Chapter 5 - Meeting Again

"Are you satisfied after leaving and tormenting me?"

With all his might, Dillbert restrained himself from hugging the woman—the woman who had almost driven him crazy. Crazy, because Caroline had left. Five years was not a short time. The wedding had almost taken place, but just as Dillbert and Sally were about to say their vows for life and death, an immoral video recording appeared as the backdrop to their ceremony.

Mrs. Jasmine, Dillbert's mother, was so embarrassed that she fainted, while Dillbert stood frozen, overwhelmed with regret for what he had done to Caroline. The revelation of Sally's true nature on her wedding day not only ruined her reputation in front of her extended family and close friends but also shamed her before Dillbert's business partners.

The woman he had once been so proud of, Sally the woman for whom he had let Caroline go, turned out to be full of scandal. One by one, Sally's misdeeds were exposed—from her family's gambling habits to her parents' overwhelming debt.

Dillbert believed that everything that happened to him was the result of his betrayal of Caroline. He regretted it deeply, but it was too late—Caroline had disappeared, and no matter how hard he searched, he could not find her.

"I never left, sir, but you wanted me to go," Caroline replied calmly.

After five years apart, Caroline looked even more beautiful and captivating. Dillbert almost didn't recognize her; she seemed to have changed a lot. Her long hair flows beautifully, her figure appears fuller, and her skin has become even fairer.

"Caroline, I'm sorry!" Dillbert said softly.

Caroline didn't respond. She stared straight ahead at the closed elevator doors. In just a matter of seconds, they would open, and she could walk away.

When the elevator doors opened, Caroline rushed out. She didn't want to waste any more time with Dillbert.

"Caroline, wait!"

Caroline ignored him and kept walking while Dillbert tried to catch up with her. Ignoring the stares of employees passing by, Dillbert continues chasing Caroline, to gain her forgiveness.

"Mr. Dillbert!"

Dillbert halted and turned around to see Celsy, his secretary.

"Sorry, sir, our client is waiting."

Dillbert glanced briefly at Caroline, who had already exited the lobby.

"Yes, where are they?"

"They're in the main meeting room, sir."

***

Caroline worked anxiously, fearing that Dillbert might come back into her life, even though she knew it was unlikely.

"Caroline, one more file," said one of her administrative colleagues, handing her a piece of paper that needed to be printed. Caroline took it and tried to focus on the data she needed to process.

Fifteen minutes later, all of her work was done. Now, she only had to wait another five minutes before it was time to leave.

'Please, let me go home in peace,'

Caroline prayed silently. She knew she shouldn’t feel this scared, but the thought of her baby, Clayton her baby with Dillbert, made her heart restless. She was terrified that one day Dillbert might take Clayton away from her.

Five horrifying minutes finally passed. Caroline quickened her steps as she walked along the sidewalk toward the bus stop. She always used the bus as her means of transportation because her income was only enough to cover her and Clayton's living expenses. Being able to eat three meals a day was something Caroline was deeply grateful for.

Caroline had never expected that the new CEO would be Dillbert—the man who once brought her happiness and then shattered her life beyond repair. If she had known from the beginning that the owner of the company she now worked for was Dillbert, she would have never accepted the job.

However, it was too late. She had already signed her employment contract, which bound her to work for two years. Resigning before the contract period ended would mean paying a hefty penalty—a cost she couldn’t afford.

Breathing heavily, Caroline racked her brain, trying to figure out how to hide Clayton from Dillbert. That was her priority. Working in the same office as Dillbert wasn’t the issue; she believed she could guard her heart. But now, Clayton was her Achilles’ heel, her greatest vulnerability.

It didn't feel like the bus carrying Caroline had stopped near her home. Caroline stepped off and looked left and right to make sure no one was following her. Her peaceful life of the past five years had suddenly turned into a nightmare within a matter of hours.

After confirming she wasn't being followed, Caroline hurried to the home of the owner of the boarding house where she lived. Clayton was there; she had entrusted him to Mrs. Merly because, from the very beginning, Mrs. Merly had offered to take care of him.

Mrs. Merly didn't have children, and her husband was busy managing his company, which often left her alone at home and feeling bored. That was why she had volunteered to look after Clayton while Caroline was at work. Not only did she take care of him, but she also occasionally bought his essentials, like milk and diapers. Caroline felt deeply indebted to Mrs. Merly and her husband for their kindness.

“Mommy!” Clayton's joyful scream echoed through the large house as Caroline stepped out of her shoes. She opened her arms wide, ready to welcome Clayton, who came running toward her from inside.

Caroline hugged him tightly, tears welling up as she thought about Dillbert suddenly reappearing in her life.

“Today we visited some schools near the housing complex. Clayton was so excited," Mrs. Merly said warmly. “What do you think about enrolling him in school this year?”

Caroline loosened her embrace and wiped away her flowing tears. She didn’t want Clayton or Mrs. Marly to see her crying.

“Clayton, do you want to go to school, honey?” Caroline asked softly, gently stroking his head.

Clayton nodded enthusiastically in response. Then, after hugging his mother, he turned to Mrs. Marly, hugged her as well, and kissed her cheek. Mrs. Marly had always treated Clayton with great care, so it was natural if clayton affection for her to be as strong as his love for his mother, Caroline.

After a brief conversation with Mrs. Marly—a woman Caroline regarded as a second mother—Caroline said her goodbyes and returned to the boarding house located just behind Mrs. Marly’s home.

In the past, Caroline would sometimes let Clayton play outside for a little while, but this time, she brought him inside immediately and locked the door. Her heart was uneasy. She desperately wanted to take Clayton and leave right then and there, but she had no place to go.

***

“Mom, I can’t wait to go to school,” Clayton said excitedly as they lay together on the bed.

Caroline hugged Clayton tightly, her fear of losing him growing stronger and filling her with worry.

“Be patient, honey. We’ll go to school tomorrow, but first, Clayton has to make a promise,” she said gently.

“What promise, Mom?”

“Promise me that you won’t go with strangers, okay?”

“Okay, Mom!” Clayton replied enthusiastically. He hugged her tightly, then closed his eyes. Not long after, he drifted off to sleep.

Caroline gently stroked his head and kissed his forehead. A tear slid down her cheek, followed by another.

“Whatever happens, I won’t let those bad people take you away from me,” she whispered softly.

Just as Caroline was about to close her eyes, her cellphone vibrated. She quickly reached for it from the table, careful not to disturb Clayton's sleep.

“Who's calling at this time of night?” she muttered, glancing at the screen.

The display showed an incoming call from an unknown number. Caroline declined the call—she never answered calls from unfamiliar numbers.

A few seconds later, a message appeared:

[Pick up the phone, Caroline. It's me Dillbert.]