In Love With My Bully-Chapter 79: A Mother’s Final Breath

The mansion was quiet as I walked in. My mom was still mad at me for the decision I made about my future with Nita. She thinks I am crazy and a sorry excuse of a husband and father. All that was true, but I didn’t intend to change my mind.

I adjusted my cuffs once I got in the living room where they were gossiping about something. Retirement didn’t exactly suit my dad, but I guess he just wanted to spend as much time as he could with my mum.

"Richard," my father acknowledged the moment he saw me. "Are you avoiding us nowadays?"

"Mum isn’t exactly too thrilled to see me anyway. I thought to give you guys space." I responded.

My mom indeed still ignored me. How long would she stay mad at her own son? I wanted to tell her why I said what I said, but she wouldn’t understand.

"How are Nita and Queen doing?" my dad asked.

"How do you expect him to know? He threw them out of his life; now I only get to see my granddaughter during the weekends for a few hours only. He took my God-given right away from me. I shouldn’t be complaining anyway; Nita is better off without him."

Oh boy! This isn’t going to end anytime soon.

"Mum, you can go see Queen whenever you want."

"Aren’t you supposed to be heading to the office?" My dad quickly changed the subject.

"I got a call from my lawyer. The hearing is scheduled for Friday morning."

"That soon?" My dad arched an eyebrow. "That’s not good."

"My lawyer thinks Lilian has got something up her sleeve."

My father leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. He wanted Chayara just as much as I did. Before he could say anything, there was a loud knock on the door. This was unusual since the guards at the gate would always notify us when there was a guest.

The front door burst open. The sound of multiple boots approached, and uniformed officers swarmed the room along with two plainclothes men I believe to be detectives.

"Richard Numero!" one of the detectives said. "You are under arrest under suspicions of drug trafficking and money laundering. Put your hands behind your head, please."

The words didn’t make sense. My mind couldn’t process them.

"What the hell are you guys talking about?" I stepped back instinctively. "You cannot arrest me."

"Watch us do it. Put your hands behind your head, sir!!!"

"Richard, do as they say, please." My mom cried, standing on her feet, nervous and shaking.

I lifted my hands slowly, glaring at the officer that came towards me. "I don’t know what you think you are doing, but I will have your badges for this."

"Where is your warrant?" my dad asked, moving closer.

The other detective handed my dad a piece of paper, which he quickly read through.

"Who filed this? This is a setup; you guys should know that, right?"

"We have evidence that Mr. Numero Junior has been smuggling and selling drugs since he became CEO through Numero Transportation."

I turned to my dad. "Call my lawyers." I knew what this was. This was a ploy to deem me unfit to raise Chayara.

The officer slapped cuffs on my wrist when I heard my dad gasp.

"Abby?"

I turned to the panicked sound of my dad and saw my mom clutching her chest. "Mum?" She staggered on her feet before her knees gave out. My dad was fast enough to catch her before she hit the ground.

"Mum!" I struggled against the cuffs on my wrist. "Somebody call 911."

The detectives ran to my parents; I couldn’t see anything, and I felt totally helpless. I heard her gasping for breath and my dad’s desperate cries.

"Abby, Abby, stay with me."

One of the officers pushed me forward, leading me outside by the arm. "Mum!!!"

I was angry, livid, so much so that I didn’t register the racing paramedics that breezed through me into my parents house.

*****

My lawyers got me out in two hours, arguing circumstantial evidence. One of the Numero drivers had been caught with cocaine in a Numero truck. He claimed he was just a driver and didn’t know what was in the truck.

Investigations were still ongoing as to who loaded the truck, but three of my employees related to the issue had already disappeared. I was the only scapegoat available.

My lawyers agreed this was a coordinated setup.

Martin drove to the hospital as soon as we were out. My father was still not reachable.

When I got to the hospital, Nita and her mum were there already, their eyes swollen with tears.

My father was nowhere in sight.

"Richard..." Nita whispered. It felt so good to see her, but there was something in her eyes I refused to acknowledge: pity.

"Where’s my mum?" I asked. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

"I’m sorry, Richard."

"What the fuck are you talking about? Where the fuck is my mum?"

Nita grabbed onto my shoulders and locked her eyes with mine in a battle of wills. "Richard! Hold steady!"

"No! No!... It can’t be." I needed to get out of there. I needed to be anywhere but here. I took several steps back and headed back out of the hospital. I found Martin outside and requested the car keys.

"I’m sorry, sir, I can’t." He knew. He could tell my mum was gone.

"Martin, give me the keys; don’t let me punch it out of you." I shouted.

"Go ahead, sir. If you need to hit something or someone, I would gladly be it."

"For fuck’s sake, Martin!"

"I’ll drive!" I heard Nita say behind me. "Give me the keys."

"Are you sure, ma’am?"

Nita nodded, and Martin handed the keys to her. "I’ll let you know wherever we end up."

"Come on..." She turned to me and walked ahead to the car.

"You’re fired, Martin. Effective immediately."

"Noted, sir."

I entered into the passenger side of the car, my eyes wide open but barely seeing anything.

I was done. Totally done. What more will they take away from me? My mom was right. I should have let Chayara go. I am the reason my mother is dead. Every decision I make hurts everyone around me.

"I want to see Queen."

"She is home with the nanny." Nita responded, driving out of the facility.

I wasn’t ready to face the death of my mother. I didn’t listen to her. I didn’t tell her I love her. The last thing she saw was her only child being dragged away by police officers like a common criminal.

I wasn’t there to hold her hand; I wasn’t there to kiss her. Maybe if I went back in time, she would come back to me. All the money in the world, and I can’t keep the people I love safe.

I felt the car slowing down and realized we were at Nita’s house already. I stepped out but overheard the new guard telling Nita the nanny had taken Queen for a walk at the park.

"I will just call her back." She reached for her phone in her pocket.

"No... I’ll wait. Can... Can I go in?" I asked hesitantly. I know she didn’t want to see me or have me in her house.

"Of course, Richard." She led the way and held the door open.

As soon as I made it inside, in the confines of the walls, I cried. I broke like a baby. I screamed my pain into the air, and Nita was right there with me battling with hers too.

"Richard... please..." She stepped closer and held my face.

"I killed my mom, Nita."

"No, you didn’t," she assured me.

"If I had just listened to her..."

"You followed your heart; that’s what’s important. You couldn’t have known." She tried to soothe me even as I could see her own heart was breaking too.

She kissed me on the cheek and kissed my tears. "I wish I could take your pain away," she whispered.

"You can’t..."

"I know... it is a great pain."

"She was... I don’t know... God!" What sort of pain was this?

Nita wrapped her arms around me. "She was still mad at me because of what I did to you. If I had known..."

"You can’t think like that, Richard." She reached for my cheeks again to wipe my tears, but I held her hand in mine and kissed it.

"She loved you."

"I loved her too. She was the best mother-in-law any woman could ask for. She taught me how to be strong. Although she had quite the shopping addiction."

I chuckled at the last part, and Nita did also. It wasn’t meant as a joke, but it was funny all the same.

"Can I kiss you, Nita?"

She took a step away from me at my question, her eyes boring into mine.

"I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that. I will leave. I can come back to see Queen. I have to be with my father anyway."

"I’ll drive you back." she answered wiping the tears from her face.