November 2004, NYU

Chanty was just leaving the library at the last hour. The parking lot was almost empty when she walked to her car. She heard footsteps behind her.

She walked faster, clutching her books closer to her chest.

The footsteps behind her got louder, nearer…

She almost ran to her car and entered it in a rush. Slowly, she looked out. No one was there. It must have been her imagination.

With a sigh of relief, she started her car, the headlights turning on.

And she screamed.

Two zombies were walking closer toward her car.

She screamed louder and she noticed that the zombies’ shoulders were shaking. Then she heard laughter. Her mouth remained open as the two took off their masks.

“I’ll kill you both!” she screamed with fury but Zach and Liam were already bent to their waists with laughter.

2013

“Chanty, did you hear me?” Angelica asked for the nth time.

Chanty could hear her, but her mind was so full of many other things. She was not sure how she should react. She felt like fainting again, but she had to compose herself. Cameron was here. What did he want?

“I don’t…I don’t know what to do,” she looked at Angelica with despair.

“I’ll deal with him,” Liam said stonily.

“No,” she shook her head. Why the hell would he do that?

“I can deal with him,” Angelica said, straightening her back, her eyebrow arching.

If Angelica was going to deal with Cameron, Chanty should call the lady’s husband because Angelica could really raise hell.

“No, no,” she finally shook her head. “I’ll deal with him…” Everyone looked at her with doubt, including Liam. She didn’t even believe herself when she said that.

Everyone else in the office seemed oblivious of what was happening. Dana was looking skeptical.

“Miss Strindberg…” her secretary started but Angelica threw her a look.

“Shut up for a moment!” her friend hissed at Dana while looking at Chanty. Her friend regarded her with caution. “Are you sure you’re up for this? I can really deal with him,” she was nodding her head when she said it.

“Yes,” Chanty finally said, her mind made up. Whatever Cameron came here for, she was not going to make him have the impression that she was still affected by what he did years ago. She had moved on pretty well. There was only one thing that she was really afraid of.

Her mind finally worked. Something must have kicked it to a full throttle. “Ange, call Cassy. Tell her to take Willie home now.”

Her friend looked at her for a moment and finally gasped in realization. “Oh my gosh! Yes, of course I’ll call her.” Angelica was fast to take her phone and she started to dial.

Chanty looked past the bewildered Liam and looked at Dana who seemed to still be affected by Angelica’s outburst earlier. “Tell Mr. Cameron I’ll wait for him in my office.”

Dana nodded and walked off. Chanty took a deep breath. In just a matter of minutes, she would be facing Willie’s father.

Liam was looking at Chanty. He knew she was trying to be strong, but he was sure she was afraid of something.

“I’ll go with you,” he said without thinking.

She frowned. “What?”

“I’ll be inside the office. I’ll be the arbiter,” he grinned. “I’d like to see that guy after all. See what he became.”

She looked at him for a moment and shook her head. “No,” she uttered and walked off to her office.

Liam moved fast and was inside even before she walked through the door.

“Liam, please. I don’t need your old antics right now. I really need to be alone.”

“Who said you have to be alone with that bastard?” he answered with a straight face. He was angry and he knew why. Cameron was coming, the man who left her years ago.

Chanty looked at him for a long moment and when she saw that he had no plans of changing location, sighed and walked to her desk. “Fine, but you have to be quiet. Never utter a word.”

He was actually surprised she said yes. Lord, she must be very confused right now.

Chanty was somehow glad Liam was staying. This way, she might have a chance of keeping Cameron’s plans at bay. With someone listening, he would never utter a word about Willie.

Liam was watching her as she slowly sat on her chair. “What?” she snapped.

He made a motion of zipping his mouth and shook his head.

Chanty closed her eyes and prayed that everything would go well. She could see Angelica through her office’s large glass window, pacing around as she talked on her phone. The window served its purpose really well even until now. She could see everyone working in their cubicles. And she could see Cameron’s familiar face coming closer to her door.

She was starting to panic. He was really here and he still looked the same. His black, neatly brushed hair, his crooked nose, thick eyebrows and divided chin were still the same. But he was no longer the man she had been dreaming of years ago. Now, his face reminded him of the difficult years she had when he left.

Liam was right to call him a bastard.

Dana was walking ahead of Cameron. They disappeared from Chanty’s view for a moment as they came in front of the closed door. Slowly, it opened and Dana came in with a smile. It was the first time Chanty had the urge to slap her secretary for smiling.

“Mr. Cameron is here.”

Chanty just nodded and Dana stepped aside to reveal Cameron. Chanty stood up, her feet shaky.

“Chanty,” Cameron smiled and walked toward her. His cologne never changed and a lot of memories came rushing back to Chanty as the familiar scent invaded the room.

