(NFTMB)Chapter 23
Victoria
(Plan B)
I’ve literally been locking myself in doors for days now. I didn’t want to go out nor did I plan on going out. My life had turned into a jumbled mess.
Only my friends visited me in the apartment. Neither Alessandro nor Sebastian had come here since that night. I liked it that way and I planned to keep it that way.
After my call with Leonard in which he advised me to go to the police, I’ve been thinking of ways to go out unnoticed. According to Simon, he was sure I was being watched by Alessandro’s men, rich men do that to women all the time. So I had to be extra careful to prevent being too obvious and exposing myself.
“So, what’s the plan Victoria? You have to have a backup plan in case things go south. You should have something to fall back on like a plan B”. Grace said from the bed where she sat quietly eating a packet of chips.
I closed the curtain I was looking outside through and made my way to the floor beside the bed. I gently sat down with legs folded in front of me.
“I don’t know Grace but I sure as hell aren’t marrying Alessandro Rossi, over my dead body”. The thought gave me shivers.
“He can make all your wishes come true, you know that, right?. He’s rich, like rich rich”. Simon said from his position on the seat beside the bed.
“Don’t you think I don’t know that? It doesn’t matter”. I snapped at him.
This whole thing with Alessandro Rossi was turning me into a very salty person. Most times I would think it was hormones but then again I don’t know.
I remembered a few months ago when I told myself that if I ever met someone like Mr. Rossi in life that I would never let them go. I’d hold him tight and never let go. I almost laughed at the irony now, the cruel twist of fate I was embroiled in. I had only known him from afar then, just as another crazy rich billionaire but now I knew what he was like inside, I knew him all too well. He was disgusting and vile. A monster.
“Easy, it was just a harmless thought”. Simon retorted, raising both hands in mock surrender.
I just eyed him and continued racking my brain for ways to get out of here, report him to the police and then finally be free.
“Why don’t you call the police instead?”. Grace casually said.
My neck almost snapped from how fast I whipped it around. I had actually thought of that but dismissed it because I felt he might as well be tapping my calls.
“Explain”. I told her. I faced Grace, completely giving her my full attention.
“Call up the NYPD, tell them what’s up and tell them you want to file a restraining order against Alessandro Rossi, simply as that. Problem solved, you don’t even have to leave the house for that”. She seemed so sure and so proud of herself.
“What if he’s already tapping my calls and then he’ll be listening in on my conversation with the police. Or what if he controls the police. Like what if they’re his boys and are on his payroll”. My mind explored every possible scenario and outcome of this plan. I didn’t want things to go haywire.
“Listen to me Victoria and hear me out. Look, you can’t go up against someone like this without having a proper backup plan, it’ll be a suicide mission, you’ll basically be courting death. All I’m saying is having a backup plan in case this one fails. Something he’ll cease fire for”. Simon said seriously.
He was making sense though, this plan didn’t seem full proof to me. I wanted to know what he had in mind for a plan B. I needed options now, lots of them and also ASAP.
“What’s on your mind?”. I asked him never breaking eye contact.
“Marry him. If things go wrong, you can quench his anger or venom by submitting yourself to him. Think about it, all these started when you rejected his marriage proposal and if my observations are correct, it’ll end it too”. Simon stated.
I got up from my previous position on the floor immediately going back to the curtain area where I stood before. I folded my arms across my chest in a defiant way as I shook my head in a no motion.
“No, I don’t like that plan. We’re not doing that. I’ll be passing myself up to the beast as a peace offering? No Simon. I respect you and I love you but no. This plan involves sacrificing myself so it’s a big no. Let’s think of another one”. I refused and rejected.
I furiously shook my head as I wiped my tears with the back of my hand. Now I understood why his ex wife ran away with their driver. Living with this man was hell.
Simon must have been greatly irritated by my rejection that he lashed out at me.
“What the fuck is your problem Victoria?! Why the hell are you being so damn stubborn and annoying?. This is all your fault and your doing. You brought this upon yourself by yourself! You were meant to go there to work but no, you decided to play escort by the side and look at you now! You’re pregnant and you don’t even want the baby! You were so dumb that you allowed yourself to get knocked up by your boss now look at the mess you’re dragging us all into!”
“Simon!”. Grace exclaimed in pure shock and horror as I stood there silently as tears clouded my vision. Simon has always been the one with the biggest tendency to lash out at people.
