Ugly Ronney: mafia romance [English]

Chapter 8-1

For four weeks I had spent almost every day with Yeraz. I had just had the strangest month of my life, during which I had earned more money than in my last twenty-five years combined. Despite that, my salary was going to hospital care and the new treatment for my brother. In the end, I was no richer than I was before.

Yeraz kept his promise and spent every Saturday and Sunday with me. However, I noticed that I was shown more respect at family parties when he was present. I only had my evenings to breathe a little. No matter how hard I tried to lose him or stand him in Sheryl Valley, he always managed to find me. I changed my schedule, turned off my phone, but it was all in vain. It was as if a giant arrow were flashing over the city, indicating my exact location. His condescending attitude and tone of voice suggested that he had no sympathy for me, and it didn't get any better as the days went by. Peter's classes had intensified. He was a tyrannical teacher, and he didn't do me any favors. Why did women do this to themselves? It would take me a lifetime to learn to walk in high heels.

Tonight, as I did every night, I stared at the paper with the Porters' contacts on it, sitting on my desk. I had folded it into the shape of a swan, a swan like Daphne. To stay or to leave. The scales weighed more on one side than the other, and tomorrow I had decided to resign.

Like every Friday, I came back from the dry cleaner with my arms full of shirts. I went upstairs to Yeraz's room to put his clothes away. I was always afraid to find him there or to catch him in bed with a woman. My imagination was boundless and often freewheeling. However, I knew that he spent most of his time in his office or at Mr. Saleh's house.

I knocked on the door, but no one was there. Relieved, I slipped inside the room. The muffled and intimate atmosphere was pleasant. The sober decoration, underlined by the gray color of the walls, gave it all its elegance. The electric fireplace in the wall seemed to really warm the place up. I walked to the dressing room and hung the black shirts on the hangers. My eyes lingered on them, then on the shoes, and finally on the watches on a cabinet next to me. A painful feeling came over me at that moment. In a few minutes I would have to talk to Timothy, and I hoped he wouldn't ask me to stay. I stuck my hand in the pocket of my old baggy pants and took out the paper swan. I didn't want to be corrupted by Yeraz's world or disappear into the depth and vastness of its darkness.

"Miss Jimenez?"

Peter's voice brought me out of my stupor. I turned around so suddenly that I almost lost my balance. I hurriedly put the paper back in my pocket and walked out of the dressing room as if nothing had happened.

Peter stood in the doorway. It was his usual time for my training. With his chin up, he seemed to be wanting to confront me.

"I can't today, Peter. I have to see Camilia in an hour."

"I know!"

His strange voice called out to me. He looked at me, his face impassive.

"You asked to see her for a reason that I imagine is important."

Peter had emphasized the word "important." I blushed, embarrassed. I felt as if his eyes could see through my pants pocket and read the Porters' name on the paper I had been carrying around for weeks. His words came back to me: I'm the eyes and ears of every member of this family. But I wasn't part of this family. I swallowed when he squinted. He turned his head toward the hallway to make sure we were alone and walked in, looking around as if he were discovering this room for the first time. The silence was heavy. Peter knew I was leaving tonight, that was for sure.

"The first time I saw you, I must admit that I judged you severely," Peter said while contemplating the fireplace. "Your style and your physique had destabilized me a little. How could Camilia have believed for a moment that I could have recommended you?"

"I don't blame you."

If he needed to hear these words to feel better, I preferred to relieve his conscience before I left. Looking perfectly calm and in control, he walked toward me.

"I understood, only a few days ago, why she had chosen you. Camilia saw this almost imperceptible light that nobody sees, which emanates from you. It's a light that is missing in the kingdom of the prince of darkness."

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out, I didn't understand what he was saying. In fact, I didn't understand anything at all.