The Strange and Beautiful Places

Chapter 4

Nadia sat down in the uncomfortable plastic chair as two guards escorted the person who she thought was her father in. He sat down as they both picked up their respected phones. She honestly had no clue what to say so she was glad that he started first.

"Nadia, I'm so sorry. I don't know how to explain this all to you..."

"The begging would be a nice place to start."

"I'm not sure if you want to hear this Nadia. It's not an easy story to tell."

"It's also not easy to find out that your father abducted you from two loving people who obviously wanted you. Now please don't lie to me anymore and tell me what the fuck happened."

"These people don't love you Nadia. That's just what they tell you to make themselves feel better about themselves. To convince themselves that I didn't do the right thing by taking you away from them."

"Enough bullshit. Tell me what you did, or I am leaving and never coming back for your sorry ass."

"Fine I'll tell you everything you want to know."

"I'm listening."

"Before Katherine and Stefan met, I was the one she was with. We had been in a relationship for five years, we even considered marriage at some point in our life, but there was always something missing. A child. A part of us that we could show off to the world. We tried and tried for years never getting anywhere until we finally both went to see a doctor for it. It turns out that I was sterile, and your mother was perfectly fine. She could always have children if she wished for them. I begged her to stay with me after that. I even got down on both my knees and wrapped myself around her like a child. She stayed with me out of obligation you see. Her family loved me. Our friends traveled in the same circle. It made more sense to stay then anything. Then sometime during the next two years of our relationship she got bored, she picked up extra shifts waiting tables at the dinner she worked at just to avoid seeing me. She was repulsed by the very sight of me and yet she felt like she could never leave so she cheated instead. One night when she was working the late shift, Stefan had been on call at the hospital and looking for a place to settle while he waited, and he stumbled into your mother's diner. Some say it was love at first sight for them. Could you imagine that, loving someone so intensely that no one else in the world mattered to you? Including the person, you promised you would love forever, but I'm getting ahead of myself. This story isn't just about me. It's about all of us. So that night they talked and laughed. They found out they had a lot in common and then he took her into one of the bathroom stalls and fucked the shit out of her. He gave her his number and they started the affair that would tear me and your mother apart. A few month later, Katherine became pregnant with you. The child she always wanted but I could never give her. I found out eventually and even stupidly thought it was mine for a second until I remembered we hadn't been sexually active in months. She told me about them then and she left me for him. I was heartbroken. Devastated. I wasn't myself for moths and no one noticed. Oh God Nadia. I'm so sorry."

"I don't want to hear your apologies. I just want to know the rest of the story."

"After I figured out that she was pregnant, I was devastated. She sat me down and told me everything than she announced that she was leaving me for Stefan and that she was terribly sorry for everything she put me through. I yelled at her. Called her every dirty name in the book before I stormed out of that damned apartment and never came back. That was until you were born. I had begun to obsessively stalk Katherine online, but I never left a trail of evidence for them to follow. I saw her happy with Stefan. I saw their wedding photos. Her maternity photos, and then finally I saw you. The child that should have been mine. I resented Katherine for having such an amazing life. The life we should have had together before Stefan stole it all. Before she let him. I wanted her to pay. I wanted her to suffer. So, I figured out all that I could. And when you were barely even six weeks old, I took you."

"How did you get away with it? How did my parents never catch you?"

"I had saw that your mother and Stefan were going on a vacation to bora bora and leaving you with a sitter that they thought they could trust. She was an ignorant teenager of all things Nadia. It was so easy to dispose of her and get to you."

"What did you do to her?" Nadia questioned, tears streaming down her face because she felt like she already knew the answer.

"I think you know deep down what I did to her Nadia. I couldn't have her tell Kat and Stefan what happened to you so I took care of her in the only way I could. I'm sorry if that's not the answer or the story you wanted to hear, but it's the truth. I did everything that I did for you. And I would do it again just so I could have the pleasure of being your father yet again. Nadia. Please say something. I can't stand it when you sit there in silence. I just need to know that you forgive me. I just need to know that you won't hate me forever."

"I think I'm going to be sick." Nadia stated as she grabbed the trash can beside her and threw up the contents of her lunch into it. She couldn't believe this was happening. What the hell had she done to deserve such a punishment.?

"Nadia. Are you okay?" he said moving towards her as she shrieked back in fear. Who the hell did he think he was trying to comfort her after all the horrible things he did? After everything he had hid from her for her entire life.

"Stay the fuck away from me! You are a disgusting piece of shit! You've lied to me my entire life. Made me believe that I was your flesh and blood. Only for me to find out that my entire life is lie. Only for me to find out that the person who I believed was my father is some sick sadistic murderer who took me as a way to punish my birth mom for not loving them back. You're disgusting. I can't stand you. I'm glad that I never have to see you again, because as far as I'm concerned. You. Are. Dead. To. Me."

"Please Nadia. Do not say such awful things. I've lost so much. I can't lose you too. "

"You've already lost me." She replied making her words sharp as she knocked on the door to summon the guards.

When the guard answered she took one last look at her 'father' as the tears flowed down her face.

"Nadia, please don't go." He said with tears falling down his face making her feel as if her own heart was breaking.

"Goodbye." She cried going out of the room to go meet up with the parents she never had a chance to know.

"Are you okay?" Nadia inhaled sharply as her eyes flew open startled and she sat up seeing Katherine on the plane seat next to her. How long had she been out?

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. You just seemed like you were having a nightmare."

"Any nightmare I was having would be better than the one I'm in now. Sorry I don't mean to be so cynical. It's just that all this hasn't been easy for me."

"I understand. This can't be easy on you and I'm sorry if Stefan and I have uprooted your life. It's just that we wanted to know you. We wanted our little girl back. I don't expect you to understand that, but I do hope you at least try in the final year that we have you."

"In some strange way I understand. It's just hard for me to accept. You're a stranger to me, but so is he." She said referring to the person she used to know as her father. She still couldn't believe it. "I guess I really don't know anyone."

"We'll change that. I promise."

Nadia managed to get her a slight smile as she looked out the window seeing nothing but clouds in the sky. "How long do we have left?"

"A couple of hours at most."

"What's it like in Bulgaria. I don't hear much about it and it might help pass the time."

"It's beautiful. I have a feeling you'll love it there."

Nadia sighed as she looked out the window hoping that Katherine would be right about that one.