Chapter 159: Easy Peasy

Chapter 159: Easy Peasy Genevieve was standing outside the grand doors of the Royal Rose Hotel by the time Jamal pulled up to the hotel entrance. When she spotted the car, she smiled and gave a small wave before walking toward them, oblivious to the conversation they had just had about her. As she approached, Abigail instinctively reached for the door handle to get out and move to the front passenger seat. But before she could step out, Genevieve opened the door and slid into the back beside her. "You don’t have to move, Abigail," she said with a gentle smile, settling in beside her. "Sit with me." Abigail hesitated for a moment, but then let go of the handle and nodded. She pulled her seatbelt across her chest as Genevieve did the same. Jamal glanced at them through the mirror, then started the car and eased back onto the road. For the next few minutes, the only sound in the car was the occasional tapping from Genevieve’s phone. Abigail watched from the corner of her eyes as Genevieve smiled at her screen and typed rapidly, occasionally letting out soft giggles. Abigail had never seen Genevieve look this happy. She stole a glance at Genevieve’s screen and saw the name ’Jamal’ with two heart emojis attached to it. Genevieve glanced sideways and caught Abigail staring. She smiled again, this time directly at her. "I’m chatting with a close friend," she explained. Abigail nodded slowly. Maybe all Genevieve had needed this whole time was one good friend. One good friend could change a lot and brighten a person’s life. She knew that much since a single meeting with Jamal had changed a lot. "By the way, I told Pete to claim he helped me with the package. I hope that was okay." Abigail nodded again, silent. Genevieve looked back at her phone and resumed chatting. Nothing more was said after that. Abigail stole glances at Genevieve at intervals, thinking about what Jamal had said, and her heart ached a little at the thought that Genevieve might have been suffering from such trauma and she had no idea. She had been a kid herself back then and she knew that the only reason she was being empathetic now was that she was an adult now and was feeling sorry for the kid that Genevieve had been. The car continued on in relative quiet until they pulled into the driveway of the house. As soon as it stopped, Abigail unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out quickly, hurrying into the house in search of Josh. A sudden sound of feet pattering on the floor caught her attention before she could take the stairs. "Abi!" Josh exclaimed, his eyes lighting up as he ran straight into her arms as though he had been eagerly waiting for her. Abigail bent down and hugged him tightly. "I’ve been waiting for you. I thought you’d pick me from school," Josh said, looking up into her face as she pulled back. She signed, [I’m sorry, baby. I was at the office. How was your first day at school?] Josh grinned proudly. "I made new friends. Two boys and a girl. We played at the playground during recess." Before they could continue talking, the nanny appeared, her hands folded in front of her. "It’s time for lessons, Josh." Josh’s smile fell for a second, but Abigail kissed his cheek before signing. [Don’t worry. I’ll freshen up while I wait for you to finish, okay? I’ll prepare you for bed myself tonight and tuck you in after dinner. We’ll spend all the time together.] "Okay," Josh said with a nod, and gave her another hug before leaving with the nanny. Abigail stood and exhaled. Then she turned and walked to her bedroom. Once inside, she freshened up and when she was done she went downstairs to the kitchen, pulled open the fridge, and grabbed two cans of chilled juice. Genevieve’s favorite. She stared at the cans for a second, then walked upstairs to Genevieve’s room. She knocked softly. After a short moment, the door opened. Genevieve stood at the doorway, still dressed in her work clothes, her expression curious. "Abigail?" she said, blinking in surprise as she wondered what Abigail wanted. Abigail smiled faintly and held out one of the cans of juice. Genevieve’s eyes widened slightly and her face softened with hope. "Is this for me?" Abigail nodded. "Do you want to come in?" Genevieve asked when she noticed Abigail was also holding a can of juice like she wanted them to drink together. Abigail nodded again. Genevieve stepped aside and opened the door wider. "Come in then." Abigail walked in, and Genevieve gestured around. "Sit wherever you’re comfortable." Abigail settled on the couch in the room, while Genevieve walked over to the bed and sat, setting her can on the nightstand. Her phone lay beside it. Abigail pointed to the phone and made a gesture as if she wanted to type something. Genevieve unlocked it and handed it to her without question. "Sure." Abigail’s fingers moved over the screen, pretending to open the keyboard. But instead of typing, she quickly scrolled to her contacts and checked for the number saved with Bitch. Abigail quickly memorized the number at a glance before backing out and opening the text-to-speech app, while Genevieve watched her with interest as she waited for her to finish typing. Abigail quickly typed the message. [I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier. I won’t pretend like it’s all okay. I can’t forget