Finding Happiness, page 8
Dale added. “I understand. Just know that I have a bad feeling just looking at his picture.”
Geneva nodded and smiled. She loved how all members of the family always looked out for her. Now Geneva had to let her family, including Isabelle know about her intentions. However, before she could even ask her parents, Lori and Darren had a surprise for her. Getting in the door, Geneva called out, “Mom? Dad? I’m home!”
Lori answered, “In the den, honey.”
Geneva went to the den and saw that not only her parents were there, but Kelsey was as well. So she went to join her family on the couch. Before she made her request about going to China, when Darren spoke, “Geneva honey, I think it is time that we visit China together as a family.”
Geneva was elated; she didn’t even have to ask about going. Although this next part might be a tough sell, she thought I will ask about my birth father and see how it goes. Then, clearing her throat, she began, “I love that we’re going to visit China. However, I was wondering if we could also locate my birth father? I have found out information about him.”
Geneva dug out the sheet of paper and handed it to her family. Lori, Darren, and Kelsey looked at the information, and all of them showed a look of concern on their faces. Lori said, “We know you have every right to know who your birth father is, but this guy doesn’t impress me as the fatherly type who’ll happily greet a long-lost daughter. He does look the rude, crude, and self-centered type whose words can sting. We won’t stop you, but we’ll go with you.”
Kelsey chimed in, “I agree sis. I’ll always see you as my baby sister and will always be there to protect you no matter what.”
Geneva nodded. Now her family knew of her plans. They talked about where they wanted to visit, and searching online, they found a travel agency that had a tour of the cities they wanted to see. The trip started in Chengdu and ended in Beijing, which was perfect. Lori contacted a travel company and booked the tour, and in turn, the travel agency said it would help take care of the visas and flight tickets.
With the flight itinerary taken care of now, it was time to tell Nathan and Isabelle. First up was Nathan. She loved the time she spent with Nathan. Every week they went on a different date activity; this time was to go to a painting class. They chatted as he drove to their location when Geneva said, “My family and I are going to China in a few weeks.”
Nathan said, “That’s great. Be sure to visit the Pearl Tower and go up high. I remember my mom’s stories about when she visited when she was young.”
Tucking the information into her head, Geneva nodded. She added. “I’m also going to find my birth father.”
Nathan’s foot slammed on the car brake and narrowly avoided hitting the car in front of them. Turning to look at his girlfriend, he asked, “Are you sure? I remember you saying how you saw a change in Isabelle’s body language.”
Geneva knew Nathan was looking out for her. She replied with a kiss and said, “Of course I am.”
When they reached their destination, he turned off the engine a short time later. Seeing that they were early, Geneva pulled out the article to show him. Nathan’s eyes bugged when he saw the photo. As he read it, he felt disgusted. Geneva noticed a change in his demeanor and knew something was up. As soon as Nathan finished reading, he had to put in his two cents. “Geneva, I love you. Just make sure that you stay safe. I can see that this guy is a real self-centered chauvinistic pig.”
Although Geneva was sure she wanted to meet Dexter, now she wasn’t sure about it. But she wasn’t going to lose courage before the trip began. After getting the article back and putting it away, she leaned and hugged Nathan. Then, after gently kissing him on the lips, she said, “I understand your concern and will be super careful when meeting him.”
Nathan nodded his head. He loved Geneva and didn’t want to see her hurt or lose her. Nathan had already lost his parents. He didn’t want to lose any more people. Next was Isabelle. At their weekly get-together, Geneva and Isabelle were talking. Geneva said, “My family and I are going to China in a few weeks to learn more about my culture.”
Geneva added following a pause, “And to meet my biological dad.”
Geneva closed her eyes and was expecting a lecture. However, it never came. Instead, she looked up at Isabelle, smiled, and added, “I had a feeling you’d say that.”
Geneva let out a sigh of uneasy relief. Isabelle looked at her daughter. She knew Geneva had the inquisitive and stubborn side when she was her age. However, she thought my daughter was now well informed and had a more significant support group than when I was her age.
