CHAPTER SIX

CAMILLA'S POV

Lately Carter had been so nice to me and I was eternally grateful, but wasn't he supposed to spite me. I was just another business deal for him right? I noticed he normally acted like he didn't know shit about me, but he couldn't fool me. Yes I appreciated the fact that he was being all nice and caring about me, but he was still going to let out his real hatred soon. 

That was how Claudia buttered me up too, when she moved in with my father. Initially, she was always so sweet and nice and always understanding. That was until he married her, the whole story changed. It was as if she was waiting to get married to my Dad before she showed her true self. She had my poor father wrapped around her little finger.

I always wondered if Dad ever really loved my mother, or she was just another business deal, just like I was to Carter, but my Childhood memories where my Dad was always all over my Mom never left my brain for one second. He loved her. Then why was he cheating? 

I had been stuck with Claudia for 5 years of my life, and those five years were my worst. I couldn't be more thankful that Carter was now my guardian, but what if he wasn't any different from Claudia? What if he needed time to unleash his true nature? Then again I decided to give him a benefit of doubt. When he told me he recently found out that Claudia wasn't my biological mother, I found it difficult to believe, but I decided to let the matter die, because I wasn't ready to call him out on his lies. Let's just both keep pretending that all was well.

So here I am, waiting for my father's will, which I already had a clue about, to be read.

"Get on with it, Mr Parker" Claudia said. She was clearly too desperate to have my father's company in her hands. His failing company, if I might add. Since I was little and could comprehend things, I knew Dad was barely trying keeping up with running the company. 

I had always wanted to study Business Administration in College and take over Dad's company so I could remedy the situation, but it wasn't even going to be my company in the first place. How pathetic. But then again, she was going to have my Father's poultry, which infact was doing very well, and had been the main source of income in the family for feeding, clothing and paying my Father's bills ever since he fell ill and was bedridden. 

"I leave my Construction Company and Mansion here in NewYork, to my Wife, Mrs Claudia Julian Monteiro" I was expecting this, but I guess I had a little glimmer of hope in my heart. She didn't have the poultry. I released a deep breath.

She was really smiling so much now, as she threw a wink to her Nephew. He smiled back, giving her a knowing look only both of them clearly understood. I felt Carter squeeze my palms reassuringly.

"Okay let's go on" Mr Parker said. "I leave my Poultry to My Nephew, Mr Denver Julian" I suddenly felt my heart drop to the pit of my stomach. He left nothing for me. My own father left nothing in his will for me. But what was I even expecting. I didn't notice a tear slid down my face until I felt Carter's hands wiping them away.

"I think that's all then Mr Parker? I and my fiancée will take our leave now"

"No. That's not all. There's more" He said looking at us, urging us to remain sitted.

"What more is there Mr Parker. That's clearly all my Uncle's properties. Or do you mean his cars?" Denver asked

"I thought the cars are to go with me, since I'm taking the house?" Claudia queried.

"If you would allow me to continue Mrs Edward, Miss Edward and Mr Julian?"

"Yeah sure" Claudia and Denver gave their go ahead, as Mr Parker waited for my approval. I couldn't make out a word yet.

"Please continue" Carter said on my behalf. I just noticed that he had his arms wrapped around my shoulders.

"Alright then" Mr Parker nodded. "I leave my Cars to my Wife, Mrs Claudia Julian Monteiro" 

I watched as Claudia smiled at me devilishly.

"I leave my...."

"What else is there? That's all my late husband's properties"

"I think we should let him finish, Claudia" Carter said distastefully.

"I leave my second Construction company to my Daughter, Miss Camilla Eloise Monteiro"

What? What was he saying.

"What are you saying Mr Parker? Like Claudia said, that's all the properties my Father has. Where is this coming from?"

"Exactly!" Claudia stated clearly annoyed.

"Well, I'm just doing my work Miss Monteiro. The documents of all the properties your father handed over to you will be given to you shortly after the will is completely read."

"You aren't done yet?" I was beyond shocked as looked up at Carter who wore a look of disbelief on his face.

"I leave my mobile phone company; Montel, to my daughter, Miss Camilla Eloise Monteiro.

I leave my bakery in Italy to my daughter, Miss Camilla Eloise Monteiro. I leave all my other houses in Canada and NewYork to my daughter, Miss Camilla Eloise Monteiro. I leave 150 million dollars to my Daughter Eloise Monteiro. I leave my 15 percent shares of stock in Dino Construction company to my daughter, Camilla Eloise Monteiro. I leave my....."

".....Shut up!! Just shut up! What are you saying?" I couldn't hold my outbursts anymore. I stood as I continued venting my anger.

"My father doesn't have all these. All this properties you mentioned. He doesn't. My Dad was practically bankrupt before he died. The only thing keeping us going was the poultry he gave to Denver. It wasn't necessary for him to tell all these lies in his will just to make me feel better" I said as I roughly wiped away my tears with the back of my hand, before I felt Carter pull me into his chest in a way of comfort.

"Shhh.... it's okay, alright?" Carter whispered into my ears alone.

"What sort of rubbish are you spitting. I and my nephew already have all my husband owns. Where are this new properties coming from? This much for that matter?" Claudia barked.

