ALESSIA
When we returned to our motel, there are food waiting for us again. After feeding Adrian, I bathed him and put him to sleep. Once I was sure he was asleep, I took out Claude’s calling card.
I glanced at the time on my watch. It is already eight-thirty in the evening. Was Claude still in the office or was he already at the mansion? I needed to talk to him. I took a deep breath before pressing his number on my phone.
It took about five rings before someone answered on the other line.
“Hello!”
I couldn’t speak immediately. I was surprised to his voice again. I swallowed before speaking. I had forgotten how pleasant his voice sounded over the phone. “Claude, it’s Sia,” I nervously said.
“Hey! How are you? How’s Adrian?” he asked eagerly.
“Ah… I’m okay. Adrian is already asleep.”
“I’m glad you called. Do you need help?”
“I think so,” I said, closing my eyes.
“I’m more than willing to help. Just tell me how.”
If he had been this nice when we were together, maybe I wouldn’t have left him. Maybe I would have fought for our relationship. But he was cruel back then. All I got from our time together was pain and resentment.
“I’m not asking for help for myself. Adrian needs help.”
“It’s okay. He’s still your son. I’m still willing to help.”
I wanted to admit to Claude that Adrian was his child, but I was afraid that he might take him away from me. I would only tell the truth when things get tough. For now, I still had something to hold onto in case Claude asked for something in return for his help.
“I need a million for Adrian’s surgery at the Heart Center. Can you help me?” I bravely asked.
“Sure. I’ll give it to you tomorrow. I can also accompany you to the hospital, if you’re okay with that.”
“Okay. Thank you very much. Won’t we be bothering you?”
“No problem with that. I don’t have any important meetings tomorrow. And I’m the CEO of the company, so I can take an absence when needed.”
“Okay. We’ll just wait for you here tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll be there at seven. Is that okay with you?”
I was about to say it was too early, but then I remembered that the hospital was far from the motel. “Sure. It’s fine.”
“Nice. Just wait for me. I’ll also bring breakfast.”
“No need. We’ll just eat here.”
“I insist, Sia.”
My senses were pricked. Claude’s bossy nature was kicking in again. That was one of the qualities I disliked about him. He didn’t give me the chance to choose or refuse. He always wanted to be followed in almost everything. My ex-husband had a dictatorial tendency.
“Fine. Suit yourself.”
“Are you mad?”
I frowned. “No. Do I have the right to be mad?”
I heard Claude release a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I really mean it.”
I closed my eyes. I wanted to believe Claude’s words, but there’s a possibility that he’s only manipulating me.
“What are you sorry for?”
“For everything that I had done to you. I know I wasn’t a good husband then. So, I hurt you. I did it intentionally to provoke you and make you regret marrying me. I thought that if you leave, my life would return to normal. But I was wrong. When Constance showed me the pregnancy test kit that you left behind, I realized how much I wronged you. That’s why when my mother asked me to look for you, I helped in the search. But we never found you. Since then, I’ve been eaten up by guilt for my sins against you. And even if you won’t admit the truth, I know Adrian is our son. I don’t need a DNA test to prove that he’s mine. Even if he doesn’t resemble me, I know he’s a Robinson. I can feel it, and I can’t be wrong. So let me help you and our child.”
Tears streamed down my face. I covered my mouth to stifle any noise. I slowly sank to the floor and quietly cried.
“Sia, are you still there?” Claude’s voice was filled with concern. I hadn’t spoken for a few moments.
I wiped my tears and swallowed a few times before speaking. “Yes. I’ll let you help Adrian because, as you said, he’s your son. But I still can’t forgive you. I can’t do it, Claude.” I admitted.
I still resented Claude. A simple apology couldn’t heal the wounds in my heart. I couldn’t forgive him.
“I understand. But I’m still thankful that you’re giving me the chance to get close to Adrian and help him. Maybe I need to prove to you my sincerity in asking for forgiveness. I hope that someday you’ll forgive me.”
“I don’t know. But I might forgive you if the moon turns blue.” I remembered Claude’s similar rhetoric when he was confronted by his parents.
I heard him inhale sharply on the other end. Perhaps he hadn’t expected my response. Maybe he thought I didn’t know about their family discussion before I left.
“I’m really sorry. I was just too foolish at that time. I thought you were the problem in my life. But it turns out, I am the one at fault for everything. It’s my fault that my life has been miserable in the past years. I wasn’t happy when you left. I only became happy again when I saw you and Adrian.”
“You have a sweet mouth, Claude Xavier Robinson. But I’m not buying it. Stick with your Haven. She’s better and suits you more.”
“Sia, I was never with Haven. She’s just a friend. I have no feelings for her at all. Believe me.”
“Yes, fine, let’s say you don’t really like her. But something is going on between you two, isn’t it? Don’t tell me there’s nothing because I won’t believe it. I see it with my own eyes in your condo. You weren’t just playing around when I saw you then. You were only wearing boxers, and she had no underwear under the T-shirt she was wearing. You’re just fooling me if you won’t admit that something’s going on between you two. There are only two possibilities: she’s your mistress or you’re just fuck buddies.”
Claude fell silent on the other end. All I could hear were his deep breaths. “If you’re willing to listen, one of these days, I’ll explain to you what really happened on that day.”
“I don’t have time. I’m already struggling with Adrian alone. I still have work, so I don’t have time for anything else.”
“It’s okay. Focus on Adrian first. I won’t force you to believe what I’m saying now if you really don’t want to. But one thing’s for sure, I’m here for both of you, specially for our son.”
I bit my lip. “It’s late. I need to rest.”
“Okay. Good night, Sia.”
I ended the call without saying goodbye. I still felt upset about it. If it weren’t for Adrian, I wouldn’t be talking to him like this. After our problem, we will go back in hiding to avoid further trouble from Claude. Hopefully, we could escape from him again, or he will realize that we shouldn’t have any relationship anymore. I didn’t want to get hurt again. I had been hurt twice before, first by Jaime, and then by Claude himself. It would be foolish to let myself get hurt for the third time by the same person.