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“We hurt each other. I said some pretty harsh stuff to him. I know this must sound ridiculous, but for the little time I knew him, he was the best man I ever had in my life…other than my brothers.” We chuckled, diffusing the dark mood taking over me. I picked out a comfortable brown jogger and black hoodie. I set my phone down on the island in the closet and dressed while waiting for Selena to respond. “Lena?”
“Though, I’m not on board with what has happened between you and my brother, I can’t really be mad at you. What happened was an unfortunate situation.” I brought the phone back to my ear.
“That’s a word for it, but…I don’t want to call it love, though I’ll say it was a deep connection. I felt it; it was real to me. Something I never had before. However, I just feel played. Am I naïve?” I asked sullenly, walking back to my bed.
“You are not. Our emotions make us act like fools. You said there was a connection, regardless of what has happened, I want you to hold onto that and confront him. I must admit that over the past four years, Karl has changed. Ever since he found out he was a dad, it is as if he has morphed into completely different person. He lives for is son now.Setting an example, he says.
Try to get him to be honest with you about his feelings and give him a chance to explain himself. Marie, I know you can be forceful and stubborn when you believe something, but you just need to listen to him. Don’t destroy a good thing before it happens. Promise me you’ll talk to him?”
“You’re right. I’ll talk to him, but I can’t promise I won’t be disappointed. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.” After a short goodbye, I ended the call and let out a long breath. What Lena said gave me a little hope, but I was scared to put my trust in that. Still, I was going to try.
I dialed Karl’s number the first time, dreading that woman would be the one to answer. The call ended with no one answering. I tried three more times. Still, no reply. He might be busy, I thought, but the paranoid side of me said he was deliberately ignoring me.
I left my room and prepared myself a light meal. I ate without much enthusiasm as I watched TV. My home felt too big for me–alone. I kept looking at my phone and jumping at every notification, waiting for Karl’s call.
By evening, when there was no reply whatsoever, I went to my room and grabbed my keys. I had to meet with him for my peace of mind. Within a few minutes, I was out of the house and driving through the gate. Karl should be home soon, I mused. If he wasn’t, I’d wait for him. Lena had mentioned his location before. She stayed there sometimes but had a place of her own. I left my neighborhood and drove straight to upstate New York. His home was located around beautiful lakes laden with well- tended trees and greenery.
The gate was locked, but through the bars, I could see inside. I parked and got out of the car. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be let in, but I had to try. When I reached the gate, I saw a woman dressed in a flamboyant, colorful dress walking out of the house with a child in tow. Behind her was Karl, finely dressed as well. They looked like a family going out for a celebration. My heart tightened in my chest. I had been right all along.
Though I didn’t get a good glimpse of the woman and the child, I knew I was right. He was keeping this a secret while he used me. They got into the car. I went back to mine and stayed there until Karl’s car drove out. Then I drove back home. This time, I had no more tears to cry. I promised myself not to put myself in such a situation ever again. I didn’t need Karl.
As I was driving home, I saw Selena’s car driving behind. We both parked by the fountain. I got out of my car to welcome her. She stepped out of hers in denim trousers and a silk shirt, covered with a black blazer. I hugged her warmly. Her hug was comforting.
“Let’s go inside. I have much to tell you.” I led her into the house. She took off her jacket and followed me to the balcony overlooking the pool below. We stood there for a minute, silent.
“You didn’t tell me he had a woman in his life.” I said out of the blue. That concerned me. Why would she ask me to talk to him when he had someone else around him?
She saw the confusion on my face. “Oh, that? She’s Laura, an inconsequential inconvenience–at least that’s what Karl told me. She came around to claim Jason is her son. That’s beside the point, Karl is not in a relationship with her. Not ever again. She’s just staying for a while until we can prove she’s actually Jason’s mom—or not.” She placed her hand on mine, and I felt oddly relieved.
I sighed and sat on the cold floor looking dazed. Selena settled down beside me. The silence hung like a shroud of darkness around us. “Tell me about Laura, why would she come back now? After leaving her child for so long?” I shut my mouth immediately. What did I know? I gave up my own child, if he saw me today, would he even accept me? At least Laura was trying.
“It’s a long story, but you should know that Laura was madly in love with my brother, but she was a bitter two-faced person who wanted to control him, to have him for herself only. My brother broke up with her when he discovered her manipulations…”
Chapter 10
KARL
Iwalkedslowlyaroundmy office, thinking about what had happened these past few days. Mostly me going out with Jason and Laura to distract myself from the thought of Marie. I thought I saw her around my house, but I couldn’t be sure–I must have been seeing things. I had ignored her calls, not wanting to get into another argument. However, now I had to meet up with her today.
We had discussed during the signing of the contract that she and her team would get a tour of the company before the filming began. Looking at my watch, I saw that I had a few minutes before she arrived. I stopped pacing and adjusted my suit. There was no need to fret. This was just a business meeting with professionals.
The door to my office opened and Blake, my assistant, came in. “Sir, Miss Rosii and her team are here. Would you like to meet them in the lobby or elsewhere?” He was a short thin man, but his deep voice made him seem taller.
“The lobby. Let’s go.” I took the lead, leaving my office. We both took the elevator to the lobby, and when we got out, I saw Marie walking through the doors. I walked to her while taking in her composure. She had sunglasses on and a large cream coat hanging off her shoulders. Her walk toward me was runway worthy. We met each other halfway.
She used her right hand to take off her sunglasses and put them in her bag–a limited edition. We stood there waiting for each other to speak. Her face was a mask of indifference, but her hazel eyes were scrutinizing me.
“Welcome, Marie. Let me take you around. My assistant, Blake, will give your crew the tour. May I?” I stretched my hand out to her. I expected her to turn me down, but she didn’t.
I took her hand and gestured for Blake to do as I ordered. Hand in hand, I took her past the expansive lobby away from curious eyes. Blake took the crew to the fitting room. We passed the lobby and entered the inspection area.
“Quite a lot of work goes into this,” she said as she took her hand away from mine to survey the room. Employees were busy counting and checking the textiles for quality. All around the room, from table to hangers, were materials from around the world.
“This is where the job begins. When we receive the materials, they have to be thoroughly inspected before they go to the other departments.”
She nodded, inspecting a deep blue cotton fabric on the table. The working staff stayed out of our way. I wanted her to talk and look at me.
“These people don’t seem to recognize you. I’m wondering how you kept your identity hidden from the public eye for so long.” Her question was unexpected, but I was glad she took the initiative to talk to me.
