VANESSA

A cup of hot coffee suddenly appeared before me. I blinked first, thinking that it was my imagination but when the image persisted, I looked at the outstretched arm and traced it back to its owner. I looked at the dark-haired man questioningly.

"You look like you could use a friend."

"A criteria that you certainly don't fulfil.", I said saltily.

He smiled,"Nice one."

It was as if he had made sure not to lose his temper while having this conversation with me.

"I can't forget the things you said in Cairo.", I said, turning away from him and recalling his insults.

"You very well know I didn't mean a word of what I said but I know I did hurt you so for what it's worth, I am sorry."

I looked up at him, a sad smile forming on his face, his eyes distant.

"I am sorry too. I knew the one thing you hated most and I did it anyway, comparing you with Blake."

"I can't say if I'll be forgiving you for that and I don't think you will forgive me either but for now, I think we can push that to the back of our minds for one night, can't we?", he persuaded me.

"Why do you even want to know? You like soap operas too much?"

"It's not about what I want. It is about what you need. You've got to talk to someone. I can send for Charlotte, if you still don't want to talk to me.", He said and gave me the coffee mug. I quietly took it, motioning him to sit beside me.

I took a sip and then asked, "You made it?"

"I did. Why?"

"There isn't enough sugar.", I smiled.

He sighed, keeping his own mug down.

"Aren't you cold?", He asked, looking at my legs, half submerged in the pool water.

"Not at all. Try it."

He hesitantly folded the hem of his pants.

"Just put your feet in the water. It's your house. No one's going to judge you."

He dipped his feet in the pool and then smiled at me in surprise, "The water is warm."

"Of course it is. I am not as lunatic as you give me credit for being."

"You are even worse.", he shook his head, a smile still dancing at his lips.

I opened my mouth to protest but he said," Before you distract me with other topics, let's get to the question I have been meaning to ask. What happened three years ago?"

"It's a long story.", I swallowed a huge gulp of coffee, nervous about recalling the night I remembered way too vividly for my own good.

"It's a long night too and I intend to go no where else. So shall we start?"

"Fine.",I smiled genuinely, "You do know I and Jacob dated, right?"

"Yeah. You told me that when we were selecting food for the partnership party.", He said, taking a sip from his cup.

"Well, things were good till we went to college. I went to London while he stayed here. When, Jennifer joined the same college that he was in, I asked Jacob to look out for her, in case she needed something. Jen and I were pretty close back then.", I sighed before swallowing another gulp of coffee.

■■■

It was Christmas Eve of 2013. Dad and Kate were attending a party while Nate was with his fiancée, Olivia. I was supposed to return a day later, on Christmas morning from Shanghai where I had been, handling a project but I quickly wound up my work and decided to give Jennifer, who had decided to stay home, a surprise.

An hour before midnight, I reached the appartment that I and Jennifer had moved into once I returned from college. All the lights were off so I prayed that Jen was home. I stealthily walked up to her room and then yelled, "Surprise, Jenny Benny!"

I switched on the lights but I didn't see what I had expected. She was with some guy, naked. I turned around, apologising,"Oh god! I am so sorry. I didn't know, I...", but then I realised something. I had seen this man before. I turned back to look at two horrified people, one was my sister and the other was my boyfriend of five years. The glass Santa that I had bought as a present for her fell on the floor and shattered into a million pieces, just like my heart.

I asked,"Wha...what is going on?"

"Nessa, I can explain.", Jennifer said, wrapping the blanket around her.

"I am waiting outside. Get dressed and come out.", I said, before quickly leaving the room.

I did not know what to feel. I was angry, sad, shook, hurt and in total disbelief.

When they both returned, I asked them, tears rolling down my cheeks, "Haa...how long has...th...this been going on?"

They looked at each other and then Jacob spoke,"Four days."

"Four months.", Jennifer said, "I don't want to lie to you anymore, Vanessa. I am sorry."

Tears blinded my vision.

"Four months? Four months! What the hell were you both thinking?", I cried.

"Listen. Please calm down. I can explain.", Jacob said, as he walked over to me.

"Stay away from me! Even looking at you disgusts me right now.", I yelled before breaking down.

