Getting Even Ch. 03: The Final Chapter

"Why is Tommy with her?"

"Do you want to lay down with Mommy?"

"Uh huh," she said.

Zane carried Sophie into the room and set her on the bed. Sophie crawled next to Bella who wrapped her arm around her daughter and smiled before drifting off back to sleep. Zane grabbed a blanket and covered the trio, then quietly left the room. Katherine was waiting for him.

"You and I need to talk," she said.

"About?"

"You and my daughter. But not now. Later. Do you mind spending the night?"

"Not in the least."

"You'll have to take the couch down stairs, unless you want Sophie's room. I've got the guest bedroom with Olivia and the Hoskins's have Tommy's room."

"I'll take the couch. Staying in Sophie's room might give people the wrong impression about me."

"Good call."

They walked downstairs where the few remaining guest inquired about Bella's meltdown. They were all assured she was fine, and finally accepting Grant's death. Everyone made sure they left their contact information before leaving. Carmen and Miguel finished cleaning the kitchen, then told everyone they would return in the morning to make breakfast for the family. Thomas and Amanda retired up stairs and Katherine helped Zane make the couch, then went upstairs to rest. Zane slipped off his shoes and socks, then set his jacket, tie, belt, slacks and shirt on the chair nearby, and slept in his boxers.

~*~*~

The morning sun hit Zane's face and he heard a strange, unfamiliar sound. He opened his eyes to see Olivia in her swing and Katherine in a chair sipping coffee.

"Morning," she said.

"Morning," he moaned.

"Coffee?"

"Please."

"How do you take it?"

"Black."

"Get your pants on please," she said, tossing his slacks to him.

Katherine left the room as Zane slipped on his slacks. She returned a moment later with a steaming cup of coffee.

"Thanks," he said.

"Carmen said she'd be here in an hour to fix breakfast. I told her coffee was already on and she thanked me."

"How long have you been up?"

"Olivia woke up at midnight, two, and five. No matter what, five was her wake-up time. So, we got up and I made some coffee. She seems to like her swing so I put her there and waited for you to wake. I had a feeling you were an early riser."

"Occupational hazard."

"So, tell me about you and my daughter."

"What do you want to know?"

"Are you Olivia's father?"

Zane choked on his coffee. "Excuse me?"

"There have been things Bella has said that have made me question a few things. For example, why were you so willing to sit with Bella when she was in labor?"

"She didn't want to be alone and you had the kids."

"Why did Tommy call you when he couldn't reach Grant?"

"I've been spending a lot of time with him and Sophie."

"Cut the crap!" snapped Katherine. "I'm not a fucking idiot. I think you're in love with my daughter. Now tell me the truth. Are you Olivia's biological father?"

Zane sighed. "Yes."

"How long have you and my daughter been together?"

"Since the night Olivia was conceived."

Katherine smiled. "Do you love her?"

"Olivia, of course."

"No, Bella."

"I ... I'm not sure."

"I see how she is, when you're around. She lights up, she smiles more. You're good for her."

"She deserves the best."

"I agree. I begged her to leave Grant when she learned about the vasectomy. But she was determined to save her marriage. I've wondered who the sperm donor was, but I've kept my suspicions to myself."

"Are you angry with her?"

"No. Maybe a bit disappointed, but not angry." Katherine sipped her coffee, then continued. "Bella was about Tommy's age when her father died. I know exactly how much pain she is in. My biggest concern was how emotionless she had been since she got the call. I know Grant wasn't a perfect husband, but her lack of emotion was scaring even me."

"Carmen mentioned that as well."

"Carmen is a good friend. She told me just before she left last night how bad she felt about helping Grant cheat on Bella, and how she's worked to make up for that. I'm guessing that includes you."

"Carmen and I have been ... associates for many years."

"Does Bella know?"

"She knows Carmen and I were lovers, but that ended a long time ago."

"And now you're Bella's lover."

Zane took a deep breath. "We were until Olivia was born. Before Bella was cleared to have sex, I had to go to Europe on business and was there until shortly after Carmen called to tell me about Grant's death and later his funeral. I concluded my business in France and took the next flight back."

"Only a man in love with a woman would do that."

Zane finished his coffee, stood up and said, "Would you like more coffee?"

"Sure, but we'll need to make more soon. Carmen and Miguel will be here shortly."

"Then maybe we should migrate to the kitchen."

"Sounds like a plan. And Olivia's pack and play is all set up."

"Mind if I carry her to the kitchen?" asked Zane.

"Not in the least. I'll fix our cups and start a second pot," said Katherine, gathering up their cups.

