In Love With My Bully-Chapter 36: Past Collides with Present

"Dad?" I called an air of trepidation enveloping me instantly.

"That’s why we asked everyone here today. She wanted to tell you herself but, today turned out not to be great." My father sighed heavily, the man I knew knocked down by vulnerability. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

"What are you saying?" Mrs. Williams chipped in. "she was just here, she was fine."

"She has gotten good at hiding it over the past few months. She has Alzheimer’s," he declared.

Strength got knocked out of me. I gasped, my wife instinctively holding my hand to give me support no matter how little.

"Alzheimer’s..."

"It’s progressing rapidly,"

"All this time, both of you couldn’t tell us." I accused him. "You couldn’t tell me my mother was sick! Dad!"

"She didn’t want anything to distract you from the CEO position. Listen, I wanted to tell you, she wouldn’t let me. That’s why she rushed the marriage; that’s why she couldn’t wait for you to bring a wife on your own. All she was doing was thinking about you,"

I collapsed on the sofa. I wasn’t ready to lose her too. Ever since Rachel died, I had been so mean to her, but I love her. Regret washed over me like a storm of acid rain.

I got up again and headed upstairs to my parent’s bedroom. I found her lying there, so peaceful and beautiful. Quietly, I moved closer, reaching for her hair. I hadn’t touched her in a long time, and I hadn’t spent quality time with her. I hadn’t told her that I wouldn’t trade her for anything. I hadn’t told her she was the smartest matchmaker in the world.

Defeated, I got on my news and prayed for my mother. I was an asshole of a son, I didn’t deserve her, I prayed for long life.

*****

I was angry, frustrated, and sad. Everyone in my line of fire got a piece of cranky. First, I lost my sister. Next, my wife’s life is still in danger, and now my mother.

The prosecutors at the courthouse finally got back to me after two weeks of waiting for a return call. "Are you out of your goddamn minds?" I shouted, slamming my palms onto the desk.

"Oh, so it’s evidence now?" I barked into the receiver. "What about common sense? Damon should never have gotten bail. What happens if he comes after my wife again?"

I listened to the prosecutor drone on about some judicial rule of law nonsense, "You’d better pray to whatever god you believe in that Damon doesn’t hurt my wife or, I will come after the town, the judge, including the goddamn governor."

Without another word, I hung up the phone and cursed in frustration. "Fuck!!!!"

The table phone rang and, I picked up

"What?"

"Mr Numero?" My receptionist’s voice wafted through. "You said to notify you when Miss Prescott comes to visit. She is here now."

"Well, tell her to fuck off!" I slammed the phone and rubbed my temple. I tried to focus on work but, I couldn’t. I contemplated handing some off to Sam but, the knucklehead had been in and out of the office for the past few weeks.

My induction as CEO would be coming up soon as Victor was almost done with his appraisal. Sam had to put a lot of things in order; we were swamped. I didn’t have time for nonsense.

A few minutes later, Nita walked into my office with Gwen in tow. To say I was shocked was an understatement.

"What’s going on?"

"I don’t know either. The receptionist called and said she would like to see me, she said she needed to speak with you, and it was urgent so I decided to bring her up," Nita explained.

"I refused to see you because I was busy, Gwen," I said, irritated.

"Well," she dropped her bag on my desk and sat down ceremoniously. "I had to find a way. You have been ignoring my calls. If you would come to visit me as you usually do, I wouldn’t have to stoop so low as to ask your ’wife’ to get me in here,"

"I have some stuff to do, Richard. Catch up with you later?" Nita said, I nodded and watched her go. When the door closed behind her, I turned to Gwen.

"What do you want?" I asked to wrap up the conversation in seconds if I could.

"Did I do something wrong, Richard?"

"Yes! I thought we had a sweet arrangement. Since when did you think it would be proper to show up wherever I am and put me in compromising situations,"

"It was your fault!" she shouted. "You promised marriage wouldn’t change anything. You said it was an arranged marriage and, we would keep seeing each other."

"Things have--- changed," I sighed. She was right; I did promise her if things change, I would tell her. But I didn’t think she would become clingy. I am sure she had other rich and more powerful men under her cap. "What would one less mean to her?

I got up and moved over to her, sitting on the edge of the desk.

"I am sorry, truly. But things have really changed for me. I love my wife."

"You love that thing?" the mockery in her face and voice angered me.

"I urge you to stop speaking or, I will have you thrown out,"

"Richard, I didn’t think you would lower your standard so far just because you were seeking a marriage to secure your position as CEO. You went from this to that?" she gestured to herself, then the door like Nita was still standing there.

"Gwen, now that we have gotten it out of the way that I cannot continue to see you, I think you should leave," I stood up and gestured to the door.

"I got carried away. I came here to tell you something anyway," grabbing her bag from the desk, she opened it, and pulled out a letter envelope. She handed it to me, her face beaming. "I found out last week, that’s why I have been trying to reach you,"

"what’s this?"

"I’m pregnant---"