radicalducati Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Amelia stared at Brenda, standing under the dim porch light. Her once perfectly styled hair was unkempt, her expensive coat clutched tightly around her body as if it could shield her from the biting wind—or the reality she now faced.
“What are you doing here?” Amelia asked, her voice sharp and unforgiving.
“Amelia,” Brenda whispered, her voice trembling. “Please, I need your help.”
Amelia scoffed, crossing her arms as fury bubbled to the surface. “You’ve got some nerve showing up here. Help? After everything you’ve done to me?”
“I know,” Brenda said, her voice breaking. “I know I don’t deserve it. But I don’t have anywhere else to turn.”
Amelia leaned against the doorframe, her gaze cold. “Let me guess. Ryan finally saw through your lies, and now you want me to clean up your mess?”
Brenda’s lip quivered, tears pooling in her eyes. She took a step closer, desperation radiating off her in waves. “Ryan’s leaving me, Amelia. He’s done. He’s cutting me off, and I—” Her voice faltered as a sob escaped her. “I need him.”
Amelia laughed bitterly, shaking her head. “You’re unbelievable. After everything you did—after you destroyed my family—you think I’d help you keep him? Do you even hear yourself?”
Before Amelia could shut the door in her face, Brenda dropped to her knees, trembling. Her hands clutched the edge of the door as if it were her lifeline. “Please,” she begged, her voice raw. “If he leaves me, he’ll stop supporting my son. I can’t let that happen.”
Amelia’s fury flared even hotter, her voice cutting through the night. “Why would that even matter? Ryan’s his father—”
Brenda’s head snapped up, her tear-streaked face pale and desperate. “He’s not,” she whispered.
Amelia froze, the weight of the confession hitting her like a blow. “What did you just say?”
Brenda bowed her head, her shoulders shaking. “Ryan isn’t the father of my son.”
The revelation twisted in Amelia’s chest, fanning the flames of her anger. “You’re telling me,” she said, her voice trembling with fury, “you ruined our marriage with a lie that you oh so carefully built? And now you want me to help you?”
“Amelia, please,” Brenda pleaded, her voice cracking. “I know I lied, but my son… he’s in critical condition. I need Ryan’s financial support. Without it, I can’t afford his treatment.”
The mention of a child’s suffering gave Amelia pause, but only for a moment.
Brenda seized on the silence, her words tumbling out desperately. “You’re a mother too. You know what it’s like to do anything to protect your kids. What would you do if you were in my situation?”
“This isn’t my problem, Brenda,” Amelia snapped. “You came here to what? Apologize? Ask for my help? Why should I care about anything you have to say?”
Brenda flinched at the venom in Amelia’s tone. “Because Ryan’s anger is… it’s out of control. He’s thrown me out. He’s done with me, Amelia. And I—I don’t know what to do.”
“I’m sorry but the last thing I want to do is to have any connection with you and my ex-husband,” Amelia said, crossing her arms. “Everything has consequences, Brenda. You should have known that.”
Brenda’s face crumpled. “I’m begging you, Amelia. Please. I’ve made mistakes, but Ryan..Ryan will listen to you.”
Amelia stepped back, gripping the edge of the door tightly. “You have no idea how much I’ve dreamed of this moment. You, standing here, begging for my help after everything you’ve done. And you know what? I don’t feel sorry for you. Not one bit.”
“Amelia, please,” Brenda whispered, her voice breaking.
“No,” Amelia said firmly, her voice cutting through the tension. “You don’t get to come here and make your mess my problem. Please, don’t bother come back here.”
Without another word, she shut the door in Brenda’s face. Leaning against it, Amelia exhaled shakily, her anger giving way to a wave of exhaustion.
Upstairs, the twins’ laughter echoed faintly through the walls, grounding her. Whatever storm Brenda had unleashed, Amelia was determined to keep her children safe from it.