Despite that, she tried very hard to smile as she extended her hand to receive his. Years ago, they would kiss when they meet. Now, everything had to be formal. He was not part of her life anymore. He was a complete stranger. “Cameron,” she uttered as he shook her hand. “Please sit down. I assume you remember Mr. Heaton?” she asked casually, thankful that her voice was sounding normal.

Cameron turned around and saw Liam at the corner of the room, seated on the couch with a magazine in hand. He made a move to go to Liam but the man shook his head.

“No, that’s fine. I don’t have to shake your hand. Please, go on with your business.” Liam crossed his leg over the other and stared back down at the magazine he was reading.

Cameron faced Chanty once again, his face irritated. She smiled inwardly. Liam was being a big help after all. “I was hoping we’d be alone,” he uttered under his breath only for her to hear.

“Oh,” she waved her hand. “Liam’s okay to stay here. We’re partners.”

A question was pasted on Cameron’s face but he did not ask it. He sighed and sat down. “I know you’re shocked to see me here this sudden—”

“Well, I was surprised for a moment but it’s not a problem,” she cut him off. “So, what business do you have?”

“I want to see my son.”

And it was just like that. Out of nowhere, he just uttered the very words she was hoping he would never say. From the corner of her eye, she saw Liam close the magazine.

“Who?” she asked absently.

“I want to see my son,” Cameron repeated, his face unreadable.

Anger flared inside her. “How dare you call Willie your son,” she said under her breath, each word bit out with rage.

“Chanty,” Cameron moved to the edge of his seat to get closer. “I know what I did was wrong, but it’s what? Four years ago? Come on—”

“Five years,” she corrected with ire. “And I remember very well who had been around me all those years. You are not one of them. So you have no right to ask about seeing my son. If it’s guilt you’re feeling, don’t worry. You really have no obligation over him and you have no role to play. Now, if you don’t have any more business—”

“I am his father and I have the right to meet him.”

“What made you think you are his father?” Chanty asked, her eyebrow arching.

“True,” Liam said from the corner of the room.

Cameron snapped his head with irritation. “Look, Heaton, you don’t have anything to do with this conversation.”

Liam was about to say something when Chanty immediately said, “Of course, he has everything to do with this conversation.”

That seemed to puzzle both Liam and Cameron. They looked at her, Liam with one eyebrow raised and Cameron with, well, shock.

“We are talking about our son and he has nothing whatsoever to do with this conversation,” Cameron’s voice was getting louder now.

 “Who told you you’re Willie’s father?” Chanty asked, looking at Cameron, her mind reeling with disbelief. What the hell was she doing?

“What the hell are you talking about, Chanty?” Yeah, what the hell was she even talking about?

 “Willie’s not your son, Cameron. He never was.” Chanty finally uttered in desperation. She looked at Liam and added, “I should have told the two of you a long time ago.”

Cameron shot to his feet. Gone was the composed man in suit and tie. “What game is this, Chanty?”

“What? Don’t tell me you don’t understand?” Chanty asked, feigning disbelief. God, she was getting good at this. This was Angelica’s fault! Her friend taught her too much!

“Chanty, what do you mean--” Liam started to ask but she cut him off by raising a hand.

“It was during that night five years ago. Don’t you remember? The cabin? The Christmas holiday?” she asked him and when his face lit up with the memory, his face became pale.

“You cheated on me?!” Cameron shouted, throwing her a disgusting look.

“It was a long time ago, Cameron,” she uttered nonchalantly. Deep inside, she was in a panic. Oh my God, what the hell did she do? “So, yes, Cameron, Willie is not your son. He’s Liam’s.”

“You, bitch!” Cameron shouted once again, but Liam was fast to grab his arm with murder in his eyes.

“Get the hell out of here, Cameron.” It was the first time Chanty heard him use that tone and she wished he would never use that on her.

Cameron shot her another look, pulling his arm away from Liam’s grasp. “I don’t want to hear anything more of this. The next time we meet, Chanty, you better have my son with you,” Cameron turned on his heels and started for the door.

Shit. What should she do? She closed her eyes for a moment to gather her strength.

 “You’re really not Willie’s father, Cameron!” she called out.

He turned around to face her and Liam, his face full of disbelief. “And he is?! Come on, Chanty. We both know you hated him years ago. How do I know this is just something you cooked up?”

“And what made you think she loved you back then?” Liam challenged, turning to face him. “Willie’s my son. You’re not his father. So don’t ever come back again.”

“I will come back. There are tests to be done,” Cameron uttered. He faced Chanty and added, “And if I can prove that Willie is mine, your lies will be heard by the court.”

With that, he walked off in his shiny shoes and ironed suit.

It was too late for Chanty to realize that the people outside her door were looking at them, frozen on their feet. When they saw her, they immediately bent their heads down and walked around like they were freaking busy.

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me, Chanty?” Liam asked, his face now serious than ever as he turned to face her.