Isabelle placed her hand on her daughter and said, “I understand that you want to meet him. Just remember what I said. Be wary of the guy who is your birth father; he is slimy. I’d feel better if you had someone with you when you meet him. I have a friend I attended college with that you can contact.”
Isabelle wrote the contact information on paper and handed it to Geneva. Geneva read and saw it said Valentine Lu 011-8613-710-96615. Geneva nodded and thanked her mother and promised to stay in touch during the trip. That night Geneva made called the number Isabelle had provided. Geneva didn’t realize that she was about to know a person who joined her corner.
Chapter Ten
* * *
Over in Xiaodian, China, Valentine had finished grading her students' papers when her phone rang. She picked up her phone and saw it was an unknown number. Valentine wondered who would call at this time of night. She answered, “Hello, this is Valentine Lu speaking. How may I help you?”
Geneva smiled and said, “Hello Ms. Lu, my name is Geneva Aston. I was briefly baby girl Olson and my birth mother is Isabelle Santos. You knew her as Isabelle Olson and...”
Valentine gasped. She knew Geneva heard it too. Valentine knew this call was coming but wasn't sure when. Sure, she and Michelle had seen pictures Isabelle had shown them at the time when Geneva was a baby—time sure did fly by quickly. Finally, shaking her head and getting out of her daze, she replied, “Yes, I know you're Isabelle's daughter. I've heard a lot about you. What can I help you with?”
Geneva smiled and answered, “Thank you, Ms. Lu, I….”
Valentine interjected, “No, please call me Valentine.”
The two chatted. Geneva told Valentine she and her adoptive family would come to visit China. When Geneva brought up wanting to meet her biological father, Valentine cringed—she knew this day was coming too. She could try to stop her from that, but she realized Geneva wasn't a kid anymore but an adult, Yet, she had to be sure. Valentine asked, “I know that you are an adult, but are you sure about this?
Geneva replied firmly, “Yes, I'm sure.”
Valentine nodded. It sounded like the young woman knew what she wanted to do. She added, “Okay, Geneva, when you and your family reach Taiyuan, please give me a call. From there can meet up and go to the restaurant where we can find Dexter.”
Once the cat was out of the bag, Geneva chatted with Valentine chatted a little more. Geneva found out that Valentine had moved to China shortly after getting her teaching credentials, Master's Degree, and certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). She now taught English in high school. Geneva and her family were ready for their trip once all plans and arrangements with Valentine had been made.
Geneva was excited about the trip and learning more about her culture. However, there was a problem now. Valentine asked if she was sure about meeting Dexter left a gnawing feeling within her. Nevertheless, being the brave person she is, she pushed the surface aside and looked forward to the trip. The trip started without any problems. After arriving late in Shanghai, they checked in with their tour group and turned in for the night. Following a good night’s rest, they had breakfast before they boarded the plane for a three-hour plane ride to Chengdu. After arriving they toured the city and saw the pandas in action. After Chengdu the next two stops were Hangzhou and Shanghai. In Hangzhou, they visited the Yue Fei Temple that detailed some history about the general of the Song Dynasty and the supposed traitorous Song Prime Minister who betrayed him. While there, she learned way more than she ever could have in a classroom. After that, they also visited West Lake. It was a bright day, and she and her family could see as far as the eye could see. With that part of the trip completed, they were on their way back to Shanghai.
One of the sights is the Oriental Pearl Tower. She and her family went up to the very top. Nathan was right, the panoramic of the city and the ocean was more beautiful than she could have seen. After Shanghai, they rode the bullet train to Beijing. While in Beijing, they visited the Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Yonghe Temple, Olympic Park, and the Summer Palace. The best part of the tour was visiting the Great Wall of China. Of course, there were many parts of the Great Wall, so their tour group took them to visit the Juyongguan Pass section. After climbing a few of the never-ending steps, the views they saw were incredible. This was a trip that neither Geneva nor her family would ever forget. Thus far, this trip has been a part of a great experience. They also loved the part experience of tasting the different cuisines, which was much more different than the Chinese food they had at home.
