Mrs Rodriguez walked into Vanessa's room and met her lying on her bed, with her face buried in her pillow. She could hear her sniffling.
That's how it has been the past few days. Vanessa cries at any slight chance she gets, and it was slowly getting on her nerves. She had warned Vanessa about marrying this man, but she didn't listen to her, now she's facing the consequences alone, hurt and pregnant with the child of a man who just dirvoced her. "And what do you think you're doing?!" Vanessa mom asked, her expression stoic as she walked closer towards the bed. Vanessa raised her face up and stared up at her mother. "I'm sorry" she muttered, raising her hands up to her face to wipe her tears away. "You don't have to apologize" her mother's face softened. "I understand that you're heartbroken and sad, but trust me, crying won't solve your problems. You'll just end up draining up all your energy" Her mom stated as she sat on the bed beside Vanessa. "You should be strong, for the sake of your unborn child. You shouldn't let your past define your future" she stated as she held Vanessa's palm tenderly. "Don't be weak. Don't ever give your enemies the satisfaction of seeing you sad or broken!" She squeezed her palm. "Be strong, Because no daughter of mine is a weakling. Understood?" She asked. "Yes Mother" Vanessa responded, her voice firm. Her mother's words suddenly gave her a new sense of purpose in life. She was going to stop being a weak lady and be strong for the sake of her child. She'll work hard to give her child a good life. And she can only achieve that when she starts moving on from the past. "Lunch is ready. Take a bath and come downstairs" Her mother informed as she stood up from the bed and walked towards the door. "Be strong my dear" She Whispered. She gave Vanessa a final glance before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her. Vanessa slowly stood up from the bed and made her way towards the bathroom. She stripped her clothes off her body before standing under the shower, as she let the cold water Cascade her smoothe delicate skin. She took in a deep breath as some images of Riccardo flashed before her eyes. Subconsciously, she moved her hands and placed it on her stomach. "My baby, Mom will work hard to give you a good life" she whispered to herself. With a renewed sense of purpose, she took her sponge and began scrubbing her body hardly. To others, she was just scrubbing her body. But to her, she was scrubbing away the feeling of Love for Riccardo, the feeling of sadness. She was going to be strong for herself and her unborn child, and if one day she was ever going to cross paths with Riccardo, she was not going to take it easy on him! After washing her body thoroughly, she rinsed off the soap, then walked out of the bathroom, with a towel wrapped around her body. Walking inside her walk in closet, she picked out a white Floral dress and threw on her body. She brushed her hair and tied it into a bun. She stared at her face in the mirror. She was looking thin and pale. She couldn't help but wonder why she had to go through all these for Riccardo. Was loving someone really like that. Well obviously it was, but not anymore. She walked out from her room and made her way towards the dinning area. The maids had already served the dishes and her mother was seating on one of the chairs waiting for her. Vanessa pulled out a chair and settled on it, before facing her mother. "Where's Dad?" She asked looking around the dinning room. "He had an urgent meeting to attend to" Her mom informed. "He'll be back soon. Don't worry" she added. Vanessa nodded her head as she began eating her meal. Once she was done, the maids cleared the dishes while her mom led her to the living room. Entering the living room, Vanessa met a lady and a young man standing there. "Who are they Mom?" She turned to her mother and asked. "They are your personal assistant and bodyguard respectively" her mom informed. "What do I need them for?" Vanessa asked, surprise evident in her tone as she glanced at the figures that stood before her. "You'll be working in one of your father's company soon. Get ready" she stated, with that she walked out of the living room, leaving Vanessa with the two persons she didn't know. "I'm Lily" the female introduced as she stretched out her hands for a hand shake, which Vanessa accepted hesitantly. "Vanessa" she muttered. "How long have you been working for my mom?" She asked. "Two years now" she replied. "It's a pleasure to meet you" she let out a small smile. "I'm Diego" the guy finally introduced himself. Vanessa nodded her head in response. "What do you want to do now Ma'am?" Lily asked. "Let's go shopping" Vanessa replied. It would help her take her mind off somethings. "I'll get the car ready" Diego informed before leaving the living room. Vanessa informed her mom before leaving. She settled inside the plush seats of the car, with Lily beside her. As Diego drove past the streets, she stared out of the window as she reminisced her life with Riccardo. Diego brought the car to a halt in front of a big clothe store. Vanessa stared at the building, it looked fancy, obviously not everyone could afford it. Diego opened the car door for her and she alighted. But as she was about to walk into the store, something caught her eyes. The sight of two couples, the woman was heavily pregnant while the man held her hands carefully as he assisted her in getting inside the store. Vanessa slowly moved her hands and placed them on her stomach as she sighed SADLY.FIVE YEARS LATERVanessa walked briskly out of her office, with Lily behind her."Alright. What's on the Agenda for tomorrow?" She asked, her steps not flattering.Lily hurried to keep up with her pace as she replied."Your first meeting is at 9AM with the marketing team, to discuss the new campaign. Then at 11:00 you have a conference call with the new York's office to go over quarterly report."Vanessa nodded her head. "Got it. Anything else?" She asked, sliding her bag onto her shoulders."Yes, at 1:00 PM, you have a lunch meeting with Mr. Reynolds from Green Tech about the partnership deal. In the afternoon, at 3:00 PM, you need to review the budget proposal with the finance team.""Busy day. What about the contract for the supplier?" She asked as she glanced at her wrist watch.Lily handed a file over to her. "Here it is. It needs your signature before the end of the day. Also don't forget you have a dinner meeting at 7:00 PM with the board members."Vanessa took the file from he
