Chapter 70: It Was Your Birthday

Chapter 70: It Was Your Birthday "What?" Abigail asked, her frown deepening as she watched Jamal. "After I came back to the room and didn’t find you..." "You really didn’t leave?" She asked, and he nodded. "No.I stepped out to get you flowers and clothes hoping we could go on a proper date," he said, and she blinked, surprised by that. He was going to take her out on a date? A mute girl? Jamal Jonas was going to take a mute nobody out on a date? "A date?" "Of course. You didn’t expect I’d leave just like that without even a good bye after spending the night with you that way, did you? I mean, I know we agreed on it being a casual fling, but there was nothing casual about it," Jamal said, and Abigail nodded but didn’t say a word. It was true that there had been nothing casual about it. The beautiful boy they had made together was proof enough that their night together had been special. "I almost went crazy trying to find you. I really wanted to find you. I even organized an event for mute students," he said and her eyes widened when she remembered the campaign invitation she had received five years ago. "You were behind that?" She asked, and he smiled. "Yeah. I was disappointed when you didn’t show up," he admitted. "I wasn’t in school then," she explained softly. "You have no idea how hard I tried. I got investigators to find you. I even made a portrait drawing of you and Mari got it across to your school’s media team to help her get to you..." he trailed off when she raised a finger and narrowed her eyes. "A drawing?" She asked, remembering the drawing of her that Ryan had showed her five years ago claiming some bad men were trying to find her. "Yeah. Hold on. I think I still have it," he said as he took his phone from her and then searched through his google photos until he found the drawing "Here," he said as he turned the screen to her, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw it was the exact picture from five years ago. Jamal had tried to find her. He had not forgotten her or just moved on. He had done all he could to find her, yet Ryan had done all he could to keep her hidden. Little wonder he asked her to get a plastic surgery done. Did he know Jamal had been the one trying to find her? "I— I never knew you were the one who was looking for me," she confessed. "But you saw it?" He asked and she nodded. "Yes." "You saw it but you aren’t the one who talked to Mari? Was it Genevieve?" He asked, and Abigail sighed as she nodded again slowly. "I guess so. I only saw the drawing because Ryan showed it to me. He said my life was in danger and people were trying to find me and stuff. After that he sent me abroad and asked me to get plastic surgery done. I was away all these years. I only just returned yesterday," she confessed. Jamal’s blood singed at the thought that he had gone through so much emotional distress because of Ryan. He didn’t even want to imagine all that she had gone through. He feared that he would not be able to hold himself back from unleashing his anger on Ryan if he did. He would take his time and hear everything from her, but for now, he just wanted to reconnect with her first. "You mean he sent you abroad just like that? And asked you to have surgery?" Abigail nodded. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause more problems..." Abigail shook her head before he could finish. "No. Don’t apologize. There’s nothing to apologize for. I’m sort of relieved to know you tried so hard to find me. For what it’s worth I tried to find you on social media too," she said, and Jamal’s eyes lit up. "You did?" He asked, and she nodded. "Yeah," she said, but not disclosing the real reason why. "I’m sorry you thought I was the one who responded to Mari," she said softly, imagining how she would feel if she had been in his shoes. Jamal sighed deeply, "None of that matters now that you’re here and I know you weren’t the one. I’m curious about something though. How did you manage to fool them with this mask?" Jamal asked, and Abigail smirked. "The same way I managed to fool you," she said, and Jamal stared at her for a moment before chuckling. "I guess they believe you had surgery? How long do you plan to keep this up?" Jamal asked and she shrugged. "Until I get the answers I need, and I have what it takes to take back all that is mine. All these years Ryan made me believe I was his illegitimate daughter. He made me wear contacts and different colors of wigs. He controlled every aspect of my life and Genevieve made life hell for me. The night we met, I wasn’t supposed to be there. It was my first time away from Genevieve and that was only because it was her eighteenth birthday..." she paused when something struck her. That day had been her eighteenth birthday not Genevieve’s birthday. In all these while that simple fact had not clicked in her head until this very moment. "It was your birthday," Jamal said as it also occurred to him, "I traveled all that way because I wanted to meet with you on your birthday. And I did even without knowing," he said, his voice filled with awe. "You were there because of me?" She asked, shifting her focus from her thoughts to his words. Jamal nodded, "Your fa... Ryan wouldn’t let the Hanks or anyone related to the Hanks come near you. After your Mom said I couldn’t communicate with you anymore—" "My Mom said that?" Abigail cut in. "Yes. That was shortly after she got married to Ryan. She said she needed you to focus on having friends around you instead of friends that were far away..." Jamal trailed off when Abigail shook her head. "I’m lost. Can you tell me everything from the beginning? How did we meet? I don’t understand what you mean by far away. I don’t get anything," she said and Jamal nodded. Before he could speak, his phone rang and his brows pulled together when he checked and saw it was Emily. It was early in the morning in Ludus now. He knew Mari would also be calling soon.