These were the two people I loved the most and this is what they did? Stabbed me in the back? I didn't deserve this. No one did.

I looked at my sister, struggling to speak through my tears, "Ha...how how could you? How could you do this to me?"

"I don't know how this happened. We started spending time together in college, became really good friends and we didn't realise when we caught feelings. When we fell in...love.", Jennifer said, her eyes welling up with tears.

"You love her?", I asked Jacob, boring holes into his soul with my eyes.

"I do.", He said, staring at his feet.

"Then what was what we had?", I sobbed.

"Long distance relationships never work out.", He said, as if he felt sorry for me.

"Yes they do. I am...I was still in love with you. I never slept with someone else.", I said.

"Yes. You love me but not as much as your career. I would always be second priority for you. I..."

"That is not TRUE!!!", I yelled.

"Oh really? Then tell me how many dates have we been on this year? It has been nearly an year since you have returned back from your college yet I don't see you very often. You have been on more business trips than on dates with me. I loved you Vanessa, at one point. But it fizzled away."

"If this is how you felt, why didn't you tell me before?"

"How could I? When were you even around? When I needed you, you weren't there, when I needed to talk, you weren't there, when I..."

"Maybe you are right but is cheating on me the solution to our problems? That to with my sister? You make me sick!"

I turned my attention towards Jen. I scowled, "You! Are you also going to blame me for this?"

"Nessa. I am sorry."

"You wanted to be my maid of honour. I never realised how you became the bride, at my wedding."

"I tried. I tried to not fall for him Nessa but he was there with me. He was there with me when I needed him. Whenever I had a breakup he was there, whenever I was crying he was there and I know you won't believe me if I said this but I was going to tell you once we were done with Christmas. I didn't want to ruin that for you."

"You were worried about Christmas? You have ruined my entire life. The day Kate realised she had conceived you, my father left my mom and me. My image of a perfect family was torn apart. Even when I came to live with you, I didn't find love but you know what I found? I found out that I was an unwanted member of this family. But it was still okay. Dad still loved me, afterall and because I still had him and...I had you. You were my best friend, my sister and I never blamed you for any of it because I believed that it wasn't your fault but you know what, it was your fault. I have shared everything with you; my gifts, my clothes, my family. If there was one thing I wanted to keep for myself, it was my boyfriend. But you have been a home wreaker since the day you were born, how could you see me happy?"

"Nessa please!", Jacob said as Jeniffer began sobbing but I was angry. I was furious and I was going to hurl every insult I could concoct.

"No Jacob. You said what you wanted to. Now, it's my turn. Jennifer, have I ever told you why I never called Kate my mother?"

"Because you reserved that place for your mom."

"No. Because she stole the man my mother loved and now that you have done that to me, you are no sister to me either."

"Vanessa, please don't say that. I am sorry, I truly am but I can't help that I love him. Just give me another chance."

"So that you can do this again? Or maybe your daughter will do it to mine, once I am dead. Cheating runs in your blood, afterall you're a bastard."

"VANESSA SHUT THE HELL UP, for God's sake.", Jacob yelled as Jeniffer fell on her knees, wailing loudly. He ran to her, holding her firmly.

"Ne...ssa, pl...please do...don't. I know I did wrong but don't say stuff like that. Let me make it up to you. Tell me what to do?", she pleaded.

I was too hurt and I said something I never should have. I looked at her coldly as I spit,"You wanna do something. Unburden me. Go kill yourself."

I turned around, not bothering to see her expressions and walked out of the house. Dad would take care of this when he came to know what happened. I was done here.

Or so I thought. She took my advice...quite literally.

I sat on a bench, under a streetlight, rethinking my life choices. I felt I was a little too harsh with her and maybe not so much with him but then I reasoned with myself. She knew how much I loved him and even if she liked him as well, she should have told me first. Or just kept it to herself. Instead, she backstabbed me for four months. Probably every time she went out, she was hooking up with him and probably every time Jacob said he was busy, he...

I burried my face in my hands. Was this how my life was to be? Was it to be so unloved? My only hope now was Dad. He had to throw Jennifer out of the house or atleast have her move out into another apartment. I just prayed he would be equally mad at her, if not more.

