Chapter 44-Audreys dad said only sluts drink
Jonathan's POV...
"He wants to see me," Audrey whispered. I had covered her with a duvet and made her hot coffee.
She drank from her coffee and I helped her place it on the table. "My father went to my mom and said he wanted to see me,"
I furrowed my brows. I didn't know the entire details of everything that happened with her father, but I knew he betrayed her family for a better life, so why would he come back now requesting to see Audrey?
"The fact that mom wants me to see him and is willing to forget everything he did makes me so angry" she sniffled.
She looked at me, straight into my eyes.
"I was mocked, bullied because of his absence.
I had to change schools constantly because of that.
Yet, each time, it still happened," she closed her eyes as a tear streaked down her face.
"I always prayed for my childhood to pass by quickly so I would overcome that phase,"
I instinctively reached out and wiped her tear with my thumb. She raised her head and blinked, trying to stop the tears from flowing.
"The night I turned eighteen, which was six years ago... the last day I ever drank," she continued.
I had been curious about that. What exactly happened that night?
She hesitated. I reached out and held her hands softly. "If you're not ready to talk about it... don't worry," I smiled reassuringly. "Whenever you feel like it, I'll be here,"
She shook her head. "I want to tell you about it,"
I nodded slowly and tightened my hold on her hands.
"I had just started my modelling career, though I just got contracts from small and local brands. I was done with high school then," she paused. "I didn't know what he looked like, I had only seen him in pictures my mom showed me,"
She bit her lips.
"I went to a hotel to celebrate. I went alone.
I didn't have any true friends and my mom was out of town for work.
I had intended to go wild that night. To drink to my heart's content because mom never allowed me to taste alcohol.
That was the night I met Lena," she said and a light smile creased on her lips.
Was that why Lena knew this story? Because she was there.
"She was the bartender, though temporarily. Everything went well that night, that was until I saw him..." she paused. "Until I saw my father. He came in with another woman"
My eyes widened. "That must have been horrible and... and..." I was looking for the right word. That must have broken her and hurt her so much.
"That must have been devastating," I said.
She scoffed. "It was worse. Imagine seeing your father whom you've not seen for eighteen years, with someone else in a hotel," she sighed.
I nodded as I understood her pain... partly though. I can't feel it more than she does.
"Did he say anything to you?" I asked.
She smiled bitterly. "The woman he came with ordered an alcoholic wine and took it to their table," she looked at me. "Guess what happened?"
"Umm..." I racked my brain for possible reasons... but couldn't think of any.
"He said that only sluts drink," she said.
"What?" I furrowed my brows. My brain couldn't process what she said.
"He said that only sluts enjoy the splendor of being drunk... and I turned only to see him looking at me,"
"He said that?" I whispered more to myself.
I felt my blood run cold. My grip on her hands tightened instinctively, as if I could reach back through time and shield eighteen-year-old Audrey from those words.
A man who wasn't there to walk her to school or celebrate her birthday had the audacity to walk into a room and strip her of her dignity with a single sentence, to think that day was her birthday.
"My own father... someone who was supposed to protect me from the outside world...
" her voice started breaking as the tears threatened to fall again.
"He said those cruel things to me. He looked me in the face and said that...
and that was just my first time drinking...
my birthday" she let the tears fall freely down her cheeks.
Watching her look so broken and pained broke my heart. I put my arms around her and embraced her softly, rubbing my hands down the length of her hair. Her tears soaked my clothes, but I didn't care.
"I'm so sorry you had to go through that," I whispered to her. She had even a worse childhood than me. Yet, even after all these things, she still came out strong and successful.
She cried into my chest, her body trembling under my arms.
She slowly detached from me, her lashes wet with tears.
"He knew it was me. He knew I was his daughter. He knew that day was my birthday. Yet he said that. Everyone turned to me and looked at me with disgust. He ruined my life and my mom's. He..."
"It's okay," I cut her off softly, cupping her cheeks. "It's okay. He's a coward... and he doesn't deserve a daughter like you"
She sniffled, her eyes searching mine.
"He doesn't deserve your tears," I said gently, holding her gaze. "Your tears are too precious to be wasted on a man who failed you. He's not worth it"
Her lips trembled.
"He failed you when you needed him the most," I continued, my voice firm now. "So he doesn't get to walk back into your life. He is unworthy of earning a seat on your table. He doesn't get that privilege"
She was whimpering softly.
"You're a gem, Audrey," I whispered, resting my forehead against hers. "Anyone who can't see that is blind... and that's their loss" I paused, letting my words sink in. "Including him"
I brushed away the remaining tears with my thumb.
"If he wasn't there for you and your mom when you needed him the most, when you were broken...then he doesn't get to show up now that you're whole"
I pulled the duvet tighter around her shoulders, tucking her in as if I could shield her from the very memory of that hotel bar. "From now on, the only name that matters is the one you built for yourself. Audrey Willows. Not his daughter. Just you and your empire"
I watched her as my words settled. She looked so small under the duvet, but so incredibly brave.
I didn't want to just tell her she was worth everything; I wanted her to feel it. Slowly, I put my arms around her and embraced her. I patted her back as I kissed her hair.
"Thank you for being here for me," she said behind me.
I smiled out of the corner of my lips. "I'm glad I was here,"
I would never let anybody, regardless of status or relationship, make Audrey feel unworthy or undeserving ever again.
This has to be the sweetest thing I've ever heard. He really cares about her. Please, support their love by voting and following me. Thank you.