Key To My Heart (Love Conquers All)

by Wells, Victoria

  “Ava! Stop it!”

  Ava snapped and lost her mind. Reaching back, she swung, slapping Langston so hard across the face her palm stung as if a million bees had gotten to her. Years of bottled up frustration exploded like a can of cola vigorously shaken, then immediately opened.

  “Don’t you dare tell me to stop it! You son of a bitch!” Pointing to Beatrice, Ava growled through clenched teeth. “You tell her to stop it. You allowed her and that bastard father of yours to convince me to give my baby up for adoption.”

  Langston caught her wrist in midair before she could land another blow. Attempting to yank away from his viselike grip, Ava shrieked, “Get off me! You knew! You knew I wanted to keep my baby!”

  Releasing his hold on her, Langston took a step back. The blow of her words stung more than the slap she’d landed across his cheek. Lord help him. Ava had pleaded with him to talk to his parents, to make them both understand that they were in love.

  “We could get married right now. I promise me and the baby won’t get in your way,” she’d tearfully begged.

  Langston learned of Ava’s pregnancy shortly after he had passed the bar exam and taken a position in the family’s law firm. When he finally got up the courage to tell his father of Ava’s condition, he was given an ultimatum.

  “I don’t care how you do it, but you better get rid of that woman and her child, or leave this family. I will not have you be an embarrassment to the Warrington name. Is that understood?”

  “Come on, Ava, please calm down. We can talk about this,” Langston said now, reaching for Ava.

  Snatching away from his touch, Ava’s gaze was deadly as she stared at Langston and Beatrice. When she spoke her voice came out in a low, rumbling warning. “Don’t think this is the last you’ve seen of me.”

  Langston and Beatrice’s gaze followed Ava as she thundered out of the office. Silly Grace, who had been listening in the hallway, did a one-eighty, running into the ladies’ room to steer clear of Ava’s path.

  Pushing the elevator button, Ava paced, angry energy willing the door to open. This wasn’t over, not by a long shot. After all these years he still defended his hateful mother. Hadn’t he heard all the nastiness she was slinging? Some things never changed. Once a momma’s boy, always a momma’s boy.

  She’d thought she would come down here to get the information she needed from Langston. Warrington and Warrington and Associates had handled the adoption, so the name of the agency had to be somewhere in their files. All he had to do was give her the name of the agency. She’d hire a lawyer and take it from there. It didn’t have to come to all of this.

  She couldn’t believe the look of surprise on his face when she told him she wanted to find the child she had given up. Why should he be so surprised? He shouldn’t have cared one way or the other. Instead, he looked as if he had something to hide.

  Back in Langston’s office, Langston whirled around on his mother and roared, “Why did you come in here! Didn’t Grace tell you I was not to be disturbed?”

  Taken aback, Beatrice’s hand dramatically flew to her chest. “Why, yes! But she also said some woman had come barging in here like a wild woman!”

  “So you think that gave you the right to come barging in here too!”

  “Langston, lower your voice when you’re speaking to me! I’m still your mother!”

  “Don’t remind me,” he grumbled.

  Frustrated, Langston threw his hands up in the air as he made his way to the door to go after Ava. He had to catch her before she left the building. If his mother hadn’t showed up, things would not have escalated to the horrible point that they had. Perhaps he could have told Ava she didn’t have to go on a wild goose chase to find her daughter.

  “Ava! Ava! Ava!” Langston yelled, running to catch the elevator before she stepped on and the door closed.

  Ava shot daggers at the man she once loved. I hope all you Warringtons rot in hell, she thought. The elevator door swooshed shut before Langston could make it inside.

  Defeated, Langston’s broad shoulders slumped as he returned to his office.

  “I take it the little tramp got away. It’s for the best, you know.”

  Ignoring his mother’s barb, he again asked her, “Why did you come into my office? How many times have I told you not to interrupt me if my door is closed?”

  First he yelled at her, and now he was chastising her like she was a child. Beatrice wasn’t having it. “You should be glad I came in here to save you from that…that…strumpet,” Beatrice snapped.

