BETROTHED TO THE BILLIONAIRE

Valerie’s POV

She is either pretending or completely unaware of what happened in her presence that day.

I won’t take this as a yes to the doubt about my mental health. Don’t crazy people know they are crazy?

I am fine. Absolutely doing fine. There is nothing wrong with me or my brain. My brain is in perfect condition.

Just like her usual self, she smiles at me sweetly as we are having dinner, passes me the salt, stretches the jug of fruit juice at me, and even pats my hand simply because she feels sorry for the bandage that is still over my head.

I forget most times that I still have this damn thing on my head. The way it makes me so uncomfortable sometimes is what makes me remember while other times, it is when people flash me pitiful looks just like Ryan’s mother is doing right now.

I am picking at my food because I can’t help the confusion I am feeling right now. I know I am right but I still don’t know what else to think about all of this.

I thought coming here would resolve everything because I was so sure Ryan’s mother will reveal the truth and tell her son that I am right but the woman before me isn’t saying anything. She isn’t even acting like I was here that day.

Didn’t she like me? Is she just pretending to save her husband from suffering for his actions? Is something wrong with her memory? Did she call me here on purpose that day?

As much as I want to hate her for doing this, I can’t. The look she darts my way at intervals shows how much she is worried about me because of the bandage.

I barely feel any pain now. It wasn’t like this two weeks back. I could barely turn my neck without feeling intense pain.

Glancing around the room, Ryan is still chatting with his father which is kind of unbelievable to me. They are never on good terms.

Anita on the other hand is silent, just like I am while their mother occasionally chips in their conversation with either a short laugh or a single word of agreement.

I have no idea what they are talking about.

My attention is slowly shifting away from Mrs. Lorenzo and back to her daughter. Mrs. Lorenzo is as healthy as a horse just like Ryan said and I am so sure it is impossible to fake being healthy.

Something is definitely wrong somewhere and I am going to find out what it is, with either Ryan’s or my Father’s help or even none.

Anita wasn’t this quiet the last time we saw each other. She was giddy with excitement on our wedding day, giving me the impression that I was going to have another friend soon.

Does she know something? Should I ask her if she knows what is happening?

When did she come back from college?

She is always away in college and Ryan never mentioned that she was back and we would be having dinner together.

Our eyes interlock for a second and she looks away. I continue to watch her until she pushes her plate away and drags her wooden chair backward.

“Excuse me”, she mutters as she leaves the dining room, my eyes following her.

Nobody notices her absence. They are still talking about nothing and everything. This is probably because I have zero interest in what they are conversing about.

I shift my chair backward too, making Ryan look up in curiosity.

I smile at him. “I need to use the bathroom. I will be back in a jiffy.”

He nods and his mother smiles at me before I leave the room, going in the direction Anita took.

I am not going to use the bathroom. I just want to see Anita and ask her some questions. Maybe she is the key to this puzzle. Maybe she will be able to satisfy my curiosity and help me talk to Ryan so he can at least believe me before anything else.

I can’t find her. There are several rooms along the path she took and I begin to wonder which one she is in.

Why did she even leave the dining table just like that? Why is she acting all strange? Is there something wrong with her? Is he unwell?

Before I can begin to peek into each room, I hear the sound of a glass breaking and a low growl.

My guess is Anita and I run over towards the room where the sound is coming from. Before I can burst in, I decide to calm down and think of the first thing to say to her so she won’t hurt herself.

My guess is right. Something is definitely wrong with her.

I turn the doorknob when I am calm and begin to open it slowly when she rises instantly and goes to the dresser.

She grabs a glass cup and I see it.

It is a glass of fruit juice.

What broke? Curiosity fills me up. Did she mistakenly break a glass while trying to get some fruit juice to drink?

Before I can figure that out, she produces a bottle and turns it down so the content can spill into the glass cup.

My eyes widen.

Then a gasp follows.

Quickly turning away, I leave the doorway so she won’t notice someone is watching. With a pounding heart, I find my way back to the dining room, my head filled with more questions.

Anita?

Was it Anita?

It wasn’t Mr. Lorenzo? Is this the reason why she is acting all strange? Is she this way because she is guilty of seeing me alive or hurt?

They all look up when I enter and I plaster a nervous smile on my face. Instead of going back to sit on my chair, I continue standing, my two hands holding onto the hem of my gown.

They are sweaty.

If Anita is doing this to her Mother, then no one is safe. Not even Ryan. It means she can harm him too.

Without thinking, I blurt out. “Ryan, can I see your dad in private?”

His mouth drops open as he shares a look with his Mother who turns back to me with an equally shocked expression.

Ryan nods, getting over the shock. “Should we excuse you two?” he demands from me and I shake my head.

I move towards the door again without a word and I take it out, moving slowly to the front door.

We should talk in the courtyard. I don’t know what exactly to say to him but I want us to talk. Maybe talking to him will give me some ideas about what is happening.

Does he know about it? Is this Anita’s work or are they working together?

Before I can walk further away, I hear his hurried feet behind me. “Is anything the problem?”

I twirl around to face him, almost bumping into him. He takes a step backward with his hands in his pocket and stares at me with curiosity.

He isn’t showing any fear or remorse.

This ought to be my Father-in-law, a man I should consider my second father but I despise him.

Not only because he is not on good terms with my father and is not willing to help him but because he isn’t a good father to Ryan and a good husband to Mrs. Lorenzo.

Even though I saw Anita a few minutes ago with that content, I still have a strong belief that this man is behind it.

“Hey, what’s the matter?”

“What is the relationship between you and my father?” I demand sharply, startling him. He isn’t expecting me to start from there. He must also have figured out that I know what he is up to.

Funnily enough, I am not scared of him. My fear is about that poor woman and about Ryan who isn’t believing a single thing I say.

A smile creeps to his face and he takes his hands out of his pocket to fold them around his chest.

“Your father and I?” he asks with amusement written all over him. “You really want to know?”

If Father isn’t going to tell me, someone else should. This secret is between the two of them only. If I can convince either of them to tell me, then everything will be sorted out.

I know I am just trying my luck. This man before me won’t tell me a thing. But I guess I should use that to derail him.

If I act strange, he must think it is because I am curious about his relationship with my father and not about my accident.

I don’t know how Ryan and my mother ended up with a fake story of my accident but it should work to our benefit. I will pretend as if I don’t remember anything while I do my findings.

“You should ask your father that. I believe he is going to tell you”, he smirks and throws me a wink before turning back to leave.

“Is that why you don’t want to stick to your end of the bargain? Isn’t that why your son and I got married in the first place? I thought you two said you were long-time friends?”

He spins around to face me again, a strange expression on his face which turns into another cheeky smile.

He nods. “Of course, we are friends. Very good one. From way back. But it’s better if you hear it all from him. He is your dad, right?”

He flashes me a dirty grin and I decide to whine. “He isn’t saying a word! He won’t tell me a thing!”

He fakes being hurt as he places a hand on his chest with a frown. “Really? I’m so sorry, dear.”This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

“You won’t tell me either, right?” I question again, my patience almost fading off.

“No, I won’t. Ask your father, not me”, he replies sharply as if expecting the question. This time he has a dangerous angry look on his face.

We stare at each other in silence for a while before he points to my head. “I’m so sorry about your accident, dear. Be well.”

A wide grin spread across his entire face after saying that. He drops his hand and dips it back into his pocket as I watch him walk away with a back gait I find strangely familiar.