Chapter 24 #3
“Lino, we’re not going to be together again because I don’t want it, I don’t want you.
Our life together ended a long time ago, we both rebuilt our lives and I’m happy with the life I have now and with the people who are part of it.
I don’t want you, understand that once and for all.
I don’t understand what’s wrong with you or what you’re trying to do, but end this now. ”
As I spoke, his face grew more and more serious, but he let me speak without interrupting. When I finished, he began.
“My queen, I didn’t rebuild my life. I tried, I won’t deny it, but none of the women I was with made me forget you. I’m no longer interested in having children and…”
“Are you listening to yourself? Forget me? You were the one who ended our marriage, and I assure you it was the best decision you could have made, for you and for me. I’m not interested in your feelings, I don’t love you.
I don’t want to be with you!” I exclaimed, desperate because I no longer knew how to make him understand that I wasn’t going back to him.
“That doesn’t matter. I’m sure you’ll love me again, I’ll make it happen because…”
“I love someone else. I’m in love with someone else and I’m going to get married.”
With remarkable speed, fury transformed his face and his features hardened. He was furious, but nothing prepared me for what he said next.
“I’m sorry to inform you that you’re going to forget about Cavaller and his daughter, and you’re going to do it because, if you love him as you just said, you won’t want anything bad to happen to them.
I want you to know that I’m willing to do anything.
Either you stay away from them or… your dear Aurora will pay the consequences,” he stated, with an overwhelming calmness that didn’t match the atrocity he had just said.
“What are you saying?” I asked, because even though I had heard very clearly what he had said, I still couldn't believe that Lino had sunk so low and was threatening to harm them.
“You heard me. I'm willing to do anything to get you back. And anything means anything” he repeated, emphasizing that word which at that moment sounded horrifying.
“What have you become? You're a monster! And you can't hurt them, William won't allow it,” I pointed out, and at that moment I remembered again that he was on the line and I didn't want to imagine what he must be feeling hearing what Lino had said about his daughter.
“Try me. I assure you that for a week they won't know where the little girl is,” he stated, with a terrifying calmness.
“And believe me, this isn't something I say lightly.
I have everything planned and I know all the schedules and movements of that house.
You can go warn them, but they'll have to sleep with one eye open because as soon as they let their guard down, I'll execute my plan.
And obviously I won't do it myself, I have people hired for it and I assure you they're not people who work within the law.”
“You're deranged. I don't recognize you at all. You're a criminal and you'll end up in jail,” I said, unable to overcome my shock and bewilderment.
“No; I'm a guy who wants to get back the woman he loves, a woman that an arrogant guy is trying to steal from me.
And I won't end up in jail because I'm not going to do anything, you're going to prevent me from doing it by coming back to me.
And let's end this once and for all. Now you're going to listen to me because I'm going to tell you what I want you to do and say, and you'd better pay attention and do everything I ask because I assure you I won't hesitate to carry out what I just told you. Forget about them and start planning your future with me, you have no other option, my queen,” he instructed, raising his hand to caress my face, but I raised mine and slapped his hand away.
“Don't even think about touching me.”
“Don't be so dramatic because, whether you want it or not, you'll end up in my bed again and you'll enjoy it like before. Don't you remember how much you used to moan in my...”
“You're a damn bastard! A damn coward!” I shouted. “I never thought you could be so vile. I swear I hate you and I'll hate you forever.”
How could I have been with such an imbecile? He wasn't like this before. Or was he and I didn't notice?
“I doubt it,” he said, with a terrifying smile. “You're an obedient girl and you'll do everything I tell you, plus your mother will be proud of you.”
“Why are you mentioning my mother?” I asked, because the way he said it made me sense something worse.
“Your mother is aware of everything and supports me.
She agrees that we should get married again.
She provided me with your phone number and right now she's not very happy with you because you didn't tell her you were planning your wedding with that imbecile.
Nevertheless, she's calm because I assured her that wedding would never happen. The only wedding that will take place is ours,” he stated, with a haughty tone.
“My mother is aware of this madness?” I asked, increasingly astonished, though I don't know why I was surprised, my mother was capable of anything to hurt me.
“Not only is she aware, she's helping me so this gets resolved as soon as possible.”
“Helping?” I repeated, I didn't understand anything and with each passing minute I felt more lost and nervous.
I would see it differently if it were me he was threatening, but not them. They were my family and nobody messed with my loved ones, I would protect them even with my life. I didn't realize my whole body was trembling until I saw my hands that wouldn't stop shaking.
“You'll find out soon enough. Now go back to Cavaller's house and tell him that after our encounter at the beach we started meeting and realized we made a mistake by separating because we're still in love.
Tell him you love me madly, that you never forgot me and that we're going to get married for the second time,” he instructed, as if what he was saying was something simple and natural.
