The ride back to my apartment seem to have taken longer than I expected, but I didn’t mind. Because as I felt the car slow down and Amy pulling the car to a stop, I knew we had reached our destination. I was right, because when I opened my eyes and turned my head to the side, I realized we’re in the underground parking lot of the building where I stay. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” I picked up my bag, then made a move to open the door.
“Do you want me to come up and prepare something for you?” Amy asked, turning around to look at me. Worry filled her orbs, “You haven’t eaten anything since yesterday afternoon.” Did I mention I’ve gotten scolded over this countless times already? But, between never ending work and chasing shareholders, eating wasn’t part of my routine. Or more like I tend to forget it all the time.
I offered her a small, barely visible smile. “I can take care of myself, I’m not a baby.” Her glare didn’t falter, so, I added. “I’ll order takeout. Don’t worry.” Not waiting for her response, I opened the door and stepped out, closing it behind me and leaving her for the day.
Sighing, I ran my fingers through my hair as I rounded the car and trudged in the direction of the entrance, wanting nothing more than to submerge myself under water and get rid of my sore muscles-I tend to think better when in a bathe, and that’s the only thing I’m looking forward to.
However, before I could reach the entrance, a hand suddenly took a hold of my wrist harshly. Startled by the sudden action, I turned around to see who the person behind it is, only for a hand to come in contact with the side of my face almost immediately, landing a loud, resonating smack that left a sting in its awake. With wide eyes and parted lips, I turned to see the person behind it only for my gaze to land on Mrs. Donnelly-my former mother-in-law. What the actual hell?
***
Isabella Montague.
“YOU WRETCHED BITCH!” Mrs. Donnelly screamed the words at my face, her breathing ragged and her as a whole, distorted. “You damned woman! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!” She screamed again, and while I was still in shock, unable to fully grasp what the hell is going on, she threw herself at me, her arms flailing as she hit anywhere she could possibly can on the skin.
She couldn’t do it for long though because Amy swooped in, pushing her back enough to put a reasonable distance between us, before she stood in front of me-acting as a human shield. Even if it was a man attacking me, safe for the moment of feeling stupefied, with Amy I wasn’t scared of much harm coming to me-the girl doesn’t have a black belt and box in her free time for nothing. So, she doubles up both an assistant as a bodyguard.
However, as she made a move to hold Mrs. Donnelly back, I reached a hand out to stop her. She turned around and looked at me with a look that screamed whether I’m actually asking her to step back, but heeded to it eventually, taking a few retreating steps back, though staying at arms-length, close enough to intervene shall there be a need for that.
I kept my gaze on the woman a few feet away from me, glaring at me with so much hatred and anger, I couldn’t help but wonder where it stems from. I blinked, getting over the shock of being slapped and hit, my eyes instinctively narrowing at the woman.
However, her anger seems to be tenfold mine, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious as to as why I was being slapped out of the blue like that. She must’ve seen the question in my eyes, because she parted her lips, and threw more curses at me.
“Isn’t everything you’ve done to my son enough while you were still married? Now, because you’re richer and more powerful than we are, you want to screw us over, huh? What did we ever do to you? We treated you with so much kindness and this is what we get?!” She patted the spot where her heart is, her face contorting with anger and faux pain.
Oh my God. Which movie are we filming here?
I had my suspicions before, but her pathetic one-woman soliloquy only confirms my suspicions. All I had to do was slant a look in her direction and she understood what I meant. With a curt nod and a glare directed at Mrs. Donnelly, Amy turned around, side stepped her and went out to survey the surrounding, leaving me with the woman.
With her gone, I focused my attention back on the elderly woman in front of me whom I haven’t seen since that night at the Karl & Rose ball two years ago where she accused me of going after men because I couldn’t get over her son. I hadn’t crossed paths with her, or anyone in that family since that night because for obvious reasons, we aren’t in the same social circle. It’ll be a miracle for them to see me.
Somehow though, I managed to meet both son and mother in the span of three days, which I’d term as me being unlucky. It took every will power in me to ignore James that day and carry on with what I originally had planned, but with my current exhausted state, I can’t say the same about this woman that somehow found a way to figure out where I live and show up. How did she even get in? Security is tight around here.
Still, I tried to preserve the last bit of patience I have and simply opted to glaring at her, before I turned around and started making my way back to the entrance, not wanting to waste another second on her, but like earlier, she was quick to step forward and grasp my arm again, pulling me back again.
Only this time, I wasn’t taken aback by the action, having anticipated it. Instead, I turned around and pushed her away from me, pinning my cold glare on her. “Just how desperate are you?” I gritted out, my anger slowly brewing. “What part of me ignoring you don’t you get, huh? Are you that jobless, Mrs. Donnelly? Because I’m not. You have no more parties to attend and kiss people richer than you are ass?”
I gave her a onceover, a small scoff escaping my slightly parted lips in disbelief, and mock. The once extremely lavish woman I knew for five years is nothing like the woman that stands in front of me now. No, this woman looks like she hadn’t worn a single extravagant thing in a while, and by the looks of it, hasn’t gotten any of her expensive facial treatments as well.
Instead, she was dressed in a simple dress anyone can get from downtown, all wrapped up in a shawl that seemed to have seen better days. Her wrinkles were all over the place, her old age finally catching up with her without all those expensive treatments and stuff. She looks skinnier than she was-and no, I doubt this was intentional.
Over all, she doesn’t look anything like the Mrs. Donnelly I knew back then really, I guess karma bit her in the ass hard.
The corner of my lips tilted upwards into a smirk at the thought, unable to hide the fact that her misery and state brought even the tiniest happiness to me. I’ve suffered in the hands of this woman too much, and I’ve kept it in for so long I’m honestly fed up at this moment. I deserve this much payback.
A small sigh escaped my lips as I tutted, shaking my head. “Here.” Slipping my hand into my bag, I pulled out a cheque and a pen, scrambling a price-10 million dollars– on it along with my signature, before removing it and stepping forward, sticking it in the little space between her shawl and her dress, offering her a tight lipped smile. “You look like you’re in need of it.” I gave her a onceover, my face scrunching at the sight of her dress, making me tut before I met her gaze again, my voice dropping into a feigned sweet tone. “And while you’re on bit, buy yourself a new dress. This one is so out of the season.”
Judging from the state she’s in, she’s very much in need of the money, and though I doubt she was there to beg me for it, I know for sure she won’t refuse it. Besides, that’s just chicken change to me, it won’t cause even the smallest dent in my account.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.