The Billionaire's Betrayed Love.

38: To Be Reclaimed.

ALMA

I was picking Velma up from school today. It's been long enough, and this was her first day of resumption since the accident. Carl had been relentlessly calling and texting to monitor her progress, or just to monitor our lives in general. Most of the messages I ignored. I only responded to the ones that I could, depending on my mood and the content of the text.

My reputation was still in shambles despite the explanatory claims that my team had aired; the media was so sure I was trying to steal the same man I'd decided to throw away based on some harmless photos. It was funny how the internet worked and how people were actively waiting for a scapegoat. I wouldn't be that for them, ever.

Rodney was back home- my home. It was nice having someone around, although the dynamic was very different. He was a grown-ass man living with a single mother, not to mention he woke up to do chores, and he cooks for us. Sometimes, it made my stomach churn; other times, I loved to think that I was entitled to it to lessen the guilt that I felt just by a little.

Either way, Rodney was one of the most amazing people in my life right now, and I owed him a lot. I parked my car after the security check, and when I alighted the car, the first person I saw, going into the main building at the same time as I was.

Immediately, I remembered that I'd missed her calls at some point and didn't remember to reach out to her. I walked faster to catch up with her, and right before I got to her, Beverly turned on impulse. Watching her stoic expression spread into a wide grin could as well be the biggest highlight of my day- it had me elated.

"Oh my god!" Beverly yelled as she threw her arms around me, and I was pulled into the biggest bear hug of my life. She felt warm; even hugging her was warm, and my smile also grew broader. "You're fine! I mean, here you are! I was so worried about you, but I thought you traveled, or I don't even know. I was going to ask Velma's homeroom teacher today."

"Oh, I'm so sorry for worrying you!" She still didn't let go of me, and it felt like she wasn't going to anytime soon. I had to prop back a bit to remind her that I was still being crushed by her arms.

Beverly was such a sweet soul. Finally, she pulled away too and looked at me with so much intent, her hands still sitting atop my shoulders. "Did you get more beautiful? You look like you've gotten more beautiful!"

I grinned, feeling the heat creep up to my cheeks. "Under those circumstances, I highly doubt it." I shook my head slowly. "It is the exact opposite of what you'll think."

How do I break it to her? Beverly looked at me keenly as she waited for me to continue, and then it popped into my head that she might have seen those horrible articles, too, and it might alter the way she saw me. Would she also think I was a gold-digging ex-wife who wanted to ruin people's marriages?

"You don't have to tell me if you can't, you know that, right?" Beverly said, cutting through my thoughts. "At the end of the day, all I'm happy about is that you're okay, you know that, right?"

I pinched my fingers, still managing a smile. "It's not..." I exhaled deeply as my voice thinned out. "Velma was in an accident. The car...she was in got uh- hit by a truck. Though it didn't...have a lot of impact, she did lose a lot of blood. Everything is fine now, though, she's better, and that's...all I have to be grateful for."

Beverly's eyes widened, and her lips were slightly parted. She looked at me like I'd just dropped a bomb, and maybe I just did. It wasn't every day mothers got to narrate how their child got hit by a truck.

My stomach flipped again as I thought back to that time. Cold sweat started to break on my forehead, too.

"That's...horrible." The words finally fell from her lips, heavy with precision. "That's really horrible. I expected anything else but that, Alma. I am; I'm so sorry you had to experience that! God! I'm so sorry that happened. That-"

"It's fine," I walked closer and patted her shoulder. "It wasn't your fault or anyone's, so it's fine, okay? And she's better now."

"And the driver?"

"A friend of mine, Rodney. He's...in the process of recovery. His legs were really hurt, so he had to stay on crutches for a while."

Beverly sighed, rubbing her face with her hand. She'd been the one with the most reaction out of everyone I'd told, and that was probably because my PA was the only one I told, over text. Funny.

"Sorry, you had to go through that alone. I couldn't possibly imagine what would have been going through your head during those times."

We started to walk inside the building. "You know you can count on me, right? You don't seem like a very social woman, so I guess you're used to doing things on your own. Now, I'm saying, you can count on me and tell me when you need someone, okay?"

I sighed tiredly. "Thank you, Beverly. This means a lot." I'd say more if I hadn't set my eyes on Daniel and Velma walking towards us at the same time.

And they weren't just walking; they were fighting over something else, too. Or pulling something? I squinted, and Beverly turned around on cue to see whatever had my attention.

"These two!" We walked towards them at the same time to see what the cause of the problem was. Apparently, they were fighting over a piece of sticker that neither of them needed, and to make it worse, they found it on the floor.

We said our goodbyes since I still needed to have a face-to-face discussion with Velma's homeroom teacher. Genuinely, I felt like I'd made a friend, and that was beautiful.

You know what else would be beautiful? The peace and quiet I'd have enjoyed if I hadn't seen a familiar car drive into the school. My grip around Velma's hands tightened as I squinted to see who it was.

Carl?

It was him, indeed. He got out of his car and leaned on it as he took off his shades and hung it by his jacket. He was clad in a black one-piece suit that clung to his frame and made him out to be an imperial figure. A raspy gasp spilled from my lips. I didn't even know what I was surprised about.

Whether it was because he showed up here or that he showed up here dressed like that, pulling the attention from all sides, Velma, whom I held, pulled her hand away from my grip and ran to Carl upon recognizing him.

"Fuck!" I cursed under my breath. Her short yet fast legs carried her to him so quickly, and I just quickened my pace. "Jesus, Carl. Do you not have a job anymore? What is wrong with you!?"

"Nice to see you, too, Alma," he responded cheekily. "And I got laid off. I don't have a job right now." He diverted his attention to Velma and continued to stroke her chin.

"Are you going home with us, Carl?" Velma asked excitedly, and my blood boiled. If Carl continued to make himself available like this, nothing would work out for me.

Was it my fault for being so friendly and enduring towards him in the first place? "Velma, get in the car while I talk to Carl here. I'll be with you in a while," I said through gritted teeth, and Velma reluctantly slipped away from him.

Her sadness was so evident, and it made me feel bad. Why should I feel bad when it was Carl's fault? "What do you think you're doing?"

"Being friendly," he responded on cue as though he'd been waiting for the question. "Do you not like that?"

"Are you dumb?" I asked in a cool tone as a small laugh slipped out my mouth. I felt stupid all over again. Stupid for talking to him, for tasting his food, or even getting smitten by his presence.

I felt stupid for how my heart raced, and my body quaked for just being close to him, as this same man didn't go ahead to fuck my step-sister and marry her! The mere thought of it caused the hair at the back of my neck to rise.

"It was a harmless question. I was asking if you were dumb or just ignorant or insensitive? What exactly do you want? Sympathy? Is that why you keep showing up where you're not needed?"

He sighed, then gulped hard. I watched his Adam apple bob up and down. Carl stared into my eyes, his greens invading my browns. "I just...missed her, is all. I'm sorry."

My chest instantly felt tight, and I was at a loss for words. I didn't know he would apologize or that he was capable of it.

"If you're sorry, then stay the fuck away from us!" I croaked, breathing hard. "Have you not done enough!? Have you not caused enough pain!?"

"I can't promise to stay away from you...or her, Alma. I thought about it, and I finally realized what I wanted."

He paused. This was the best time to walk away, but I seemed incapable of it.

"I want you back in my life, Alma. And I will right every wrong to make sure it's possible."