(Renata Valentini)
I grope to Filippo’s side of the bed and don’t find him, not strange, I never manage to wake up before him, even though I wake up at six in the morning. Yesterday I slept so well, Filippo kept cuddling me until sleep consumed me. I hope he was able to sleep too, I know well what he was feeling yesterday.
I shake my head, I want to push away the saddest memories of my life, the death of my parents, right in front of me, I hate to remember that day.
I stretch and get out of bed, with light steps I approach the bathroom, Filippo must be taking a shower by now. But I wonder if I don’t hear the sound of the shower. I turn the knob and find the bathroom dark and empty, ‘Is he in the kitchen?’ I ask mentally and walk, I open all the doors in the corridor, but he is nowhere in the house.
I run back to the bedroom and grab my cell phone on top of the nightstand, I dial his number, but it just says it’s out of range, I feel my chest tighten. Today is still an ugly Thursday, I can only think of two possibilities: either he went to the company, to distract himself, or, he finally got the call with news of his brother and is now with them; I can’t help feeling upset, I understand that he was shaken, but it wouldn’t hurt to let me know where he went.
Without wasting any time, I shower and get ready. I need to go to work.
***
“Let’s go to the meeting room,” Sophie says as soon as she gets into the elevator.
“What’s going on?” I ask, finding it strange how closed her face is.
“The vice president is summoning everyone to the meeting room.” She answers without patience, gosh, I wonder what bug bit her?
As I enter the large room, I notice that almost all the employees are here, I sneak through the crowd and see Lucas in the center of the room, he is not looking too good either. His eyes meet mine, and he sighs, what is going on here?
“As most of you are already present, I will tell you the change we will have in the company,” Lucas speaks into the microphone. My heart is pounding, I don’t have a good feeling. “As of today, Filippo Valentini is no longer the president of this company, he has resigned.”
What?
I listen to the various voices questioning the reason and asking if this was some kind of joke.
“Filippo has returned to his family and will take over the business there.”
“And to take over the family business, does he have to leave the company? Will you be the new president? Will Filippo give any explanation? It is very rude to leave without saying anything.” Several voices speak at the same time.
“Silence!” Lucas practically shouts, making everyone shut up. “Filippo decided that it would be better to be in charge of just one job, I will now be the new president of this company. Now go back to your jobs.”
I wait for everyone to leave, leaving only Lucas, Sophie and me, and walk over to the table, Lucas is massaging his temples.
“Where is Filippo?” I ask, Lucas doesn’t look at me, he just takes a deep breath.
“I can’t tell you.”
“Why?” I ask, feeling my knees weaken, but I don’t allow myself to fall. “Please, what happened to Filippo?” I insist.
Filippo would never abandon me, he promised to protect me, he said he would not leave me alone!
The silence inside the room makes my heart squeeze, I am feeling suffocated by this silence, there has to be an explanation, maybe this is just a prank. Filippo must be hiding in some room, just to observe people’s reactions.
“And-he’s behind that door, isn’t he?” Unfortunately I can’t keep my voice steady, I point to the bathroom door, feel, without my permission, the tears flow from my eyes.
“He’s gone! Which part didn’t you understand?” Sophie stands up from the table and claps her hands together, causing a loud noise to echo through the room. “He just left early this morning.”
“No.” I deny frantically with my head. “He would not leave without even saying goodbye to me.”
“What is missing for you to understand that you have been abandoned, girl?” She speaks excitedly, and I can feel the anger in her voice.
“He would not abandon me!” I shout back, I trust him, I trust the words he told me, I trust his promise, I won’t let her slanders enter my mind.
“He’s already left you, and the only one who can’t see that is you, young lady.” Lucas says, looking at me. “I imagine that you don’t want to accept it, you became attached to him, but understand, Filippo was never a man for you, probably his brother has already chosen a woman for him to marry, maybe that’s even why he left, to get married and bring benefits to the family.”
“I don’t…”
“Fuck you if you don’t believe me, go to your post, the meeting is over, I want today’s agenda.” Lucas speaks authoritatively. I know I have only spoken to him once, but he has been very kind, very different from now, he even seems like a different person.
I turn my back, I can no longer look at the faces of these two, I open the glass door, but before I can get out, I hear him speak:
“A word of advice: forget that once that man was part of your life, it will be better for you.”
I don’t look at him or answer him, I just leave and close the door. I can’t believe that Filippo went away and abandoned me, this can’t be true.
With a pounding heart, I head to my desk and make today’s agenda. After an hour, I see Lucas walk past me and into Filippo’s room. A cake forms in my throat, I can’t believe it…
With no more choices, I take the little booklet and enter the room. As soon as I look at the table, I remember the moments Filippo and I had about her, but now a strange man is after her.
Without greeting him, I tell him today’s agenda, he doesn’t have much to do, Filippo always has advanced work.
“Okay, you’re excused for today, go home, your face looks awful.”
Without saying a word, I leave the president’s office, grab my purse and leave the company, the tears cascade into my eyes, into my heart, I feel as if I am being stabbed. I signal to the taxi driver, tell him the address where I want to go, he hesitates a little, but after looking at my face for a few seconds he accepts the ride and drops me off in front of the gate.
“Renata.” Amanda speaks my name with raised eyebrows, she surely didn’t expect to see me here.
I can’t say anything, I just throw myself into her arms, I know she is very hurt, I am careful and don’t hug her hard, I feel her good arm hug me, she pulls me into her house and closes the gate, we undo the hug.
“Your father, won’t he think it’s bad to see me here?” I ask worriedly.
“He’s not home, come on, let’s go inside.”