“No! Let me speak Grace! I’ve had enough of your constant babying and pampering and don’t you dare tell me to shut up or leave because I’m not done talking. Someone needs to do what has to be done and say what has to be said.
Victoria is a grown woman with a baby on the way, she’s not a child so stop treating her like one. The earlier she owns up to her mistakes the better for her. Here I am jobless but I’m still trying to figure a way out of this mess for her but she’s still being stubborn and acting like a diva!.
You on the other hand Grace, you’ve been missing work and been slacking off on duties assigned to you just because of her, you’re always here by her side in case she needs someone to comfort her. Can’t you see you’re wrecking our lives and disrupting our daily activities?. Can you please be a little more humane and sensible and stop being so fucking selfish!.
If you could boldly sleep with him then why can’t you marry him now that the perfect opportunity has presented itself and carry on for all eternity? What’s the fucking difference? You’re just a hypocrite and a drama queen.
Wake the fuck up Victoria and see that no matter what you do, this story will always have one ending, he wins, you will end up marrying him, its just a matter of if you do it the hard way or the easy way but one thing’s certain, YOU will become a Rossi. You can choose to turn a blind eye or continue playing dumb”. He sneered.
“That’s enough now Simon! You’ve made your point”. Grace eyed Simon.
I couldn’t deny the fact that Simon was making sense. I could cry for all eternity but I knew deep down that Alessandro would always have what he wants. He would win in the end. He always played to win but in my case he wasn’t just a damn game player he was the owner of the game.
I wiped my tears with my hands and breathed in deeply as two pairs of eyes scanned my actions curiously.
I walked over to the nightstand and grabbed my phone swiftly.
I dialed the number and placed the phone on my ear as the two of them looked at each other in confusion.
“Hello, New York Police Department, what can we help you with today?”. A professional voice came over the line.
I closed my eyes as I breathed in and breathed out to calm my nerves.
“Hello, I would like to file a report. A restraining order against someone”. I balled my hand into a fist.
“Okay ma’am, you may need to head down to the station to fill out some paperwork, is that okay with you?”. The officer asked professionally.
“No, I can’t leave my house sir, he’s got men watching me everywhere and reporting my every move to him. I won’t even make it to the station before I’m hijacked and brought to him”.
I couldn’t risk heading to the station, they’d catch me and bring me to him immediately.
“Okay ma’am listen this is a serious case if you say he has people stalking you right now. What’s the relationship between you and your stalker? Is he a jilted ex lover who is back for revenge or he’s a newly released ex-convict obsessive boyfriend?”. The officer asked, sounding very concerned.
“None of the above officer. He’s just the father of my unborn child and we have no relationship whatsoever”. I said while subconsciously rubbing my stomach.
“Hmm, a one night stand gone wrong then. Alright miss, do you know his name, address, phone number or anything that can link us to him?”. I detected a tone of judgment in the officer’s voice, I don’t blame them though, anyone would think I was a slut if they heard my story. Maybe I was.
“Yes officer, I know his name and his address”. I felt like I was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel now.
I was finally about to be free. They would arrest Alessandro and possibly detain him, he’ll pay for pulling a gun on Flynn and me, he’ll pay for all the bad things he’s done and all the times he threatened me and oh no! Poor Matteo, what will happen to him once his father is imprisoned. Will he become a ward of the state? Would they allow me to take him? I would’ve loved to raise him as my own along with my baby, I thought as I rubbed my belly with a smile.
“Good, what’s his name?”. The officer’s voice snapped me back to reality. I could hear the pop of a pen opening.
“Alessandro Rossi”. I said boldly.
It was like a deafening silence in the call between the officer and me. It was so quiet that the only way I knew he was still on the line was that I could actually hear his breathing over the line. Fear gripped me immediately the line went silent, I looked over at the faces of Grace and Simon and I knew at that moment, I fucked up. This plan was already a failure and they knew it.
“Hello? Officer, are you there?”. I said warily.
He was teleported back to earth by the sound of my voice. He cleared his throat and I braced myself.
“Miss, you said you’re pregnant for Mr Rossi and you would want to file a restraining order against him?”. He asked again.
“Yes”. I said in fear while nodding my head as if he could see me.
“What’s your name?”. He asked me
“Victoria Abbot, sir”. I was panicking now.
“Alright Victoria, have a day you deserve, we’ll handle this. Goodbye”. The line went dead as I stood there confused.
Simon stood up and made his way over to me with a serious look on his face.
“Get ready to walk down that Aisle, Mrs Rossi”.