Now that this part of this trip in Beijing had concluded, it was time for the next part of the journey, the most challenging part: find and confront Dexter. After parting ways with the tour group, the Aston family went to the airport and got their tickets to Taiyuan. They boarded the plane, and they arrived in Taiyuan two hours later. After getting dinner, Geneva called Valentine. They agreed to meet in the hotel lobby the next day and do a little more sightseeing before going to the one place where they could find Dexter.
That night Geneva couldn't sleep—she was anxious. It was getting closer to when she would meet her birth father. That was when the 'bad' dream started again. The person her dream affected the most was her sister Kelsey.
Kelsey was very much like her mother and grandmothers: wise beyond her years, intelligent, loving, caring, and nurturing. Naturally when her parents brought Geneva home, she helped to nurture her baby sister. Kelsey knew at a young age how life can be unfair. She learned early on to treat everyone she met with respect and to stand up for others when they can't. This is why one thing is for sure—Kelsey can become protective. This is why now Kelsey was worried about her sister, Geneva. She loved her baby sister more than anything in the world. It seemed like lately, she has had severe dreams frequently. In the past wouldn't make much sense, since it would come and go, they let it slide. However, during the visit to China, the strange dreams began again. It intensified the night before they were to go and see Dexter. That evening Kelsey and Geneva shared a bed. She and her parents kept one ear peeled just in case it happened. The first few hours it was quiet but when they heard it screaming. “Mommy! Daddy! I want my mommy and daddy!”
Kelsey immediately woke up, turned over, and saw Geneva thrashing and crying. If it is one thing they don't like, seeing Geneva in distress; no parent or sibling wants that to happen. Kelsey placed a hand on Geneva and gently shook her awake “Sissy, wake up. You have a bad dream; is everything okay?”
With a jolt, Geneva woke up. Breathing rapidly and sweating profusely, she began to cry. Kelsey pulled her into a comforting hug. While she whispered sweet and soothing words into her sister's ear, Darren and Lori came over and sat down on her bed. Lori asked, “Is everything okay, sweetie?”
Darren added, “Do you want to talk about it?”
Calming down her cries, Geneva asked, “Remember how I have a fear of being rejected by everyone early on?”
Lori, Darren, and Kelsey nodded. They remembered how Geneva had said this a few times when she was younger. Geneva continued, “I had that nightmare, again. I was in a dim warehouse. I was looking around, and when I found you, I was so happy. I began to talk, but instead of warmth, you looked at me coldly, to which you said, “Who are you? You must be mistaken; we aren't your parents. You said I wasn't your daughter. The same happened when I found the rest of the family. I was all alone, and suddenly there was a shadowy figure, and as it came closer, that was when it got dark, and I woke up.”
Holding her tight, Kelsey looked up at her parents. They all knew now what was causing it. Dexter Kong. They hadn't met him, and he was already wreaking havoc. Not cool. Kelsey thought not cool at all.
For the rest of the night, the family had trouble going back to sleep. It turns out they weren't the only ones who were nervous. The following day Valentine looked in the mirror and sighed. She was experiencing many mixed emotions, mainyly happy and anxious. She was glad that she was finally meeting her dear friend Isabelle's oldest daughter, Geneva. She would also be meeting the family who gave her a forever home. Yes, she had already met Isabelle's two younger children, but today would be different. She couldn't explain if she tried to.
Valentine and Michelle had always been protective of Isabelle. Even more so after what Dexter did to her after their special night. So naturally, she would already be protective of Geneva.
Today Geneva would see Dexter in person and try to meet him and talk to him. Valentine knew that Geneva wanted to meet her biological father was her right. Still, I didn't make any less nerve-wracking. For all she knew and remembered about Dexter, this meeting could turn out bad, very, very bad. She lived in Xiaodian but taught ESL to Chinese students in Taiyuan. Since she was close was able to track him from a safe distance. Luckily, he didn't seem to recognize her at all.
