Chapter 7

RONALD

“Thanks for covering for me, Gabriel. I forgot the meeting was scheduled for this morning,” Ronald said to his best friend as they walked side by side out of the glass-walled conference room.

“Alima should have reminded you.”

“She did. She told me before leaving the office yesterday, but it slipped my mind,” Ronald said as he playfully scratched the back of his neck.

Truthfully, Alima, Ronald’s assistant, reminded him about the meeting before he left work yesterday, and she even sent him a reminder via his email, which he saw before he fell asleep.

Ronald remembered he had a meeting. But damn, he couldn’t say no to Raina when she asked him to stay for breakfast.

He would never forget every detail of what happened that morning. Breakfast was something he never had during weekdays. But everything seemed perfect this morning. Having breakfast with Alexa, Adrie, Raina, and Clarice.

They looked like one big happy family: the way Raina said a prayer before they started eating and the way Alexa helped Adrie cut her sausages—never mind how delicious the food was. Ronald was totally on cloud nine this morning.

“Since when did you start forgetting about your meetings, Mr. Gidwani?” Gabriel teased with a smirk on his face. He knew his best friend was lying.

“What do you mean?” Ronald asked as he opened the door to his office and walked in with Gabriel behind him.

“I know you’re not telling me the truth,” Gabriel said as he sat opposite an already seated Ronald.

“Fine. Raina asked me to stay for breakfast, and I couldn’t say no.”

“Wow, you are whipped,” Gabriel grinned.

He blushed. “Not really.”

“So that means she’s moving on already,” Gabriel said. He knew everything about Raina that Ronald did.

“Yes, she is,” Ronald said, reaching for a cup of coffee on his table and taking a sip.

Alima was the one who placed the coffee on his table a few minutes before he entered the office.

“Raina makes the best coffee,” he said as he placed the cup of coffee on the table while Gabriel stared at him in disbelief.

“You really enjoyed your morning,” he said.

Ronald nodded. “Even the breakfast she made was so delicious. She must have been doing well with the restaurant before it was shut down.”

“Any news from Adrian?” Gabriel asked.

Adrian was Gabriel’s elder brother, a private investigator. Ronald had hired him to find out some information about Raina’s ex-lover.

“Not yet, but I’m sure he will get back to us very soon.”

“Do you have anything in mind?” Gabriel asked with creased eyebrows.

“Honestly, I just want that bastard to pay for all he did. Perhaps, I will deal with him myself before handing him over to the police,” Ronald said.

He was clearly annoyed. He still couldn’t understand how a man would beat a woman mercilessly.

“Does Raina know about this? About you trying to find him and make him pay?” Gabriel asked.

Ronald shook his head.

“I think you should tell her,” Gabriel said. “Let her know what you’re up to. Women tend to get angry when they find out we hid something from them. Communication is the key, bro,” Gabriel advised.

“Maybe everybody should come to visit us,” Gabriel suggested after a brief pause. “I’m sure Jemma will be happy to have Raina over.”

“Not a bad idea. I will talk to her about it,” he replied.

“I have to get back to work. See you at lunch, right?” Gabriel asked, rising to his feet.

“No. I have a lot to do, so I’ll just work through lunch. Besides, Ray made me lunch,” he said proudly.

“No wonder you’re glowing wonderfully well. Enjoy yourself, man.” Gabriel chuckled as he walked out of his best friend’s office.

RAINA

“I think we’ve bought everything we need, Clarice.” Raina groaned, but Clarice turned deaf ears to her statement and dragged her into Victoria’s Secret store.

Truthfully, she had bought enough stuff for herself and Adrie that she was already feeling guilty that she had overspent Ronald’s money.

Clarice, on the other hand, didn’t care and kept picking out items for her, ranging from house clothes to official and party wear, shoes for herself and Adrie, and now some sexy lingerie.

“I feel guilty, Clarice. We’ve spent way too much already,” she said, and Clarice gave her a heartwarming smile.

Raina was different from the other women Ronald had been with. Clarice noticed how Raina was conscious of the price of anything before they bought it when others wouldn’t care.

“You don’t have to worry. Ronald told me to make sure you buy everything you need, no matter the cost,” she said, then shoved a set of black and red lingerie into Raina’s arms.

Raina groaned.

“Trust me—you will thank me later.” Clarice winked at her, after which she turned her attention to another collection of underwear.

Beatrice was home, so they left the girls with her. Since Raina knew Adrie’s size, she decided to shop for her instead of bringing her along and making her go through the torture of walking from one store to another.

Fifteen minutes later, Clarice and Raina left the store and proceeded to the salon. Clarice insisted Raina should get a makeover.

“I hope you like it,” the hairstylist said as he turned Raina to look in the mirror.

She had to admit she looked beautiful. Her dry hair was now shiny and looked longer. Her bushy eyebrows were perfectly trimmed and shaped. Even her bruises had faded away completely.

