Babies' Secret: My Ex Wants Me Back!
Chapter 52: You failed

Chapter 52: You failed

Chapter 52

Katherine rubbed her shoulder, trying to reassure herself that her kids would be alright and nothing would be wrong as she winced, her head throbbing from the memories.

Brenda!

The thought of her children being with Brenda made Katherine’s skin crawl in disgust and pain.

And as she remembered the city her children were currently in, it made her wince many times. That city she vowed never to step foot in again. The city of her nightmares and yet again her kids were there without her—

Brenda!

Katherine couldn’t keep her mind from twirling. She was scared—no, afraid. What if...

What if Brenda belittled her children? What if Brenda hit them? What if she poisoned them with words? What if Brenda shouted at them?

Katherine could hear her heart thudding in her ears as she paced around her apartment floor. She couldn’t care about the eyes of people staring at her.

All she wanted was her children back in the comfort of her apartment.

No! Katherine clutched her head, feeling like it wanted to split from pain as the now and present clashed in her head.

Brenda!

Brenda made her life a living hell when she was living with the Knight family. The verbal abuse, physical abuse, and snarky comments didn’t stop at one. Then the eye service of painting her as a bad person.

Katherine wrapped her hands around herself, maybe to protect herself or keep herself safe. She thought she’d escaped from Brenda’s clutch and eagle eyes, but here Brenda had easily found her children and took them. How effortless it was—

As soon as Katherine heard the car screech, she ran down the hallway like a mad woman on her bare feet. Her eyes blurry from glistening tears when she saw the car door open and Jasmine’s little sneakers revealed before her full body. Then Hanith followed her out.

Katherine’s chest thumped, her eyes quickly scanned their faces for any sign of bruises, then she walked wobblingly toward them. Her knees nearly gave out as she outstretched her arms and enveloped both children into a trembling hug, pressing their small bodies so close that their breaths mingled.

Her tears rolled fast and hard, streaming down her cheeks. She pulled them away a little, her hands touching their faces again, then kissed their foreheads repeatedly, cupping their faces again.

Her eyes were looking for any traces of bruises, scratches, or anything.

Because she didn’t trust Brenda.

Brenda!

"Are you okay? Did she touch you? Did she say anything weird?" Katherine’s voice trembled.

As Jasmine furrowed her brow in confusion, she shook her head, while Hanith didn’t say anything—just clung to her as if telling her they were okay.

She breathed in relief a little.

"Mom — what happened?" Katherine barely heard Jasmine’s question when she turned to Aaron. Her face puffy and red from tears.

Aaron was steps away from them, standing guilty, and something snapped in her. Katherine stood up slowly, her face no longer soft, her expression unreadable as her eyes flared in anger.

"You let her take them?" Her voice was detached and cold, so cold that Aaron flinched a little, his eyes flashed sadness before his jaw tightened.

"Katherine, I didn’t know. I had no idea until Raymond traced—"

"You were supposed to protect them!" she yelled, her voice rose an octave. "I trusted you. And you let her near them?"

Jasmine looked from Aaron to Katherine then whimpered as Hanith clutched her leg, tears welling up in their eyes.

Mathew, watching from the sideway, walked to the kids and gently pried their small hands from Katherine. Mathew could only watch—there was nothing he could do to comfort Katherine. He knew how the kids were to her—they were literally her life, her existence to keep living.

"Let’s go inside," he said softly to the twins, picking Jasmine up and holding Hanith’s hand. "Mommy will join us soon."

As he passed Aaron, his eyes flicked to him—the way Aaron’s eyelids were red, how he cupped his palm in a fist and the bobbing of his Adam’s apple. He turned away and took the kids inside.

Katherine turned away from the sight of her babies being led in. Her hands shook—from adrenaline, from rage, from helplessness.

"You are their father and were supposed to keep them safe," she said, her voice lower with a hint of disappointment and shook her head, "but you failed." She muttered and walked past him. Not waiting for his response or looking at him.

As Katherine entered her apartment, she didn’t go to the twins or check what they were doing. She went straight to her room. She locked the door softly with a click as she slumped against it, her body sliding to the floor slowly as her chest heaved.

She used her hands to muffle the cries that wanted to escape as she bit down the side of her palm. Katherine wanted to blame someone. She knew, deep down, Aaron wasn’t at fault and he didn’t know. He would never deliberately put their children in danger or expose them. But that didn’t stop the rage from boiling. Because Brenda was his mother. Because he should’ve known she was unpredictable.

That she could take them.

And angry with herself for being weak and incompetent—for not being there to keep her child safe. Without Aaron, she wouldn’t have had any idea where the kids were taken to. But—

Angry that she was still weak, still that girl—angry that she was scared, afraid of crossing Brenda again.

A sob rumbled out of her mouth at the thought.

Aaron didn’t leave. He stood outside the apartment building for a long time before leaving, watching through the window as the lights were off and knew the family had finally slept. He glanced at the darkened window again, then went to his car and drove off.

He couldn’t stop his brain from thinking about the way she had looked at him earlier—like he had betrayed her in the worst way.

When he finally parked his car at the hotel garage, he pulled out his phone.

I’m sorry.

I failed you. I’ve always failed you and I also did it again, Katherine. I’m sorry for my incompetence. I should have done something earlier and protected them. I know you continue giving me chances and trust me but I broke that. I can’t take back what had happened but I promise you, I will never let it happen again. Or let my mother near them or you. You and the twins mean everything to me.

I’m sorry and I really am.

Aaron read the text again and felt his throat bob with emotion. He exhaled out, frigid air coming out of his mouth and sent the message. He really hoped the text could pass his message.

Within a minute the message marked two blue ticks.

She read it.

His heart nearly jumped out of his ribcage as he waited for her response—but nothing.

He sighed, throwing his phone into the back seat, then wrapped his hands around the steering wheel and rested his head on it.

Fuck!

He hoped they wouldn’t be back to square one from what had happened.