Thirteen
JAX
My legs moved briskly on their own accord towards the huge gates of Janis’ mansion.
Yes. I was back here again, I was back to the place it all happened more than seven months ago.
To the place were my recklesss one night stand birthed a child nine months later.
I hadn’t forgotten this place. Even though months had past since I came here, this place still remained fresh in my head.
The memory stood clear, like it all happened yesterday. But my motive for coming here had been altered.
The last time I dropped by, I was bringing back a drunk Janis from one of her frivolous escapades in the night club and we ended up having such a passionate and heated sex.
Just looking at this house from the iron gates that proctected it brought back memories.
Now I was back again, not to have sex, but to claim what was rightfully mine– My child.
I didn’t know our careless act would lead to a baby but it did and now I wanted to claim that baby. I didn’t want to be like my father who ran away from his responsibilities in raising me and catering for both I and my mother.
I wanted to own up to my duties. Heaven knows that if I knew from the onset that Janis was pregnant, I would rush to her aid and stand by her throughout.
But Janis kept it a secret from the entire world? Why did she do that?
Was she trying to keep me away from my baby?
Or she felt embarrassed with the fact she slept with a common uber driver like me?
Well what ever the reason was, I wasn’t letting her or anyone keep me away from my baby.
I trudged along the road that led to the gates and accessed myself for a while.
I was putting on a faded jeans and a black round neck shirt. My hair was ruffled and messy and tiny beads of perspiration covered my forehead.
Well I wouldn’t blame myself. I was coming back from the bar. Upon my arrival at the gate, I tipped the heavily guarded men before they granted me access to come in to Janis mansion.
But they thoroughly searched me, making sure I had no weapon.
They must have thought I was a thief at first glance.
I rushed here the moment I heard about the news and I did not even want to go home to change because the news I got was not one to be pushed aside. I needed to see my child. Bracing myself up, I pushed open the gates and stepped inside.
Ambling further, my gaze fell upon a young woman in the parking area of the mansion, whose facial features seemed so much like Janis’. The only difference between them was that she looked a lot younger and her hair colour and dressing was totally different from the way Janis would dress.
The woman was packing some stuffs into a bag, about to open the doors of a car but upon my arrival into the house, she veered her eyes to face me and gave a snoot.
“Who you are mister and what do you want in here?” She arrogantly asked, dropping the bag she carried on to the car’s roof.
Wow. Was this how they all behaved here? I hadn’t even stayed here up to ten minutes and the hospitality was nothing to write home about.
“Hello? Can’t you fucking talk? Who the fuck are you and what are you doing in this mansion?” She rudely queried me once more, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“I am Mr Jax Storms…” I began speaking but she cut me short at once.
“And how may I help you?” She raked my appearance with her baleful stares and had her arms folded at me.
I was forced to look at what I put on before drifting my eyes back at her. No doubt, just a glance at her orbs showed this intense disgust she felt just by my arrival into the house.
“I came looking for Janis Walter” I abruptly stated with a mild smile. I was trying to be as polite as I could even though I knew her attitude towards me wasn’t welcoming for one moment.
“And why? Did she say she is expecting you? Mister what exactly do you want or do you want me to call security on you before you speak?!” Stravis scowled.
I took in a deep breath and sighed.
“I’ll like to see Janis Walter. I want to talk to her not you”
The woman gave me a puzzled look and clasped her hands together with a mirthful laughter.
“Imagine the audacity of a stranger from God knows where” she spat.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
She ambled towards me and stared at me intently. “I am Janis Walter’s sister. Speak to me or get out!” She ordered in a dire tone.
I wanted to speak to Janis instead not this vain woman here. Janis was the one in a better position to understand me not her rude and mannerless sister but the matter at hand couldn’t be pushed aside so I just decided to let it out.
“I came looking for Janis Walter because of the child she just gave birth to. I am the father” I bodly said ignoring her stares.
She stared at me dumbfounded for a while before erupting into fits of laughter. “Very funny you know. You should be a stand up comedian. You would play the role excellently.
