Chapter 11

William seemed to take away all of Minerva’s voice due to that punch to her throat.

            She cannot scream. She cannot move. Heaven knows she’s already a carrion now. At least she tried to escape from William’s malicious hands. All Minerva knows is that she’s defeated.

 William’s fingers dig between her breasts and his lips drowned hers when—

            “Get the fuck out from my wife!!!” Darwin’s mighty punch sent William rolling on the concrete floor. Blood gushed out from his nose. His elbow was wounded.

            Darwin immediately helped Minerva to get up. Her body was still shaking, and could barely breathe. “Stay behind me.”

            Her nod was enough for him to know that she was still there, that this traumatic event hasn’t yet broken her into pieces—broke them into pieces, she and her child.

            “So brave of you to harm my wife, William.” He prepared his fist for another blow when, as quick as lightning, William struck first.

            “You are not his husband!” William breathed.

            Minerva’s muffled scream gave him goosebumps. He looked her in the eye as if to say ‘it’s okay’. William held Darwin’s shirt and was about to give him a fatal blow through his rib cage when Rhea threw a plate on his very head.

            William, in reflex action, let go of Darwin and went to slap Rhea. Luckily, she managed to hold his hand just for Darwin to break it using the lampside table.

            He cried in pain. William shrieked in agony. “You bastard!”

            “No , William. You are the bastard. And I will no longer be your business partner. I will also take back all the investments I have made in your company. You are now back to being the boy in the slum a.k.a. William Reeves.” Darwin clicked his tongue in disappointment, “You just wasted your wealth and efforts for such a lustful life, man.”

            Darwin’s eyes averted to Rhea. “I will give you your very last allowance. Take it and use it to get away from this man. You two are never wed anyway and you are just his paid wife with fake documents, aren’t you?”

            Rhea cannot do anything but nod—and cry.  “Copy that.”

            “Go. Now. Don’t worry about him. You will receive the money shortly,” Darwin commanded Rhea to which the latter immediately obeyed.

            In a matter of seconds, Minerva and Darwin heard the apartment’s door slammed shut.

            Darwin kneeled in front of the still-in-pain William. “This is for Minerva.”

            And before he could blink, Darwin gave him a punch in the stomach that rendered him unconscious.

            “Let’s go, Minnie. The police will be the one to take care of him further.”

            When Darwin held her arm, she was still shaking. Her breath uneven and an unending pool of tears were still flowing from her eyes.

            “Hey,” he shook Minerva. “You’ll be alright. I am right here. Always.”

            Darwin placed a kiss on her forehead and the two vanished into the apartment. They drove far, far away from William Reeves—into Darwin Dennis Gray’s lavish penthouse.

***

“Call your mother,” Darwin commanded as he gave her his MacBook Air. “Use Skype under my username.”

            Minerva just looked at him with teary eyes and refused with a shaky voice.

            He sighed and took a seat beside her on this large silver couch. “Call your mother. Ask her about the fact that you were paid to me and all.”

            “No.” That was all she said and went back to sleep—on the couch.

            “You know you shouldn’t be sleeping on the couch due to your condition. Sleep in our bed, darling.” He caressed her sweaty forehead and smiled.

            Minerva brushed off his hand and sat up. “What’s the point in calling her anyway? Should I ask her for the receipt of me being paid to the billionaire due to my ex-boyfriend’s debts?!”

            Darwin took a deep breath and exhaled. “I am asking you to call your mother so that you two will have closure. I sent her to Rome. She will be an employee in a branch of my company there. You two must have at least a mother and daughter talk.”

            “What for, Darwin? To confirm that I am just a piece of breathing pregnant meat, meant to be paid to—”

            “Enough Minerva!” He stood and put his two hands on his waist. “In fact, I let her record a voice message for you because I know you don’t want to talk to her. She probably arrived in Rome now anyway.”

            Minerva pitied him while her tears still flowed down from her eyes. “I’m sorry. For earlier and for me being a pain in the eye.”

            Darwin whipped his head to her. “You are not the pain in my eye. You are the apple of my eye, Minnie.”

            Minerva finally smiled. “You don’t have to be nice to me if you don’t want to, Darwin.”

            “I want to be nice to you, Minerva. So please…” He placed his hand atop hers. “Please listen to your mother’s message. If you still hate her, at least do it for me. You both are victims of William. Both of you no longer need to suffer because he is now behind the fucking bars, sweetie.”

            She gasped. She never heard him address her as ‘sweetie’. 

“You called me sweetie.”

            “Can’t I?”

            “You’re so…so unlike William. And even to Derrick. You are the most unique and caring and altruistic man I ever met. It’s as if you’re a father to me, a brother, and a…”

            “A what?”

            “A husband. A loyal husband.”

            Darwin smiled. She smiled back.

            And so Minerva listened to her mother’s voice message. Rhea had apologized to her for being a bitch and an uncaring mother. She had told her about Derrick’s gambling lifestyle and her assertion to Darwin that at least make her daughter his wife for this ‘decent’ debt arrangement.

            “I love you, Minerva. Even if I don’t show it in my actions, you are my one and only sweet daughter. I hope you can forgive me. That’s why I begged Darwin and arranged you to her as I know you’ll be safe in his arms. That is my last gift and a way to right all my mistakes to you, Miriam…”

            A tear fell from her eyes; her mother called her by her second name. And knowing that Miriam was Rhea’s first name made her ugly cry. Forgetting that Darwin beside her. She put a hand to her belly and wept further.

            “Darwin. Take care of my daughter. You are the son I never had. At least now, I can call you as my son-in-law, if not my biological son. I love both of you.”

Minerva paused it to wipe her tears with a tissue. Darwin did too. “I hope you will not be like me, Minerva. I was forced to be with William as he threatened to kill you and your father if I will not be with him. I may never show it but your father is the only man I ever loved. The man who had owned my heart. Even when William bought me for ten million dollars, it was my heart that he could never buy. It is priceless, as priceless as the memories I had with the two of you. When I first saw you the moment I gave birth, I knew you would be precious. That’s why I named you after the Roman Goddess of Wisdom. Because it was you who brought wisdom to my life, who made me realize that no money on earth can buy my love for your father and, of course, to you dearest. I love you. And I will forever do.”

            As soon as the message ended, Minerva couldn’t help it but cry. Actually, she had cried for the whole duration of the voice message. She had cried when Darwin saw her cry. Crying is the only thing normal to do tonight.

            And even when midnight came, even when dawn breaks, her eyes haven't yet dried up—the tears that were meant for the mother that had long loved her ever since, without her knowing until now.