  Running a hand over his face, Langston slowly counted to ten. This day was getting worse by the minute. First he blew up at his Love Bug, then Ava appeared from out of thin air, swinging a battle ax at his head, and now he had to deal with his overbearing mother.

  “What is it about Ava, Mother? She has never done anything to you. Yet from the moment you laid eyes on her, you hated her.”

  Beatrice trembled with anger. She knew the moment her son dragged that high yellow tramp home she was going to be a problem. When Langston’s father laid eyes on the younger woman, Beatrice could literally see his mind travel back some thirty years ago. It didn’t make matters any better that her husband had initially been taken with Ava. She had been determined not to allow another woman like Ava to infiltrate her family.

  “Because all women like her do nothing but try to destroy other women’s lives.”

  “Mother, what are you talking about? Ava never tried to destroy your life. I loved her and she loved me.”

  “Shut up! Shut up! You’re so much like your stupid father that it’s pathetic! I told him to warn you about women like her! But he didn’t listen to me! And now that woman is back in my life! Just give her what she wants!” Beatrice shrieked, clutching her chest and collapsing to the carpeted floor.

  Chapter 8

  Summer’s mouth hung wide open, her eyes bulging in disbelief as Ava told her all that had happened on her trip to D.C. “Girl, no, you didn’t,” she said.

  It was bad enough she had hauled off and slapped the taste out of her ex’s mouth. But the drama with his momma was something else. Ava knew better than to act like that no matter how angry the mean old goat made her.

  “Humph, yes, I did,” Ava said, rolling her neck as they sat on the park bench watching NJ and Autumn play tag with new friends they’d recently met. This was the first chance she’d had to tell Summer about her escapade since she’d gotten back from D.C. last week. Summer, Nick, and the kids had been away on vacation the previous week.

  Ava was still annoyed as all get out from her botched up trip to D.C.. Every time she thought about how things had gone down with Langston and dragon lady, her blood pressure spiked another level. Beatrice Warrington was still meddling in her son’s business. And from what Ava could see, he was still letting her. For crying out loud, the man was in his thirties. Was he ever going to get off the tit?

  On the drive back to Philadelphia, angry tears blurred Ava’s vision so badly that she had to pull over on 95 to get herself together. Frustration made her reach for her cell phone and dial her parents’ home. Her intention had been to talk to her father; however, when her mother answered, she hastily disconnected the call.

  No, she wouldn’t allow vexation to drive a wedge between her and her mother. And that was exactly what would have happened. Because once she heard her father’s voice, her distraught heart would not have been asking him for more money to address this dilemma with the Warringtons. Over seven years of anguish would have cried out for him to retaliate in a most wicked way. She wanted Langston and his evil mother to hurt as badly as she had. However, hearing her mother’s loving voice brought her back to her senses. She would never want to shoulder the responsibility of forcing her father’s hand to break a promise he’d made to his wife, her mother. So here she was, back at square one.

  “Av, I can’t believe you told that old woman to step outside. Were you really going to fight her?”

  Chuckl
ing from the incredulous expression Summer wore, Ava pressed her point. “Listen, girl, you don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to say that to that evil witch.” Ava let out a harsh breath. “You have no idea how terrible that woman used to treat me. You and Starr are so lucky to have Momma Joan and Momma Beverly.”

  All traces of humor faded as Ava shared with her sister-friend Beatrice’s cruel treatment the moment Langston took her home to meet his parents. She criticized everything about Ava, from the way she wore her hair to the clothes she wore. The older woman made it painfully known that Ava lacked sophistication and flare. The woman had even gone as far as to treat Ava as if she were hired wait staff. On more than one occasion during a dinner party, with the sweetest of smiles, she’d asked Ava to fetch cream for the coffee, although there was plenty of staff in place to get whatever the guests needed. Beatrice had no problem letting everyone present know where she thought Ava’s place should have been, and it certainly wasn’t at her dinner table.

