Chapter 25 #3
I was so blinded by rage that my heart was beating uncontrollably, I saw everything blurry and delivered the blows automatically and uncontrollably.
The only thing I could make out was my target, whom I kept pummeling.
I realized he was shouting something at me, but I couldn’t hear.
In my head, all I could hear was everything I had heard him say to Devon.
Suddenly I felt someone trying to separate me from that guy. I turned my face and saw Xavier.
“That’s enough, William. Devon is fine, but she’s very nervous. Go to her.”
“But this son of a bitch…”
“This son of a bitch got what he deserved and something worse awaits him. Now go to your woman who needs you. She’s worried about you.”
I let him help me up and I looked toward Devon. I saw her crying and my heart broke. I ran to her and hugged her as tightly as I could. Only when her arms wrapped around me did I feel calm returning to my body.
“My love, are you okay? Did he do anything to you?” I asked, looking at her with concern, but without letting her go.
“He didn’t do anything to me, really. What about you?” she asked, feeling my face and body.
Devon was trembling and crying with desperate anguish. I couldn’t bear to see her like this, it broke my heart to know she was so distressed and that made me continue feeling great fury when I imagined that guy forcing her to kiss him and threatening to harm us.
“I’m just furious. That scumbag 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 had planned?” she asked, wiping away her tears with one hand, while with the other she caressed my lip which had probably swollen a bit because that son of a bitch had landed a punch on me.
“While I was listening to the conversation he was having with you, I recorded it. I’m a lawyer, I assure you this trash won’t get away with it.”
I heard a police siren and observed a car entering the parking lot. It stopped beside us and two police officers got out who looked at the four of us, especially at Coller who was still lying on the ground guarded by Xavier, but they approached us.
“Which one of you is Cavaller?” one of the officers asked.
“I am attorney William Cavaller and I was the one who called you. This is my wife, Dr. Devon Dulcet, and she is the victim of the scum who is on the ground being guarded by my friend Xavier Montepaz. The scum’s name is Lino Coller and he is the subject of the complaint,” I informed them.
From there, one of the officers began to ask us several questions while the other went for Coller, handcuffed him, and put him in the police car.
After answering their questions, we had to accompany them to the police station to file the complaint.
The incident could constitute a crime, investigations would follow, and then we would have to see if a penalty would be imposed.
The threat had not been carried out, but I intended to get to the bottom of it to confirm if he had hired thugs to kidnap my daughter, and if he had, I would make sure he didn’t escape spending time behind bars.
We arrived home close to two in the morning.
Devon was still extremely distressed and kept apologizing for everything that had happened.
I had made it clear to her that she didn't need to apologize for anything because she was only the victim in the situation, but she felt guilty because it had all been orchestrated by her ex-husband and was terrified and horrified by the possibility that something could have happened to Aurora.
As soon as we entered the house, she ran to Aurora's bedroom.
I imagined she wanted to check that she was okay, and that moved me deeply.
When I reached the bedroom, I found her hugging Aurora and crying silently.
Aurora was still sleeping, but Devon had taken her out of bed and was sitting with her in her arms, hugging and kissing her.
“Sweetheart, calm down because Aurora is fine and nothing is going to happen to her, I guarantee you that,” I whispered, crouching down beside her.
“If something had happened to her, I don't know what I would have done,” she said, sobbing.
“You two are the most important thing I have in my life and I swear I'll protect you with my life if necessary. I love you both, I love you so much that just knowing what could have happened...” She couldn't continue because the tears overcame her.
I took Aurora in my arms and put her back in bed. Then I lifted Devon and carried her in my arms to the bedroom.
“Let's take a bath, my love. Then we'll get into bed because you must be exhausted.”
When we reached the bathroom, I turned on the shower and began to undress her.
Devon wouldn't stop trembling, although the crying had subsided.
When she was naked, I helped her get under the shower and then undressed myself to bathe with her.
I washed her hair and her entire body very gently and then did the same for myself.
I had to exercise my greatest self-control when I had her naked and embraced under the water; my hands were dying to touch her more than I did, but I knew the moment wasn't appropriate.
Devon was tired and we had been through an extremely distressing situation.
I noticed that she appreciated my care and that was enough to keep my thoughts from turning into actions.
She let me take care of her, just looking at me and caressing my face without taking her eyes off my lip.
“Don't worry, it's nothing.”
“We need to put an ice compress on it,” she said, now calmer.
When we got out of the shower, I wrapped her in a towel and then wrapped one around my waist.
“I'll get some ice for your lip,” she said, and tried to leave the bathroom, but I stopped her.
“My love, I don't need it. This is nothing,” I stated, downplaying it. “Besides, I want to dry your hair so you can go rest as soon as possible because you haven't slept for hours.”
“You must be more tired than I am, not to mention you're bruised,” she pointed out, looking at me sadly.
“Bruises? I assure you these aren't bruises to me.”
“William, I'm going to get some ice and that's final,” she said, and left the bathroom without giving me a chance to convince her otherwise.
I finished drying off, put on my underwear and got into bed. Devon returned and gave me a compress.
