Chapter 39
Natasha:
It had been a long while since I had been in the house, but it still felt the same; from the driveway to the front porch, to the spacious living room that was so big I could fit my apartment into it. Memories flooded my mind, memories of Clayton and I doing what we did, making love at various spots in the house, not just the living room, or his bedroom, but also the kitchen, the basement, even the hallway; getting caught by his servants sometimes and the awkward exchange that followed.
“And after all that,” I thought to myself, “he left me for that bitch!”
As I advanced into the house, his mother came out. She looked a little older since the last time that I saw her, but there was a certain dignity, a self-awareness and self-respect that Mrs. Rocco carried herself with, and it was that of a person who knew she had the world in her palms.
“Natasha, darling,” she said with her arms outstretched, “you look so beautiful.”
“As do you, Mrs. Rocco,” I said as she wrapped me in an embrace, her heady perfume lulling my senses.
“Ohh, we’re going to have so much fun,” she said. She cupped my face and looked into my eyes. There was something about the way she looked at me that made me feel seen, that made me feel like I was actually worth something, that I wasn’t useless; unlike her son, who looked at me like I was a crumpled can of soda to be tossed into a trash bin.
“Take her bags into the guest bedroom,” she said to a servant nearby. I felt stung by that. Formerly, when I would visit, I would stay in Clayton’s bedroom with him, he and I under the same sheets, but things had changed now.
“We need to talk, Natasha,” she said, pulling me towards the dining room. Her face assumed a new severity and I knew she wanted to talk business.
“What is it?” I asked as we both sat.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.
“Well, it’s the situation of this house now, Natasha,” she said. “I know you know what I’m talking about.”
I sighed, nodded.
“Natasha, I know it must hurt,” she said, placing her hand over mine. “But you have to know what an idiot my son is. You know him best, perhaps even more than I, his mother. He makes rash decisions, never giving them a thought, especially when he is charged with anger.”
“I know,” I said. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I dated him for years, and let him use me how he wanted, and he left me for…”
The tears came, and I couldn’t control them. I turned my face away from the concerning look on Mrs. Rocco’s face.
“What he did was a stupid thing, Natasha, I know,” she said, “but what is undeniable is his love for you. He still loves you; I know it, you know it, he knows it, that lowlife he married knows it. Everyone knows it!”
I sniffled.
“We’re going to do something,” she said. There was a hint of malice in her voice that was alluring, as if she wanted us to go on a dangerous and wicked mission together.
“What?” I asked, my brows furrowed.
She spread her face in a smirk.
Nadine:
It’s late afternoon already before I am able to gather myself. I dress up quickly with plans to go to the hospital to see my sister. It had been more than twelve hours since I had seen her, and I knew she would be quite lonely. Seeing that Naomi was no more, I knew I would have to dedicate more time to Anna. But when I came downstairs, I received the shock of my life. Sitting with Mrs. Rocco in the living room was Natasha.
“Hello, Nadine,” Natasha said. “How are you doing today?”
I stood as still as a monument, eyes moving from one person to the other.
“What’s the matter, girl?” Mrs. Rocco said. “Cat got your tongue?”
“Look how stupid you look staring like that,” Natasha said before giving a short, wicked laugh.
“Natasha here will be around for the duration of my visit,” Mrs. Rocco said. “She’ll be keeping me company, seeing as you have failed in that capacity. Anyways, what are you dressed up for?”
My head spun and my breathing became shallow, almost like I was seeing a ghost in front of me. I shook my head trying to recover myself.
“I’m going to the central hospital,” I answered. “I need to see my sister.”
“Mmm,” Mrs. Rocco said. “I see. She’s sick?”
“Yes. Cancer,” I said.
“And I’m guessing you use Clayton’s money to fund her treatment, eh?” Natasha interrupted. “Seeing as you barely have any yourself.”
I shrugged, wanting to ignore her and began walking towards the door.
“But isn’t that why you’re married to him?” Natasha continued, to Mrs. Rocco’s delight, I presume. “So that you can leach him, benefit from his wealth and affluence, use his money to fund your penurious life. Isn’t that why?”
Something rose in me. I was becoming angry. If only she knew about the contract, she would not have been spewing such rubbish.
“Natasha, please, miss me with this bullshit,” I said firmly. “It isn’t my fault Clayton did not marry you after you spent your entire life with him. I’m not responsible for your misfortune, Clayton is. Perhaps, if you feel so much indignation you should take it out on him!”
“Ahh, I like this,” I heard Mrs. Rocco say.
“If you had not walked into his life with those spindly legs of yours, Clayton and I would still be happy now,” she retorted, I could hear the pain in her voice. “You ruined everything, you bitch!”
“I did nothing, Natasha,” I said, still walking towards the door. “Maybe you should look inwards, you know, maybe it’s your fault.”
“What?!?!” She said in surprised exasperation.
“Good day, Natasha,” I said and walked out the door.