by DJ Parker
I called her mother first, only to find out she was interning at some company in Manhattan, and they provided room and board for her for the whole summer. I had Lucas look into the networks to verify the story while I called her grandmother in North Carolina. The pleasant elderly lady claimed to have spoken to her earlier that morning and said she was fine. Complying with my requests for information at first, she then asked me about my intentions with her granddaughter. She must have told her grandmother about us, I thought, as I tried to figure out a way to answer honestly. Grudgingly, I answered all of her questions without mentioning the forthcoming of our breakup. We ended up being on the phone for thirty minutes talking about Simone. Somehow, it felt refreshing to express my feelings for Simone to her grandmother.
After two hours of waiting, Lucas called back and told me that he couldn’t find anyone by the name of Simone Sinn in any intern info database. He proceeded to give me the rundown of her most recent activities based on her bank account activity. Her bank statements revealed that she withdrew the whole $200,000 in small increments of $25,000 in a time frame of eight days. As of yesterday, her account balance is $5,500. Her phone records indicated that she spent five minutes on the phone with James, her employer. He revealed that she had extended her leave of absence from work for another week.
“Have you heard anything?” I asked when Lucas’s number appeared on my phone screen a day later.
“Yes, she actually just walked into your building with a large duffle bag. What do you need me to do?” he asked like a man on a mission.
“Stall her. Make sure that she does not leave my building,” I instructed before I ended the call and walked out of The Land. Less than ten minutes later, I arrived at my building and bypassed everyone without my usual greeting. Racing against time, I punched the elevator walls as if that was going to be able to speed up the trip to my floor. Just as the elevator doors parted, Simone and I came face to face. Walking out of the elevator, I pulled her body to mine and kissed her as if her lips alone could kill the agony of being away from her. She melted into my body after a moment of resistance. Our kiss ended abruptly after we both heard a man clearing his throat.
“Oh, um, I just uh…left a note. This man said that he knows you and told me that you would be here soon. But, I have some errands to run,” she said awkwardly, as she freed her body from my hold. She attempted to walk around me, but I stretched my arm out to block her entrance onto the elevator.
“This is my business associate. We had a meeting scheduled right now—but, uh, we are going to, unfortunately, have to reschedule our meeting,” I said, as I turned to Lucas and shook his hand. “My deepest apologies.”
“That’s alright, I can come back. Please don’t cancel your meeting for me. Just let me know what time you would like me to be back here,” Simone said with much regret, as she turned towards me and Lucas.
“No worries, I will be on my way. I’ll reschedule with your assistant,” said Lucas, in his best attempt to come off more as a nonchalant businessman and less of a cold-blooded former Naval Intelligence officer who’s now contracted to work for my family.
He walked onto the elevator before Simone could protest.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Simone
Looking down at the large black duffle bag that was now on the floor, Andriano reached for the bag and threw it over his shoulder. He turned to look at me when he realized just how heavy the bag was.
“What is in here, bella mia?”
Ignoring his question, I walked ahead towards the entrance of his apartment and waited for him to unlock the door. As we entered his loft and walked into his bedroom, I suddenly regretted not having this conversation in a public place. He dropped the bag on the floor of his bedroom and reached for me to embrace me in a hug.
“I missed you so much,” he began, as he stretched his arms out.
“Andriano, I’m pregnant,” I said straightforwardly. There’s no reason to beat around the bush with his cheating ass, I almost said out loud, as I remained stiff in his arms. Andriano’s arms dropped to his sides, as he turned away from me. He crossed over to the other side of the room and started pacing slowly while he rubbed his index finger across his bottom lip.
“You have to get an abortion, Simone,” exclaimed Andriano after a long moment of silence.
Shocked with disbelief at his bluntness, I rubbed the back of my hand on both eyes as suddenly tears started streaming down my cheeks. After eight months of us being together…really?
I frowned at his insensitive statement. “An abortion, Andriano? That is the first thing that you tell me?” Truthfully, I half expected a different reaction—a reaction that was more along the lines of a conversation about our options. Instead, he demanded that I get an abortion.
“Simone, right now is not a good time. I already have a lot going on with my businesses, the pressure from my family, my father’s health…” Andriano began with his 101 excuses. He became unrecognizable as he searched for excuses. Throughout our eight months together, he always seemed upstanding and responsible. But then again, his true colors started to come out over the past few weeks.
“What does that have to do with you taking care of your responsibilities and your obligations to me? Grow the fuck up; you’re twenty-six years old,” I interjected, as I threw both hands in the air in defeat.
“Simone, I’m so sorry. Please try to understand my position on this. Besides…you’re in school and have your whole life ahead of you. Everything will change if you have this baby.”
“You mean everything will change between me and you …” I said while staring into Andriano’s eyes. His silence proved his answer, as he failed to deny my statement.
“Fuck…I should have known better. Don’t fucking worry about this problem of ours—I will correct it,” I raged, and storming out of his bedroom and heading towards the front door.
