A Heart's Recompense
Chapter 3
Kagome sat across from her best friend trying to enjoy her lunch. She only had an hour before she had to return to work.
"Sango, I'm really hungry. So could we please just drop the subject?"
"Why won't you give him a chance, Kagome? He's a nice guy. I just know you'll like him."
"No. I'm not interested in dating right now. Ok? I don't care how nice he is."
She took another bite of her salad.
"You know what? You need to get over him. It's been two years. It's time to move on."
Kagome slammed her fork down on the table, drawing more than a few eyes their way.
"No. You know what? It's time for you to just leave it alone. Ok? I am over him. I just have enough on my plate right now and I don't need to add more stress in my life. So stop shoving this Hojo… or whatever his name is down my throat. When I'm ready to start dating again, I can find my own man."
She got up and walked away, leaving her half eaten salad behind. She'd be sure to have an early dinner to make up for it.
Sango clenched her fists as she glared at her friend's back. That damn demon had ruined her life. Over a year now she had been trying to set her up with a nice human male. Still she resisted. Too much on her plate? Well she could help her clear her plate to make room. And she knew just who to get to help her.
Kagome was fuming as she walked back to the office. Lately, every time she and Sango got together, she had to refuse another attempt at matchmaking. Honestly. How hard was it for her to get it? She just didn't want to date. Not right now at least. Maybe in a few years. Once Kazuki…
By the time she got back to the office, she was feeling bad about snapping at Sango. She knew that her friend just had her best interests at heart. After all, she had been there to help pick up the pieces when her life fell apart. She had been her emotional support when she had no one else. She just had a hard time accepting that Kagome was not ready to risk her heart again.
She had grown up a lot in the past two years. Out of necessity. She now knew without a doubt that she did not need a man to make her life complete. If at some point she found a man she could trust with her heart, then it would happen. But she would never build her entire world around a man, not ever again. The pain when that world came crashing down was far too great.
She looked at her watch as she entered the office. She still had over thirty minutes left. Oh well. If she went back to work now, maybe she could leave a little early.
To the average person, it appeared as if Sesshoumaru was giving his normal attention to the meeting currently in progress. Appearances are often deceiving. Such was the case in this instance. Sesshoumaru's mind was not on the boring information being presented by his Chief Financial Officer.
He kept replaying the scene at the interview yesterday. And the words that had been said. He wondered again what the boy had been told. He seemed to think that his sister was the wronged party.
He had nothing against the boy. With his academic credentials and the recommendation letter that had been received, Sesshoumaru was certain the boy would have been an asset to the company. He was sorry the boy walked out before he had a chance to interview him.
Sesshoumaru had never personally met the boy. Nor had he met any of the rest of her family. She had explained that her grandfather was a priest and still held that demons and humans should not mix. Since the boy still lived at the family shrine while he attended school, they had never met. Although she had said that her brother was more open minded and tended to form his own opinions of a person rather than echo her grandfather's beliefs. Apparently the boy did not require a personal meeting to form his opinion.
Sesshoumaru looked up to see that the meeting was breaking up. He estimated that he had heard possibly fifty percent of what had been said. Maybe less. He knew anything important would be in the reports his assistant put on his desk before she left today.
His attention had not been focused on work today. Thanks to the boy's outburst yesterday, his mind had been on her all day. He couldn't understand why. She was history. The wound was long since healed. He had moved on with his life. He even dated occasionally. Nothing serious, but he never lacked for feminine company if he required it.
His assistant was an older demoness that had served his father before him. She probably knew more about the company than he did. She was waiting in her normal ambush mode when he returned to his office.
"It's been quiet for the most part. But you do have three messages from your father. I promised him I would bring them to your attention the moment you returned."
Sesshoumaru nodded and closed his door. She didn't expect an answer. She had done her duty and delivered them. He wondered sometimes if she didn't treat his father's retirement as a vacation. Whenever he called, she did whatever he asked as if she still worked for him and not the current head of the company. He'd replace her. But she was just too efficient.
He sat down at his desk and hit the speed dial button with his father's number. As he waited for his father to answer, he wondered what had happened that required three phone calls and corresponding messages. Inuyasha was still at university in England. He wasn't due for a break until Christmas. If he had gotten into trouble, his father would have simply handled it himself. His musings were interrupted when his father answered.
"Sesshoumaru?"
"Father. You wished to speak with me?"
"Yes. I need you to come out to the house as soon as possible."
"Would it not do just as well to have the conversation now?"
"I will not discuss this on the phone. It is a family matter."
"Very well. I will be there as soon as I can."
