“What is it?” Izzy asked.
“Tucker Chase was a horrible person, Bella. You’re not going to learn the truth from any newspaper or obituary. If you want the truth, I’m going to give it to you. I’ll tell you everything I know and experienced firsthand, so you can finally put this curiosity to rest.”
Izzy was quiet for a couple moments and then finally answered in a soft tone, as if she were intimidated. “Okay.”
“When I met your mother, she was giving birth to you. We’ve been close ever since. I got to see what she was put through when she was still seeing Tucker. Not only did he ask her to terminate her pregnancy, but he made it clear that he didn’t want to be a father. Your mother was heartbroken, because she loved you more than anything in the world. She wanted the best life for you and soon realized that it was best if they ended things. We went out one night and he tried to kidnap her. Ty and Conner had to fight him off of your mother because he was beating her up.”
“You’re lyin’ so I don’t like him.” Izzy was in disbelief. She couldn’t allow herself to think that Tucker Chase was better off dead.
Van paused for a second and gave me a look, then proceeded again. “I’m not lying to you, Bella. They had to get a protective order from the police and that’s why you two moved to North Carolina.”
From the look on Izzy’s face, I could tell she was starting to piece everything together.
“That’s not the worst Bella. When your Uncle and I got married, we wanted to have children immediately. We tried for months and nothing happened. Finally, after we’d given up hope, I found out I was pregnant. We were so happy and the doctors told me that I was in perfect health.” Van started to cry. She grabbed a couple tissues and blew her nose. “It was such a happy time for me, back then. I felt like the luckiest person in the world.” She sniffled some more before she could continue.
“You don’t have to continue, Van.” I didn’t want her to.
“Yes I do.” She turned her attention back to Iz. “I was abducted in a grocery store parking lot by Tucker Chase and his friends. They took me to an abandoned house and tied me up in the basement, demanding a million dollars for my life. He kicked me around and threatened my safety. When I was finally able to free myself and started to climb out a window, he caught me and threw me down on the ground. He kicked and beat me repeatedly, until I was bleeding and thinking I was about to die. I managed to fight to survive and hit him with a shovel. I didn’t mean to, but that ended his life. If I didn’t kill him that night, he would have killed me.” She began to sob, but when I headed in her direction she held up her hand. “I’m okay.”
She looked back at Izzy. “By the time the police found me, I’d lost my sweet baby. I’d been kicked so many times, beaten to a pulp. He knew I was pregnant and it didn’t matter to him. He was a monster, Bella. He took everything from me in that basement and after that I didn’t want to go on. It wasn’t until Noah came into my life that I started to want to live again. Being his mother brought me back from the brink of giving up. I owe him everything.”
Then she looked up at me. “Bella, I couldn’t live another day with thinking you’re willing to give up this wonderful person,” she pointed to me, “for that terrible man that did so much to hurt us. Tyler would die for you. He’d do anything to see you smile. You’re my family and I love you, but I can’t be a good aunt to you if I didn’t let you know the truth.”
Izzy stood up and placed her hands on the desk. “You’re nothin’ but a liar! Nobody would believe that story. You just want me to stop tryin’ to find out things.”
“Izzy, stop it! Aunt Van is telling you the truth. We all are.”
She ran out of the room crying. “I hate you all!”
I sat down in the chair that she’d been in and looked at Van. “You didn’t have to do that.” I had a feeling it would make things worse, but anything was worth a try.
“If I didn’t then who would? This is ridiculous. She’s a child, Ty. You can’t let her manipulate you like she is.”
I covered my face with my hands. “What am I supposed to do? I’ve tried being mean, being nice and everything in between.”
“Leave.”
“Come again?” I looked right at her, wondering why she’d be so cold.
“Go tell your daughter goodbye and leave. Pretend that you’re done with her, Ty. Just go.”
“But I’m not.”
Van rolled her eyes. “Duh! Look, Colt thinks that once my story simmers in her little head, she’s going to change her mind about staying here. If you walk away, right now, it will open her naïve eyes to the big picture. Bella’s a smart girl. I know she’ll make the right decision.”