  “Shut up! Stop lying!” Summer shrieked in total disbelief of how outright rude this woman had treated her friend. “That woman is a hot mess. Why did you put up with that for so long?”

  Ava hunched her shoulders. “I guess when you love someone, you tolerate a lot of stuff.”

  Summer nodded, completely understanding. Not too many years ago she was in a similar situation with the man she was in love with. Lucky for her things had worked out for them. Now they were married with two beautiful children.

  “That’s not the bad part, Summer. When Langston told her I was pregnant, she called me up, calling me every kind of high yellow, half-breed, home-wrecking whore. Told me all I wanted was her son’s money, and she would see me and my baby dead before she let me destroy her family.”

  “Oh my God. That is so awful,” Summer whispered as she pulled her sister-friend into hug. “Av, I am so sorry you had to go through that.”

  Returning the hug, Ava let out a sad chuckle. “Now you know why I’m so crazy.”

  eee

  “Daddy? Is Grandmother going to be OK?” Zoe asked her father as she stared at him with large, innocent eyes. Grandmother hadn’t been feeling well for days now. Even though she wasn’t the sweetest grandmother, Zoe didn’t want her to be sick.

  Langston smiled. The concern in her angelic voice tugged at his heart. Despite the fact that Beatrice had never been a loving grandmother to his daughter, Zoe was still concerned for the elderly woman’s wellbeing.

  “Grandmother will be fine, Love Bug,” he assured the young child as he tweaked her nose.

  Zoe giggled, playfully pushing her daddy’s hand away from her face. “Daddy, that tickles.”

  Chuckling, Langston moved her hands aside and tweaked her tiny nose again. “I know it tickles, Love Bug. That’s why I’m doing it.”

  The little girl giggled louder, again pushing her daddy’s hand away from her face. Abandoning the homework she was working on at the kitchen table, Zoe scampered under the table to get away from him.

  “Uh-oh, just for that, the tickle monster is coming to get you,” Langston teased, dropping his voice to a deeper octave as he climbed under the table in his dress trousers and shirt, not caring if the expensive clothing got dirty.

  A sense of joy flowed through Langston as Zoe squealed and took off running from her hiding place under the table. It had been weeks since she’d been this happy. This was his Zoe, vibrant and full of life. It broke his heart to see her bubbly spirit so morose and withdrawn. Even as an infant and toddler, his little Zoe had possessed a jovial nature.

  As he chased her through the house, Langston knew he always wanted to see his little girl this happy. He never wanted to see his baby girl go into a shell that stifled her spirit.

  Reaching out strong, yet loving arms, he grabbed Zoe. “Gotcha!”

  Squeals of delight echoed through the home as Langston threw Zoe up in the air and then caught her. This went on until she begged him to stop. Squeezing Zoe to his chest, he gently kissed her forehead. “I love you, Love Bug.”

  “I love you too, Daddy.”

  Langston made a silent promise to himself and his daughter. Daddy will make sure you’re never sad again.

  eee

  Later that night after closing Zoe’s bedroom door, Langston headed downstairs in search of Charles. Charles had been a trusted and loyal employee of the Warringtons for more than thirty-five years. The man had practically raised Langston.

  Langston found the elderly man sitting in a wingback chair in the den holding a glass of brandy. Moving over to the bar, Langston poured himself a brandy, then took a seat in the opposite wingback.

  “What’s troubling you, man?” Charles asked. All day he had patiently waited for Langston to get Zoe settled for bed. Earlier that morning on the drive to the office Langston had told Charles that he needed to speak with him this evening.

  Taking a gulp of the strong drink, Langston made a grimace as the strong alcohol slid down his throat. When he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on the dark liquid inside his glass. “Charles, I’ve always respected you, looked up to you.” The elderly man nodded as Langston lifted his head to meet his gaze. “Please, Charles, don’t lie to me. I need you to tell me why Mother never liked Ava.”

