ISSABELLE

After exchanging pleasantries, Issabelle questioned Emma, that "Why had Cathy never told me, that she wanted to meet her Dad? Do you also think that Cathy was afraid of me? To ask for permission, the same way that Steven feels?"

Emma replied, "I do understand how you feel, but it is a natural instinct in a child to want to know his or her parents. But also any mother would feel the way you did, you wanted to protect Cathy. Wait till Cathy has her own children. She would then understand you perfectly".

Emma but gently reminded Issabelle that, "Ryan had tried getting in touch with you, he had wanted to talk to you, he had wanted to make financial provisions for both you and the child." Issabelle interrupted her by saying "What would he have spoken to me? That he is very damn sure, that the child I was carrying inside me, was not his child? That I had an affair outside marriage? But all that Ryan had already told me, just before I left him."

Emma told Issabelle, that twenty years back, the science was not that advanced, or there would have been an immediate solution to Ryan's doubts. He must not have known then, that he had a very small chance of impregnating a woman. In today's age to confirm, they have a simple solution, which is a DNA test for establishing Paternity. It could be proved beyond doubt the identity, of the father of the child. Emma tried to convince Issabelle that, though she must have been very happy carrying Ryan's baby, while he himself thought that, he could never give you a child. It must have been a real shock for Ryan.

Issabelle told Emma, that he could have spoken to her, but he directly claimed that the child she was carrying in her womb, was a bastard, while Issabelle had never slept with any man during her marriage with Ryan, or even after her divorce, right up till now.

Emma advised Issabelle, not to be too hard on Cathy, nor on Steven. Issabelle realized that she probably was jealous of her own daughter, as Cathy confided everything to Steven, and she didn't love her mother anymore, so she thought. Cathy probably loved her mother-in-law, more than she loved her mother. Probably Steven had taken up Issabelle's place, in Cathy's life.

Issabelle was feeling hurt deep down, she felt that she had been betrayed yet again.

Emma interrupted her thought process by telling her that, "Cathy loves you Issabelle, don't ever doubt that. Steven loves Cathy and just wants to see her happy. As for Cathy's nosy mother-in-law, she probably is intimidated by your achievements, and thus acts haughtily with you."

Emma told Issabelle, "Cathy had grown up and was establishing her own identity, and you should not forget that you are her role model. That itself must be a pretty tough challenge for her to meet, if not match."

Emma advised Issabelle, to get herself busy in an emotional relationship with a guy, and teased her, that she should try out with Jimmy. Issabelle had shared with Emma, about Jimmy's proposal, on the previous occasion. Issabelle laughed it off, saying she already had enough complications on hand, to land into another. Also, she said, that she wouldn't ever give Ryan's place to anyone else in this life." They bid goodbye to one another, promising to keep in touch. Issabelle than disconnected the call.

Issabelle next gave a call to her assistant, and advised her about the day's schedule, and informed her that, she wouldn't come to work that day. She asked her to manage everything, and if there was an urgent matter, she was just a phone call away.

Issabelle was wondering what Ryan would have thought about her, the way she had run off from the restaurant the previous night. She hoped he did not believe that she was still nursing a broken heart over him? Issabelle thought she might as well go and get her grocery, as she was not going for work. She took her car from the driveway and drove off.

When she returned back, as usual, she absent-mindedly tried opening the door with her keys but found the door unlocked. Only she and Cathy had the keys, for her house. She thought that probably Cathy had come over to apologize for last night. She went in and locked the door behind her. As Issabelle went into the living room, to her utter surprise and dismay, relaxing comfortably on her cushioned armchair, was not Cathy but it was Ryan.

Issabelle dropped her grocery bag on the side table, and just clutched her handbag to her chest, as though it was some kind of protective armor. She furiously demanded from Ryan, how could he get inside the house? Who gave him the keys? Ryan very cooly informed Issabelle, that Cathy had given him, her set of keys.

Ryan stood up, and Issabelle thought that he was probably trying to overpower her. Ryan very calmly informed Issabelle that "We need to talk."

Issabelle thought to herself, that there were two solutions left with her, either she runs away again, just like last night, or hear him out, and then inform him that he had no power, to make her change her decision. She just wanted him out of their lives forever. She chose to take up the second solution to this problem, named Ryan.

Issabelle told Ryan that she didn't want to talk to him, but he better finish quickly what he wanted to say, and then disappear from their lives. Ryan told her that if not for their sake, they could at least talk, for the sake of their daughter. Issabelle burst out, "Our daughter. You have no daughter, Cathy is mine, only mine. You had denied her even before she was born. Have you forgotten that?"

Issabelle fainted after that. The stress of the last few days had taken its toll on her.