“Come here, Cara. Sit with me for a while,” said granny, seeing her standing indecisively near the door. Cara glanced at the door and sighed and walked towards granny’s bed and sat down.
“Maria told me that you’ve done very well in your college exams! Congratulations dear. I want you to do very well in life. I want you to reach for the stars, get fame, success, and lots of money. I want you to shine above the rest! May God bless you to achieve that,” she said, holding her hand. Cara’s eyes filled up with tears and she felt touched by granny’s words.
“Thank you, granny,” she said softly. “Are you better now?”
Granny slowly nodded. “Yes, better than I was last week but I’m under restrictions. I hate staying in bed for long but now it seems I don’t have much of a choice, ” she said with a sad smile.
“Give it time granny. I’m sure you’ll feel better in another two weeks,” she comforted her. It was so easy to talk to granny, she felt so attached to her. Why couldn’t his mom be like her?
“I’m sinking, Cara. There’s not much hope for me,” said granny, making Cara tighten her hold on her hands.
“No, granny. I’m sure you’ll be better. Please don’t give up hope,” she pleaded.
The door opened and Marcus’s mom peered inside. “Cara, I need to talk to you,” she said with a fake smile plastered on her face. Cara was immediately on high alert as a feeling of dread swept over her. She released granny’s hand and looked at her with scared eyes and noted the sad look on granny’s face. She got up reluctantly and followed Marcus’s mom outside granny’s room. The living room was full of guests, therefore she led Cara towards a study beside granny’s room.
“Sit,” she ordered, with an annoyed look on her face, completely different from the one she portrayed in granny’s room. Cara sat down on the chair indicated while his mom paced the floor in front of her, looking agitated and angry. Cara cowered with fear, expecting her to hurl insults at her and throw her out of the house.
“Do you have any idea about what I’m about to say to you?” she asked, finally turning towards Cara and glaring at her. Cara shook her head slowly although she could guess what this was all about. “I want you to get out of Marcus’s life. He might be blind, he’s a man after all but we aren’t. You cannot be successful in your plans of using him as a ladder to climb out of your dismal, poverty-stricken life. I know the likes of you. Do you think Marcus will continue to provide for you and your family all his life? He won’t, I won’t let him be used this way. We are fixing his marriage with Cassie again and I want you to get out of his life for good,” said his mom, earnestly, looking desperate.
Cara’s face paled at the insinuations as she reeled from the attack. “You’re wrong, Mrs. Donnelly. He brought me here from my house. I don’t need to use him as a ladder nor do I need his money. I am quite capable of earning both, success as well as money out of sheer hard work. If you want me out of your son’s life, you should talk to Marcus instead of me. He’s the one who’s making me stay with him,” said Cara confidently, refusing to be dominated by his mom. She looked taken aback at her retort but quickly recovered to counterattack.
“Don’t act smart with me. I know exactly what you are! You’re just like your father, a thief. Do you think I don’t know your true identity? Your father, Henry Sullivan was an accountant at our office, Donnelly Financial Services. He was involved in the biggest financial scam our company has ever witnessed involving millions. He was the reason behind my husband’s dwindling health and eventual death. Get out of our lives before you and your family can do more harm than you already have,” she gritted out while Cara’s head reeled from the allegations hurled against her. She had no idea that her dad worked for the Donnellys. She had no idea that her past would come to hound her in this way. It seemed as if her worst nightmares had come true.
“My dad isn’t a thief. Your company has falsely convicted him of a crime he has never committed, killing him and destroying our lives. If he would have confiscated your millions, we would be living a luxurious life instead of struggling to place food on the table. Please, Mrs. Donnelly, I have no idea where you’ve got your information from, but they are completely baseless. When I have the money, I shall prove how wrong you are,” she fought against Marcus’s mom for her family. His mom took a step closer with fury, glaring at her for answering back.
“I had hired a PI to get information on your scandalous background. I have proof. Your game is up, Cara. Marcus loves Cassie and now that they’re patching up, there’s no place for you here,” she said, making Cara’s heart clench at the news.
