TRUTH

GEORGE POV

I was sipping whiskey in my office while reading a newspaper when my door opened. I looked up to see my very best friend Ben walk in holding a bottle of brandy smiling.

“Hey man, want to get high a little” wiggling the bottle.

I chuckled “what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in a meeting?” folding the newspaper.

“Can't an old friend keep you company?” laughing and walking to the mini lounge in my office. He uncorked the bottle and took a seat pouring himself a wine and gestured for me to join him. With a smile I downed my whiskey down my throat and walked to him and gave him my glass to pour mine.

“That's more like it,” Ben said, smiling.

I took a seat across from him and said “thank you.”

“Lisa isn't around again?” Ben asked scanning around because she usually stays here to help out with work ever since I temporarily fired her for being the mafia queen but she hasn't been around for awhile now.

“Oh well the usual, she and Maya are probably painting the entire baby shops red with shopping” I said chuckling.

“Do you really think she's with Maya?” Ben asked, taking a sip of his brandy.

“Of course she's the only friend she has, plus no one can stand her bossy lifestyle apart from Maya.” Smiling and leaning on the chair thinking of Maya and my princess.

“I was….only wondering if it was the father of her baby she was seeing,” he said with his glass in his mouth, “who knows they might still be in good terms”

“No that's impossible, Lisa doesn't know the father, remember? We've been over this Ben,” pointing a finger at him “stop suspecting my daughter she never lies to me, instead…. she's brutally honest I wonder where she got that from” with a smile I take another sip.

“I was just wondering……..” I cut him off

“Okay, okay let me call them again just like last time and ask….” Ben drops a brown envelope on the table.

“You asked to keep an eye on your daughter, our princess and I did” pointing at the file “guess what I found?..... She's seeing Daniel Winston.”

I immediately sat up and stared at the brown envelope then at Ben “impossible….she wouldn't…she knows I hate them”

“That's what I thought too” sitting up, “I thought maybe he was threatening her or something but they went for a picnic, dinner, even the hospital, which means……”

“He's the father….he's the father, how is he the father?” With shaking hands I quickly opened the brown envelope and saw pictures of my princess laughing happily with Daniel Winston at a dinner I picked another picture and they were kissing at the picnic ground and another was at the hospital where he knelt down and kissed her stomach, I immediately threw the remaining pictures away and stood up Ben did too.

I walked to the wall and exhaled because I was angry. I didn't want to know. I honestly didn't want to know but I had to ask “did you find out how they first met?” I asked.

“They met at the party she went with Maya last time” Ben walked slowly to me “I think you should calm down man” he said close to my back and held my shoulder he turned me to face him.

“What do I do Ben? She looks happy with him…do i ... .do I approve?” I asked exhausted and disappointed at myself and Lisa.

“No that's just absorb, listen my man, first you need to speak to her immediately she comes back, and secondly you have to keep her far away from the Winston even if you have to lock her up in her room it's all up to you, just keep your daughter safe from them….if they can kill you wife imagine what they would do to your daughter in their house.”

“I can not let that happen” I say scared of the thought of losing my daughter.

“No you cannot, we'll protect her no matter what” holding his both his hands “she's only safe with us”

I hug him and exhale “I don't know what I can do without you, thank you, thank you my brother” I said, patting his back.

“Of course anything for you and our little princess” we pulled apart with a sad smile. I pointed back to our drink “we can drink a little before she arrives”

“Yes sure why not”. We walked back to the mini lounge and drank quietly.

*******

Soon seconds turned to minutes and minutes to hours, Ben left and I was alone waiting for Lisa to come back. I sat facing the wall with the glass of whiskey in my hands when I heard the front door open and bold steps walking in. I took deep breaths to calm myself down just like Ben said I should before calling out to my daughter.

“Why so late princess? You know you're pregnant” I said, facing her now no longer the wall, her hair was slightly messed up now.

“Dad, did I keep you up? Lisa said sweetly.

I ignored her question and stood up trying to be as calm as possible. I walked until I was right in front of her, it took everything in me to ask this question still hoping I was wrong.

“Who's the father of your child?” The sudden question might have cut her off guard because the sudden shock in her eyes said it all and she quickly masked it. If I didn't know my daughter well I wouldn't have noticed it.

“Dad what are you talking about, we've been over this” she lied again to my face. My anger flared up, she tried to walk past me when I couldn't hold it anymore, I held onto her elbow harshly and pulled her around to face me.

“When were you going to tell me?” I said in a low deadly whisper. I don't like showing my daughter this side of me. It kills me to see her scared of me but I had to keep her safe and she doesn't know it. I have to be the beast to keep her safe.

Trying to get loose from me she whimpered “Dad if you could explain…..” and I pulled her even harshly and yelled,

“Stop playing games with me Lisa” and angrily smashed the glass of whiskey on the floor “when were you going to tell me you were seeing the Winstons” I pushed me and took off my jacket because I started to feel hot because of the anger on me, she touched the area where I held her.

“Dad, are you spying on me?” She says calmly, that my daughter, never shows it even when she's scared.

“No, I was keeping an eye on you to keep you safe. I waited everyday for you to tell me why you keep on seeing HIM but you lied to my face repeatedly” I angrily yelled.

“I understand how you feel…..” and I cut her off. I didn't want to hear her lies.

“And I just had to find out he's the father of your child” I said in a deadly way. Even if I have to be the devil I won't let the Winstons take my daughter away too. I must keep you safe.