Then his call came. Probably, he had just returned home. I quickly picked up the call and said, "Hello? Dad?"

"We are at Presbyterian. Come here right away.", He huffed. I could sense the tension in his voice as he cut the call even before I could reply.

I hailed a cab and went straight to New York-Presbyterian Hospital. As I reached the front gate, a car pulled in. Nate stepped out from one door and Olivia from the other. His eyes looked accusing as he walked past me. I stopped Olivia.

"What is going on?", I frowned.

"It's best if you see for yourself.", she said as she walked past me too.

I followed them in, my heart beating wildly. The first person I saw was Dad, pacing across the corridor.

I asked him, "Is everything OK?"

He looked at me and asked, "Why? After everything I did for you."

"Is this about Jennifer?"

"Do you know what you have done?", He asked me.

"I am sorry. I think you mean what Jennifer has done."

"She tried to kill herself."

"Wh...what?!", I said, my eyes widening in shock, "Where is she? Is she okay? Is she in her room? I..."

"No need for that act, Vanessa."

"I am not acting, Dad. WHERE IS SHE?", I asked.

She was still my sister. I grew up with her and I loved her, still.

"Seeing you is the last thing she wants. Afterall, you are the one who compelled her to do this."

"No. I didn't."

"Jacob told me what you said. You asked her to unburden you, to go kill herself. She slit her wrist Vanessa. Had Jacob not brought her here on time, I would have...I would have lost her."

My chest tightened.

"I didn't mean it that way. I was angry at her. Do you know what she did?", I defended myself, tears welling in my eyes.

It was not my fault. It couldn't be.

I didn't mean to hurt her, I didn't!

"That is besides the point."

"Nope. It is the most important thing."

"I need you to go home, pack and leave."

"Excuse me?", I said in disbelief.

"You heard me."

"Where is she?", I said furiously.

"Vane..."

"Dad, where is she?"

"Room 203. But you are not g..."

I didn't listen to another word he said. I found her room and barged in.

I was worried? Yes, but I was more angry.

How could she want to end her life because of just something I said?

I stood by her bed, looking at her and the people I called family. They were all standing around her, who was still sobbing, a strip of gauze bandage wrapped around her wrist.

"Jennifer, did you tell them what you did?"

"Vanessa, now is not the time.", Kate warned me as dad walked in as well. I looked at him and then back at Jennifer, "Tell him or I will."

"He knows. All of them do.", Jacob said.

"Really? She slept with my boyfriend...oh wait...for four months, I must add and you are okay with it?"

"What she did was wrong. There is no denying that but it doesn't measure up to what you said.", Kate said.

"I was angry. People say things when they are angry. Of course I didn't mean it. You know that, right?", I asked Jennifer, a tear rolling down my cheek, though it was just the first. A flood was to come.

I knew I had some really terrible things, things I definitely didn't mean but trying to kill herself?

We were close, really close and maybe hearing those words from me made her so upset that she...

We were close, really close so who could she do what she did in the first place?

There was no way I was feeling sorry for her, not after this!

I glared at my father,"Aren't you just a little bit shocked on hearing about her and Jacob? You are acting as if it is okay or as if you already knew. WAIT! Did you know?"

Dad remained silent.

"Answer me dad, did you know?"

"I knew.", He stated, looking away.

"What?", I asked as my already shattered heart was ground to dust.

"All of us knew, Vanessa. She told us this thanksgiving.", he said, still not looking at me.

Thanksgiving. I was in Delhi, closing a major deal. I had asked Jacob to invite his parents over to my place and celebrate in place of me. It would be just like I was with them, I had said.

"You knew for a month and you didn't tell me?", I asked, feeling broken and betrayed by every single person there.

"She wanted to tell you once Christmas was over and we agreed.", Dad said.

"That's it. She sleeps with my boyfriend and that is all you have to say? That is how much you care about me?"

"It was not my place to speak."

"HOW THE HELL WAS IT NOT YOUR PLACE. I AM YOUR DAUGHTER.", I yelled.

"And so is she."

"I hate you. I hate all of you.", I cried.

Being here suffocated me now.

