The Contracted Stripper

The silence that followed Mr. Kendrick’s confession was deafening. Everyone in the room seemed frozen, processing the weight of his words.

Mrs. Rose’s face was a mixture of shock and rage, her hands trembling as she gripped the back of a chair for support. Ryan and Ivy exchanged uneasy glances, while Jessica stood still, her expression unreadable, though her eyes glistened with the pain of memories that had long since scarred her.

Kendrick took a deep breath, his voice thick with regret as he continued. “I was in love with Jessica,” he admitted, his eyes locked on the floor as if unable to meet anyone’s gaze.

“We were both so young, and I couldn’t resist her. But I was already married to Rose. There was no way I could marry Jessica. I was the heir to the Kendrick family fortune, and it would have been a scandal-a disgrace-to have an affair and a child out of wedlock.

“Rose scoffed, her voice laced with venom. “So instead, you chose to keep me in the dark and raise the child of your mistress under my nose?” she spat. “You lied to me, Kendrick! You betrayed me!”Kendrick winced at her words, his guilt heavy on his shoulders.

“I know,” he said quietly. “I’m not proud of what I did. But when Jessica reached out to me, telling me she had given birth to twins and couldn’t care for both, I didn’t know what else to do. She asked me to take one, and I… I couldn’t say no.”He paused, glancing at Ivy, who was staring at him in stunned silence, her entire world crumbling beneath her feet.”I took Ivy home,” Kendrick continued, his voice strained.

“When Rose asked where the child came from, I lied. I told her that I had found a baby abandoned on the side of the road, crying and that I couldn’t just leave her there. I said I had my driver pick her up, and I brought her home. I told her it was fate.”

“So you lied to me?” Rose’s voice trembled, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Ivy is your mistress’s child?”Kendrick nodded, his eyes filled with regret.Property © NôvelDrama.Org.

“Yes. And I regret it every single day. I laid low for a while after that, hoping you would stop suspecting me, hoping I could keep the secret buried. But as time passed, I couldn’t stop thinking about Jessica, about the other child I left behind. I tried reaching out to her, but by then, she was gone. There was no way to find her. That’s when I thought I lost them both.”

Jessica’s lips parted, her voice soft but filled with years of pent-up sorrow. “You didn’t lose us, Kendrick. You abandoned us.”Her words hit Kendrick like a punch to the gut. His face contorted in pain, but he didn’t try to defend himself.

He knew she was right. He had abandoned her, and now there was nothing he could say to make it right. Ivy stepped forward, her face pale as she looked at Kendrick, her hands shaking. “So… so all this time… you knew?”

Her voice wavered as she spoke, tears welling up in her eyes. “You knew who my real mother was, and you didn’t tell me?”Kendrick’s heart broke at the sight of his daughter’s pain.

“Ivy, I…” he began, but his voice faltered. What could he say to make her understand? How could he justify the years of lies?”I deserved to know the truth!” Ivy cried, her voice rising in anger and hurt.

“I had the right to know who I was, where I came from! Instead, you let me believe that I was abandoned on the side of the road like some unwanted child!” Her voice cracked, and she turned to Jessica, her eyes brimming with tears.

“And you… you just gave me away?”Jessica’s expression softened, her own eyes filled with tears. “I didn’t want to, Ivy,” she said softly. “But I was alone, and I had no way to care for two children. I thought if I gave you to your father, you’d have a better life, a better future. I didn’t know… I didn’t know it would turn out like this.

“Ivy shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “I was just a pawn to all of you,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “A pawn in your lies and betrayals.”

“Ivy, please,” Kendrick said, stepping toward her, his heart breaking. “I know I made mistakes. I know I hurt you. But I loved you. I still love you.”

Ivy took a step back, her eyes filled with pain. “You don’t know what love is,” she said bitterly. “You lied to me my entire life. How can you call that love?”

Ryan, who had been silent throughout the entire exchange, finally spoke up. His voice was low but filled with a quiet anger that had been simmering beneath the surface.

“And what about me?” he asked, his eyes narrowing at Kendrick. “Did you think about me at all while you were playing house with your mistress and her children?”Kendrick’s eyes widened, and he shook his head.

“Ryan, no. It wasn’t like that. I never meant to hurt you.”Ryan let out a bitter laugh. “You never meant to hurt me? You’ve been lying to us for years, Dad! You’ve been lying to all of us! How do you expect us to believe anything you say now?”

Kendrick’s shoulders sagged, the weight of his mistakes too heavy to bear. “I don’t know,” he admitted quietly. “I don’t know how to make this right. All I can say is that I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Ryan’s voice was filled with disbelief. “Sorry doesn’t cut it, Dad. You destroyed this family. You let lies and secrets fester until there was nothing left.”

Rose, who had been listening in stunned silence, suddenly let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Oh, this is rich,” she said, her voice filled with venom. “You were so worried about keeping up appearances, Kendrick. So worried about the scandal. And look where we are now. The perfect Kendrick family shattered into pieces.”

She turned to Jessica, her eyes burning with fury. “You came back here to ruin everything, didn’t you? You couldn’t just stay dead. You had to come back and drag all these secrets out into the light.”

Jessica met her gaze, unflinching. “I didn’t come back to ruin anything, Rose. I came back for my daughters. I came back for the truth.”

“The truth?” Rose sneered. “The truth is that you were nothing more than a fling, a dirty little secret that Kendrick was ashamed of. You were never going to be part of this family.”

“Stop it, Rose!” Kendrick snapped, his voice shaking with anger. “You’ve lied just as much as I have. Don’t act like you’re some innocent victim in all of this.

“Rose’s face twisted in rage, and she took a step toward Kendrick. “Oh, don’t you dare try to pin this on me! You’re the one who cheated! You’re the one who brought a bastard child into this house!”

“That’s enough!” Ryan’s voice cut through the chaos, sharp and commanding. He stepped forward, his eyes cold as he looked between his parents.

“Both of you. Just stop. We’ve heard enough lies for a lifetime.”The room fell into an uneasy silence, the weight of Ryan’s words settling over them like a heavy fog.

Ivy wiped the tears from her face, her voice shaky but determined. “I’m done with this,” she said quietly. “I’m done with all of you.”Jessica reached out to her, her voice filled with concern.

“Ivy, please, don’t go. We can figure this out.”But Ivy shook her head, stepping away from her mother’s reach. “No. I need time. I need to think. I can’t do this right now.”

With that, Ivy turned and walked toward the door, her footsteps heavy with the weight of betrayal.

As the door closed behind her, Jessica let out a soft sob, her shoulders shaking with the effort to hold back her tears.

Kendrick watched her, his heart breaking all over again. He had destroyed everything-his family, his relationships, his chance at redemption.

Ryan crossed his arms, his eyes still cold as he looked at his father. “I don’t know if this family can be saved,” he said quietly. “But I know one thing: things are never going to be the same again.”

Just then, the door to the room burst open, and a nurse rushed in, her face pale with fear.” Mr. Kendrick!” she exclaimed, her voice trembling.

“We have a problem. Your daughter Ivy… she’s collapsed.”Everyone froze, the words hanging in the air like a death sentence.

“Collapsed?” Kendrick repeated his voice barely a whisper. The nurse nodded, her eyes wide with panic.

The room erupted into chaos, but Kendrick could only sit in stunned silence, the weight of his broken family finally crashing down around him.