all that happened even if I wanted to. I still hurt. But I’m willing to try and put the past behind us, and work on being sisters. And I’m hoping that someday when you’re ready, you will apologize properly. Because I need an apology.] Genevieve’s expression unreadable at first as she listened to the message, then it softened. "Thank you," she said with a nod. Her voice was quiet. Abigail nodded as she reached for her juice and popped it open. Following her lead, Genevieve did the same. They raised their cans slightly toward each other in a silent toast before drinking from the can. Abigail wasn’t surprised, she was rather amused as she watched Genevieve gulp down half the content of the can. Genevieve never sipped the juice slowly. She always gulped it down like she couldn’t wait to taste it all, and that was the exact reason Abigail had chosen the juice. They sat there in awkward silence, not saying anything to each other since neither of them knew what to say. Genevieve wanted to ask Abigail more about Josh’s father and how she could help them, but she wasn’t sure it was the right time. And she didn’t want to say anything that might make Abigail feel suspicious of her. Abigail on the other hand glanced at Genevieve at intervals as she sipped from her juice, wondering if Genevieve was really Ryan’s daughter or not. What if she wasn’t Ryan’s biological daughter? Was she aware? Abigail wondered as she finished her drink. Abigail stood up and gestured toward Genevieve’s empty can, silently offering to help her discard it. Genevieve shook her head immediately. "No. You don’t have to. Thanks," she said, not wanting to send her on any errand that might seem demeaning. Abigail picked up Genevieve’s phone which was on the arm of the couch and typed, [I’m going down to the kitchen to discard mine, so I don’t mind taking yours.] Reluctantly Genevieve nodded, "Okay then," she said to Abigail’s relief, and she picked the can immediately. "Don’t forget my offer at the restroom earlier," Genevieve said as she escorted Abigail to the door. "If you need anything, you can come to me." Abigail gave her a nod and smiled faintly. With both empty cans in hand, Abigail left the room. Instead of going to the kitchen, she headed for her bedroom. Once inside, she smiled as she looked at Genevieve’s empty. It was either this or take their cutlery after a meal. She couldn’t take Genevieve’s hair since she knew that Genevieve was wearing a wig made with her own hair and so this was more reliable. Abigail went to her bathroom cabinet and hid Genevieve’s can there. With that done, she walked back downstairs. She checked in on Josh, who was still in his lesson, his face focused as he listened. Abigail smiled and quietly stepped away so as not to distract him. She made her way into the kitchen, disposed of her own juice can, then prepared a fresh cup of coffee just the way Ryan liked it. Once it was ready, she took it carefully to Ryan’s study and knocked. The door opened automatically, and Ryan raised a brow when he saw her standing by the door with the cup. "Come in," he said, and she walked in and set the cup on his desk. Abigail signed, [I made you coffee. Can we talk if you’re not too busy?] Ryan watched her, studying her face. "What are you up to?" Abigail shook her head, then signed slowly, [I thought I should apologize.] Ryan leaned back, suspicious. Abigail continued. [I know I’ve been rude since I got back. I’m sorry. I’ve just been angry at you for a long time.] He raised a brow. "Angry at me? What for?" [I hated the way you treated me. Like I was invisible. You made me live like Genevieve’s shadow. I had no life of my own. No friends. I was angry because I felt like I was nothing.] She swallowed and signed more slowly. [But today... I thought about it. And maybe I was wrong too. Maybe I’ve been disrespectful and ungrateful. I’m sorry. I’ll do better.] Ryan’s eyes narrowed. "And this sudden realization... has nothing to do with the fact that I threatened to marry you off?" Abigail blinked, then signed, [It’s part of it. But not entirely it.] Ryan gave a dry chuckle, picking up the cup. "Of course it is." He took a long sip, still watching her. "I’ve contacted a speech therapist. I can’t wait to hear your voice. We will do whatever it takes to make you talk," he said with a sly smile. Abigail shuddered slightly. [I’ll appreciate that. Thank you. I will leave you to get back to work now. Should I take the cup with me or send someone to get it later?] she asked, knowing he hated having the domestic staff in his study. Ryan looked into the cup, then drank what was left and handed it to her. "You always knew how to make it the way I like." She smiled and nodded as she took the cup from him. Then she walked out with the empty cup in hand. Abigail kept a blank face as she headed for her bedroom, and the moment the door closed behind her, she smirked. Easy peasy. Now Jamal had what he needed for the DNA test. She couldn’t wait to find out the result. She took out a plastic bag from a box in her closet and carefully tucked the cup into it, then went to the bathroom to retrieve Genevieve’s can. She tightened the disposable bag around them both, and put it all into her handbag. She sat on the edge of her bed for a moment and let out a slow breath. Tomorrow, she would give them to Jamal.