserve a daughter like her and I just want to see her happy. I hate having to distance myself from her but-" She lowered her head. "I'm embarrassed Andre, I'm embarrassed!" Andre immediately handed her a box napkins as she was beginning to tear up.

"I'm a useless excuse for a mother Andre. Sometimes I look at the things that I do for my son and remember that never in my life did I do that for Della. It hurts me so much that I have treated her badly because of that man. The bitterness I have in my heart." She let out carefully removing the tears below her eyes not wanting to mess up her make up.

"She loves you regardless." Andre muttered giving her an assuring smile.

"I have wronged her in so many ways and one thing I will never forgive myself for..." She paused as if a bridge of tears had been broken. "How I turned her away, when she was pregnant and needed my help. She had absolutely no where to go and came to my door and I turned my back on her." Marcela burst into tears.

"That is partly my fault for even kicking her out in that manor." Andre racked through his blonde hair.

"That-" She paused. "That is why I can't even look at my grandson. I pretend as if I don't want to acknowledge him because I failed in the first moments when they actually needed me. I pretend as if I don't care but the truth is that night after I turned her away. I was worried sick... Worried about her wellbeing, out there alone and scared. I was worried for the baby she was carrying. I was disappointed, i yelled at her for getting pregnant and told her to abort it. I'm gold she didn't listen to me because I failed as a mother... what do I know?" She said turning on the waterworks. "Now she is happy, they are both happy." She said hurt in her voice. "Happy with that devil."

"You should be telling her all this, Marcela. If there's anything Della ever wants to hear is this." Andre said softly.

"I have been replaced, my love is no longer needed or valid because she now has her long lost father who does absolutely everything for her." Marcela added.

"Della may have Garreth her father but she will always love you and need you. It's ridiculous to think you have been replaced, you are her mother."

"That's why I'm here, i need you help." She said avoiding eye contact with him. Her pride wasn't letting her.

"My help ?" Andre furrowed his eyebrows.

"You were my daughter's first love and you're the father of her child. I believe she will always have a soft spot for you than any other person. You helped her throughout most of her difficult moments and you were there for her." She paused now focusing her attention on the grey carpet that complimented the whole interior design in his office. "Even though you broke her, the way you did. I know you're the only person who can fix her again."

silence absorbed the?moment.

The air conditioner was the only sound that absorbed them until, Andre finally spoke.

"She?doesn't?need me anymore."

He said the smile falling from his lips. "I know her better than anyone. She need some to know that Garreth is not who he says he is and we are the only people who can do that.

"Then who is Garreth ?" Andre questioned. This was something he had been asking himself for quite some time now. Marcela then proceeded to tell him all she knew from their past and the present meeting she had with him when he turned into a psychopath. Andre listened attentively after Marcela had made him promise that he wouldn't do anything stupid such as marching up to him. Andre grew angry as he absorbed the information he was being told. He need to protect his family from the deranged psycho that he is but it hurt him to know that Della would be the only person hurt. She had already received her share of disappointment and it seems the train just kept on going and going.

When?would?she be?finally?happy?

"That's why I need him as far away from my daughter and my grandson and I'm well aware you care about them as much as i do." Marcela concluded.

"So you said the young man who calmed Garreth down went by the name of Spencer?" Andre questioned finally putting the dots together.

"Yes, this Spencer guy called Garreth's doctor right in front of me. He then warned me to stay away from Garreth and never ever call Garreth by his real name." "Della is playing family with a monster. Both my son and Della are in danger." Andre panicked.

"We need to keep a proper eye on them." Marcela added.

"Do you know the last name of this Spencer guy?" Andre questioned immediately grabbing his landline office telephone.

"Not at all." Marcela replied.

"Norah, please request footage of every single meeting I have had with Spencer Hurst-" He demanded over the telephone. "Yes, right now."

"Make it snappy." He hang up.

"We recently had a new contact with one of Garreth companies. They happened to be one of our clients and investors. Their representation is Spencer Hurst, i assumed Garreth handled his own businesses but he is the one we have been having contact with." Andre facepalmed everything immediately starting to become crystal clear.

"I told you Garreth is not as dumb as he seems and all I can tell you is that even wants to take revenge for whatever you did to Della." Marcela said appalled by everything that was coming to light.

"What should I do? do I pull out from this business venture which could leave our family business bankrupt? do I tell my father? do I confront Garreth? do I report it to the police ?" He sighed looking at the clock at the corner of the room that seemed to give him jitters everytime it moved.

"Do not call the police! we will figure this out. You cannot tell anyone Andre, not even your father. Don't make any stray move? they will know that you know. Continue acting oblivious and I will help you, no one knows Garreth the way I do." Marcela said assuredly. "We will take them down one by one." Marcela said a hint of conviction in her voice. Andre was still trying to process what had just occurred.

One thing he knew for?sure?was, he was going?to take?care of the two most?important?people?in his life.☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