Once Upon A Time...
Chapter 15
"The discussions…"
Terry felt like his whole world was capsizing around him, everything was spinning… Candy? Candy was Marcus' mother? Marcus was his son? He looked too much like him! They had the same voice, the same mimes… no, it was not possible! Why didn't he feel it sooner? Because he thought Candy would've told him if something like had happened to her… How wrong he was! But… Destiny took it upon itself to put his son on his path, and he had taken him under his wing and he had behaved like a father to him… He could've done like other celebrities and let him do whatever he wanted and take him into a world of drugs, booze and debauchery… he had recognized himself in that young man and he had treated him like his mother had treated him, with love and firmness…
Marcus had just called him "dad"…
- Marcus, said Terry, oh Marcus…
- You're my mother's one night stand? I don't understand, why all this? Mum, why didn't you stay in contact with Terry? And Terry, you've never thought there could've been consequences to your actions? Terry, I thought you were different, but you're the bastard that got my mother pregnant and disappeared!
- Marcus, said Terry sorry.
- Marcus! Said Candy.
- What?! He answered angry.
- Terry is the man you wanted to introduce me to? Terry is the one you've spent your summer working with on his movie? Terry is the one with whom you spent all your free time when I wasn't with you?
- Yes…
- Oh my God! Said Candy upset.
- Candy, said Terry, you could've told me, I had the right to know…
- I was a kid myself and you too! And I wanted to forget about that night, in fact, I don't remember what happened at all that night… but I couldn't forget about that night because of Marcus… My baby, I love you more than anything in the world…
- Is that why you've hidden me from the world? Even from yourself, right? You didn't want to see me because I reminded you of the man who got you pregnant and abandoned you…
- No Marcus, I love you baby… Yes, I thought of Terry every time I looked at you, but that's not why I was living far from you…
- Then why?
Candy looked around, the music had stopped and everybody was listening to them…
- Not here Marcus, said Candy.
- Our whole life is going to be in the news anyway, said Marcus.
- All right… Terry took good care of you and I'm happy you got close to him during my absence… You know I came back for good, so we could finally live as a family…
- Really? Said Marcus ironically.
- Yes, really… and I wanted to ask William to contact Terry to tell him the news…
- 17 years too late! Said Terry, Candy! Oh my God!
- I'm sorry, said Candy.
- It was to punish me? Said Terry, I was a victim in this whole story too! I wasn't the one who spiked the punch with alcohol!
- I know…, said Candy.
- And you punished me like I was the one who provoked everything…! I understand all that… you were a virgin and you were keeping yourself for your husband… but when you find out you were pregnant, you should've contacted me! I had the right to know!
- I'm sorry, said Candy, I don't know what else to say. All this was like a waken nightmare to me… I was going to have a baby at my age! I was a child, I had plans… My mother had me out of wedlock and my father never married her; she had become angry and bitter, I didn't want to end up like her, but quirk of fate, I followed into her footsteps! If I hidden Marcus from you, it's because I was refusing to recognize my failure. I was like my mother, when I swore I would never be like her… I was ashamed of what had happened to me…I was pregnant and I didn't remember sleeping with the father! If at least I wanted to do it, it would have been my choice… But the choice was taken from me… It was almost as if I was raped… It took me time, but I had to get used to this situation and stop hiding and try to have a normal life with my son, whom I love more than anything in the world… I want us to be a family with Justin, that we start over… forgive-me baby…
- A family? Said Terry, and what about me? Marcus is my son!
- Oh yeah? Said Marcus angry, you banged my mother and disappeared! I still got to wrap my head around that!
- Marcus! Said Candy, please, don't ruin your relationship with Terry, he's your father…
- You could've told me he was my father, don't you think so? You decide 16 years later that it's time for you to tell me the truth and you brought your dude as a bonus! Your missionary! And you want to play the model mothers and be a family! Thanks but no thanks! Too little too late mum! Said Marcus walking away.
