Chapter 51
ROGERIO
“Stop the car,” I said, and the driver slowed down, parking on the side of the road. I exhaled and looked out of the window for a few minutes. Elena’s response to my question hadn’t been satisfactory, and I didn’t trust her to handle anything regarding Charlotte with any grace.
I didn’t particularly care how life treated my ex–wife, but I didn’t want to be part of the problem either. I groaned and sighed in frustration. If I couldn’t get a good answer out of Elena, I had to go to the estate to see what the entire charade was about. At least for Maria’s sake, she would be happy to see me trying to resolve the issue. I heard the engine of the car carrying the bodyguards as they caught up with us and stared at me through the glass, waiting for instructions.
When I left the house this morning, I was heading for the office to finish any work left from the weekend and prepare for the meeting scheduled for later that afternoon, but right now, I felt like it was important to deviate from the original plan. “Turn around, we’re going to the Thuthai estate,” I said to the driver, and he turned to lock gazes
with me.
He opened his mouth to say something, then decided against it and turned to face the steering.
He reached under and started the ignition, picked up his pager, and informed the others of our new destination before driving. I was happy he had kept his opinion to himself, but a part of me wished he had said something. As much as this felt like the right thing to do, I needed an excuse to make me rethink my actions, but it was understandable that he valued his job too much to question my orders.
That was the difference between Maria and everyone else that worked for me. While they were content with keeping their mouths shut, doing as they were instructed, and picking up their checks at the end of the month, she was very opinionated. That was the best and least favorite thing about her.
As we sped through the streets, my thoughts shifted to the day I had bruised my knees as a child. I had been running around the estate despite her instructions to sit still and tumbled down a path I discovered. I lay unconscious in the dirt until she found me and nursed me back to health. When she was certain I was feeling better, I got an earful and never went down that path till I was much older and able to handle the steep topography of the place.
Her kindness while she cleaned my wounds and tended to the bruises, even though I had openly disobeyed her orders was permanently etched in my mind. It was one of the fondest memories I had of her. I thought about the current dynamics of our relationship. We had disagreed on several things, but I wouldn’t have considered either of us not being in touch for weeks.
Soon, we had moved miles away from the metropolis, and when I looked out the window, I could see the familiar cherry blossom trees the gardener and I had planted as a teenager. I stared at them fondly as we drove past, trying to focus on the good memories growing up as a Thuthai had to offer. I didn’t have a lot of great memories, but the ones I held onto were good enough for me.
A few seconds later, we were at the entrance, and the driver was trying to introduce himself to the security personnel, but they kept insisting that I wasn’t on the appointment list so I couldn’t get in. I alighted from the vehicle and walked up to the man he had been conversing with. His eyes lit up with recognition, and he moved a few steps
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backward.
“Signor Thuthai,” he started to say, but I interrupted him with a dramatic sigh, then looked at his companion who had seen me and was picking up the phone to call who I assumed to be Charlotte.
“Surely, you’re not trying to keep me away from my own home, are you?” I said and shoved my hands into my pockets.
“Oh no, Signor, I just didn’t know it was you…” he stammered. I rolled my eyes and gestured towards the driver, who was trying to conceal the smug look on his face.
“He told you who we were, didn’t he?” I asked. He nodded in response, then shook his head.
“He only introduced…” he started to say, but I waved my hand dismissively and returned it to its comfy position in my pocket.
“A code name. Anyone who has worked here knows that we never introduce ourselves by our real names here. The only reason you wouldn’t know could be because you’re new here. Are you?” I inquired.
“Yes, Signor, I am.” He answered, and I nodded in response. I turned my attention to his companion, who held the phone in his hand as he watched the exchange with keen interest.
“That makes sense,” I replied without taking my eyes off the other man. “Tell Maria I’m here,” I added, and he returned to the cubicle to converse with his colleague.
A few seconds later, he pushed a button, and the gates opened. I considered going back into the vehicle but decided to walk instead. “Signor?” My driver called out as I walked through the gates, but I ignored him and kept walking.
It was a long walk from the gate to the front door, but I wanted to smell the roses as the dew fell upon them. The cars followed closely and slowed to a halt when I approached the statue that had been built in honor of my father. I stared at it for a while, then turned around and entered the car. “Drive,” I said as I shut the door.
The engine revved as we sped down the winding road. A few minutes later, I was standing at the front door, waiting for Charlotte to step out of the building. I hadn’t considered what her reaction to seeing me again would be like up until this point.
What unnerved me further was how uneasy I felt standing here. I didn’t think I’d be nervous to see her, but my palms started to feel sweaty, and beads of perspiration formed on my forehead despite how cool the morning was. I sighed in relief when Maria’s figure came into view, but her expression left me feeling like she didn’t want to see me. I started to wonder if I had made a mistake coming here.
“Well, look what the cat dragged in… Signor Thuthai, welcome… home?” she said and arched her eyebrow.
I smiled wistfully and moved closer to where she stood. “Hello Maria, I’ve missed you,” I replied, and she scoffed.
“You have a peculiar way of showing it,” she answered and folded her arms.
“Well, the circumstances haven’t been favorable…” I started to say, but she interrupted me with a chuckle.
“Now whose fault was that?” she asked, and I shrugged in response. I opened my mouth to respond, but we were
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distracted by the sun rising and clearing the remnants of darkness.
“There are a few things we can control, you know that,” I said after a while.
“You could control this as well. You didn’t have to divorce her. She loved you,” she responded, and I shook my head slowly.
“No, Maria. She loved my money and the access that being Signora Thuthai gave her,” I insisted.
She shook her head in response and turned around to make her way into the house. I followed closely till we got to the study. “That’s how I know you have no idea the type of person she is. Your marriage might have happened under those circumstances, but she grew to love you. Everyone else could see it. You were blind.”
“Maria, I didn’t come here to talk about… Aren’t you going to offer me a cup of tea? Coffee or a seat at least?” I teased, but she kept her face expressionless.
“No. I had no idea you were coming, and we’re running a tight budget around here. Thanks to you and your new bride, I’m sure you have more than enough in your house or in the office,” she retorted and sat down.
“Maria, how long are we going to be at loggerheads over this? I’m sure Charlotte’s over this by now. You don’t have to cosplay as the defender of the weak anymore,” I said and sat down on the couch next to the door.
“Yeah, if you consider leaving as healing, then sure,” she said quietly and stared at me till the realization of her
words hit me.
“Leaving? You’re leaving?” I asked, shaking my head slowly as a look of disbelief crossed my face.
She groaned and closed her eyes for an instant. “Rogerio, I swear, you’re smarter than this. I mean, you do some
dumb shit…”
“Hey!” I warned with a chuckle, and she rolled her eyes.
“It’s true. I wonder if you intentionally turn off your brain and play dumb. It’s not a good look on you,” she continued.
“Well, if you’re not leaving, who is?” I asked. I didn’t come all the way here to solve riddles. While I was glad to be having this conversation, I knew I had limited time to spare.
“Charlotte, Rogerio. She left,” came the reply, and everything seemed to fade into the distance as the words echoed in my mind.