“You think he'll believe that madness? He already knows about your invention with the necklace to separate us. If it were as you say, you wouldn't have had to make up that nonsense. Your plans are garbage!”
“No, my queen. I have everything under control and I took that into account too. If you had separated at that moment, we wouldn't have had to come to this, but you preferred to believe that imbecile.”
“Because you made it all up! You're the imbecile, the hypocrite, and the fraud!”
“You're going to tell him that you made all that up so you wouldn't have to tell him the truth and could separate without so much drama, you're smart and you can figure out how to make him believe you. You know, either you succeed or you face the consequences.”
“I can do what you order even if it makes me the most unhappy woman and I hate you for the rest of my life, but at some point they'll discover you, I assure you,” I stated, knowing that William was listening to the entire conversation we were having.
“Ah, and now that you mention it, it goes without saying that you must also convince those nosy friends of yours about this,” he warned, seriously.
“They won't believe a single word because they know I despise you.”
“That's exactly why we're going to leave the country. Everything is already arranged. We're going to get married as soon as possible and then we'll travel to the U.S. because I'm going to work for a company there.”
“You’re completely insane if you think I’m leaving the country!” I shouted, knowing that everything he was saying wouldn’t happen, but I had to make him believe it would.
“My queen, stop resisting and quit shouting, you’re giving me a headache.
You have no choice but to do what I say.
Don’t worry about your job because it’s garbage anyway.
I always told you that job wasn’t for a girl like you.
In the U.S., we’ll find something better or you can just devote yourself to.
.. me. You know I have enough money for both of us. ”
“Are you talking about the money you stole from me when we got divorced?” I said ironically, though I don’t know where I found the strength to keep shouting.
“We were married, it was only fair that I received part of what we had.”
“And what we had was all mine.”
“Why bring that up again? We’ll be a happy married couple again and everything that’s mine will be yours,” he said mockingly.
“Now that everything’s clear, you can go and do what I ordered.
I’m watching you. I’m giving you one hour to talk to him and leave his house or the situation will get more tense. ”
Everything happened so quickly that I didn’t even have time to react. The car door opened and William grabbed Lino by the neck, pulling him out. The next thing I saw was Lino on the ground with a furious William on top of him, delivering punch after punch.
“I’m going to kill you, you son of a bitch. This is for touching my woman,” he said, landing a punch, “and this is for threatening to harm my daughter,” he said, delivering another punch.
I couldn’t move and just watched the scene completely frozen. The door on my side opened and Xavier took me by the arm to get me out of the car.
“Devon, are you okay?”
“Help William, please,” I begged.
“William doesn’t need help, I can assure you. Let him give that guy what he deserves. If there’s anything left of that guy, I’ll take care of the rest,” he assured me with a smile, and I looked at him amazed by his calmness in this situation.
“Please, do something,” I pleaded again.
Lino was trying to break free from William and was also throwing some punches, but William was blinded with rage and wouldn’t stop hitting him.
“Alright, I’ll go separate them, but only because you’re asking me to. Will you be okay by yourself?”
“Go help William!” I shouted, desperate.
Xavier approached them and struggled with William to pull him away from Lino.
He had to make a great effort to separate them because William was beside himself.
When he managed it, he said something to him and immediately William looked at me.
Then Xavier kicked Lino, who remained lying on the ground clutching his testicles.
Xavier took out his phone and very naturally began talking to someone.
William quickly approached me and hugged me.
I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him as tightly as I could.
“My love, are you okay? Did he hurt you?” he asked desperately, pulling his face slightly away from mine to look into my eyes.
“He didn’t do anything to me, really. What about you?” I asked, feeling his face and body with my trembling hands.
“I’m just furious. That bastard messed with my family and I assure you this won’t end here. The police are on their way.”
“And how will we prove what he was planning?”
“While I was listening to your conversation with him, I recorded it. I’m a lawyer, I assure you this piece of trash won’t get away with it,” he stated with determination.
At that moment, a police car parked next to us and two officers got out. William put his arm around my waist and pulled me close to his body as he watched the approaching officers.
“Which one of you is Cavaller?” one of the officers asked.
“I’m attorney William Cavaller and I’m the one who called you.
This is my wife, Dr. Devon Dulcet, and she’s the victim of the scum lying on the ground being watched by my friend Xavier Montepaz.
The scum’s name is Lino Coller and he’s the subject of the complaint,” he said, pointing to where Lino was with Xavier standing beside him.
From that point on, William and the police officers took charge of the situation while I answered all their questions and observed the scene, unable to believe that Lino had gone this far.
He had become a criminal because what he had done confirmed it.
He had threatened to kidnap an innocent child.
Why had he changed so much? Or had he always been like this and I was the one who had changed?
I had the impression that I had worn a blindfold, consciously or unconsciously, and now perhaps it had fallen off or William had removed it for me.