The Contracted Stripper

Ivy held her breath, her heart pounding in her chest as she opened the door. A figure stood in front of her, and the dim light from the hallway revealed the face of Mrs. Jessica.

Ivy’s eyes widened in shock as the older woman stood before her, a mix of exhaustion and sadness etched into her features.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Ivy demanded, her voice sharp and filled with suspicion. Her voice was loud enough to carry down the hall. Within moments, Ryan and Luca rushed out of the study, concern written all over their faces.

They stopped abruptly as they saw Ivy standing face-to-face with Mrs. Jessica. Relieved but still wary, Ryan and Luca hurried to help Mrs. Jessica, gently guiding her to sit on a nearby chair.

Jessica’s eyes, though tired, were filled with emotion as they focused solely on Ivy. The older woman’s hand trembled as she reached out, wanting to touch Ivy’s face.

But Ivy stepped back, out of reach, her expression confused and guarded.”Your eyes… they’re the same as my Iris,” Mrs. Jessica whispered, her voice breaking with emotion.Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

“You look so much like her…”Ivy’s breath hitched. She glanced at Ryan and Luca, silently asking for some kind of confirmation. Both men nodded, giving her an approving look. Ivy turned back to the woman in front of her, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Are you… Mrs. Jessica?” Ivy asked, her tone uncertain. Mrs. Jessica nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. She could barely speak, her voice caught in her throat. Hot tears ran down Ivy’s cheeks as the weight of realization hit her.

“So, you left me… You abandoned me all these years?” Ivy’s voice was low, but the pain and betrayal in her words were palpable.

“And now you come back? Why?”Mrs. Jessica’s vision blurred with tears, and her trembling hands reached out again, desperate to bridge the gap between her and the daughter she had lost. But Ivy took another step back, keeping her distance.”Ivy…”

Mrs. Jessica’s voice cracked as she spoke. “I didn’t abandon you. I named you Ivy, and I told your father, hoping he wouldn’t change the name. I loved you both-I loved you and Iris-but I couldn’t give you both the care you needed. I could barely feed myself, let alone two children. So I had to reach out to your father to help take care of one of you…”

Ivy’s jaw clenched as she listened, her emotions swirling in a storm of anger, sadness, and confusion. Mrs. Jessica’s words cut deep, stirring the pain of abandonment she had carried for so long. Mrs. Jessica continued, her voice shaking as she spoke through her tears.

“It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. But I had no choice. I wanted you to have a better life, a chance at something more. Your father-he didn’t want to take you. I had to beg him, plead with him. He said I was trying to ruin his family. I told him to take you, that I would never show my face again. I thought… I thought he would treat you well. He was your father. I thought you would have a better life without me…”

Ivy stood frozen, her chest heaving as the emotions overwhelmed her. Mrs. Jessica’s tears flowed freely now, each drop a reflection of years of guilt and regret.

“But you shouldn’t have given me up,” Ivy whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of hurt and anger. “I deserved to be with my mother…”Mrs. Jessica’s face crumpled at Ivy’s words, and her hands shook as she covered her face, sobbing softly. “I’m so sorry, Ivy,” she managed between sobs.

“I thought I was doing what was best for you. I never wanted to hurt you.”Ryan and Luca watched in silence, both close to tears themselves as they witnessed the heartbreaking reunion. The air was thick with emotion, the weight of years of unspoken truths and buried pain coming to the surface.

Ryan, his voice gentle, broke the silence. “Ivy, she didn’t have a choice. We’ve all been victims of something bigger than us. She did what she thought was right at the time.”But Ivy shook her head, wiping away the tears that kept spilling from her eyes.

“I grew up thinking I had everything I needed. But it was all a lie. How could you let me believe that everything was perfect when I had a sister out there-a twin sister-and no one told me?”Mrs. Jessica’s hands dropped from her face as she tried again to reach for Ivy.

“I never wanted to separate you two. It was killing me, Ivy. But I couldn’t even afford to feed you both. You would have starved if I hadn’t given you up. I thought your father would provide you with everything I couldn’t.”Ivy let out a bitter laugh, stepping further away.

“Everything you couldn’t? Do you mean money? Is that what you thought I needed more than you?”I thought he would love you, take care of you,” Mrs. Jessica whispered.”Love me?” Ivy’s voice rose, her anger bubbling to the surface.

“Do you know what my life was like? How could you leave me with people who never cared about me? People who were so obsessed with their secrets that they used me as a pawn in their games?”Mrs. Jessica shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “I didn’t know… I thought they would protect you.”

“But they didn’t!” Ivy shouted, her voice cracking with emotion. “I was nothing more than a tool to them. And you-you were gone. I needed you. I needed you, and you weren’t there!”Mrs. Jessica stood, her legs shaky but determined, and took a step toward Ivy.

“I’m here now, Ivy. I know it’s not enough, but I’m here. And I want to make it right.”Ivy’s tears blurred her vision as she shook her head. “You can’t fix this. You can’t undo the years of lies.”

Ryan stepped forward, placing a hand on Ivy’s shoulder. “Ivy, I know this is hard. But we’re all trying to make sense of what happened. We’re all trying to figure out the truth. And maybe… maybe this is a chance to start over.”

Ivy looked up at him, her heart heavy with the weight of betrayal and pain. She wanted to scream, to lash out at the world for everything it had taken from her. But deep down, a part of her longed for the connection she had missed out on.

She turned back to Mrs. Jessica, her eyes filled with conflicting emotions. “I don’t know if I can forgive you. Not yet.”Mrs. Jessica nodded, understanding the depth of Ivy’s hurt. “I don’t expect you to. But I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere this time. I just want you to know that.”

Silence settled over the room, thick with unresolved emotions. Ryan, Luca, and Mrs. Jessica stood still, waiting for Ivy’s next move. For a moment, it seemed like the tension would break, that they might find a way forward together.

But then, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed down the hallway, and everyone’s attention shifted.

The door to the room creaked open slowly, revealing a tall, shadowed figure standing in the doorway.

The air in the room grew heavy with a sense of impending danger. Ryan’s body tensed as he instinctively moved in front of Ivy and Mrs. Jessica, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the figure. Luca stepped forward, ready for whatever was about to unfold.

The figure stepped into the light, and Ivy’s breath caught in her throat. It was Kendrick. He looked calm, too calm, as if he had expected this moment. His eyes swept over the room, lingering on each of them in turn, before settling on Mrs. Jessica.”Jessica,” Kendrick said, his voice cold and menacing.

“So you’re still alive after all these years.”Mrs. Jessica’s face went pale, her body trembling with fear as she took a step back. “Kendrick…”Ryan stepped forward, his fists clenched at his sides. “What do you want, Kendrick?”

Kendrick smiled a cruel glint in his eyes. “I think you already know the answer to that, Ryan. I’m here for what’s mine.”Luca’s voice was low and dangerous as he spoke. “You’re not taking anything from us, Kendrick. Not now, not ever.”

But Kendrick’s smile only widened, his gaze shifting to Ivy. “Oh, but you’re wrong. You see, I’ve already taken everything.”Ivy’s heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the man who had shaped her life with lies and manipulation.

Her mind raced, trying to understand what he meant, but before she could speak, Kendrick turned his back to them and walked out of the room, leaving behind an ominous silence.

For a moment, no one moved. The weight of Kendrick’s words hung in the air like a dark cloud, and a chill ran down Ivy’s spine.