Vanessa stared at her father, not knowing what to say."But Dad...""You don't have to worry about that. I'll surely protect you this time" he reassured her."Why did you suddenly want me to work there?" She asked. She could remember that her cousin was in charge there."Your Cousin...I have some intels that he's laundering the companies money and selling some of our information to our rivals" He informed, his face now scrunching up in anger."What? Why would he do that?" Vanessa asked as she took a step closer towards her dad."I don't know yet. But you'll help me find out right?" He asked, staring at her hopefully."Dad..." Vanessa drawled as she sighed."Please my dear"Vanessa stared at her father right in the eyes. He only adds the word 'Please' when things have gotten really hard for him. He was someone who always liked doing things himself, not depending on others.And over the years, she's learnt to fight for her survival and fight her way to the top. Just like her father had a
Vanessa's heart pounded as she hurried through the bustling lobby of the hospital, her heels echoing on the tiled floor. She dodged around people, her eyes fixed on the receptionist desk.Reaching it, she leaned slightly against the counter, trying to catch her breath. The receptionist looked up, giving her a polite questioning smile."I'm here to see Veronica Rodriguez." She said, her voice tinged with a sense of urgency.The receptionist finger flew over the keyboard."Are you family?" She asked glancing up."Yes. I'm her daughter." Vanessa replied."Take the elevator to the first floor and turn to your left. Room 102 will be on your right." "Thank you" Vanessa replied already moving towards the elevator.As she stood in front of the room, she took in a deep breath before pushing the door open and stepping inside.She met her Mom lying on the bed, with an IV drip connected to her. She looked pale, but her eyes were open. Her dad seating beside her on a small chair."Mom" she called
A wave of Anxiety washed over Vanessa, her eyes seemed to be stuck on the figure. As if on Cue, he also looked her way. His eyes seemed to widen for a moment. They both stood there, staring at each other. The whole world seemed to Blur behind them.Vanessa felt the rapid thumping of her chest, that she feared her heart might pop out. Slowly, she folded her hands into a fist, her gaze turning Dark.Riccardo on the other hand stood motionlessly on the street at he stared at the woman through the Transparent glass doors of the Grocery shop. It felt as if he had just seen a ghost and for a moment he doubted if she was actually the one. His breath became erratic as he struggled to keep himself composed. He closed his eyes and took in a long deep breath. When he opened it, she was still there staring back at him. So, his eyes weren't deceiving him, she was really there. His Ex Wife, who he had dirvoced unfairly. Why was she back after all these years? He had searched for her for months, bu
"Hi, thank you for coming. Please have a seat." Vanessa ushered her in, gesturing at the couch with a small smile plastered on her face. They both settled down opposite each other and Lily stood behind Vanessa. "Thank you, Ms. Vanessa. It's nice to meet you." "Likewise. So, tell me a bit about yourself and why you're interested in this babysitting position." She requested, her smile not faltering. "Sure. My name is Emily, and I'm a senior in high school. I don't have any formal babysitting experience, but I love kids and have often looked after my younger cousins. I'm really responsible and eager to learn." She explained, with utmost enthusiasm. "That's good to hear." Vanessa nodded her head. "How do you think you'd handle challenging situations, like if my kids throw a tantrum? "Well, with my cousins, I usually try to stay calm and figure out what they're upset about. I distract them with their favorite toys or activities and try to talk to them in a calm voice." "If they nee
Diego brought the car to a halt in front of a building. "We're here." He informed her, and Vanessa looked up from the files she was busy reading. She stepped down from her sleek black car, adjusting her cream shirt as she took confident strides towards the building. "Lily, make sure we have all the contract details. This negotiation is crucial." "Of course, Ms. Rodriguez, I've reviewed everything twice. Mr. Harris is expecting us in conference room B." Lily replied, following closely behind her carrying a tablet. Vanessa nods, her heels clicking against the marble floor of the lobby. "Good. What are their key concerns?" She asked. Lily quickened her pace to match Vanessa's, glancing at the tablet. "They’re primarily focused on pricing and the length of the contract. They want more flexibility." Vanessa reached the elevator and pressed the button. "Perfect. We'll emphasize the value we bring and find a middle ground on the contract terms." Lily let out a small smile, a
"Vanessa, How have you been?" Riccardo couldn't stop himself from asking as he stared at the woman who sat opposite him.If he wasn't mistaken, he saw the look of hatred flash across her eyes. It was just for a split of second."I'm Sorry. Have you known me previously?" She raised her brows as she questioned.Riccardo's stared at her wordlessly. She was behaving strange. Wait! What was he expecting? That she'd say 'I'm fine. It's been a very long time' He mentally faced palmed himself for asking such question. But still, why was she pretending not to know him."Hello. You seem lost!" She snapped. "I guess you have a lot of things going on, on your mind. I'll get going. We'll reschedule the meeting for next time." She added rising up from where she sat.Without giving him a chance to speak, she walked out of the room. Lily glanced at Riccardo before following Vanessa outside.Riccardo's stared at her retreating figure. She carries herself with so much Poise and Elegance.But he could
LUCAS'S MANSIONRiccardo's stood in front of Lucas's door and rang the bell. Soon the door was opened and it revealed Lucas' face."Riccardo. Come in." He ushered, stepping away from the door."Good evening" he greeted, making his way inside the house.Lucas replied with a slight nod. As they walked inside the living room, Riccardo saw Camille seated on the couch with a big bag in front of her."Camille. How are you doing?" He asked, walking closer towards her."Hey, Riccardo." She stood, and they both shared a short hug."What did you buy this time?" He asked staring at the bag in front of her."Facial products." She replied, seating back down on the couch.She brought one out and showed it to Riccardo."Wow." He muttered."I thought you liked fancy products?" He asked, now taking a seat beside her on the couch."Nope. I go for quality." She replied, as she twirled the Jar in the hands."So. How do you know it is?" He asked."One of my friends recommended it." She handed one to him.