Page 56 of Torch

“Only my mother. Regina was determined to keep it a secret. She knew no one in her family would have supported that decision.”

“Is it okay if I ask what happened when my mother found out you were cheating? Did she hint at being pregnant at all?”

Frantically, he shook his head. “Not at all. At first, I thought we would work it out when she only demanded that I end things with Victoria. I went to do as she asked and found out Victoria was pregnant. I was so desperate to make things right with Regina that I told Victoria to get an abortion and left. Again, I cannot say this enough. I am not the man I used to be.

“A few weeks went by, and Regina and I were moving around the house like strangers. Eventually, she told me she needed space and wanted me out. I went to stay with my mother for a few days, thinking things would be temporary. Days turned into weeks. Two months later, I was served with divorce papers. By then, Bentley had been left on my mother’s porch. At that point, I knew she would never accept him, and I knew I needed to focus on myself and my son. So, I signed the papers and mailed them back to her. I never heard from your mother again after that.”

I was speechless. I sympathized with what my mother went through. Going through something like that must have been extremely painful. I still wasn’t excusing her keeping me a secret. A husband and father are two different things. From what I was able to gather, fatherhood opened Bryce’s eyes and made him become a better man.

“So, do I have another sibling outside of Bentley, or did Victoria get an abortion?”

He sighed heavily, regret all over his face. “Honestly, I don’t know. I went to her apartment after I found out about Bentley to apologize and tell her I intended to help with the baby. When I got there, she had moved out. Her neighbors could only tell me she moved back home with her parents. I tried finding her for years, but I always came up blank.”

I heard Christian curse under his breath. I turned around and saw him dragging his palms down his face. “What is it?” I asked him.

“Brit,” he whispered before looking off into the distance. For a moment, he closed his eyes, then refocused on me. “I’m pretty sure he’s Bianca’s father too.”

“What?!” Bryce and I shouted at the same time.

The office door popped open, and Bentley stumbled inside, staring at Bryce, dumbfounded. “Pops, two daughters? What the hell, man? Did you not believe in condoms?”

“Boy, shut your ass up and sit down or get out,” Bryce growled at him.

Bently took a seat from the desk and brought it over to sit down. I grabbed Christian’s hand, squeezing it lightly. “Where is this coming from, babe?”

“Brit, not only are you and Bianca a carbon copy of each other, but I’ve heard Bianca tell that exact story about her father before. Minus the part about him looking for her. And Bianca’s mother's name is⁠—”

“Victoria!” I shouted with wide eyes.

Bianca had told me the story about her father as well. It was all starting to make sense. Out of all the ladies, I talked to Bianca the most. Bianca and I didn’t just look alike. Our personalities clicked. We had many habits and interests in common. Now I knew why.

Christian pulled out his phone, scrolling while Bryce stared at him in disbelief. After a few minutes, Christian turned his phone to Bryce, and he gasped. He pulled up a picture of Victoria and Bianca from Instagram. “Is this the Victoria you’re referring to?”

Bryce’s mouth dropped open, and he nodded. “H-how do you know them?”

“Bianca is married to my brother.”

Bryce was quiet for a moment, and then tears suddenly streamed down his face. He dropped his head, trying to wipe the tears away, but they were relentless. Bentley got up from his seat and squatted in front of him. “Pops, what is it?”

Bryce looked up at him, palming his forehead. “You see why I tell you, I don’t want you to be anything like I was back then. Look at this mess I created. After twenty-five years, I find out I have two daughters.”

Bentley tilted his head from side to side. “Well, that would be kind of hard for me to make babies everywhere since I’m very much gay.”

I giggled, and Bryce shook his head with a chuckle. “True, but it doesn’t mean you can’t be a manwhore, son.” After a few minutes of silence, he turned to face me. “I know hearing all this must have been a lot, but I hope I didn’t make you want to wash your hands of me. If you’re willing, I would love to get to know you.”

I thought it over for a moment. Yes, my father was irresponsible as hell. Yes, he made a lot of careless mistakes. And yes, he hurt a lot of people along the way. But he learned from it. He became a better man, and for that I wanted to give him a chance.

“Yes, I would love that.”

Bryce smiled from ear to ear. “Is it too soon to ask for a hug?”

I shook my head, feeling extremely emotional. “Not at all.” He pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly. Not even three seconds later, and we were crying together. I was feeling a little overwhelmed, but I was also filled with happiness.

Ever since I found out about Bryce, I wondered what this moment would be like. I could honestly say that it exceeded my expectations. He took accountability and apologized for all his wrongdoings. That was all I could have asked for. My life over the past few months had been a whirlwind. Who knew breaking things off with Julian would cause a domino effect of secrets and lies.

I didn’t regret anything I had done. While my road hadn’t been easy, I felt like I was right where I belonged.

“Yes, ma’am. You did your thing, Brittney!” Cream praised me after I handed her the mirror.