Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

Crystal

"Anya, we can talk later. I can tell that you haven't been eating and drinking like you promised you would," I said, holding the glass with the straw to her lips.

She shook her head. "I will drink after you tell me about my son. What did he say when you gave him the letter?"

I spent hours on the flight preparing for this moment. I knew exactly what I needed to say.

"Well, as you would expect, he was in disbelief. I had to convince him that I wasn't lying. The letter was actually from you."

"And did you eventually convince him?" she asked.

"Yes. He believed the letter was authentic." If only we could stop here, then I wouldn't have to lie.

Anya seemed to relax a little and took a sip of the smoothie I made her. "He knows I'm alive?" I nodded, and she smiled. I couldn't remember the last time she smiled. It was a rarity.

"You need to drink a lot more," I stated.

"I want to hear everything about my son. Tell me about him. What is he like?" she asked.

He's the most amazing man I've ever met. Unfortunately, I betrayed his trust, and he hates me.

"He's even more handsome than that photo you have. But he's nothing like I expected."

"How so?" she asked.

"Well, he has a sense of humor. I couldn't always tell if he was serious or joking when we spoke." He made me laugh and I miss that so much. " And he talks a lot." Unlike you.

"Did he tell you about his childhood? What it was like after I left?" she asked.

"We did talk about that. As you must have suspected, it wasn't easy for him or Orion. But your mother took good care of them. And they both have turned into fine men that you should be proud of," I said.

"All I know of them was what little is on the internet. If there hadn't been a post about Orion becoming Vice President, and his brother standing beside him, I wouldn't have a clue what they looked like now. It's really sad. I hate the fact that I had to miss out on their lives. Hopefully he understands now why I left."

Oh boy.

"I don't know what he thinks. He was angry. It's been a long time since he heard from you. I'm sure he thought you might be deceased. To learn now that you're not, was hard. He needs time to process everything," I said.

Might be more time than you have, Anya.

"I was hopeful that after reading the letter, he would be more forgiving. But maybe it's too late for that. And I have to accept that. I mean, it was my choice to leave."

"Anya, from what you told me, it wasn't much of a choice. You either left with their father, or he was eventually going to find out that they existed. What you did was far from selfish. You protected your sons. Even though it meant you living your life with a man who you feared."

It still gave me chills when I thought about what she told me. How their father had taken her virginity when she was eighteen. And would go back to Tabiq every year demanding that Anya be brought to him. And if she refused, he would beat her and force himself on her. She told me that it went on for years and instead of the man growing tired of her, he started to come more frequently. She wouldn't be able to hide what was happening to her from her children much longer, and if her parents ever found out it was still going on, it could cost them their lives if they intervened.

Anya wasn't a horrible person. She was the victim of rape and abuse. Her body was weak, but her spirit had been broken in so many ways long before this.

"I wish I would've been strong enough to reach out to them sooner. But you know I couldn't. If my husband ever found out, he would've found them too, and I'm afraid of what he would've done," she said.

"Do you really think he would've hurt them?" I knew he had hurt Anya.

"There is something I never told you. Never told anyone. Not even Mr. Cain, and he knows a lot of my life."

"What is it?" I asked, afraid of what she was going to say. What I knew was already bad enough. How could this secret be any worse?

"Orion and Mayson weren't my only children. I had two other pregnancies. The first one was when were here in the States. He saw that I was gaining weight, but not all over, just my abdomen." I held my breath, and I knew what she was going to say. Please don't say it. "He kicked me in the stomach. Stomped on me. The pain was horrible," she cried. "And I lost the baby."

I had to cover my mouth because I was going to be sick. And my heart ached for Anya. So much suffering and she never felt as though she could escape. That's because Mr. Harris had enough money to cover his nasty evil ways.

" I'm so sorry, Anya."

"Thank you. But you have done what you can for me. You delivered my letter. Now all I can do is wait and see if he will forgive me. If he will come and see me before I die," she said.

I wanted to ask her about the other child, but Anya didn't need to relive that one as well. And since there weren't any photos or signs that there were children in this house, I could assume it ended the same way.

The guilt of lying to her was causing me to become physically ill. "Excuse me," I said, rushing from the room and making it to the bathroom just in time to vomit in the toilet. After I washed my face and headed back to Anya's room.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yes. I think it's the jetlag that has me. Not used to traveling like that and I didn't get any sleep on the flight."

"I'm sorry. You should sleep. Don't worry about me. I'll be right here when you get up," she said.

That was her idea of a joke because Anya no longer could get out of bed on her own. Well, maybe she could if wanted to, but that was just another thing she had given up on doing for herself.

Giving up on life altogether.

Mayson had no idea that his mother was holding out just for him and Orion. And unless I could think of something to say, he might not ever come and see her.

I put the bell beside her bed and said, "Just ring for me if you need anything."

"All I need is to see my sons. What you need is sleep," she said.

I nodded and left the room, but I knew damn well, sleep wasn't something I was going to do. Crying in my pillow was the plan for now. It won't fix anything, but maybe a good cry will help.

Anya, you and I need the same thing. Mayson.