Zane turned off the swing and scooped up Olivia. She smiled up at him. "Hi beautiful. Did you miss me?"

Olivia waved her arms and giggled. Zane kissed her forehead and carried her into the kitchen. Katherine smiled and said, "She looks good in your arms. And she looks like you."

"Really? I look at her and see Bella."

"I see you both. It's like she's the perfect hybrid of the two of you. See, Tommy looks a lot like Grant, Sophie is Bella's clone, but Olivia, she's the perfect blend of the two of you."

Zane set Olivia into the pack and play and sat at the table. "Thanks."

"I think that's what set Marlee off, she realized Olivia looked more like you than Grant. Though to be honest, she's never been all that nice to Bella. She puts on a good front, but then treats her like shit."

"I agree."

~*~*~

Bella woke with a start. Tommy and Sophie were sleeping near her, and there was no sound from the crib. She quietly slipped off the bed and saw the empty crib. For a moment, she panicked, then realized her mother must have her. Bella stepped into the bathroom where she saw her refection. Her hair was a matted mess and her face was red, blotchy, and stained with black from her mascara. She took care of her bathroom needs, began to wash her face, but decided a quick shower was a better option.

The warm water ran over her achy body as she wept. The pain deep within her radiated outward. Grant was dead. She scrubbed her skin and washed her hair until the water turned cold. Then she stepped out, wrapped a towel around her. She slipped out, grabbed a clean t-shirt, yoga pants, and undergarments, and slid back into the bathroom. She dressed quietly, combed her hair, and padded downstairs. Her head pounded and her body ached. She knew her emotional outburst was the cause of this pain. She followed the scent of coffee to find Zane and her mother talking, and Olivia playing.

"Good morning," said Katherine.

"Hey beautiful," said Zane.

"Ugh," moaned Bella.

Katherine quickly rose and fixed Bella a cup of coffee as she sat next to Zane. "Sleep well?" he asked.

"I guess," she said. "I'm so sorry about what happened last night."

"Nothing to be sorry for," said Zane. "From what I saw, you finally accepted Grant's death."

The doorbell rang. "That must be Carmen and Miguel," said Katherine.

"Oh no!" moaned Bella. "I don't want anyone to see me like this."

"Oh hush, you look fine," said Katherine. "Besides, Carmen and Miguel are fixing everyone breakfast, and after last night, the idea of not cooking sounds good to me."

Katherine quickly left the room and Bella looked in on her daughter. "She's in a good mood."

"You're mother knows about her."

"What?" exclaimed Bella.

"She figured it out. Especially since she knew about Grant's vasectomy."

"Yeah, I called her hysterical about that. She told me to leave Grant and be done with him, but I was determined to save my marriage. I thought for sure I could."

"Grant was a pussy-hound. I not surprised he went back to his old ways."

"Good morning all!" exclaimed Carmen.

"Shhh!" hissed Bella.

"She just woke up," said Zane.

Carmen hugged Bella and said softly, "How ya feeling sweetie?"

"Like shit," moaned Bella.

"Well, Miguel and I are here now to fix everyone breakfast burritos. Where are the kids?"

"Sleeping in my bed still," said Bella.

"Well, they'll be up soon and hungry. I'll get started."

"Good morning all," said Miguel, carrying several bags in his arms.

"Need some help man?" asked Zane.

"Naw, I got it."

Carmen and Miguel quickly started cooking. It didn't take long for the kitchen to fill with the aroma of fresh coffee and cooking food. Amanda and Thomas came down and joined everyone for coffee. Tommy wandered down a few minutes after, with Sophie right behind him. Carmen fed the children first, then the adults.

The food was delicious, and even though Bella was the last to finish, she did finish. Carmen and Miguel cleaned the kitchen as Bella nursed Olivia. Zane and Tommy finished their game. The doorbell rang, and soon Marlee appeared in the kitchen. Her face was swollen and bruised from the night before.

"Morning Bella," she said.

"Marlee," said Bella, coldly.

"Dad said I should come back so we can talk."

"I've said all I've got to say to you last night."

"Bella," pleaded Amanda, "give Marlee a chance."

Bella sighed, "Fine, we can go into Grant's office."

Bella handed Olivia off to her mother, then led Marlee to Grant's old office. It was a large room with an oak desk, computer, a fine leather desk chair, two nice chairs, a sofa, bookcases filled with books, and pictures of the family all around.

"Nice office," said Marlee.

"I designed it for Grant to work at home after I had Tommy," said Bella. "I was hoping he'd be able to work from home more."

"Did he?"

Bella glared at Marlee. "I think you know the fucking answer to that."

"Look, about what happened last night," began Marlee, "I forgive you for acting the way you did."