- Marcus! Said Candy hurt, Marcus!
She wanted to go after him… but William stopped her…
- I'll go after him, said William.
- Thank you William, said Candy.
Terry was looking at Candy upset. He took her arm…
- Terry, let go of me! Said Candy.
- We have things to say to each other, said Terry.
- Terry, said Susanna, you're making a spectacle of yourself…
Terry didn't even look at her. Justin wanted to intervene too.
- Let go of my fiancée, he said.
- If you value your life, said Terry angry, I advise you to shut up…
- Who do you think you are? Started Justin, we can take it outside if you want…
- No problem, said Terry.
- NO! Said Candy, that's enough! Justin, it's ok, I have to talk to him…
- But honey…
- I know what I'm doing, she said turning to Terry, let's go.
He took her upstairs, to his bedroom and he locked the door.
Eleonor, who hadn't said a word, went to say a few words to Terry's spokesperson… that went to tell the press and the guests:
- Ladies and gentleman, unfortunately, the evening has been cut short. Master Grandchester has some family business to take care of… Thank you for coming and see you next time…
There was a sorry sigh and whispers from the guests who wanted to continue having fun and wanted to know the end of the story which had just developed in front of their eyes… Needless to say that the reporters had already sent images on the internet and on television… the news spread like wildfire in the whole world. Terrence Grandchester and Marcus Williams were really father and son!
oOoOoOoOoOo
Back in Lakewood, the whole family was reunited to watch the Oscars. Since everybody had their own lives, they would meet like that from time to time, for the Super bowl, for the Oscars, to spend time together….
Alistair, Anthony, Archie, Daniel, Eliza, their spouses, their children, their parents. William had the biggest flat screen television he could find, it looked like a mini movie theatre and the sound was magnificent… they were talking and discussing among them about the winners when they heard:
- Mommy, said Annie's little girl, isn't that auntie Candy on TV?
But Annie wasn't paying attention, she continued her conversation. Her little girl insisted…
- MOMMY!
- What? Honey? Said Annie a little irritated.
- Is that Auntie Candy on TV?
- What? Where?
Annie turned around to look at the screen and she couldn't believe it! It was Candy on television, with… Terry!
- Yes, but…
The others had turned around and they were looking at the screen speechless…Alistair had the remote control, put the volume up…
"… exclusive news, live from Terrence Grandchester's manor, who had just won the Oscar for Best Actor earlier this evening with his young protégé, Marcus Williams… Marcus' mother arrived at the party Terrence was throwing and he recognized her right away… she was one of his one night stands he had forgotten about… who gave birth to… Marcus Williams! Yes, ladies and gentleman, Terrence Grandchester and Marcus Williams, are father and son! That's incredible, right? Needless to say that the evening was cut short! Marcus was very upset by the news… he left the evening with his Uncle William Andrew, the billionaire from Chicago, who is also the big brother of his mother, Candice White Andrew…"
- Oh my God! Said Annie, oh my God! Marcus is Candy and Terry's son? The resemblance was stunning!
- Candy was pregnant? Said Anthony.
- She must've been upset, said Archie.
- Oh my God! Said Alistair.
Everybody turned to Daniel…
- What? He said, who told you it was the first time? They were probably sleeping together before that…
- No, said Annie, Candy was a virgin! That's why her other boyfriend had broken up with her, she didn't want to sleep with him! That's why she completely severed her ties with Terry; even if she liked him… he was the instrument who broke her dream… She was keeping herself for her wedding night! She didn't want to end up like her mother with a baby out of wedlock… and because of you, that's what happened anyway…
- You must be proud of yourself, that your actions had permanent consequences! Said Archie upset.
- We have a cousin, we know nothing about! Said Alistair, good job Daniel!
- Stop blaming me! It's not my fault! Said Daniel.
