New Beginning

THREE YEARS LATER….

Imogene Scott

“Your gallery’s grand opening is tomorrow night and you’re telling me you fired Lily’s nanny?” Elinor’s voice is sharp on the other end of the line.

I grunt and place my phone on speaker, then put it on the kitchen’s counter. Shit! Shit! Shit! I wouldn’t have fired Mei Mei if she hadn’t been so careless with Lily. How could she leave a two years old toddler alone in a tub while on call with her boyfriend?

“Mei Mei was bad news.” I curse under my breath as I walk across the room. Then I pick Lily up from the only couch in the empty living room and place her into her scroller.

The couch is the only thing I will be leaving behind in my high rent two-bedroom apartment in West Virginia. I’m moving back to LA for the grand opening of my second art gallery.

“Plus, I was going to fire Mei Mei anyways. I can’t have her move back to LA with me, can I? She has her life here.” I add.

By ‘her life’, I mean her boyfriend. How I wish she knows how unreliable men can be.

There’s a long pause at the other end of the line, and it gives me time to rush into my room to grab the only suitcase remaining in the apartment. All my luggages have already been moved to my new apartment in LA a few days ago. But I had to wait behind because I needed to oversee some things before leaving.

As soon as I walk back into the empty living room, Elinor’s voice echoes through the room again.

“I’m glad you’re finally returning to Los Angeles. But you’ve been staying in West Virginia for three years now. Away from ‘you know who’ and everyone that might ever try to hurt you or Lily. Are you sure you’re going to be fine?”

My lips curl into a smile. Elinor and I always refer to Damien Shaw as ‘you know who’. No one’s ever allowed to mention his name. Mostly because of Lily who can easily pick up people’s names when mentioned.

“I’m over the past, Eli. Right now, my only focus is on Lily and my goals.” I reiterate.

“Are you sure?”

I know Elinor is only trying to look out for Lily and I. She’s been doing that for the past three years like she’s my real family. She’d helped me move far away from ‘you know who’ when I was at my lowest.

She had even encouraged me to reopen my art gallery here in West Virginia and it became a success. She and Lily are the only reason I made it this far.

“I know you’re worried about Lily and I. You’re worried ‘you know who’ might come back into our lives. But Los Angeles is a big city with millions of people. There’s zero percent chance I might cross path with him.”

A beat of silence. “Are you sure about this, Imogene?”

“I’ve never been so sure of something in my life.” I trail off. “I really gotta go now or I’ll miss my flight.”

I don’t wait for Elinor’s response before ending the call. I toss my phone into my purse, then swing it around my shoulder. With one hand, I grab my suitcase while I use my other hand to push Lily’s scroller.

A cab is already waiting outside. The driver helps onload my stuff into the truck, and I sit in the back seat, placing Lily firmly on my lap.

As the car drives closer to the airport, my feet suddenly feels cold so I let my mind wonder. Is returning to LA the best thing to do? Maybe not but I need to face my fears in order to expand. LA is the hottest spot right now for art and I’m not going to miss this chance just because I’m scared the city might open some old wounds.

I’m stronger now. Any woman will become stronger if she had to raise a child like Lily on her own. It hasn’t been easy for me, in between proving myself as an artist, organizing art auctions, finding the undiscovered talented artist, and making a name for myself.

But my hard work over the years has paid off and I’m now opening my second art gallery which is definitely going to be a success because a possible investor will be present at the grand opening. I can really use the opportunity for expansion.

I’m over Damien, over anything that can ruin my chances for a better life in LA. I reassure myself even though another part of me says I’m not ready for this.

“Mommy, why?” Lily’s tiny voice says to me as we step through the automatic sliding doors of West Virginia Airport.

I’m holding Lily’s hand tightly and her eyes are scanning the area. Even though most of her sentences are two-worded, I can easily plause them together and understand what she means.

I crouch down to Lily’s level and push her curly chestnut brown hair back. She has bright green eyes, and a scattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks. She’s wearing a rose patterned dress and a pair of flats.

"Ready to go on an adventure, sweetie?" I say softly.

She giggles, but I’m sure she barely understands what I said. It doesn’t matter. She’s excited about it and so am I. And that was all that matters.

****

The four hours flight was daunting but it was worth it when we finally arrive at our new home. A three bedroom apartment on the seventh floor of Aces Penthouse.

Most of the upper middle class families in LA reside there and being able to afford a high cost of living for Lily and me, is something to brag about.

Lily has already fallen asleep by the time we arrived so I place her on the couch to sleep some more. After that, I take a little tour of the apartment. The last time I was here to check out the place, it was empty.

But now, the living room has modern minimalist furniture, ivory accented with dark teak. Lot of buttery leather, and several watercolor paintings of green mountains on the walls. Some of them are my paintings.

The floor is pale champagne marble, buffed to a glossy sheen. A few geometric- patterned rugs add to the ambiance. There’s even an open archway that connects the living room to the dining room. No door for partitioning, but it makes the space appear bigger and airier.

I exhale sharply and slump into a chair, trying to shake off the lingering doubt. This is my life now—the life I’ve built for Lily and me. I deserve this fresh start. Nothing and no one is going to ruin this for us. I won’t let them.

The door bell jolts me. I rise to my feet and walk to the door. I know it has to be Elinor and I’m right. The hi-res security panel next to the door shows the person on the other side. Elinor is smiling awkwardly at the camera.

She’s gorgeous as ever in white shirt and jeans. Her hair is in a messy bun too but she’s smiling big. She hardly smiles but whenever she does, it’s genuine. I have always thought her smile is probably the closest thing to heaven’s bell on earth. But this time, I can tell it’s forced.

Something has to be wrong. Panic surges through me for a second.

I click on the monitor and it gives a long beep before the door finally opens. I step away from the door, dragging my feet back into the living room.

A few minutes later, Elinor walks into the living room. Her fists are clenched tightly beside her and she seems tensed. By now, she’s supposed to be yapping about how huge my apartment is. But she isn’t saying anything..

“Elinor?” I ask, my voice trembling slightly.

She looks at me, opens her mouth, then closes it again, as if the words are too heavy to speak. Her fists unclench, then tighten again.

“Imogene, there’s something important I need to tell you,” she finally says, her voice barely above a whisper.

I can feel the tension in the room, thick and suffocating. Elinor never hesitates like this. My stomach twists into knots as I brace myself for what’s coming next.

“It’s about Damien.”

Her words slice through me, and I have to swallow back the pain that claws up my throat. My hands start to tremble, and I grip the edge of the chair to steady myself. It has to be serious. She said his name, not ‘you know who.’

I’ve tried so hard to move on, to leave that part of my life behind. But it seems like Damien, and everything he represents, won’t let me go that easily.