C522 The Truth And New Beginnings

Tracy stared at Samantha, struggling to understand what she had just heard. "But you're both women!" Sarah turned towards Samantha, equally confused. She couldn't understand why her sister had decided to tell their parents the truth so openly. And worse part she tried to lie and said no, surely everyone heard. Samantha, however, remained calm. "Mom, it's about how you feel. It doesn't matter what gender the person you love is. What matters is how they make you feel and the kind of person they are." Tracy nodded slowly, although she still appeared uncertain. "But you're married, Samantha. How can you openly admit to cheating on your husband?" Samantha lowered her eyes briefly before taking a seat. "Because it's been three years since I gave birth to this lovely daughter. For all that time, I've been alone. I've had to solve my problems by myself, make difficult decisions alone, and carry responsibilities that sometimes felt too heavy for one person." She glanced at Monica, who was happily playing nearby. "I never had anyone to lean on until Faith came into my life. She listened to me, understood me, and made me feel that I didn't have to face everything alone." Samantha paused. "But, Mom, I won't go into all the details. You know the truth now, and I won't try to force you to accept it. I'll wait to hear what decision you and Father make about Ben and me." The room fell silent.

Kelvin cleared his throat before speaking. "Actually, there's something else you should know." Everyone turned towards him. "Ben has a new girlfriend. She's pregnant with his child." Sarah and Samantha exchanged stunned glances. For several seconds, neither of them knew what to say. Ben was having another child? Tracy, however, seemed pleased. "She's such a polite young woman," she said with a smile. "And there's something about her that reminds me of the two of you." Sarah frowned. "Mom, you've met her?" Tracy nodded. "Yes. She's the one helping Ben run the club. When you weren't here, Mary, Georgia, Valeria, and I went to the club to meet her." She smiled at Ben. "But Ben told us he wanted to wait until everyone returned before officially introducing her to the family." Samantha slowly recovered from her surprise. Then, with a smile, she turned towards Ben. "Wow. Congratulations, Husband." Ben smiled faintly. "Thank you." Sarah stood up. "Congratulations, Brother. But I don't understand one thing. Why did you want to wait for us before introducing her?" Ben cleared his throat. "Because there's something else I need to explain." He looked directly at Samantha. "I'm finally letting you go." Samantha's smile faded slightly. Ben continued. "You can do whatever you want with your life, Sam. I've told my girlfriend about our situation, including everything concerning you and Monica. She knows the truth, and she's accepted me as I am."

He took a breath. "I don't want to keep pretending that our marriage is working when both of us know it isn't. We have our own lives to live, and I think it's time we stopped holding each other back." Samantha looked at him for a long moment before turning towards the others. "So, you want us to divorce?" Ben nodded. "Yes. Eventually, we have to. But it doesn't have to happen immediately. You can continue with your missions, explore the world, and live your life the way you want. I'll do the same." He paused before adding, "We don't have to become enemies just because our marriage is ending. We have Monica, and we'll always have a responsibility towards her." Samantha looked down at her daughter. For the first time that evening, she seemed unsure of what to say. She had expected anger, arguments, and perhaps even rejection. Instead, Ben was offering her the freedom she had struggled to find for years. "Thank you, Ben," she finally said quietly. He nodded. "We both deserve a chance to be happy." Kelvin watched them thoughtfully before changing the subject. "Now, there's something else I want to know." Sarah looked at him. "What is it, Father?" Kelvin leaned forward. "Who are those security guards you brought here?" Sarah burst out laughing. "Security guards?" Kelvin frowned. "If they're not security guards, then what are they?" Sarah shook her head, still smiling. "Father, those people are employees of Lucia Goods. Just like us, they signed the volunteering contracts with Alicia and Mike. They were assigned to protect our families, so they came here and did their job."

Tracy looked surprised. "Wait a minute. They arrived two days ago. Are you telling me that Lucia Goods employees put their work aside just to protect us?" Samantha nodded. "Yes, Mother." She paused before explaining what had happened. "When we were at the Gupta family residence, Laura disobeyed everyone's instructions. She decided to avenge her father's death and eventually killed Hanna's father." The mood in the room changed immediately. Samantha continued. "Now we don't know what Hanna will do. She might target someone close to us, or the Gupta family might decide to avenge the death of their eldest son by coming after us." She shook her head. "Father, everything is complicated right now. And then there's the situation at the border. We all have to help Alicia prevent underground forces from entering our country. We've built a defensive wall, but she believes that alone won't be enough to keep everyone safe." Ben's expression darkened. "So we're in danger again because of your actions?" He stood up, frustration evident in his voice. "Why do all your problems have to involve us? I'm about to welcome my unborn child into the world, and instead of looking forward to that moment and being happy, I have to worry about whether someone is going to ambush me!" Samantha looked at him calmly. "You don't have to worry, Ben. Sarah and I will survive, and we'll protect our families. If anyone threatens the people we love, we'll deal with them."

Ben shook his head. "That's easy for you to say, Sam. You're trained for this kind of life. The rest of us have businesses, children, and families to think about." "I know," Samantha replied softly. "That's precisely why we're taking precautions." Before Ben could respond, the door suddenly opened. Chris rushed inside. "Wife! Survivor! I've been waiting outside. Why aren't you coming out?" Everyone turned towards him. Ben stared at Chris for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Wife? Survivor?" He looked around the room. "Who is Survivor? Is that you, Sarah?" Sarah rolled her eyes. Ben continued. "No, wait. He said 'Wife' first, and you, Sarah, have that strange animal name. So, Samantha, are you Survivor?" Samantha didn't answer. Instead, she turned towards Chris. "Waiting for us? Why?" Chris grinned. "Didn't you see the group chat?" Sarah and Samantha exchanged confused glances before quickly searching for their phones. They checked the table, the sofa, and even their pockets. Their phones were nowhere to be found. Chris shook his head. "Forget it. We don't have time for that. Come on, let's go. My BMW is waiting outside, and we're all travelling together." Samantha looked at him suspiciously. "Where exactly are we going?" Chris's grin widened. "You'll find out when we get there." He turned towards the door. "Now hurry up. Everyone else is already waiting." Sarah looked at Samantha, who could only sigh. Their family discussion had barely ended, and another mystery was already waiting for them.