CHASING MY EX-WIFE

CHAPTER 70

Arabel's POV

Barely parking, I jump out of the car, racing into the teacher's office.

Kicking the door open, I rush in, only to stop dead in my tracks when I see Daisy, sitting quietly beside Mrs. Mathew.

There is a strange guy standing at attention by the door. Mrs. Mathew is seated, and the proprietor is also seated.

Two other male teachers, whom I recognize, are standing next to the strange man.

It jerks me back to reality as I rush towards Daisy.

“Baby,” I cry out, and she embraces me tightly. “Oh, baby.”

Someone bursts in, and I know it is Richard. He had been on several calls on our way here, but I didn't even pay attention to any of them.

My mind was in disarray. My head was spinning. And dread was engulfing my whole existence as I realized that my dream was about to come true.

Seeing Daisy now, when I thought she must be long gone, has brought relief to my existence. Right now, I don't even care what happened or how it happened.

The most important thing is that my baby is here, safe and sound.

Pulling away from her, I search her face and body for bruises or anything else to make sure she hasn't been hurt anywhere.

“Mummy, it was Uncle,” she calls out, making me stop with my scanning. Slowly, I raise my eyes to meet hers, just in time for the proprietor to speak.

“Mrs. Portillo?”

“What the hell happened, Scott?” Richard barks at the strange man. He must be the guard he told me was watching and protecting Daisy.

Where was he when she went missing?

“Mrs. Portillo?” The proprietor calls again, making me rise up immediately as she directs me to a seat opposite her desk.

“We are so sorry to disturb you and get your mind reeled up…”

“What happened?” Now I am interested. Daisy mentioned her uncle, and Scott is watching her. How did it happen? Is it really Alex?

“Daisy,” the proprietor, diverts her attention back to Daisy, who is now beside Mrs. Mathew, who brings her forward. “Tell Mommy what happened.”

Daisy looks nervous and scared, and my heart begins to beat loudly. “Daisy, what happened? Was it Alex?”

I find myself asking her out loud.

Slowly, she nods. “Yes. I saw him, and he took me to a nice restaurant for some ice cream.”

I nod, urging her to go ahead. But she remains silent.

“What happened?” I ask impatiently.

“This man beat him up,” she says, pointing to the man Richard referred to as Scott. Then she starts to cry.

“Hey, baby girl,” Richard says, wrapping his arms around her in an embrace while my body trembles with fear.

Alex.

The dream.

Was he planning to kidnap Daisy? Why would he do that? What for? To get to me?

My trembling stops, and I see myself rising up and walking out of the office, to do nothing but place a call to Alex.

I need to know what I have done to deserve this. Just because I don't want to have anything to do with him again doesn't mean he should do this. He has no right to pick up my daughter during school hours and take her somewhere else.

I step out without anyone calling me back. Gingerly, I find my way back to the car. When I open it, I dial Alex's number, and it rings repeatedly without an answer.

I continue crying with tears streaming down my face.

Daisy.

I can't lose her. I endured a great deal to have that girl, and Alex is well aware of this.
He saw it all. My pain. My struggle.

Why would he want to do this? Should I just apologize for yelling at him the other day?

“Hello,” His voice booms into the phone, and I jerk up, suddenly speechless.

Instead of saying something, I begin to cry.

"Arabel, trust me, I did nothing to Daisy." You know I would never hurt her, don't you?”

“Alex…” I can't say anything.

When a hand touches my shoulder, I realize Richard is back in the car, and he is watching me with curiosity written all over him.

“Why? Why are you doing this? Is it because I told you I don't want to have anything to do with you? Why does it have to be Daisy? Why don't you face me instead?” I'm questioning him because I want to know what his intentions are. “Just hurt me, but not her.”

Richard's face turns grim, and he tries to grab the phone from me, but I refuse to let him take it.

“Why…”

“I didn't hurt Daisy, but I am mad at you for going back to that monster. I can't believe I respected you for how you turned out, despite how he treated you. Now, you've gotten all you desire, and you think going back to him is right?”

“That is none of your f**king business!” Richard snaps at him, and I facepalm myself.

Alex laughs richly. “Wow, what a wonderful love story! Have you ever heard of divorced couples coming back together? Hell, no! You ought to be enemies with that jerk, yet you are…” He trails off, probably realizing where he is taking this and how it will annoy me.

Everything he is saying is the least of my problems. I just want to know why he wants to hurt Daisy.

Instead of my daughter, I will gladly be his victim.

“Believe me. I didn't hurt her, and I would never hurt her. Daisy is like a child to me. This is between you and me. Leave that jerk or…”

“Or what?!” Richard grabs the phone from me, and I burst into tears again, incapable of taking it back from him.
If he doesn't want to hurt Daisy, then perhaps this dream will still come true, since Richard and I are no exceptions.

I am weary with exhaustion. Both physically and mentally.

“If I see you anywhere around Daisy or Arabel, I will have you arrested and ensure you get a restraining order, understood? Get lost!” Richard yells and disconnects the call.

Alex might think about what we had in the past and try to spare me, but he would never spare Richard. I know how much hatred he harbors for him.

It slowly makes fear crawl into my heart, forcing me to snap my head towards him with tears streaming down my eyes.

“Richard, you have to stay away…”

“Are you scared of him?” He cuts me short. “You think he will hurt me?” I nod intermittently.

He can. He most definitely will.

Richard takes my face in his hands and comforts me. “Don't worry about me. He can't hurt me. He dared not lay a finger on me. And I reassure you that Daisy is in safe hands. I wonder what would have happened if Scott wasn't there to save her. He keeps saying he wouldn't hurt, but who knows what he is capable of?”

I nod again, still in tears.

Nobody knows what he is capable of. Not even me. I thought I knew him, but obviously I don't. His recent behavior has been strange. Unusual.

He keeps exhibiting a part of him I never knew existed.

“If he had no bad intentions, why did he run off?” Richard asks rhetorically. “You know what? Why don't you come with me to New York? It's much safer there with me and the guards than here. He dare not touch a single hair on you or my child's. When we get the information tomorrow, that will determine the next line of action.”

I want to nod, but I can't. The tears are gradually blinding me. Escalating my fear into terror.

The images of the nightmare are back. The images keep appearing in my head. This time, I can't see my face or Daisy's.

I am only seeing Richard's. Alex also has a gun pointed at his heart. Dread fills my insides and my throat, causing me to cough.

“Richard…”

I don't know how to tell him. I don't even know what exactly to tell him. Why do I care about this so much?

Is it because he is about to get hurt because of me? He knew Alex from me. If Alex didn't come back to New York because of me, he wouldn't meet with Richard and they might never have crossed paths with each other.

I can't let him do anything to Richard.

He is my child's father. I can't imagine having to tell Daisy her father had gone back to heaven when he had just come.

I can't hurt that girl again.

With this resolve in mind, I speak with determination. “Richard, nothing is going to happen. Alex is going to get to me first before he hurts you.”

Richard doesn't look a bit concerned about getting hurt. He is more concerned about me and Daisy's safety.

So saying that brings nothing but smiles to his face, which I hope will remain on his face for long.

I close my eyes to drown out the images of him getting shot repeatedly over and over again before he falls down.

Cold and dead.