- Sorry bro, said Eliza, you put spiked the punch with alcohol; we all woke up in the morning in a compromising position, not knowing what we did the night before! It's your fault! That poor Aunt Candy, who didn't remember her first time, and she got knocked up on top of that! She must've felt lost!
- Ok, that's enough! Said the great aunt Elroy, now I understand better why she didn't stay here close to us… Daniel, actions always followed by consequences… We have a new family member and we're going to greet him with open arms…
- Another illegitimate child, said Sarah, giving who her mother was…
- Sarah! Said the great aunt, your son caused this fiasco! Candy wanted to keep herself for her wedding night! Contrary to your slut of a daughter, she's a good girl who found herself in a situation; she had no control over… if she had at least drank the alcohol willingly… Your son, by his actions, took that control away… so; you're going to treat your sister nicely when she comes here with her son, all right? It's a young man full of talent who just won an Oscar… I'm proud of my grand-nephew!
The great aunt had spoken, that was it!
oOoOoOoOoOo
Candy was in the bedroom with Terry, who wasn't very happy.
- How could you do that to me, Candy? A son! You had my son and you didn't tell me?!
- Terry, you know why...
- Yes, you wanted to forget about me… but you had my spitting image… is that why you put him in boarding school? So you won't see him?
- I love my son!
- Not enough to spend time with him, apparently!
- How dare you!?
- As soon as I met him, I was spending all my free time with him!Without knowing he was my son! If I had known he was my son, I would've taken him out of the school to live with me!
- You didn't suspect anything?
- No, I was looking for young boys who looked like me, to play me as a young man in my movie… so, I saw hundreds of young men who looked like me!
- And you stumbled on my son…
- Completely by chance. I went to the May Festival at the Royal College of Saint Paul; my little sister wanted me to see the young actor who had the main role in the school play, because he reminded him of me…
- Oh my God! Your little sister? They were not…?
- No, Thank God! It would've been incest! That's what could've happened when you hide things! You had no right!
- I realize that it could've been a catastrophe… He could've gone out with his aunt and with his passion for the movies; he could've fallen on an actor with no scruples who would've taken him in a life of debauchery and drugs… Oh my God!
- William wouldn't have given him his permission… he knew I was his father and if I had a life of debauchery and drugs, he would've prevented Marcus to work with me, or he would've sent someone to look after him, but he trusted me… he probably saw that poor Marcus needed one of his parent in his life…
- I know that I did things very wrong, said Candy, but I wanted to make things right… that why I wanted to marry Justin and get Marcus out of boarding school… I wanted to introduce him to my family…
- What about me?
- I wanted to ask William to look for you to tell you the news…
- Yeah right!
- I swear to you! I wanted to stop hiding… and take my responsibilities.
- 17 years later?
- It took me time, all right?
- No kidding! Said Terry ironically.
- I'm sorry… I don't know what else to say! I'm happy to see you and Marcus have become so close…
- He wanted to surprise you… since apparently you didn't remember he existed, he made this movie to get your attention.
- But since I was in India in the middle of nowhere and Hollywood was the last thing in my mind…
- Why?
- Because I knew you were an actor Terry, and I didn't want…
- To see the ugly face of the bloody bastard who stole your precious virginity!
- Oh stop it Terry! Try to understand!
- You hid your head in the sand for 17 years… and my son and I have lost 16 years of our lives together! 16 years we will never get back!
- Terry, why don't we move on? It's really no use talking about the past we can't change…
- I still can't believe he was my son, all this time, we were in the same wavelength… he looked too much like me! Oh my God!
- I hope he's not angry at you…
- Whose fault is that? What did you tell him about me?
- Nothing… just that you were a one night stand and that I never saw you again…
- Great! He took me for a bloody bastard who abandoned his pregnant mother, like I didn't want him! But I didn't know about him! Bloody hell, Candy!
- I'm sure you'll manage to convince him of your "innocence", said Candy ironically, ok, let's go see if William managed to calm him down.
