"I'm Coming Home!"

Chapter Six

"We gather here in loving memory of our beloved sister, Laura Penelope Romero..."

Lana sat very straightbacked, the pew hard beneath her as the priest went on.

The entire church was so silent that if a pin dropped, the sound would bounce off the walls.

Laura was dead.

Laura, the one person who had been in support of her marriage to Damien.

Laura, who had been like a mother to her this past three years.

Laura, the only reason she was still holding on.

Lana took a deep breath, as she fought back tears, which stung her eyes, and threatened to fall at any moment.

She was seated among the other callers, while Rina sat with her husband and his family, in the pew reserved for families.

Lana didn't mind. She had deliberately separated herself from them, and even though she was occasionally receiving dark stares from Damien, she would not budge.

Finally, everyone filed out of the church, and the coffin was placed in the freshly dug hole in the ground.

There were sniffles here and there, people pressing their handkerchiefs to their nose, as they wiped tears off their face and spoke about how Laura was such a good woman, and what a shame that she had gone so soon.

But the Romeros stood aside, without a single tear, looking very fashionable in their dark designer attires.

Lana stared at them in hatred.

When the news of Laura's death was delivered to them, along with her body, they were all shocked but not shocked enough to care for her funeral routine.

As usual, Lana had been the one who saw that the funeral was a success, and Laura would be sent off in peace.

As soon as the last shovel of sand hit the coffin, the Romeros filed out, leaving even the sympathizers who came to give their wishes.

She saw Damien leave Rina, however and walked towards her, his steps purposeful.

Rina stood back, a frown crossing her face, as she saw that Damien was making for Lana.

'What on Earth did he want with that bitch?' she thought bitterly as she bit her lups, watching them.

"Lana, we need to talk." Damien said, as he stood in front of her, his hands deep in the pockets of his custom-made black suit.

"I have nothing to say to you, except of course, you are ready to sign the divorce papers." Lana replied, looking past him as though he were insignificant.

The mention of divorce made Damien clench his fists in his suit pocket, and the muscles in his jaw tensed.

"You're still on about that?" He said, sneering "Just so you know, grandmother left everything to me. You're getting nothing Lana. Your plans failed."

Lana looked up at him, her gaze indifferent as she looked him from head to toe.

"I'd rather choke on my own vomit before I will collect anything from you" she said and Damien's eyes widened in shock at those words.

Lana smirked and signaled for her driver.

"You're leaving too?" Diego asked, wide eyed, and Lana glared at him. He always seem to ask stupid questions.

"Of course, I'm leaving, Diego. Get the car!" She snapped, then turned back to Damien "I'll be in the house with divorce papers. You just need to put your signature on it and we're done."

With that, she strolled towards her car, past Vera and Rina who looked at her with narrowed eyes.

Damien watched her leave and his face contorted with different emotions.

What was wrong with that woman? What was she trying to prove?

His grandmother was dead and she had left everything to him. He knew Lana had deliberately manipulated his grandmother into marrying him so she could have his wealth.

So why was she acting all righteous?

He should also be celebrating right now and getting ready to throw her out of his life but why was he hesitating?

The mere mention of divorce made him grit his teeth in anger. Who did she think she was to just walk out on him like that?

He had to get to the root of this matter. Things were not adding up at all.

Signalling his driver, he asked for his car and sat in silence throughout the journey home, no matter how much Rina tried to bring him out of it.

Seeing that Damien was not in the mood to talk, Rina bit her lips and turned away from him in anger, but she did not allow this to show.

She must still maintain her victim image, so that she can have Damien deep in guilt all his life.

Right now, Damien believes she's frail and suicidal, and he thinks it's due to the fact that he abandoned her.

She must use that to her advantage.

She wondered if Lana no longer wants the divorce. Maybe that's why Damien was angry, because there was no way he'd want to stay with her now that Laura was dead.

Rina clenched her fists as she thought of Lana, acting all high and mighty even when she had no one to support her.

She'd make sure they get divorced and Lana will never show her face in the city again, out of shame.

As soon as they walked into the vast sitting room, they found Lana sitting very primly on a sofa with her legs and arms crossed and her face determined.

A very uncomfortable lawyer stood by her side and bowed at them as they came in.

She looked very regal and dignified and she gave them a blame look as they filed into the room.

"Damien Romero, here are the papers" she said, calmly tapping the paper on the table with her fingers. "You can sign them. You have no excuse now."

"How dare you, lowlife?" Vera sneered at her "Do you think you're getting anything if you divorce Damien? And besides why would you divorce him? We are the ones who are supposed to be throwing you out!"

"Mother, enough!" Damien growled and his mother stopped.

She glared at him, offended that he should stop her.

Damien snatched the paper from the table and looked it over, then his eyes came down to Lana's face.

She stared right back at him, her look cold and unnerving, and he was suddenly nervous.

The feeling that he was about to lose something special came over him again, and his palms sweated.

"You'll be compensated for your time" he muttered, frowning darkly at her "How much do you want? Ten million? Fifty million? A billion?"

Lana laughed mockingly, as Vera gasped.

"Why should we give her any money?" Vera yelled, her eyes as fierce as a spitting cat " she has enjoyed the benefit of being your wife all this years. Lana, I want you to return everything you got using my son's money and the name of the Romero Family!"

"Mother, I said enough." Damien thundered this time, casting a dark look at his mother who gave him a stubborn look.

"I'm only looking out for your interest, Damien" she fired back at him "I will not let a gold digger use our family!."

Lana laughed and stood up.

"I want nothing from your evil family" she said with a smile on her face , although her eyes were cold "I just need you to sign the damn papers."

"If you leave, it's of your own accord!" He growled at her "if you ever try to make it look like we treated you badly to the media, I'll make you pay."

"Exactly, Lana. Just take the money." Rina chipped in, coming to stand beside Damien "Where else would you see this much amount again in your life. Just take it now while we are being nice."

Lana smirked, ignoring Rina completely while she stared directly at Damien.

"Sign the papers!"

Puzzled by her behavior, Damien was all the more doubtful of the story of Lana being a gold digger.

If she was a gold digger, why was she refusing the money then?

His eyes fell on Lana and something in her eyes made his heart clench but in the next instant, pride filled his heart.

Even if he was wrong about her, she still manipulated his grandmother. It was best to be rid of her.

He snarled as he grabbed the pen on the table, and signed his name on the divorce papers.

Smiling blandly, Lana collected it and handed it to the lawyer who bowed at them and took his leave quickly, as though he was being chased.

"Well then, I hope we never see each other again." She said coldly, as she walked out on them, taking absolutely nothing with her except her purse.

"Good riddance!" Vera shouted after her and Rina laughed delightedly.

"Finally, we are rid of the gold digger!" Rina cooed to Damien "Now we can be together, Dami, Right?"

Damien was silent. He was breathing hard as he watched Lana walking down the narrow lane which led to the main gates.

Without a word, he turned on his heel and went upstairs, leaving Rina puzzled.

Meanwhile, as Lana walked towards the gate, she hugged herself to keep from shaking.

Finally...

Her heart clenched and the ache was unbearable but she knew she had to leave.

Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a cell phone, which she had not used in three years.

Pressing the dial tone, she called the one number which she knew by heart.

When the tone clicked, Lana found her voice hoarse from the tears which were running down her face, as she heard the familiar voice she had missed so much.

"Lana, is that you?" The voice asked, filled with awe.

"Father. Please send the private Jet. I'm coming home."