  Up until the day his mother became hysterical, clutching her chest in pain in his office, he always believed Beatrice didn’t like Ava because she hadn’t been handpicked for him. His mother had incessantly paraded well bred, cultured young ladies, as she called them, in front of him. According to her, he needed to be involved with someone of proper social breeding. The daughter of a construction company owner and a housewife was beneath them, not worthy of being integrated into the Warrington lineage.

  But after witnessing her recent reaction to his questioning, he realized that this went much deeper then Ava supposedly not having the proper social breeding. Much deeper. Beatrice had been about to blurt out something, but abruptly clammed up. Langston felt deep in his soul that whatever his mother was about to say would unlock the mystery to his mother’s bitterness toward Ava and Zoe.

  The emergency room physician confirmed that Beatrice had not suffered a heart attack, but rather a panic attack when Langston had pressed his mother for answers. There were only two other people besides his mother who could shed light on the situation. His father had passed on last year, so now Charles was the only other person left who knew the truth.

  Charles slowly nodded again. He had been witness to the clandestine rendezvous so long ago, and was put in a position where he had to be the go-between for the parties involved. Back then he hadn’t wanted anything to do with the secrecy. But what could he do? He was the sole provider for a sickly mother and seven younger siblings. So when he was given extra cash, he kept his mouth shut and looked the other way.

  Years of guilt gnawed at the older man. He loved Langston like a son. He should have broken his silence years ago. He should have revealed what he knew the night Ava had been cruelly kicked out of the elder Warrington’s home.

  “You’re a man now. You should know what happened,” Charles finally said. He paused for a second, letting out a deep breath. “To tell you the truth, I should have told you years ago. I should have told you before they ran Ava away. She was a sweet girl.”

  Langston stared at Charles, imploring him with his eyes to continue.

  Charles wiped his weathered hands over his old, weary eyes. “Your father was in love with another woman.”

  “What?” Langston asked, his face a mask of disbelief.

  “Yes, son, your father had a mistress. When you brought Ava home, it was like the past had caught up with the future. Ava could have been the woman’s twin. A dead ringer, that’s how much the two looked alike.”

  Charles remembered how that night after Langston had taken Ava back to her dorm, Beatrice and Langston’s father had an awful fight. The scorned woman had never gotten over her husband’s betrayal. The sight of Ava had opened old wounds, causing her to experien
ce the pain all over again.

  Langston felt like the air he’d been breathing was being siphoned from his lungs as he listened to how his father was in love with another woman for whom he had considered leaving his wife. What was even more startling was Charles’s confession that the other woman was the love of his father’s life. But because Beatrice had been chosen for Langston Jr., he was bound by family duty to marry her, and not the other woman.

  Although he married Beatrice, his heart never belonged to her. Knowing this, and to secure her position as a Warrington, Beatrice quickly became pregnant. Once her son had been born, she demanded that her husband break off the affair or be prepared for a very dirty, public divorce. Even with the threat of a messy divorce, Langston Jr., in all his arrogance, continued the affair until his lover got tired of being the other woman, moved away, and married someone else.

  “So you see, dear Langston, your mother never got over all those years of what your father did to her. She never got over the fact that she wasn’t his first choice. Lord knows that if Lydia hadn’t gotten tired of being the other woman, they’d probably would have had an affair until the day your old man died.” The elderly man sadly shrugged his shoulders. “Your poor Ava took the brunt of your mother’s anger.” He wanted to add that Zoe was now taking it, but decided not to. Langston had enough on his plate dealing with this new revelation. Besides, Langston was a bright man. Most likely he had figured out the puzzle for himself.

  Langston was angry at his father and at himself. The entire time he and Ava dated, his father knew the reason why his mother hated Ava. How could he have sat by and not said anything? Why did he allow his wife to take out years of bitterness for something he had done? And most importantly, Langston right about now loathed himself. Why hadn’t he protected Ava? If he had known this information years ago, there was no way he would have given her up so easily.

  Standing, Langston went over to the elderly man. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he said, “Thanks, Charles. I knew I could count on you to tell me the truth.”