“I don’t believe you. I’ll leave when Marcus himself asks me to,” said Cara bravely.
“Aren’t you desperate? What do you need, money? How much money do you need to leave my son forever?” She asked, desperate in her mission to get rid of Cara.
“Nothing. I told you I’ll leave once I’m sure that Marcus doesn’t want me in his life anymore,” she said with a sigh. She remembered the way Marcus hardly spoke to her ever since Cassie reappeared in his life. Was he seriously thinking of marrying her? Her heart constricted with pain even at the thought. She knew how heartbroken Marcus was because of Cassie, maybe it was better this way. There’s no point in fighting for something which isn’t yours. If Marcus would have loved her, he would have confessed already. He didn’t, not even once when they were together. Their relationship was merely a no strings attached physical intimacy, nothing else, nothing more!
“He doesn’t. Do you want to see them together?” asked Marcus’s mom, pulling her by the hand roughly towards the door.
“Please, Mrs. Donnelly, you’re hurting me,” she complained, trying to free herself but his mom seemed determined. She pulled her towards a closed door and released her all of a sudden.
“Go ahead, open that door and see for yourself. Be careful, I don’t want you to disturb them,” she said. Cara stood like a statue in front of the door, clearly in a dilemma. She wasn’t sure if she was walking into a trap. Should she open the door? “Go on? See for yourself,” prodded Marcus’s mom. Taking a deep breath, Cara slowly pushed the door open. Her jaws dropped seeing Marcus kissing Cassie as she sat on his lap on the bed.
Marcus’s mom quickly closed the door and led her away before she could react. “Got your proof? Now get out of my son’s life forever. Don’t make me do things I don’t want to do. I’ll destroy your life if you don’t leave,” she threatened menacingly. Cara didn’t say a single word further as her heart shattered into a million pieces. She just walked like a woman whose soul had been wrenched out of her heart. There were no tears in her eyes and Marcus’s mom’s words didn’t register in her brain although she kept on threatening her. She just walked towards the main door, her mind was made. Marcus has found the happiness he was craving and she would try to be happy for him. There was no place in his life for her now. It was time to release him. Although her heart felt heavy, she didn’t shed a single tear. She had known this all along as Marcus never promised her anything else. It was she who had foolishly given him her all, her heart, her soul, her body, her love, her life!
She walked out of the door without a backward glance, straight towards Marcus’s apartment to collect her belongings. There wasn’t much to pack and within half an hour, she was done. Picking up her suitcases, she left his keys at the reception desk and left forever, without looking back! Although she was shattered, she refused to let it affect her, she refused to break down, she couldn’t afford to. She had to fight, if not for herself, at least for her little siblings who looked up to her. She had to move on!
Hailing a cab, she loaded her luggage and climbed in. “Where to miss?” asked the cab driver.
“Broadway Theater, please,” she said confidently. As the cab sped away towards Broadway Theater, Cara called Carlton’s number. Thankfully, he accepted the call on the second ring.
“Hello, Carl! Cara here,” she said hesitantly into the phone.
“Hello, Cara! What a pleasant surprise! So nice to hear from you after so long. Almost a year, right?” he exclaimed excitedly.
“Yes, one year and three weeks,” said Cara brokenly.
“Wow! I thought you had forgotten us. How are you, Cara? What are you up to these days?” he asked eagerly.
“I’m on my way to Broadway Theater in a few minutes. Are you still working there? I think I’ll take up your offer of a job. I need a job, Carl, very badly. I have nowhere else to go to,” she said in a broken voice. Carl was shocked for a minute before he composed himself.
“I was about to leave for the day. Good that you called. Come quickly. I’m waiting for you at the main gates,” he said. He disconnected the call and Cara heaved a sigh of relief that at least she knew someone in this huge city. A faint ray of hope fluttered in her heart as the cab reached Broadway Theater.