- I want my son, Candy…
- You want your son?
- I want him to live with me…
- Are you serious? I came back to live with him and Justin
- Well, he hated your dude! In fact I was the one he wanted as a "step-father"…
- You?
- Remember, he told you he wanted you to meet someone?
- Yes…oh my God!
- He didn't know how right he was… he wanted to reunite his mum and dad!
- It's impossible…
- Impossible? What's impossible is trying to forget what happened between us! You don't remember it and me neither, but Marcus is the living proof that something happened between us… it's time for the both of us to take our responsibilities, Candy!
- I'm going to marry Justin…
- Why? Because you're sleeping with him?
- That's none of your business! Said Candy upset, he's my fiancé and I'm going to marry him!
- If you marry him, Marcus is coming to live with me!
- What?
- And I'm sure he won't see any inconvenience with that…
- You're not going to do that to me…
- Why not? You deprived me of my son for the 16 first years of his life!
- He's my son and you won't have him!
Candy walked to the door to get out of the room…
oOoOoOoOoOo
Marcus was in the garden with William…
- I can't believe it! My parents! Terry is my father! My father!
- Yes…
- You knew it, right? That's why you had no problem letting me work with him; you even put him on the list of people allowed to take me out in school…
- He was your father, and believe me, if he was one of those careless Hollywood actors, living in the life of drugs, I never would've let you spend time with him…
- He was treating me like a father and I had to do all my homework before I could go out with him on premieres or awards shows… and he would not let me drink alcohol, or let hooker girls come near me… But he's still the one who slept with my mother and disappeared!
- It didn't happen like that…
- How did it happen then…? Mum told me he was a one night stand…
- It was during a party to celebrate the end of the summer holidays… my nephew, Daniel, spiked the punch with alcohol… so everybody woke up in the morning naked with a hangover… and nobody remembered what happened the night before… Your mother was very upset, because she wanted to keep herself for her wedding night…she rejected your father, and she rejected that whole night, she wanted to forget… Your father had gone back to England… When she found herself pregnant with you, she came to see me… I hid her, you were born, and when you were of age to go to school…
- I know the rest… By my father could've tried to find out…
- He was a teenager, Marcus… After his stay in America, he went back to England for a while and he left for Los Angeles to live with his mother and pursue his dream… He too wanted to forget what had happened with your mother…
- So my mother and my father wanted to forget about me then…
- No put words in my mouth. I didn't say that…
- They both wanted to forget about that famous night when I was conceived, said Marcus sadly.
- They both love you…
- My mother sent me to boarding school ever since I was little and my father didn't even bother to find out if I could ever have existed!
- Marcus, stop it, please!
Candy and Terry arrived in the garden…
- Marcus? Said Candy softly.
- Look who's here, mum and dad! Said Marcus.
- Marcus, said Terry.
- Sorry mum, sorry dad, for the moment, I really don't want to speak to you! Said Marcus walking away.
William looked at Candy and Terry.
- I'm going to talk to him, don't worry. He will calm down.
- Thank you William, said Candy sadly.
To be rejected by Marcus like that, hurt so much. She turned to Terry who felt the same. He opened his arms and Candy went in them, busting into tears. For years, she had rejected her son, indirectly, and now she wanted to live with him, he was rejecting her… She had taken her son for granted… Terry, who was still angry with her, was consoling her…
- Don't worry Candy, we're going to get him back.
- Some teenagers rebel like that for good because of things like this…
- He's my son; he's a good boy… I've lived with him…He's going to act out, but I know that…he's going to end up calming down… everything is going to be fine, you'll see…
- I hope so…
Justin was still in Terry's manor, looking at the scene through the window. He was eating and drinking. Candy had had a child with Terrence Grandchester? His plans with Candy were going up in flames, so now he was eating and drinking waiting for Candy to come and tell him that it was over between them…
Once upon a time… a young missionary had to change his plans about his future with the woman he loved…