Mommy, Where's Daddy? The Forsaken Daughter's Return

Chapter 27: Call Me Sam

Serving a steamed grouper fish on the table, poured with oyster sauce and sesame oil, Ethan's expression turned soft, looking at his special dinner inside Samantha's home.

It took him more than an hour to set-up Kenzie's dollhouse, even with the help of Kyle, who was pretty keen on identifying where the parts go to, despite being a boy with other interests.

Samantha was unsure if Ethan was okay with the fish that she remarked while sitting next to him, "Mr. Wri - I mean, Ethan... You probably prefer Salmon, but I just don't have it right now. This is a grouper fish, but the red tomato kind so it's still good."

Ethan Wright rarely smiled in his daily life, but he managed to pull through and looked up to Samantha's charming face. He said, "I also like this kind of fish."

While he expressed words of acceptance, he sneered for a second before telling, "I - I just don't like soy."

"Oh! Haha!" Diana, who was sitting across Ethan, could not help but remark. "Like father and son!"

"Kyle also does not like soy either," revealed Samantha. "I use oyster sauce all the time."

Ethan nodded before caressing Kyle's head and said, "I'm not surprised." He returned his gaze to Samantha before glancing at Diana. "Thank you for having me for dinner."

As usual, Ethan thought the food was divine. The fish just melted in his mouth and the sauce to it was made with just the right amount of blend. What he especially delighted on was how his children ate several carrots with cheese canapes before their meals.

Ethan acknowledged how Samantha taught the children to eat well.

It was only after dinner that Ethan and Samantha finally had the chance to talk about what happened almost six years ago.

It was Diana who had to accompany the kids in the living room while Ethan and Samantha spoke by the balcony, closing the glass windows on purpose, giving them the privacy they needed.

They both sat on a chair while gazing at the city lights when Ethan started the probing, "So tell me again, how was it that your sister lured you into my room back then?"

Without looking at Ethan, Samantha bit her lip before answering, "She - she gave me a lot of drinks." She blushed, ashamed of why she was even drinking in the first place. "Actually, back then, I had a boyfriend. His name is Clayton Brown."

"For the two years since we were dating, he has been asking." She paused before resuming, "asking that we... we make love."

"And so that was the night that my stepsister had fully convinced me to give in to Clayton, but... apparently, she had other plans."

"The drinks she was giving me, made me so intoxicated, and back then, I remember feeling so hot. I could not understand myself and so when she guided me to your room, saying it was Clayton, I just. "

Taking a deep breath, Samantha said, "I don't know why I did not even bother to turn the lights on. I - I was just feeling so strange that - "

"You were drugged," suggested Ethan. "That's what most likely happened."

Samantha glanced at Ethan shyly and said, "That must have been the case, but I realized that too late."

Just after a second of pause, she added, "Of course, my stepsister denied everything, including walking me into a room of someone I don't know. And I tried to tell father this, but he never took my side. To him, I had the intention, all along. Even the idea of sleeping with Clayton provoked him."

She found herself gasping before continuing, "What if - who knows if it was someone else - "

Samantha's expression reflected a wave of clear anger as she turned to Ethan and said, "It's not that I'm saying, I'm lucky that it was you, but thinking about the possibilities... what if -"

"I understand," Ethan finished for her. "It could have been worse."

Ethan was still unsettled over the idea of Samantha having a boyfriend in the past. Moreover, how she had planned to give herself that night. Somehow, it did not sit well with him.

He could not understand why he was so irritated of that fact when... it was not supposed to be his business.

Hearing Samantha described how it could have gone badly for her that night, he could not help but agree. The night with him might as well be the lesser evil for Samantha.

Samantha resumed telling about how her stepsister told the Military Academy of her pregnancy and it resulted in her dismissal. That was how her father turned the military camp upside down, in search of the man whom she slept with.

After which, she revealed, "It became easy for my boyfriend to dump me." She scoffed and resumed, "that would have been understandable, except, he immediately hooked up with my stepsister after he found out I was pregnant with another man."

There was a moment of silence before she spoke again, "I'm sorry that I just left that morning. I was scared, and I hated myself. I did not know what I was thinking - leaving you a hundred-dollar bill."

She pouted her lips before asking, "Were you - angry with me?"

Her probing grated another silence.

Ethan crossed his legs and turned to Samantha. Only then did he answer, "I was... back then. I thought, who does this woman think she is?!"

Massaging his nape, Ethan told, "But really, I had gotten to know you a little Samantha, and you did not strike me as someone who was a - forgive my language, but truth be told, I honestly thought you were a tramp when you just left after having sex with an unknown man."

That made Samantha's eyes grew wide, but she accepted. That was exactly how it looked like. Everyone in the military camp saw it that way too.

"I did not want to be associated nor acknowledge the fact that I had." His eyes tightened when he said, "A one-night stand with such a woman."

Samantha bit her lip and with eyes beaming at him, she revealed, "That was... my first. So rest assured, I am not soiled in any way." Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

"Hmmm," said Ethan. Inwardly, he gratified at that fact, but he kept his opinion to himself.

"But I wonder why... why my father never found out about you?" Samantha asked.

"I paid the hotel manager to delete all surveillance pointing to my room and any other videos that included me in it," admitted Ethan. "Also, the room that I stayed at was under another man's name."

"I also told my friend that I got myself together after a few hours of rest and left the hotel," said Ethan. "I was confident that no one would know and since then, I never checked with the hotel again."

"Oh." Samantha found herself gaping at her hands. She raised her knees and clutch it to her chest before telling, "So that's why. Of course, Ethan Wright would know of a way to conceal everything."

"Your father must have given you a hard time," indicated Ethan while looking at her wistful face.

Samantha nodded and confessed, "He kicked me out of our home and left me outside the door while it rained. Since then, he never attempted to contact me... nor find me."

Talking about her father, Samantha's emotions just overflowed without control. She wound up sobbing and said, "Can't - can't a daughter make a mistake? Was my sin that grave that he had to abandon me?"

Sniffing her tears away, she told, "Ethan, I had nothing back then. I was only twenty-one. He did not even give me access to my trust fund. I was pregnant, alone, and had no money."

After wiping her tears away, she said, "Only my grandmother aided me from a distance. It was with her help that I got on a flight to Monroe City and stayed with my aunt. It was there that I gave birth and tried to make up for my mistakes."

Meanwhile, hearing of her account, Ethan felt a pang in his chest. He was sorry for Samantha, especially since he was partly to blame for her misery.

He recognized how it was not her fault that she wound up in his room, that faithful night. She did not deserve the kind of mistreatment his father gave her.

Yes, he was angry back then, but after knowing Samantha and meeting the children, it was a whole different story altogether.

He reached for her hand and gripped it tightly. He told, "I don't know how to comfort you, but... let me just say this... Everything is about to change, Samantha. Do you believe me?"

For seconds, Samantha just looked at Ethan and said, "Sam." She smiled and added, "You can call me Sam."