He pinched the bridge of his nose as he hung up. Maybe the idiot halfbreed had gotten into trouble after all.
When he arrived at the house he had grown up in, it struck him how long it had been since he had been here. Had it been a year? More? He missed last Christmas as he was out of the country on business. He was surprised that Izayoi had not tried to guilt him into coming home. But she and his father both seemed to be fine with his not being there. That was strange now that he thought about it.
His family used to be very close. Perhaps it was only a bit of nostalgia that made him feel a sense of sadness and loss as he made his way to his father's study. He realized that he missed being here and wondered when he had begun to avoid his family. Was this something else that was her fault?
He knocked on his father's door. A gruff voice bid him enter. Seated behind the massive oak desk that Sesshoumaru remembered so well, his father didn't rise and greet him with a handshake as he normally did. He only waved him to a chair in front of the desk. He was starting to be reminded of the times his father had needed to reprimand him for something or other. The only difference being he was not required to stand.
"What is so important that I had to drive all the way out here?"
Touga's expression was unreadable as he pulled a packet of papers from a drawer and set them on the desktop in front of Sesshoumaru.
"I need you to sign some papers that I had drawn up."
"Really Father. Couldn't you just have them sent to me by messenger? It is a very long drive out here."
"No. I wanted to do this face to face."
Sesshoumaru leaned forward to pick up the papers. His eyes grew wide as he read the first few lines.
Termination of Parental Rights
"What is this? A joke?"
"I assure you it is no joke. I have waited for over a year for you to come to your senses. As it appears that is not going to happen, I am taking steps to secure the bloodline and Kazuki's right to inherit."
"I don't understand what is going on. Who is this Kazuki? And why do you require my signature? If you want to change your will, you hardly need my permission."
Touga sat back and observed his confused son.
"This is to ensure that your complete and utter disregard for your son does not deprive him of what is rightfully his."
Sesshoumaru was stunned.
"My son? I don't have a son. Nor am I likely to any time in the near future."
Touga stared at his son in disbelief.
"You would even go so far as to deny him? How did I ever raise such a coldhearted, callous being?"
Sesshoumaru had had just about enough. This was twice in as many days that he had been accused of being coldhearted.
"Look, Father. I think I would know if I have a son. Who is the supposed mother?"
"As if you did not already know."
"Why don't you humor me and answer the question?"
"Kazuki's mother is Kagome of course."
"Hmph. Of course. Kagome…"
He began to laugh.
"Have you always been this gullible, Father? Or have you succumbed to the human condition of senility?"
"You mean to say that you were unaware of Kagome's pregnancy?"
Sesshoumaru stopped laughing. A sneer twisted his face.
"Oh I knew. I also know that the bastard the slut was carrying is not mine."
"How could you possibly believe that the pup is not yours?"
Sesshoumaru closed his eyes at the memory of the day his world had come crashing down around him.
He closed his briefcase and tidied his desk. He'd worked longer than he intended to and now he was running late. He had to stop by his father's place to deliver his Father's Day gift. Then he would be spending the evening with Kagome. She was making dinner for him. Perhaps he should call her to tell her he would be late.
He reached for the phone just as his assistant called on the intercom.
"Sesshoumaru sama, there is a woman here to see you. Her name is Sango Asashi. Shall I ask her to make an appointment for another day?"
Kagome's friend? Why would she come here to see him? It must be important.
"No. I'll see her. Send her in."
The door opened and the woman he recognized as Kagome's friend came in. She closed the door behind her.
He put out a hand to indicate she should sit, but she shook her head.
"I don't plan to be here that long."
"Alright. What can I help you with?"
Her eyes glanced nervously around the office before settling on the window. She seemed to stiffen as if steeling her resolve.
"I came to help you."
He was puzzled.
"Help me? And what is it you think I need help with?"
She twisted her fingers and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. It vaguely reminded him of Inuyasha when he stood before their father's desk while he was enduring a lecture over some misbehavior.
"Kagome and I have been friends since we were children. We went to school together. I love her like a sister."
He looked at his watch. He really had to leave in the next few minutes.
"Is this going somewhere specific Miss Asashi?"
She shook her head and clenched her fists at her side.
"What she is doing is wrong! I can't let her do this."
Sesshoumaru was becoming concerned. What was Kagome doing that her best friend felt she had to come to his office to tell him?
Before he could prompt her, she took a deep breath and blurted out…
"She's pregnant."
Sesshoumaru was stunned to say the least. Before the smile could fully manifest itself on his face, the knife was plunged into his heart.
"It's not yours."
To be continued…