"You ... forgive me?" questioned Bella.

"You were so grief stricken you didn't know what you were saying."

"Get out Marlee," snapped Bella. "I can see your return was a huge mistake."

"Are you implying that my brother did what you claimed?"

"No, I'm not implying shit. He cheated on me. He lied to me. And now, I've got three children I must tend to and raise on my own now. Good day Marlee."

Bella started to leave the room when Marlee said, "And what about Zane?"

Bella paused. "What about him?"

"Is he going to be the children's new father?"

"What business is it of yours?"

"That is my niece and nephew."

"Nieces."

"I still question Olivia's paternity."

"Grant didn't. He signed her birth certificate."

"He was a fool, and you're a whore."

Bella slapped Marlee hard. "Get the fuck out of my house and don't you ever come back."

Marlee rubbed her face, then said, "This isn't over Bella."

"Yes, it is. Now leave before you'll need to be carried out."

Marlee's face was red as she turned on her heels and stormed out. Zane, who was standing just outside the office listening, stepped into the room wearing his suit from the night before. "Nice space."

"Thanks. Oh my God!"

"What?"

"Your shirt! Did I do that?"

"It's no big deal. I've got a great laundry service. They even got red wine out of my favorite Armani suit last year."

"Send me the bill, I'll pay for it."

"Don't worry about it. I got a call, I need to go."

"Right, duty calls."

Zane sighed. "Are you going to be all right?"

"I'll survive. Thanks for all you did with the kids. I really appreciate it."

Zane stepped up and hugged Bella. "I'll call you in a few days."

"Yeah, Skype on Saturday like always."

Zane felt a pain deep within his chest. He felt the dismissive tone in Bella's voice. "I will call. You'll see."

"Bye Zane. Thanks again for everything."

Zane hugged Bella, then left. He kissed Sophie and hugged Tommy, bade everyone goodbye and left. He drove back to his apartment, then called his boss. It was time to put the final pieces of his plan into motion before he lost Bella forever.

~*~*~

A month after the funeral, Bella was sitting in Grant's lawyer's office awaiting the reading of Grant's will. Amanda and Thomas were there, as was Marlee. Bella nursed Olivia as Amanda asked, "Are the kids at school?"

"Yeah," said Bella. "They don't need to be here for this. They don't even understand what a will is."

"I was hoping to see my niece and nephew," snapped Marlee.

"You mean nieces, don't you," snapped Bella.

"She's not Grant's daughter," said Marlee, pointing at Olivia.

Before Bella could respond, the lawyer walked in and sat behind his desk. "Thank you all for coming. I do wish it was under better circumstances."

"I'm sure Grant didn't expect it to happen this soon," said Bella, moving Olivia to her shoulder to burp her.

"Well," said the lawyer, "that's what's interesting. Like with Thomas and Sophia, Grant added Olivia to his will shortly after she was born."

"He what?" questioned Marlee. "Olivia's not even his daughter."

"Yes she is!" roared Bella.

Olivia's body stiffened up, then a loud burp escaped her. "Goodness," said Bella in a calmer tone. "You needed that now didn't you, Little Bit."

"I think it was shortly after Olivia was born," said the lawyer rifling through some papers, ignoring the tension between the two women. "Ah yes, here it is, it was right after the third DNA test came back confirming he was her father."

Bella felt her eyes grow wide as Marlee exclaimed, "Bullshit! That little bastard isn't my brother's child!"

"Here are the results," said the lawyer, handing Marlee the paperwork.

As Marlee took the paper, Bella asked, "Wait, Grant had a DNA test done on all of our children?"

"Of course. Grant wanted to be sure he was taking care of his children."

Bella bit her lip. She was pissed that Grant questioned the paternity of Tommy and Sophie, but wondered how he got a test that said Olivia was his, when they knew she was Zane's daughter. She shifted Olivia's position so she was facing the room.

Marlee read the paper, then said, "I don't fucking believe it."

Thomas took the paper from her hand and said, "Well, according to this, Olivia is Grant's daughter. Thus, our granddaughter."

"Not that we ever questioned it," added Amanda.

Bella wanted to respond, but thought better of it. Olivia squirmed in her arms as she said, "Easy Little Bit, we'll be going home soon enough."

The lawyer continued, "Grant left a sizable trust for Thomas Grant, Sophia Isabella, and Olivia Katherine. The children can access the money for college after they graduate high school, but otherwise the money stays locked until they reach the age of 35."

"Typical Grant," said Bella. "Just when I thought I knew him, he still surprises me."

"What about the other two?" snapped Marlee. "They both can't be Grant's!"

