Chapter 25
“You haven’t seen her devour the world, as I have, with just one smile.”
—David Sant
William
Devon had worked so many hours and was still at the clinic, always with a smile on her lips and her usual warmth.
I respected and admired her even more for that, but I worried about her spending so many hours there because she always came home exhausted.
But I understood clearly that she loved her profession and practiced it with genuine love.
She loved children and children loved her; when she was with them, magic happened.
Devon was already a well-known and successful pediatrician, and although she hadn’t told me herself, I knew that she was the most requested pediatrician at the clinic.
All mothers and fathers asked for her, and she had earned it with her love, charm, dedication, and responsibility.
That day I had called her several times to see how she was doing and to ask if she needed anything, but our conversations were always brief and she told me everything was fine.
When we talked during her break, I put Aurora on the phone and listening to them talk was a delight.
It still moved me to hear the love they had for each other, and there wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t feel grateful that Devon was part of our lives.
She had completely changed my life and my daughter’s.
We were a happy family, the kind of family I had never dared to dream of because, until I met her, that seemed impossible for me.
But life had this woman, Devon Dulcet, in store for me, and I couldn’t be more grateful for that.
At eight in the evening, I finished giving Aurora her dinner and then we went to her bedroom to read a book.
She asked a lot about mommy Divon and I had to explain several times that she was working and that when she arrived, she would stop by her bedroom to give her a goodnight kiss and tuck her in.
After reading several pages and talking for a while about what she wanted to do the next day, Aurora fell asleep holding my hand.
I stayed with her for a while and then returned to the living room to watch some television while waiting for Devon.
I had offered to pick her up, but she didn’t want me to because she wasn’t sure what time she would finish, and besides, she had taken her car.
I would have gone anyway even if I had to wait for her until dawn.
With each passing minute, I grew more worried.
I didn’t like her being out alone at that hour.
I was sitting in an armchair in the living room looking out at the garden when my phone rang. I had it beside me in case Devon called, and I picked it up immediately, but the number was unknown. It seemed strange at that time of night, but I answered the call.
“Who is this?”
“Is this William Cavaller?” said a woman’s voice that didn’t sound familiar.
“Yes. Who’s speaking?”
“I’m Agatha Fedalen, Devon Dulcet’s mother.”
For a moment I remained silent, processing the information.
Devon hadn’t told me her mother’s name, but I assumed no one would call pretending to be that woman.
On the other hand, I had no desire to speak with that witch, because to me, that woman was a terrible person and I wasn’t interested in having any kind of relationship with her.
“Who gave you my phone number?” I asked, without greeting her.
For a few seconds she remained silent, which made me think my tone had thrown her off balance.
“Mr. Cavaller, that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you should know my daughter will not marry you.
She’s going back to her husband, as it should be.
In fact, they’re together right now and Lino is proposing to her for the second time.
I ask that you don’t interfere in that relationship because Devon doesn’t love you.
She’s a woman without personality and she probably saw in you someone who could give her the possibility of being a mother since you have a daughter who’s motherless.
I imagine you know she’s incapable of having children.
You’d better find a woman who isn’t useless and. ..”
I listened to that woman saying all those terrible things about her daughter and became convinced she really was Devon’s mother.
That woman was the devil incarnate, and Satan would have to excuse me for the comparison.
At first I didn’t react because I was so surprised that I could only listen and try to process what she was saying, but when I understood what she was attempting to do, my fury emerged. I didn’t distrust Devon, not at all.
“Shut up! You don’t deserve a daughter like Devon, or rather, you don’t deserve to be a mother at all.
You disgust me. I truly cannot understand how you can speak that way about the most wonderful person I’ve ever met.
I have the honor of having Devon in my life, and neither you nor that son of a bitch Coller will manage to separate me from her.
If that’s why you called, you’d better not waste your damn time.
My woman has my complete trust, and I assure you that I’m going to marry her and we’re going to form a wonderful family.
You are a vile being and I don’t want you in our life.
You’d better not come near Devon because I assure you, you’ll experience my fury.
Don’t call me again, I don’t want to hear from you again, and if your daughter bothers you so much, you can forget about her because not only do we not need you, we don’t want you in our life, you damned witch! ”
I ended the call and realized I was holding the phone so tightly that the device was creaking.
I was furious. If I had that unscrupulous woman in front of me, I don’t know what I would have been capable of.
I couldn’t comprehend how a mother could be so ruthless with her daughter, a daughter she should be proud of because Devon was a wonderful woman who illuminated you with her light and made smiles a part of your life.
Without hesitation, I called her. I wanted to know if that son of a bitch ex of hers was really with her as her mother had said.
I didn’t doubt it because all of this sounded like another grand scheme to separate us, and I was sure her mother had lent herself to it.
While waiting for Devon to answer my call, I grabbed my car keys to go find her. I had to go to her.
“Hello, my love,” she answered, and she seemed calm, which brought my soul back to my body.
“Hello, 'Sweet,' is everything okay?” I asked, just in case.
“Yes, of course. Why do you ask?”
“Because you're taking so long,” I lied, not wanting to worry her, though I would tell her everything later. “If you stay much longer, I'll come to the clinic and throw you over my shoulders to get you out of there.”
“I'm already in the car and…”
She didn't finish her sentence, and I heard the sound of the car door closing. Devon didn't end the call, and I remained attentive, straining to hear because I was sure something had happened to make her stop talking.
“Get out of my car right now! You have no right to be here, you miserable bastard.”
When I heard her say that, my heart raced.
That guy had approached her in the car, and who knows what he intended.
I got into my car desperately, wanting to be there.
Fury blinded me, and I wanted to reach her as soon as possible.
I put the phone on speaker to listen to their conversation while driving, and I also had a bad feeling, so I decided to start recording the call.
“Calm down. I know I deserve this, but you have to…”
I heard a noise that at first I couldn't identify, but from what they said afterward, I knew Devon had slapped him. At first I was glad, but then I feared that the scoundrel might do something to her.
“You have a good hand, my queen, and I must admit I deserved it. But let's agree that I'd prefer you use your delicate hands on another part of my body.”
I was going to kill him. That guy didn't know who he was messing with. I would make sure his life became a living hell.
“Lino, I don't know what you're trying to do, but either you leave now or I'll go back to the clinic and tell the security guard that an intruder got into my car,” Devon said, and I prayed she would do just that.
“I'm sorry. You have reasons to be upset, but...”
“Of course I have reasons, and every day you give me another one. Now, get out!”
“I can't. We need to talk about us.”
“About us? There is no 'us.'”
Devon was putting him in his place and handling the situation quite well, but I didn't trust that guy and was clear that he wouldn't leave her alone, especially after receiving the call from her mother.
“Whether you like it or not, we have a past and we'll have a future.”
“You're completely insane and I won't allow you to…”
Her sentence was interrupted by something, and terror invaded me. It sounded like they were struggling, and suddenly I heard that damn man's voice again.
“Ouch! Why did you do that?”
“Don't ever kiss me again! Don't ever come near me and get out of my car! Now!”
He was a dead man! He had forcibly kissed her. I don't know how fast I was driving, but I was desperate to get there. I had to be there to help her. I don't know what Devon might have done to him because he had complained and his voice showed pain, which made me fear anything.
“My queen, you'll have to get used to my presence in your life again because we'll be together again. We should never have separated; it was the biggest mistake of my life.”
“The mistake was messing with my woman, now you'll have to face the consequences,” I said, while pressing the accelerator. I didn't want to shout in case my voice could be heard through the phone and the bastard realized Devon had left the line open.