“Put this on your lip. I'm going to get dressed and I'll be right back.”
“Devon, I want to dry your hair,” I reminded her. “Your hair is wet and it's not good to sleep like that, you'll catch a cold.”
“Are you a doctor now?” she asked, coming closer with a smile and giving me a kiss on the cheek.
“You're the doctor, but my grandmother was very wise and always said so,” I commented, smiling.
“She was probably right, but don't worry, I'll do it quickly,” she affirmed. “You do what I told you and don't take the compress off your lip.”
“Very well, doctor.”
A few minutes later she returned with her long, beautiful hair dry and settled into bed beside me.
I was glad to see that she looked better and was calmer.
I was still turning over the matter of her mother in my mind.
Should I tell her? Coller had implied that her mother was supporting him and helping him separate her from me, but she didn't know that she had called me.
After reflecting on it, I decided to tell her because I didn't want there to be secrets between us, even if it was something I knew would hurt her.
It was better to tell her as soon as possible.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, caressing her cheeks.
“I'm fine. You?”
“I am, stop worrying.” I took a breath and added: “I have to tell you something.”
Devon looked at me seriously and I think with fear.
“What is it?”
“Before I went to find you, I received a phone call from your mother.”
Devon's face fell and I could see the sadness reflected in her beautiful eyes.
“Lino told me she was helping him,” she said, with bitterness in her voice, and then asked: “What did she say to you?”
“According to her, she called to let me know that you were with him and to tell me that you two were going to get married,” I commented, omitting the part where she had vilely belittled her.
“I'm sorry she bothered you.”
“I don't want you to feel guilty about what we went through today.
You're not to blame for any of what happened.
The fact that that scoundrel was your husband and that your mother is a ruthless woman only makes me furious because they didn't treat you as you deserve, they made you unhappy and that infuriates me.”
Devon hugged me as tightly as she could, and I also wrapped my arms around her and held her as close as possible against my chest. With me, she would always be protected and loved.
She deserved to be the happiest woman, and the fact that she had chosen me to be her life partner made me feel a great responsibility. I was going to make her happy.
“Let’s forget about them, please. We already know what they’re capable of, now let’s leave them behind and look ahead,” she asked, emotional.
“Toward our future. A future together, as a family and surrounded by love. I love you, Devon. I will always take care of you and won’t allow anything or anyone to hurt you.”
“Thank you, my love. I’ll take care of you both too. You are my family, the most important thing in my life, and I promise to protect and love you, always.”
“I love you,” I said.
“I love you,” she also said, and we embraced each other tightly again, a hug that spoke as much about the love we professed for each other as about the respect, protection, and admiration we felt for one another.
A love that had prevailed and would continue to prevail against the wickedness of those resentful people who didn’t want to see us happy, but too bad for them, we were already happy and would continue to be because we loved each other above all else.
I fell asleep holding her, knowing that I had her with me and could protect her. Knowing that I had the love of my life with me and we were as strong as a rock.
I woke up in the middle of the night and I was alone.
Her side of the bed was empty. For a second my heart sank, and I quickly got up.
She wasn’t in the bedroom bathroom, so I headed toward Aurora’s bedroom because I knew she often got up at night to check on her.
She wasn’t there either, and my anxiety grew.
As I approached the living room, I began to hear her voice; she was talking to someone and doing so almost in a whisper.
I don’t know if it was right for me to listen to her conversations, but I was so worried about everything that had happened hours before that I stood still, just a few feet away from her.
Devon couldn’t see me because her back was to me.
“Why do you hate me so much, Mom? Let’s be honest with each other, be truthful with me for once in your life.
From now on, I won’t be part of your life or my sister’s because it’s clear that’s what you want.
I assure you we won’t see each other again, but for once in your life be honest with me and tell me what I did to make you hate me so much,” she asked, and it sounded like a plea, and my heart twisted with sadness.
How could it be that a daughter would ask her mother that? That woman was a monster.
…
For several minutes Devon remained silent, I assumed listening to the awful things that woman must have been saying, because they obviously weren’t going to be loving words.
I had to make a great effort not to go over there and hug her tightly, tell her that she didn’t need that woman and to forget about her, but I was clear that this was something she had to decide for herself.
“I can understand that my pregnancy was unwanted, but I didn’t ask to be born.
If you didn’t want to marry my father, you shouldn’t have done it.
I don’t think I’m to blame for you giving up your dreams either.
All your sacrifices were by your own choice,” she said, firmly, but with her voice strangled by anguish.
…
“I’m sorry, I truly am sorry that you’re so unhappy.
I hope someday you can find some compassion and love in your heart; perhaps that day you’ll achieve some peace.
The wounds I have will no longer bleed, they’ve healed forever because I don’t feel guilty for your unhappiness.
Goodbye, Mom, believe it or not, I hope you manage to be happy. ”
She ended the call and I heard her sob. Devon was absolutely amazing. I couldn’t stand it anymore and went to the couch where she was sitting and hugged her. I did it in silence, just to let her know that I was there for her and would always be.