Chapter Eighty-seven Evan Sterling's POV (Present Time)

"One of the servants told me months after that night that David was taken away after my father attacked him and they never saw him again. I was taken to a convent where I had the child and he was immediately taken away from me…" she said, releasing a shaky breath.
"And then…?" Foster asked. His voice was calm and I was impressed at how he was asking the questions and making sure Mary Antoinette tell her story.
"For the time I was in that convent, I tried to understand and rationalized what happened that night. I even thought maybe he went crazy and didn’t know what he was doing. But I got my quick awakening when I returned home. I suppose once he started he couldn't stop himself. I hated it. Hated him touching me. So each time he comes he always finds a way to overpower or subdue me and rape me repeatedly.”
"Did your mother know?" Foster asked.
“Did you tell her?” I asked.
“He beats her you know?” she said glancing my way, “I just didn’t know how to tell her … You know … she was already in such misery? And he refused to let her divorce him,” she said then turned to Foster and continued, “It didn't seem like she knew at first, but when I got pregnant again, she didn’t ask me who the father was. She found a doctor outside New York to help us abort the child. I thought if she didn't know who the father was why would she go to such an extent to hide the knowledge.”
"Was that the only pregnancy you aborted?" Foster asked.
"No … " Mary Antoinette replied, shaking her head.
"How many?" I asked
"Two ... " she replied.
"And you used the same doctor?" Foster asked.
"Yes … Actually, I got pregnant thrice after my first child. She did the first two, but refused the third time ... "
"What was her excuse?" Foster asked.
"She asked me to tell her the name of my abuser. And that he should be reported. I refused. She sent us out."
"What happened after then?" I asked.
"We couldn't find anyone in time and then it was too risky. My father found out that I was pregnant and took me to a mental hospital to be admitted. I had the baby there, and my mother took him away."
"Did you tell Antony Dallas about the doctor who helped you to abort the first two pregnancies?" Foster asked.
"Yes, he asked."
"What else did he say?"
"He said I can never visit her again because the woman might call the police."
"And?"
"That was it. I never went back, there was no need to anyway. You see I found out my womb was damaged and I couldn't have any more kids," she said in sad resignation, turning her face to look into my eyes, she added, "I'm sorry, Evan. You didn’t deserve everything that happened to you and I jumped at the plan in my bid to get away from him. It worked for a while then he found out you meant it when you said you wouldn't touch me and that I was having sexual escapades."
"I can't judge you for that. You are a grown woman and can live your life any way you feel like."
"Thank you. I wished I had told you everything earlier but you didn’t seem interested in anything that concerns me, but I understood you lost the love of your life and were hurting. Edward told me what he planned and I should have thought of how it would affect you and her and not just think of only myself. Besides, telling you would mean I would have to explain why Edward would feel comfortable enough with me to confess such. And I didn't want to break Catherine's heart like that ... ”
"He was your lover?" I asked, feeling detached.
"One of my lovers. Way before I agreed to marry you. At first, he didn't know it was me he was meeting up with and I couldn't back away when I saw it was him. I'm sorry."
"It's okay. He is no longer with my mother. You and I were never intimate,” I said. "What do you say we try to make Antony Dallas pay for what he did to you?"
"How? I don't want people to know, Evan."
"I'm certain we can find a way to keep it quiet. But first I want you to support me in kicking them all out of the company … "
"How?"
"Listen to me, Mary Antoinette. Doctor Foster would soon have proof you were raped in this hospital and the nurses would as well. And as a result, the hospital is duty-bound to get the cops involved. But we can try to keep it quiet and use it to make him transfer all his shares to you."
"That will really hurt him…"
"Exactly."
"What if we get him to sell the shares to you, Evan, it is your company. You do all the work anyway … "
"Mary Antoinette. I can't accept that. You deserve … "
"I owe you … I'm sorry for the part I played in getting rid of your girl. Let me make this right. If I'm going to die … "
"Don't give up just yet. Doctor Roberts loves challenges … ” Foster said.
Aside from the fact that Mary Antoinette knew Foster had proof of her rape, I knew she told us about Antony now because in the back of her mind she figured she might not survive her illness. Her last statement proved it. But then there was a nagging feeling of uneasiness swirling inside me, making me feel like I was missing something important. It felt elusive but I knew it would come to me once I went through Mary Antoinette's confession. Then the words started to resound in my head on replay. A deep frown furrowed my eyebrows as the words jumped at me. ‘Okay, I got the part that she and Edward were lovers before she agreed to marry me and he even ran his plan by her. But when she said the role she played, did she mean her agreement to marry me? Or something totally different?’ I thought, and thus wanting to confirm and not just assume shit in my head, I raised my eyes to her and asked, "Wait … What did you mean by the role you played?"
"The video Edward showed you, the girl he banged in that office was me," Mary Antoinette said albeit shamefaced.
"What?!" I exclaimed, and in reflex, I jerked up from my seat, letting out strings of expletives. "Son of--"
I felt the sudden urge to go outside and breathe. And that was what I did. But I didn't forget to snatch up my phone nor did I miss the pitiful glance Foster threw my way. Well, I don't fucking need his pity nor anyone. I will fix my life pretty soon. Every single one of them will face the consequences of their actions.
I took a stroll to the nearest coffee shop and wasn't surprised when I saw two familiar faces following me inside. I ordered three cups of coffee and went to take a seat in the corner.
"Hope you don't mind me ordering for you," I said.
"Thank you, Sterling," the taller of the two said as he accepted one of the coffee.
"Evan!" I snapped. He sighed.
"You can't run from who you are Mr. Evan," the other one said.
"Watch me … " I said almost to myself.
Minutes later, I returned to the hospital and found my way to Estera's office, luckily for me it was open but she wasn't in there.
I sat on her couch, thinking of all the things that could go wrong, but then I figured at the end of the day I could either be royally fucked, lose it all and get handcuffed and carted to jail or be rid of all the fuckers in my life. And with all the plans I had put in motion for good six years now there was only one thing left to do -- I prayed.