“Simone, please…” Andriano said as he grabbed my arm with enough firmness and pressure to restrain me without being painful.
“What more do you have to discuss with me? Don’t worry, I will get an abortion,” I said, as I attempted to yank my arm from his grasp. After a moment of looking at me, he released his hold and took a step back. He walked towards the direction of his office and came back after a few minutes with a stack of cash.
“Will $5,000 be enough?” he simply asked.
Mortified, I looked at him with utter disgust. I knew at that moment that our relationship would change forever. “No, I will take care of it. It is my problem. So, I will pay for it,” I said.
“Baby, this is our problem and we will get through this together. Please let me pay,” said Andriano tenderly stroking my cheek.
“Fine, I will let you know how much the procedure is,” I said, as I ignored his hand.
“Why haven’t you been at work?” he asked suspiciously.
Thinking quickly of an excuse, I said, “Morning sickness and cramping.” Embracing my stiff body into a hug, Andriano began rubbing my back and planted soft kisses in the middle of my head. “I’m so sorry, bella mia, I should’ve been here for you,” he said, holding me tighter.
“I have to go,” I said, as I forcefully pushed my body away from his hard chest.
“Why? You just got here, bella mia. Please don’t leave,” he said in a panic.
“I’ll be back later. I just have to handle some things with financial aid at my school. The office is going to close in an hour,” I lied, as I looked down at my watch in order to solidify my story.
“My driver will drop you off and wait for you,” he said, as he pulled out his cell phone and made the arrangement.
“Can you keep my duffle bag here until I get back?” I asked as I spied the duffle bag that was filled with his money. I had no intention of returning back to Andriano’s loft. This relationship was over, and I intended to stay clear of him.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Andriano
“What do you mean that
you cannot find her?” I shouted through my phone.
“Mr. Balducci, she went into her school and never came out. She’s been in there for the past five hours,” said Lenny, my personal driver.
“Find her,” I commanded, before ending the call.
For the longest time, I stared at the clock in my office and could only think about her. A thought crossed my mind, as I shot up out of my desk chair and darted in the direction of my bedroom. Once inside, I kneeled down in front of her heavy black duffle bag. I unzipped the bag only to find a letter on top of the…
So that explains why she took out the $200,000 so abruptly, I thought as I recalled her recent bank activity.
My body shook with rage, as I grabbed the envelope with a great vengeance, and I tore through the paper to read the letter that held my fate.
Andriano,
I never expected to fall in love with you, or for our relationship to go this far. Ever since we came back from Las Vegas, you’ve been acting different. A part of me wished that you never told me that you loved me. It seems as though those words caused you to treat me differently. Being pregnant was the last thing that I expected. To be honest with you, I’m scared. With everything that took place these past few weeks, I think that it is best that we end our relationship regardless of what decision we make about my pregnancy.
Simone
I re-read the letter over again before crumpling the paper angrily in my fist. The sound of knocking snapped me out of my angry trance. My heart felt as though it was ripped out of my body, as I rocked back and forth. I’ve never felt so much pain before. She does not have any idea what she brewed up inside of me. I never planned on falling in love with her, but I did. Now things have changed, and I know that the right thing to do is to abide by her wishes. But I refuse.
The relentless knocking on my front door caused me to viciously stand up. I walked slowly towards the front door and did not realize when I opened and closed the door for Chef Reed.
“What time is Simone coming over?” asked Chef Reed, as we entered my kitchen. Shocked into anger, I focused on the wall and began counting backwards from 10. Exhaling at the number one, I attempted to erase the painful afflicting tug at my heart.
“She’s not coming,” I answered solemnly.
Simone
After Lenny dropped me off, I strolled into the south end of campus and walked out of the west end of the campus. Once on the train, the salacious paranoia escaped with an episode of emitting deep breaths. After purchasing a bus ticket to the nearest town that was close to where Victoria lived, I reiterated the need for proper discretion about my location. I made her promise not to reveal any information about my whereabouts to anyone. Briefly looking at my watch, I realized that I only had thirty-five minutes to complete all of my errands before I left. Quickly entering the bank, I emptied the remaining balance on my account. Looking over at the wall clock with perspiration forming above my upper lip, I had twenty-five minutes until my bus loaded. Staring back at the bank teller, I asked her how long it would take to close my bank account.
While on the bus, I searched for clinics in New Jersey that were safe and affordable. Since I did not have private health insurance, I knew that I couldn’t afford to pay more than $3,000 for the procedure. Narrowing my options to three clinics, I called each and finalized my choice by securing an appointment two days from today. Leaning my head back into the headrest, I drifted off into a deep sleep. Two hours later, I woke up to the sound of the bus attendant announcing the first stop. After stopping at two more bus ports, I finally reached my stop. I walked towards the pickup section and dialed Victoria’s number. Victoria hopped out of the black SUV and waved her hand to catch my attention.