"Here," said the lawyer, handing her two more papers. "This should answer that question."

Marlee snatched the papers from his hand and read them over. "I don't fucking believe it."

"Now, Grant did leave a small account for his parents should they outlive him."

"Which shouldn't have happened," said Thomas, mournfully.

"I agree," said Bella softly as she held the squirming Olivia.

"So, since it's clear that Olivia is our granddaughter, and always has been, may I hold her Bella?" asked Amanda.

"Sure," said Bella, handing the squirmy baby to her mother-in-law.

Marlee handed the papers back to the lawyer and said, "I still think there's something hinkey here."

"Think what you will," snapped Bella. "Now, can we get this over with? I need to pick up Tommy and Sophie from school soon."

"Of course Mrs. Hamilton. So, as I stated before, there are three trusts for the three children. The rest of the estate is of course Mrs. Hamilton, except for an account for Mr. Thomas Hamilton and Mrs. Amanda Hamilton in the amount of one-hundred thousand dollars, and this check for Marlee Hamilton for one dollar."

"One-dollar?" asked Marlee.

"It seems that the late Mr. Hamilton left a stipulation in his will that if anyone questioned the paternity of any of his children, they would forfeit their portion of his estate and receive a check for one-dollar."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" shrieked Marlee, causing Olivia to cry.

"May I step out?" asked Amanda. "I think Olivia needs to be changed."

"You want me to do it?" asked Bella.

"I've got it hon," said Amanda, grabbing the diaper bag. "The bathroom?"

"Down the hall to the left," said the lawyer. "My secretary can show you."

"Thank you," said Amanda, carrying the screaming baby out of the room.

"I'm going to call my lawyer," snapped Marlee.

"Go ahead. You'll see this is completely legal," said the lawyer.

"Enough already Marlee," barked Thomas. "You've upset Bella, you upset Olivia, and you've upset your mother."

"But Dad!" cried Marlee.

"I said, enough!"

Bella sat in stunned silence. Marlee started to open her mouth, then stopped, and sat back down. Even the lawyer was stunned into silence for a moment, then said, "I will need you all to sign some documents before you leave. If there are no more questions, we can wrap this up."

Thomas made Marlee sign her forms first, then called Amanda back into the room and they quickly signed the forms. Bella sat holding a sleepy and restless Olivia, watching everyone sign their forms. Thomas and Amanda bade Bella goodbye, escorting Marlee from the office. Then Bella signed her paperwork.

"May I see those DNA tests on the kids?" Bella asked.

"Sure," he said, handing her the forms.

Bella looked over the test carefully, then caught what explained everything. The test for Olivia had been duplicated and Grant's name had been put on it in place of the father where Zane's had been. She smiled to herself and glanced up at the ceiling.

"Thank you," she mouthed.

"Did you say something?" asked the lawyer.

"Just thanking Grant for taking care of our kids the best way he could."

"He was so excited when he came to see me about Olivia. He also knew his sister would cause problems. It's why the check was prewritten. Had she kept her mouth shut, she would have gotten the same amount his parents got."

"So who gets her money now?"

"It will be divided among the three children."

"Perfect!" Bella exclaimed. "Well, I'd best be going now. Hopefully, she'll fall asleep on the way home."

"Good luck Mrs. Hamilton. Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything."

Bella gathered up her things, then paused before she left. "Grant didn't say anything about my getting remarried someday, did he?"

"He said many times you had enough love in your heart to love another man one day, should you outlive him. I'm sure he was right. He did suggest you get a prenuptial agreement though."

"That would be Grant. He would want me to learn from his mistake."

"You think him not having you sign a prenup was a mistake?"

"Wasn't it?"

"Mrs. Hamilton, Grant knew you wanted a divorce. He told me to give you whatever you wanted if you filed. I'm guessing he died before you could serve him."

"Yeah," said Bella.

"I came across the divorce when I was pulling the will. You should also know, he had no intention in changing his will. He loved you, even if he wasn't a perfect husband."

"He cheated on me," said Bella, coldly.

"I know. And I'm sorry."

Bella felt a tear fall down her cheek. "He broke my heart."

"I know that too. But what I also know is that he loved you, he just couldn't show you."

"I don't know why."

"Neither did he. Goodbye Mrs. Hamilton. I'll be in touch."

Bella shook the lawyer's hand, wiped her face and walked out. She strapped Olivia into her car seat and drove home. The radio started to play Whitney Houston's, "I Will Always Love You," and Bella started to think. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she thought about what the lawyer had said, and how Zane had for the most part, ended their relationship. Olivia wailed the whole way home, despite Bella's pleas for her to calm down. Her mother was waiting at the house when she arrived.