Act like my wife

4. Welcome to Córdoba

If you can always get your baby to sleep with just a lullaby, then you're so fortunate. Not even all the lullabies in the world could make my Bella close her eyes for a moment. Or maybe I have a terrible voice? I don't know anymore.

After almost an hour, she finally went to sleep. It's official, I am the mother of a tigress.

I checked the time; 09:27 pm.

Practically walking on thin ice, I tiptoed out of her bedroom and headed to the door. I twisted the doorknob and opened the door, to reveal the beautiful smile of my best friend, Natasha. She entered and I locked the door afterward.

"Thanks, Nat for doing this" I whispered. Wouldn't wanna wake the tigress in the next room.

"Oh come on, girl." She walked to the sofa and sat down. She took off her denim jacket. Her floral top and jeans hugged her curves unapologetically. "I'm guessing Bella is asleep?"

"Yeah." I joined her on the sofa. "She's a handful, but I love that little angel". I didn't realize how widely I was grinning until she mirrored my expression.

"You're one lucky girl, you know that?" A hint of sadness flashed across the clouds of her eyes. Having had several failed IVFs, taking care of Bella was a source of joy to her. She was like Bella's second mom.

In a bid to avoid the touchy subject, I decided to change the topic. "Okay, so, there's pasta in the kitchen, help yourself. Thanks again for helping me tonight" I got up and headed for my room to get ready.

I took a quick shower, got ready, and returned to the living room. The look on Nat's face when she saw my outfit made me chuckle lightly.

"You're so fucking gorgeous, honey" She walked up to me and adjusted the off-shoulder neck of my red dress, which was a gift from Chris. She paused for a moment and eyed me. "I hope that you don't have to do this for too long"

I sighed. "I... You know I have to, Nat." A sudden wave of shame engulfed me. How would Bella look at me when she finds out her mom did something like this?
Nat was the only one who knows my secret, she never judges me.

"Hey, chin up, don't ruin your makeup. What time will the car come to pick you up?"

I checked my phone screen. The time read 10:52. "It'll be here at 11 pm sharp"

"That's 8 minutes from now! Okay, what do you need to get done?"

"Uhm, If Bella wakes up at night, everything you need for her food is in-"

"The cupboard" She completed.
Why do I bother explaining? She knows where everything is.

I went to Bella's room and took one long look at my little princess. I drank in the sight of her, enough to get me through the uncertain night.

"It's 10:59" Nat reminded me.

I walked out the door and waited in front of my house. At exactly 11 pm, a sleek black Maserati pulled up in front of me. The driver got out and opened the door for me. I entered the back seat and he drove us into the night.

"Hey, uhm, where are we going?" I asked the driver.

He ignored me as if I didn't exist. When I got tired of trying to strike up a conversation, I stopped and saved my strength for later.

***

The car ride seemed unending, I switched on my GPS to find out where we were, but there was nothing showing. When I saw the sign, Welcome to Córdoba, my anxiety shot up to the sky. Córdoba is another city!
"Where the hell are you taking me?!" I screamed at him, but he ignored me like before.

I dialed Chris's number. He picked up. "Go" His voice came from the other end.

"Where the fuck is your driver taking me, Chris?!" I didn't care about anything else at this point, my heart was beating out of my chest.

"Calm down, Veronica."

"This wasn't part of the deal, Chris! I'm not supposed to leave Madrid!"

"Shhh, don't yell. My client is super rich, he's willing to pay good money just to have you for a week"

"A week?! No, you must be joking. What sort of sick joke is that, Chris?!" My head was about to explode. How dare he? A week?

"But Veronica darling, I thought you wanted to clear off your debts as soon as possible?" His calm yet assertive voice said.

I paused. Tears rolled down my cheeks, but I held myself together. "Chris, please, one week without my daughter... I can't do it, please. Tell your driver to turn back"

"That's not my driver, honey. I can't give him any orders. Nothing you say will stop him from fulfilling his mission of delivering you to his boss, dead or alive."

"What...?" Before I could ask further, he hung up. My phone suddenly went dead even though the battery was at 78%. What the heck?

I turned to the driver who still hadn't taken his eyes off the road. I pleaded with him with all I had but he didn't budge.

Will this be the end of me?

Bella, please forgive me.

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated since last month. It has been a hectic period. Preparing for exams that ended up being postponed. Please, forgive me and drop your thoughts.