“He keeps on calling my cell phone. Once he started calling Daddy and Mother, I knew that the best thing for both of us was to go to my beach house before he shows up at my front door,” Victoria said after our period of silence during the ride.
“He wants me to get an abortion,” I whispered. “I just wanted to get out of there.” This is all my fault, and I knew that I had to take full responsibility for my current situation. But, I couldn’t deny the hurt that engulfed my heart.
“Did you ask him about why Josephine were hand in hand at his club?” asked Victoria.
Shaking my head, I said, “We never got a chance to talk about anything other than getting an abortion.” I couldn’t reveal to her that I was scared to confront the inevitable truth about his lies and deception. Perhaps, I still felt a twinge of hope that there was a sensible explanation as to why he and Josephine entered The Land together, hand in hand.
“Did you make an appointment yet?” she asked with hesitation.
“Yes, I was able to get an appointment on Friday morning at 10 o’clock,” I said, as it dawned on me that it was just two days away. Holding back tears, I turned away from Victoria.
“I’ll go with you,” Victoria said, as she draped her arm over my slumped shoulders. I could no longer contain my emotions, as everything poured out through hot tears.
“I should’ve listened to you…I should’ve listened,” I said in between sobs.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Simone
The past two days were a blur. Andriano’s phone calls were more persistent, followed by swarming text messages. His questions led to a series of crude demands. He couldn’t even hide his anger. By now, he must have read the letter that I put in the duffle bag. Consumed by anger and depression, I eventually turned off my phone. I knew that I was not ready to be a mother, but somehow a part of me knew that this was wrong. Despite my continuous battle to avoid attachment to the baby growing inside of me, I continuously rubbed my belly and silently spoke to my unborn baby. Besides my heightened senses causing me to be overly sensitive to certain smells, my pregnancy seemed to flow perfectly.
Victoria was the only other person who knew that I was pregnant. As much as she was supportive and attentive, I wished that I could talk to my grandmother. I avoided her phone calls—mainly because of the guilt that tugged at me. I was afraid of her reaction and the disappointment. She called last night and left a message on my voicemail telling me to call Andriano because he called two times asking for me. Judging by the tone of her voice, I knew that she was worried, and I felt even guiltier for my sudden isolation. Staring up at the ceiling, I inhaled and exhaled for a brief moment before I hopped out of the bed. Today’s the day.
A part of me felt that I was going to die today with my unborn baby. I can’t back out…it is for the best. I attempted to reassure myself with reasons why this was for the best. I had already cried enough during the past two days, and I practically willed myself to hold back my tears while in the shower. Although the hot scorching water burned my back, I was numb to the feeling. As I got dressed, I silently spoke to my baby and begged for forgiveness. I willed myself to remain strong, as a single tear slid down my cheek. Grabbing a hair clip, I quickly twisted my hair into a tight knot bun and threw on sunglasses to hide my red puffy eyes. Tossing my purse strap over my shoulder, I looked at my reflection in the vanity mirror with shame and disgust. A soft knock on the door interrupted my thoughts, as I motioned for Victoria to come in.
Victoria hesitated before she withdrew an envelope from her back pocket. “I have something to show you, but please promise me that you won’t flip,” she demanded.
“It can’t get any worse than this,” I responded dryly, as I slid the sunglasses up towards the top of my head.
“Read it,” Victoria insisted, as she shoved the elegant card into my hands.
You are cordially invited to the surprise engagement of and celebration for Andriano Balducci and Josephine Capparelli on the 10th of August.
Dropping the card on the floor as if it had burned my fingers to the touch, I backed up and shook my head. “No, no…no—this can’t be true,” I said, in denial of what I just read. Backing up into the bed, I slowly sunk down into the pillow top mattress as I dropped my purse with a
light thud on the floor. As reality started settling in, everything seemed to be clearer.
“Victoria…he never loved me—it was all a lie,” my voice shook as I wrapped my arms around my waist and leaned forward, slightly rocking back and forth. It was all about sex with Andriano, from the moment that I met him.
“I’m so sorry, Simone,” Victoria said softly, as she kneeled in front of me. “We received it three days ago, and I didn’t know how to bring this up to you.”
“I’m so stupid. Even after I saw Josephine and him walking into The Land the other night, I still didn’t put two and two together. Our relationship never existed.” My eyes became wider at my new found discovery, “That is why he wanted me to get an abortion. I should’ve listened to you.”
“Simone, when I saw how much time you both spent together, I thought that maybe you meant more to him. I thought that maybe he decided to give up everything for you,” Victoria blurted out.
“Everything? Being with me did not mean giving up everything. He could’ve continued to run his businesses. We gave each other space to do our own things,” I said, confused by her statement.
“Simone, I have to tell you something that you must promise not to ever repeat to anyone,” she said, as she stared at me squarely in the face. With a light nod, she continued, “Andriano’s family and most of the other families that attended our Christmas party are in…” She paused briefly before finishing, “…the Mafia.”