Now I advise you quit the joke and go home else I might have you arrested for impersonation”
What the hell!
“I am not lying! I am the father to that baby!” I raised my voice, flabbergasted by her remarks.
She stopped laughing and gave me dagger glares, detested by my appearance. “How the fuck did you even get in here? Who allowed you in here! You filthy, lying church rat” she cursed me.
Anger infused itself in me and exasperation coated my features. I felt so insulted by the way she addressed me.
This woman was so fucking proud of herself.
“Watch how you address me as…” I spoke with my jaws clenching and unclenching but she quickly interrupted me.
“Or else what? What will you do? Can you do more than a dead rat? You came in here and made claims all because you know Janis Walter is rich as hell. You didn’t come all along and now you showed up out of the blue upon hearing that she had put to birth and she is a single mother”
You are just a fucking gold digger. Trying to seek for a way to rob people of their wealth. Do you think my sister is that desperate to get a father for her son? Huh? My sister isn’t in your class. We are not in your league. You better get out!”
I felt so humiliated by her ranting. These people were so heartless. She totally insulted me because her financial status was greater than mine.
“If not for your parents wealth, you wouldn’t even be close to a church rat” I put her in a place.
“You are boasting about your self acclaimed wealth and trampling on people you view as not in your league yet I’m so sure that without your parents wealth, you would not be able to even have a nickle to your name” I added, enjoying the angry look on her face.
Her laugh was replaced by a devilish glare. “Don’t you dare insult me in my abode you thief” she growled, her chest heaving repeatedly at me.
I’m sure what I said must have got to her and pierced her. It was not a lie. It was the absolute truth. She was flaunting her parent’s wealth.
The only reason this young woman stood here and badmouthed me and my financial status was because she was part of the privileged few who benefited from their parents wealth.
And I am absolutely sure without her parent’s name, she would be nothing but a wrench in the street.
“I am not a thief! I am the father to your sister’s child! I came here to claim my child”
“Or you came here to get money out of us because you found out that one of America’s most youngest, richest and eligible spinster had put to the bed and the identity of the father was unknown” The woman taunted me.
Fuck. I felt like strangling this woman.
If this was how all rich people like her behaved, then I didn’t want to have any thing again to do with any rich person.
“Why don’t you believe me? Aren’t I a human being too? Is it so impossible for Janis and I to have sex?” I asked, frustrated at her.
She gave a shallow chortle and smiled maniacally. “I don’t believe you because I know my sister.
I know her taste in men and you are definitely not one of the men she would hang around it”
“All because I don’t give off a wealthy appearance or what?” I inquired once more, my anger beginning to rise to greater heights.
“Yes you do not!” She shot back rudely.
“You dare think of grabbing some thing you can’t even smell. Give up your act because it ain’t fooling anyone. Janis would never even think of sleeping with someone so lowly like you. I mean look at you. You wreak of poverty. Even your clothes are unkempt. You wreak of poverty and dirt. I wouldn’t even wish for my rival to sleep with you talk more of my sister Janis. You must be dreaming!” She added in a scornful manner.
I was forced to scrutinise my dressing once more, humiliation and embarrassment painting my entire features.
“Who even let you in here? I don’t ever want to see your poverty, wretched self ever again in this mansion else I’ll have you arrested I swear” she wagged her tongue and finger at me.
I stood transfixed and speechless, too bewildered to even react at the heap of insults rained on me.
I watched her walk back into the car and in no time did she saunter back outside with dollar notes in her slender fingers.
“Here!” She yelled at me.
Swiftly, she threw me the notes in my face and laughed mockingly at me.
“Use it and get yourself a change of cloth then come back and try impersonate the father of my sister’s child. Maybe then I might believe you” she mocked me before sauntering back and grabbing the bag on the roof of the car.
I watched her get into the car and ignite the engine before zooming off, leaving a trail of dust behind.
I have never been more humiliated in my entire life.