"Well, Like I said earlier on, I'm just doing my work. All the documents for the new properties that Mr Monteiro handed over to his daughter" He said bringing out some file as Carter left me to go over and take a look at the files.

"It's true Mila. These documents are pretty much original. Your father indeed owned these properties" Carter confirmed. At that moment I felt lost. I was broken and healed at the same time. My father loved me, he left me quite a lot. But then again, he didn't trust me enough to let me know about all this. I didn't know when I started walking out of the room. I heard Carter calling me back and I also had Mr Parker saying something like 'we are not done yet Miss Camilla'. Fuck that will. I thought as I increased my pace and ran out of the house.

I wandered into a park and stayed there for only God knows how long, feeling content with the little children playing around with their friends, as their parents diligently watched them closely. That was a very old fond memory of when everything was still perfect. I definitely thought life was a bed of roses then.

It was so dark, when I realized I had overstayed, and got up from the swing I was sitting currently. I walked out of the park and to the main road. I didn't have anything on me except my phone, so I decided to order an Uber ride and transfer his or her fee. I was done booking my ride after two minutes and I waited patiently along the road. 

After a while, I noticed a man in a hood lurking behind me. I remembered seeing him in the park earlier on, but wasn't disturbed as I clearly had bigger issues of my own. Whereas now, I was a little bit scared if I might say. He kept lurking around and I couldn't even see his face. It was really creepy. 

I prayed silently for my ride to arrive on time before this man tried to do something stupid. I switched on my phone to check the time on my phone and i was met with 23 missed calls and 7 messages from Carter! Oh he was going to be so pissed at me. It was 9:15pm already? How could I have been so careless as not to notice when the time flew so fast. 

I was still silently cursing when the headlights of a car shone directly into my eyes from a distance. I made a victory dance in my head as I made for the car. 

"Are you Miss Camilla" The driver wound down and queried.

"Yeah sure" I smiled as I opened the passenger seat and got in.

*******************************************

I rang the door bell and waited patiently for Carter to come open it. After a while, I heard his footsteps and in a matter of seconds, the door was held slightly ajar by an angry looking Carter. I quickly walked in and he slammed the door behind me. 

"Where the hell have you been Mila? Do you know how many times I tried calling you? Why the hell did you switch off your phone!!!?"

"I can explain Carter..."

"Explain what? You made me so fucking worried!!!! I!!!!!...." He stepped towards me raising his hand in anger as I quickly flinched and automatically covered my face with my arms, but that was before I saw his raised hand move to the back of his head in frustration. I had already reacted.

After a few seconds of quick mental calculations, I raised up my head with an apologetic eyes.

"Wait...what?" He asked in disbelief. "You thought I would hit you? Oh my God Mila, you think I'm such a monster?"

"No! I don't... I don't think so!" I replied quickly trying my best to show that I didn't believe he could hit me. I was so stupid.

"Wait a minute Camilla" He focused his eyes on me as if trying to calculate something. "Does she hit you?"

"Who?" I asked pretending not to know who he was talking about.

"She hits you right? Claudia hits you!" His voice was booming throughout the apartment.

"Calm down Carter" I pleaded 

"Calm down? You visibly flinched when I raised my hand earlier on. You'd only do that if Claudia has been physically abusing you" 

The moment I heard the word 'abuse', my temper rose to the peak.

"Abuse?!!! Did you just say abuse?" I screamed at him and this time, he was the one who flinched. "For days I've acted like the fool, letting you show me the temporary care you've been showing" I barked.

"What?" He whispered 

"Yes! You fucking heard what I said. Or you think I didn't know you proposed this deal to my Dad just to use me as your business pawn? Marriage is just business to you, now that's Abuse. Just stop acting like you care about me when you really don't! Moreover you are marrying me just to get the shares of my late father's company. Well congratulations! You got it!" I finished as I looked closely at him, waiting for him to try contradict me, as expected.

"You... you think...." He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "Now listen Miss Monteiro, I never planned to get married at this age, to a mere teenager at the most. I never even knew anything about you and your family, except the contract I was pursuing with your Father. I simply asked for a contract with your Father, and the only option I was given, was to marry you"

"On meeting you one on one, for the first time, you were the opposite of the little brat I'd thought you'd be. But! I still gave you a benefit of doubt to prove me wrong, to show me that you weren't the kind of person I thought you to be. Why couldn't you do same? My Dad didn't mind the condition of marrying of you at all, for reasons best known to him, if not I wouldn't even be in this mess the first place. Caring for someone who just doesn't give a fuck!" 

I was sure that my eyes were as wide as saucers now. "Carter I'm...."

"It's Mr Spencer to you, Miss Monteiro. Let's make this marriage the business deal you've always wanted it to be" I was too shocked to say another word as I watched him walk to the table and pick up some files and then walked back to me shoving them into my arms.

"Those are the documents to your new properties Miss Monteiro. You should go through them. Have a goodnight." He spat and then made his way to his room.

The only thing I could think of was how I screwed up.

'You screw girl!' My subconscious mocked. Stupid me. I sat on the couch with my head in my hands as I thought of the best way to remedy the mess I created.