Arabel's POV
Dampness forms beneath my arms at the question. It makes me wonder if he is seeing underneath the pretences and how many doubts he has about me being Arabel.
He looks a bit upset. Perhaps upset that I am pretending to be someone else.
Last time I checked, the one who was used and dumped like a piece of rag was me and I am the one who has every single right to be upset, mad, infuriated and angry.
He has no right to be.
I never thought I would see him again. Not after all these years when he doesn't even know he has a child with me. I was hoping it would be a secret I would keep till the very end.
Just when I was healing. Just when I was getting to forget about his existence even though Daisy reminds me so much of him, he showed up.
If Daisy had been a boy, he would have been a carbon copy of his father. For a second, I am grateful for that. Daisy looks more like me but she has her father's eyes and hair.
Blonde hair. Blue eyes.
His eyes are staring intensely into mine, the coldness in those eyes like I used to remember is gone. He seems to be reading through me.
“Aren't you tired of pretending already? If you aren't, well I am. And I am really sorry for what happened…”
“Mr Giodano”, I call calmly, forcing myself to wave my inner emotions away and focus on his face. Shaking my head, I mutter. “I thought you knew my name before offering me a partnership? Why are you bent on giving me another name?”
I try to smile but it falters.
“My name is Bella Portillo. If you can't call me by my last name, my first name would do. Don’t just change it again.” Ice drips from my voice. I know I am letting my emotions show too much but I can't help it. He keeps getting on my nerves.
In the short time that I have been here, I have tried to be unaffected by his presence. For a brief second, I thought of bursting out, letting everything out and yelling at him for his betrayal.
I thought of telling the truth, telling him that I am indeed Arabel but it scares me. What will happen next? Isn't he going to question if Daisy is his child? That scares me more than having to lose this contract.
The contract is also important. And the truth can not be hidden forever. Even if I want to tell the truth about my identity, then it should be after the contract has been signed and there is no going back for both of us.
With a nod, he looks down at the document and when he gazes back at me, the anger is gone. It is now replaced with an expression I can't place.
But he looks serious.
“The partnership is going to be for five years' ', he begins and the door opens to reveal Ashley peeping in. He signals to her to enter and she does so quickly, taking a seat and grabbing the documents. “The company has offered a 30% share for every earning every month. Ashley here will tell you every other thing you will know. Also, work starts immediately.”
I raise a brow.
I didn't expect everything would be this short. Is he affected by my presence too and can't wait to get rid of me? Is he feeling better about what I said to him?
I also have questions to ask him but I guess it is better this way. I will ask Ashley but the most important is about my trip to London tomorrow.
I clear my throat, trying not to make things awkward, even though Ashley is strangely staring at me. She must be curious about what her boss and I discussed behind her back when this was supposed to be a meeting about the partnership.
Or perhaps, she is also as surprised as I am about the brief discussion.
“Something came up earlier and I really need to take the next available flight to London”, I inform, watching him sit up with concern. “I hope this won't affect it?”
I haven't gone through the contract too and I need time to do that.
“Is everything ok?” He demands against his will. I can see he is trying as much as possible not to show me any concern but he can't help me. It makes me wonder what changed the cold man I married seven years ago.
“Sure. It's business as usual. I will be back as soon as I am done over there. I will have time to go through the contract on my way back, I hope you don't mind if I go along with it?”
Everything ought to be finalized now but I am out of time. Since this didn't take as long as I envisioned, I can as well take the next flight to London today and get prepared for my meeting before the time.
“It's fine”, he waves me away, pretending to be indifferent.
I nod at him before rising with the contract. Ashley does the same.
“See you soon, Mr. Giodano”, I bow slightly out of courtesy with a fake smile plastered on my face.
If only he could see what I have in mind for him, he wouldn't smile back like he is doing. Four years ago, if I had been given the opportunity, I would have done everything possible to hurt him back, a thousand times more than he did to me but not anymore.
I am still hurt. But I am healing.
The divorce changed my life. It happened for a reason. If I hadn't left, I would still be the same Arabel who knew nothing and would do anything to please her cold husband.
The divorce forced back the will to succeed. It made me take action towards becoming the woman I am today. And I have Daisy, my sweet little girl.
What if I had lost her while with him?
I believe it happened for good.
Ashley and I walk out in silence and her throat clearing jerks me back to life. When I turn to her slightly, she smiles.
I smile back, pretending not to know what is going through her head.
“What's going on?” She finally asks, following me to the elevator. I figured she might want to see me out.
“Where?” I feign ignorance as I turn to face her squarely.
“Back there.”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing? He was looking at you like a hungry hyena. I've never seen my boss that way. In fact, I have never seen him with any woman in the three years that I have been working here. The fact that he was watching you so hungrily and the request for a private session with you confirmed my suspicions.”
“What? Don't be ridiculous. That was nothing. I think he is mistaking me for someone else.”
The elevator dings open and we both enter.
“Really? Who?” She asks sharply with enthusiasm.
I only shrug.
“I heard he is a divorcee but I have never seen him with any woman. It makes me wonder why his wife left him when he is so breathtaking…”
“Ashley?” I cut her short immediately, my skin pricking with annoyance at the topic. “Are you in love with your boss or do you just choose to gossip about him with me?”
Her eyes widened. Realization dawns on her and she changes her head. “No. I'm sorry.”
I nod in understanding. She was carried away. If it wasn't for me, she would have done this with someone else. Talking about her boss's divorce and private life. Something she isn't even sure about.
For a second, I wonder if my employees also gossip about me. They might not know I am a divorcee but they know I have a child and I am not married. They must think I had her from a one-night stand or my boyfriend jilted me.
For the latter, my situation is more like it. He filed the divorce papers so basically, I was jilted by my husband.
I sigh.
When the elevator dings open, I walk out with the silent Ashley behind me. I am thinking of what to say to her to clear up the air so we don't have to feel uncomfortable around each other anymore but nothing is coming to my head.
With my employees, I am strict and firm. I don't want to apologize to her so she won't repeat this ever again with me or even someone else.
For me, it's a sensitive topic. It is taking a lot of courage from me to pretend to him to be someone else. Having to discuss this topic with a stranger will push me over the edge. I might end up saying the truth without knowing it, considering how I am beginning to see Ashley as a friend.
When we get outside, I am about to turn to her when I bump into someone, making the document fall to the floor.
“I'm sorry”, I apologize quickly, squatting to pick up the scattered documents. When I rise back up, I apologize again seeing the victim is an elderly woman.
She doesn't reply. She isn't saying anything to my apology so I mutter again. “I'm sorry, madam. I didn't mean to…”
“Arabel?” She suddenly calls, her eyes going wide in surprise and finally when it registers in her head that it is indeed me, her jaws drop. “Arabella?”
The voice clicks. Then the face complemented the voice.
With my shaky hands, I force myself not to answer her as Arabel or hug the living hell out of the woman who bore my ex-husband.