From her observation so far, he still is the same self-centered, egotistical playboy who knocked up Isabelle. Only now, with people in business and the governmental officials complimenting him regularly, he had become even more narcissistic. His image of self-worth and the riches and material goods were more important than anything else in the world.
However, right now, she needed to focus on meeting Geneva. Taking a deep breath, she left her apartment and went to the hotel where Geneva and her family were staying. When Valentine arrived at the hotel, she went to the concierge and greeted them, “早上好.” (Good morning).
Valentine then added, “你能打电话给508房间让阿斯顿家族的客人知道Valentine Lu 来了, 我会在楼下等他们. 谢谢.”(Can you call Room 508 let the guests the Aston family know that Valentine Lu is here and that I will wait for them downstairs. Thank you.)
The concierge nodded and made the call.
While that was going on, Geneva and her family were up and ready to go. Then the phone rang, and Darren answered, “Hello?”
Following a short conversation, Darren nodded and hung up the phone. Turning to his family, he said, “Ms. Lu is waiting downstairs for us.”
Geneva breathed in and out; this was going to happen. Once they had everything, they headed down. When the elevator pinged, Valentine turned her head. When they came out of the elevator, Valentine gasped when she saw Geneva. After exchanging pleasantries with the family, Valentine commented to Geneva, “You look like Isabelle; I almost thought it was her coming out of the elevator!”
Geneva smiled and said, “Thank you.”
Valentine took them on a two-cent tour of Taiyuan before making their way to the restaurant where Dexter frequented. When they got, their Valentine saw Dexter hadn't arrived yet, so she treated the family to lunch. As they ate and chatted, Valentine noted Dexter had entered. She turned to Geneva and pointed to where he sat. She said, “That is the guy who fathered you.”
Geneva could see the same face from the photo; now, she was nervous.
Sensing her nervousness, Lori placed her hand on Geneva's shoulder and said, “Remember, sweetie, you don't have to do this. We can just leave now.”
Smiling at her mother, Geneva shook her head and said, “No, mom, I have to do this.”
Geneva didn't come all this way just to chicken out. Getting reassuring nods from all, Geneva took a deep breath. She got up and walked towards the right table where her birth father was sitting. This could end well, or it could be a horrible experience. She approached the table. Ever the optimist, she hoped for the best.
.
Chapter Eleven
* * *
It is just another day for Xin Kong or Dexter at the office, as he was known by his closest and trusted associate. Dexter was one of those people who didn’t give a shit about other people. He only cared about himself and what people could give to him.
Dexter was born as the only child of wealthy parents in Taiyuan, China, in 1975. His father didn’t smile when he was born, and his mother refused to hold him or nurse him. As Dexter grew up, his father was hardly around. When his father was around, he was a strict disciplinarian and demanded expected to do well from early on. The father would give out punishments if he did anything wrong or unsatisfactory. His father never gave any warmth. His mother was equally worse as she showed him no affection or attention. Due to the absence of parental love and love, he got indulgent attention was from servants who pitied him. Because of that kind of attention, he grew up a spoiled brat. The result led him to throw a lot of tantrums, be self-centered, unappreciative, and have zero regards for rules.
As the years passed, he was not only handsome but a bad boy to the core. While his studies were superb, he was quickly bored and was primarily interested in non-school work. His father began to have him work in his company, grooming him to take over the company on the right day. However, that didn’t stop him from causing or getting in trouble. He had been involved with his father’s rival’s daughter and was disciplined by being sent away for one semester abroad in the USA.
During his time at a college in Minnesota, he did well in his studies, for he knew what would happen he didn’t. Still, he wanted to have fun. He knew that he played the field of young women who flocked to him and didn’t care what he left in his wake. Today he was a shrewd businessman, earning respect even from the highest of government officials. He was also a lifelong bachelor as he vowed never to get married; he didn’t see the point of getting married. Nevertheless, he was in for a surprise that could change his lifestyle and reputation.
