Xavier
“Wait!” Ria’s voice behind Elaine stopped her just before she could take a step. With tensed shoulders, she swiveled around to face her, her brows raised.
“Do you have something to say?”
“Thank you.” Ria fiddled with her hair and looked away from her in embarrassment. “Thank you for helping me. I promise that I'll pay back the money in no time.”
“I don't need the money back, Ria. I didn't help you because I want you to pay me back. All I want from you is to think about what I said. Think about it carefully. You know where to find me if you want to talk, right?”
Ria nodded. “I do. I'll think about it. Also, if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you apologize to Emily for me. I…I didn't mean to lie to her. I know that she loves me the most.”
“I can't help with that, Ria. If you're truly sorry for your deceit, then you should look for Emily yourself and apologize to her in person. Might I add that she was most affected in all of these considering how much she supported and stood up for you all this while.”
“She wouldn't listen to me.”
“She will. You never actually know until you try. Goodbye, Ria.”
With that, Elaine turned around and started to take urgent steps back to the spot where she'd parked her car, her heartbeat all of a sudden increasing. She hoped in her heart that her words at least got to Ria’s head and she would come around sooner or later. She would come to realize that everyone loves her even after everything and she would be welcomed back into the family if she repents.
Family was family after all!
Her legs grew heavy with each step that she took and she found herself letting out gasps for breaths. It felt like someone was sitting on her chest and there was a cloud in her lungs. Her entire body felt heavy that she had to hit on her chest severally with her fist.
“Please not now, not now please,” she cried, her eyes burning at the attempt to hold back her tears. She could feel an asthma attack rising in her chest and she did all she could to keep walking. What had caused it? Why, now? She pondered. This past week, her asthma attack had increased and she found it hard to go on her daily activities anymore.
Finally, she got to her car just in time for her feet to lose all strength and she had to hold on to the surface of the car for support as she opened and got into it. Elaine poured down the contents of her bag on the chair next to her, searching through the contents for any trace of her inhaler.
“Where did you go now?” She groaned. Her hands were shaky as hell. She let out a panicked curse when she found it nowhere in her bag and she began searching the whole car for the blue object, her heart pounding so loud in her chest that she feared it would burst open. She always has a spare inhaler in her car, but not today. What caused it? Was it perhaps the tense conversation with Ria or it was the fear that came after seeing the girls and their dangerous expressions?
That must have triggered her illness.
When she didn't find her inhaler, she did the only thing that first came to her mind. She picked up her phone, opened the messaging app, and texted Xavier, her breaths coming in short hard gasps, her eyes almost fluttering shut.
Once she was done texting him, she slammed her head on the headrest and kept on hitting her chest, trying to at least lift the weight that she felt in it. It was so goddamn hard.
*****
Meanwhile, on another side of the city, Xavier sprang up from his chair in the board meeting, his eyes fixated on the phone, on the text that just came in.
Elaine: I need an inhaler urgently, Landli.”
He waited for a second, waiting for her to complete her words but when she didn't, he pushed backward and began heading to the door of the large meeting room that was filled with the board of shareholders.
“Mr Romano, the meeting is not yet completed.”
“I agree with whatever thing y’all agree to,” he announced. “We can talk later. My wife needs me.”
He stormed out of the boardroom, his eyes scanning the hallway for Sonia. When he saw her making her way to him, he sighed in relief.
“You're out of the meeting so soon, Mr Romano. Did it end already?”
“My car key, immediately.”
“Sir? Do you need to go somewhere? I can ask the chauffeur to get the…”
“Give me the fucking key, Sonia. Immediately!”
Her body trembled at the force of his words and digging her hand into her pocket, she fished out his key and handed it over to him, a frown settling on her forehead as he shot out of her face, disappearing into the elevator.
Curiosity got the better of her and she pressed her head to the boardroom’s door, glaring at the security men that tried to stop her. She managed to pick out the words ‘wife’ and ‘need before she got thrown away from the door. She rolled her eyes.
It was his wife again this time, wasn't it? He could even get out of an important meeting just for his woman. Everytime, it was always about his wife, his wife, and his wife again. He cared about no one else than her. And sometimes, she couldn't help but think of what exactly he saw in her that the other women lacked, that he had to pick her over the billions of women in this world.
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