Darker And Devastated

17.

Iva Faith

"Who are you?"

"Where is Casper?" She asks, her frown deepening with every word she utters.

"Who are you?" I questioned back, keeping my eyes half-closed to pretend like I was sleeping.

"Umm, I'm his wife. Who are you?" I retorted. I turned the volume down because I knew that she was going to shout or something, and I didn't want to wake Casper up.

"What!" She yells as expected.

"Who are you?" I ask her innocently.

"Why don't you ask your HUSBAND!" She says, emphasizing the word Husband.

"Look Miss whoever you are. My husband has had a long hectic day, and I'm not going to disturb him for someone like you. Go, and get hooked on someone else! Casper is happily married," I whisper-yelled at her, and before she had gotten a chance to recover from what I said, I turned the phone off and threw it on the far end of the bed. I sighed, contentedly, and hugged Casper.

Nothing is going to do us apart this time.

"I love you, Casper," I kiss him on the temple, and rest my head on his back, drifting to a peaceful sleep.

Next Day:

I'm in the kitchen making breakfast. I have asked the house help to me have some rest because I wanted no one else in the house but my husband & children.

"What are you doing, mommy?" I hear the sweetest voice of my daughter Emma and it brings a smile to my face.

"Making breakfast," I replied, looking at her.

She is rubbing her sleepy eyes, I leaned down to pick her up and make her sit on the island of the kitchen.

"Are you making pancakes too?" She asks.

I nod. She giggles in happiness.

"Mommy, can you put me down? I have to go to the washroom," she says after a while.

"Sure, love," I put her down, and she heads to her room.

The microwave pings, and I go to take out the cupcakes when I hear a loud bang on the door. I ran out of the kitchen, placing the pancakes on the counter. Outside, I see a tall girl with ginger hair, dark red lips, and a satin white dress entering with an angry look. I couldn't recognize her at first, but when she asked about Casper, I knew who she was.

Casper's so-called Fiancee.

"I asked, Where is Casper? Casper!" She starts shouting.

I don't feel half as brave as I felt last night when I talked to her on video call. She seems pretty much fumed about what I told her.

"What's happening here?" I hear Casper's hoarse voice. Turning my head in his direction, I observed that he had been woken up by the noise she made. He still looks sleepy.

"You tell me, Casper!" Cyndia spat, looking at me venomously.

"Cyndia? What are you doing here?" Casper asks. He looks a bit surprised by her sudden visit I guess.

"I came to meet your happy family," she replies, crossing her arms over her chest. "When were you going to tell me about your wife? After our wedding?" She yells at him.

"Calm down for a second, and let me explain," Casper tries to cool her down, and it kind of breaks my heart. Can't he just ask her to leave? Why is he bent on disturbing so many lives all over again?

"Who is she, daddy?" Emma enters the lounge, and grasps her father's pants in her tiny fists, hiding behind him because she feels intimidated by this lady.

"What? You have a daughter too?" Cyndia loses her remaining calm at this point.

Casper carries Emma up in his arms and does not attempt to explain anything to Cyndia.

"I think you should leave for now. We will talk about this tomorrow," Casper tells Cyndia.

"There is no need for that now. I will send my lawyer, and you better get ready to pay me the compensation for breaching the contract we signed. I'm not going to let you get away with this, Mr. Bentley!" She says, stomping her heels on the floor before turning to leave.

After taking a few steps, she stops and looks back, "And yeah, the deal is over! See you in court!"

I gasped when she mentioned court. I'm traumatized by this word. I think I have messed up everything for Casper again. Oh my God, what have I done?

Cyndia leaves, and I close my eyes shut because I can't see Casper worried again. I didn't think this would turn out this bad for him. Why do I always do everything wrong?

"No Good morning kiss for daddy?" I heard Casper's happy voice, and it surprised me. I turn around and find him smiling wide as if he had heard some good news. Has he lost his mind after what Cyndia said? Has he gone mad? Did I make him go mad? Oh no, no, no.

Emma kisses him & then asks him about the angry lady aka Cyndia.

"She was a mad woman," Casper chuckles, Emma joins him too. I'm still shocked.

"Mommy has made breakfast for us today!" Emma tells him. Casper looks at me with a genuine smile on his face and it is enough to melt my heart in a matter of nanoseconds. Oh, the smile I can do anything for. Somebody ask him to stop for a moment or I will die from a heart attack. This smile is too wholesome to take in without fainting.

"Then go and wake your brother up so we can have breakfast together," Casper puts her down, and she runs on her little feet.

Casper stands there, not looking away from my face. The smile is still there, but it has become subtle now. I feel nervous out of nowhere so I excuse myself to the kitchen. I put the pancakes on the plate when I felt his presence behind me. The electric current-like sensation runs through my body when he gets closer and closer and closer until there are only a few millimeters of space between us.

"I heard what you said to her last night," He whispers, grabbing my hand, and intensifying the goosebumps. I can't tell if he is happy or angry at me. His face is as straight as a wall.

"I- I'm sorry," I say, avoiding looking into his eyes.

"Shhh," he puts a finger on my lips, and I feel I'm about to faint. "You have no idea what you have done,"

He says, increasing my heartbeat and level of fear. Is it that bad? Is she gonna hurt him? Or my children?

The corner of his lip lifts up as he smiles, and his thumb runs over my lip. I don't understand what is he trying to say!

__________________
We are almost at the end of the story, and I don't want to spoil anything, but I must say that Noah might disappoint you all. Wink wink.