Raina hardly went shopping, to spas, or to get hair treatments ever since she shut down her restaurant because she couldn’t afford it.

The way the stylist transformed her hair still amazed her. It had been a long time since she cared for her hair because the only hair product she used was regular shampoo.

“I’m sure she loves it,” Clarice chimed in as she watched Ray admire herself in the mirror.

They paid for Raina’s hair and pedicure, then took their leave.

As soon as Daniel, Ronald’s driver, saw Clarice and Raina walking out of the mall with their hands full of bags, he approached them and assisted them in carrying the bags, which he placed in the trunk.

Clarice, Raina, and Daniel got into the car, and Daniel drove toward the mansion.

On their way home, Raina was drowned in her thoughts. She bought way too many things for herself and her daughter, making her think of what excuse to give Ronald.

***

“Mommy!”

“Raina!”

The girls greeted her as they ran toward her and hugged her legs tightly. She was just a few steps away from the door.

Raina released herself from them, crouched down, and kissed their cheeks.

“You look amazing!” Alexa said.

“Your hair is beautiful,” Adrie said as she gently stroked the curls at the end of her mother’s hair.

“Thank you, my loves,” Raina smiled. “Were you girls good for Beatrice?”

“Yes!” and “Sure!” Adrie and Alexa said, respectively.

“Hungry?” she asked.

“Not really,” Adrie said.

“We had lunch already,” Alexa chimed in.

“Won’t you girls come to say hi to me too?” Clarice pouted, pretending to be angry.

Then the girls ran to her to greet her.

Raina reached for the shopping bags on a golden couch that was right beside the door.

She couldn’t carry all of them at once, so she took them to her room in batches.

She arranged everything she bought into where they fit: clothes and shoes in the closet; bodywash, shampoo, and some skin care products in the bathroom; makeup, and body spray on the dressing table.

Raina looked at everything she had done and was satisfied with the arrangement, but she felt they were too much.

She did not plan on staying in Ronald’s house for a very long time, but with everything she bought, it was looking as if she would be overstaying.

She looked at her bed, where some shopping bags rested, unpacked. Those were for Adrie.

Since Adrie was staying in Alexa’s room, she didn’t know if Alexa would want to share her closet with Adrie or if she should keep Adrie’s stuff in her room.

She sighed as she walked out of her room to ask Clarice what to do.

Raina found Clarice in the kitchen, putting together ingredients for dinner.

“Clarice, I’m confused as to where to put Adrie’s stuff that we bought. I mean, I have no problem keeping them in my room—”

“Don’t worry, dear,” Clarice cut her off. “We’ve sorted that out. There’s a free space in Alexa’s closet. Adrie can use that,” she said.

“Alexa!” Clarice called her name from the kitchen. She and Adrie were watching cartoons in the living room.

“Yes, Clarice?” The little girl came as soon as she heard her name called.

Clarice turned to her and said, “Sweetheart, can you please show Raina the space in your closet so she can put away the clothes we bought for Adrie?”

“Sure. Don’t worry, Clarice. I will show Raina,” Alexa replied proudly. She loved it whenever she was given a task to do.

She intertwined her right hand with Raina’s left one and led the way out of the kitchen.

“Alexa, where are your slippers? You shouldn’t be walking barefoot,” Raina said.

Alexa’s eyes turned wild as she stopped in her tracks. She released her hand from Raina’s own and turned to look at her.

“They are in the living room. Please don’t tell my dad about it. He will get mad at me,” she pleaded with a pout.

“Okay, I won’t. Why don’t you go get them and meet me in my room,” she suggested, and Alexa nodded. After which she ran to the living room to put on her slippers.

Both girls met her upstairs.

“Let me help you,” Alexa offered.

“Me too, Mama,” Adrie chimed in.

“No, girls. I can manage,” Raina said as she looked at the six shopping bags on her bed. They were all for Adrie.

“Please, I can carry one,” Alexa offered, and Raina nodded as she gave her the smallest of all bags.

“Me too, mama,” Adrie pouted, and she sighed.

She knew Adrie could not carry the bag because of how small she was, so she did what she could think of. She removed a pair of black sandals from one of the bags and handed it to her to carry.

Raina managed to carry the remaining bags, and they walked out of her room, Alexa leading the way with Adrie in the middle and Raina following behind.

“Welcome to our room, Raina,” Alexa cheered as soon as she opened the door.

Officially, this was Raina’s first time in their room, though she had glanced at it last night during her a tour. She couldn’t see the room properly because the lights were switched off, as the girls were asleep.

“I love it. It’s very beautiful,” Raina said.

“Yaaaay, Adrie, your mom loves our room!” Alexa yelled as she tickled Adrie, who giggled.

Raina smiled at them as they tickled each other. By now, they were lying on the carpet in the room. Ray was grateful Alexa was willing to share and even happier when she called her room hers and Adrie’s room.

The girls helped Raina arrange all of Adrie’s stuff in the closet, after which they all went back downstairs to help Clarice with dinner.