You Need Me

Chapter 41

"Viola, are you okay? I've been calling you." Rana asked.

"Oh... I'm sorry. I wasn't... paying attention." Viola apologized. "Is there anything I can help?"

Rana sighed. "What now? Are you fighting with your husband again? Hmm? Doesn't look so to me, though." The florist observed. "You seem happier. Did something happen?"

"Wha... what? There isn't anything!" Viola blushed.

"Yeah, right." Rana crossed her arms.

"Do you need any help?" Viola tried to change the subject.

"Oh, right! Here." Rana took out a name card. "A young woman came by looking for you when you were out doing deliveries. She told me to give this to you... umm... from a design house? Is she a designer or something?"

Viola took the name card and stared at the name printed on it. Nora Tellsa.

"Did she say... anything?" Viola asked.

"She said she would come again tomorrow."

Viola lowered her eyes to the card again. What does she want? She isn't thinking that Walter and I are still together, is she?

Viola kept the card and went back to work.

The next day, Nora showed up as expected.

"What do you want?" Viola asked.

"Can we talk... somewhere else?" The once proud socialite was now looking like a frightened rabbit.

Viola noticed the bump under her dress. "I know a place. Can you walk a little? It's not that far."

Nora looked up and nodded. Gone was the confident young woman that Viola often saw in the national tabloid.

A few minutes later, the two women were seated at the corner of a coffee shop. A waiter brought their drinks and left them alone.

"I'm sorry." Nora suddenly lowered her head.

Viola almost burned her tongue with her hot tea.

"It... it was all my fault. I misunderstood you and... I thought of..." Nora could not continue her words. She recalled what she did in the cold room that night.

Viola, who was sitting across Nora, watched her silently.

"I am not asking you to forgive me but..."

Viola could hear her sniffling.

"I... I want to apologize. I am sorry. I... I'm really sorry." Tears were dropping on the table.

"Lift up your head, Miss Tellsa." Viola said softly.

Nora's face was full of tears.

"It's... in the past. Let's forget about it." Viola smiled at her.

"But... I almost killed you..."

"I just... don't think you are a bad person."

Nora stared at Viola, looking confused.

"You were afraid for your unborn child, afraid that the baby's father would not accept..."

"I..."

"That day... you were the one who called the ambulance, weren't you?" Viola asked.

"Oh that... that's because you... suddenly bit your own tongue... I was afraid... you would die..." Nora trembled. "I had always thought that I wanted you dead but when I actually saw you dying in front of me..."