"We took you in, Vanessa."

"That you had to. You are my father."

"Shame on you. And on me. I raised a thankless daughter.", He sighed.

"Like father, like daughter, right?", I smiled at him, hot tears staining my face.

"I wish I had lost the custody battle to your uncle.", He said spitefully.

"William don't!", Kate pleaded, horrified.

"It is alright Kate. I wish so too. I'd be better off. You'll have my resignation soon, Dad. I think I have heard and seen enough. And congratulations Nate, the CEO position is all yours.", I choked on my words but then I drew a deep breath and left.

■■■

"I wasn't right in what I did and I knew that but none of them did the right thing either. What was the right thing though? And anyway who defines what's right and what's not? God! I was confused then. I am confused now.", I sighed.

"And Christmas?", Adrian asked, holding my hands tightly in his.

I had been pouring my heart out to him for quite long. He knew the story that I had kept to me, even Sarah didn't know so much of it.

"Christmas is for those who have the luxury of family. So I went home."

"Home?"

"Mom's home, in London. She lived there when she was studying and we used to drop by every now and then, while I lived with her. I thought that was the only place I would find solace. I remember asking dad to keep it for me. Mom would have wanted me to have it. Afterall, she didn't have an official will or so I thought."

"A will? What was in it?", He asked, rather impatiently.

"It's getting cold. Let's go up.", I said, taking my feet out of water. He did the same. He picked out two towel rolls from a cabinet with swimming supplies and handed one to me.

"Wow! Your house is loaded.", I said, peeping inside the cabinet filled with shampoos, conditioners, towels and swimwear.

"Don't say that before seeing our underground golf course.", He said.

"The what?"

"Just kidding. We do have a lot pool parties in summer, hence the extra supplies."

"Still amazed.", I said, wiping my feet dry.

Next, we walked upstairs.

"The will.", He asked again, as we started to stroll across the empty corridor.

"Ya. The will. I opened my Mom's wardrobe and began going through her clothes. Then I took out her favourite dress. It was her favourite colour: peach and for once, it had pockets, that is why she loved it. She had told me once. I smelled it, looking for my mother's perfume but it was long gone. The house was maintained by a housekeeper, the dress would already have been drycleaned and ironed.

I went to her bedside drawer and opened it, hoping to find her perfume but I found something else. A sealed envelope. I became curious and quickly ripped the seal and opened the letter. The moment I did that, the fragrance of her perfume hit me. I didn't remember it well but enough to know it was her perfume and her letter. It read...wait. I'll show you.", I said, opening the gallery of my phone and I gave it to him.

He zoomed in the picture and read out to me,"Dear Vanessa, If you are reading this, you know what it means. I thought I'd write it later when I was old but then you were all I had and you, I. This is my will and the following things enlisted in it will be yours once you are of legal age. Firstly, my bank account and all the policies linked with it. Second, our Westminster home. Third, the..."

"Just read the ninth point.", I interrupted him.

"And finally, the thirty one percent shares I hold in...Hudson Enterprises.", He looked at me and then read the rest of it. It was signed and had two witnesses as well. It was as legal as a will could be. I can't believe my dad never found this.

"How could she still own the shares?", He frowned.

"The divorce was a very informal one. My mom was so disappointed by my fathers choices that she didn't even consider demanding anything. Dad didn't either. She had never claimed her rights over her shares before and my dad, he forgot about it and distributed it but since he doesn't have it legally, it's hers and now mine."

"You realise that you can buy your father out of the company, if we pool our shares?", He asked me tactfully.

"He is still my father. I am not going to do that. The entire Hudson clan is filled with cheats and backstabbers and I definitely want to change that."

"So you have claimed none of it?"

"Nope. Not...yet."

"But you plan to if Nate wins?"

"Well, if Nate wins, I'll liquidate my shares, take the money and start something new."

"I really admire you, Vanessa Catherine Hudson.", He said, looking at me intently.

"Thanks.", I smiled as we walked towards my bedroom. Our conversation was coming to an end as night fell.

"What about the resignation you were going to turn in?"

"The will made me change my mind. I decided to get transfered to the London branch and since I was a Hudson, that wasn't so