The Russian Billionaire’s Secret(108)
Eddie swung her legs over the bed and stood up.
“What’s wrong?” Lars asked.
Eddie put on her clothes. “We need to talk. Get dressed and let’s talk in the living room.”
Lars quickly got out of bed and got dressed. He did not know what Eddie was thinking. Why was she being so elusive? Was she still thinking of leaving after the one year like they originally planned? He didn’t want her to ever leave.
He sat down on the couch and she sat on the chair next to it.
Eddie took a deep breath. “I need to tell you something. I’ve never actually told anyone before, but it is important that you know, and then you’ll understand why I will be adamant about Tanya’s baby.
Lars looked at her and prepared himself to listen.
“From the time I was thirteen ‘til I was seventeen, I was raped regularly by my uncle who lived with us.”
Lars moved toward her. She held up her hands and stopped him.
“Please, don’t interrupt and let me finish or I’m afraid I won’t get through this.”
Lars nodded.
“When I was seventeen, I became pregnant. I was in denial for many months. I convinced myself that I was just gaining weight and started wearing baggy clothes. But by the sixth month, I couldn’t deny it anymore. I told my mama. She became furious and slapped me around and called me a whore. She did not believe me when I told her it was her brother.”
“Once my uncle came home and my mother confronted him, he beat me harder until I started bleeding, and I lost the baby. I got an infection, and ultimately, I had to have a hysterectomy.”
Eddie started crying. “I can never have children, Lars. This baby of Tanya’s may be your only chance to share your legacy with your own flesh and blood.”
Lars pulled her close to him and held her while she bawled.
Once she settled down, she said, “Please go to Tanya and be nice. Figure something out with her. I do not want to get in the way of your having a son or daughter.”
Lars kissed the tears off of Eddie’s face and promised he would talk to Tanya and make a plan.
Chapter 9
The Betrayal
Later that day, Lars kissed his wife and headed over to Tanya’s house about an hour away.
Eddie prayed that God would soften Tanya’s heart and help both she and Lars work together for the good of the child.
After several hours of twiddling her thumbs and wondering how it was going, Eddie couldn’t stand it anymore. She got in her own car and drove to Tanya’s. She wanted Tanya to see that she was supportive and would also love the child and commit to being a stepmother. She wanted to be strong for Lars, and she actually felt hopeful that everyone could benefit from this awkward situation.
Eddie arrived at Tanya’s singlewide mobile home and knocked on the door, but no one answered. She saw Lars’ car parked next to it, so she knew he was there. She knocked harder but still heard nothing.
She gently opened the door and called out, “Tanya? Lars?”
She walked up the steps and heard panicked whispers. She looked past the kitchen into the bedroom and saw Lars, naked and on top of Tanya.
Lars was scrambling to get up and called out her name.
Eddie felt a flood of anxiety swarm through her. She grabbed on to the counter top so she wouldn’t faint. She just wanted to get out of the door and far away from Lars. She had to move before he reached her or she would completely lose control of her emotions.
Eddie saw darkness press in on the sides of her vision, but she focused forward and got in her car. Her vision was blurry with tears in her eyes and rage in her head, but she drove off anyway in a panicked escape.
Her tires squealed as she raced out of the mobile home park. Once she was sure Lars was not trying to follow her, she pulled off to the side of the road and bawled her eyes out. She never wanted to see Lars Fiske again. She scolded herself for getting caught up in love and falling for his damn blue-eyed sorry look. She should have known men like him don’t change! How could she have been so stupid!
Eddie pointed her car north and headed straight back to Lake Kenosee. She vowed to never set foot in Wildrose, North Dakota again.
Over the next six months, Eddie received countless letters and telephone calls from Lars. She refused the calls and returned the letters. She couldn’t let herself get wrapped up in his messed up life again. But when she received a certified, large and full manila envelope, she signed for it and opened it.
Inside was a petition for Annulment initiated by Lars with a letter that read:
My Dearest Eddie,
Out of respect for you, I will no longer try to contact you. Obviously, there are no words that will express my regret for betraying you and hurting you. I have drawn up an Agreement for Annulment based on my lies and deceit. If you sign it, you will be free of me forever. However, I want you to know that I only do this for you. I will always want you back, and I will never be with anyone else. So if you ever change your mind and soften toward me with God’s grace, please know that I will welcome you. I know you deserve better, and I am working on becoming the man you thought I could be. If you choose not to sign it, I will gladly remain your husband and will remain faithful to you whether or not we are living together. I have learned my lesson and am sorely ashamed of my bad choice you witnessed six months ago.
I have enclosed a check for you. This is not a pay off or a condition of the Annulment. This is a contribution to your vision of Frontier Forever, and is what my grandfather and I wanted to give. With your permission, I will raise the rest of what you need so you can focus on starting it and running with your dream. It is an amazing dream, and one which I will always wish I could have achieved with you.