Chapter 8

CARL

Alma?

No, Alma had changed. Everything about her demeanor was different, and I couldn't resist the urge to gawk at her. Each time our eyes met, she looked at me so lifelessly that a shiver skittered down my spine.

What happened over the years? She wore a lace black dress that hugged her body right, displaying her curves so perfectly that I was taken back to those nights when I was opportune to run my fingers on her body. It seemed like that never happened. It stopped right above the knee, showing off her beautiful legs.

It began to sink how starved of her I was, how void of her light I'd been all these while.

Her brown eyes held so much hostility and the aura compelled respect. Oh, God. I knew even before I set eyes on her that I'd fucked up, but seeing her like this, in her magnificent state, broke down my self-control, my defense, and my pride. It took away everything.

From the moment I stepped into this room, my ego had evaporated into dust, fading into the air like it never existed. While I was gawking at her, calculating the length of her black wild hair and the shape of her lipstick, Alma was making the biggest moves I'd ever seen.

She was saying things exactly as she wanted, which didn't use to be so. Everything about her was the polar opposite of what I remember, and it made me lose my mind. I couldn't grasp it! Alma used to hate red lipstick, but it was exactly what was painted across her succulent lips, calling my attention and making me out to be a dunce.

I had no right to even speak to her, but I couldn't help it. At any chance I got, I wanted to say her name, to believe that if I called her, she'd feel something. She'd perceived the fire that burned me alive and the passing that was reignited in my veins, but Alma proved me wrong.

All she'd done in the little minutes of seeing her again was belittling my presence, completely acting like I didn't exist at all. My heart sank. It felt like knives were driving through it, and that sense of guilt dawned on me. It crashed hard on my shoulders, and I felt that I couldn't breathe in her presence.

I wanted to hold her and tell her how sorry I was, how I'd never had peace since the day she walked out of my life. Linda nudged me, and I pulled back. "What are you looking at?" she whispered, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

Alma was talking. I could afford to get distracted. I watched every movement of her lips, the slope of her tongue, the slightest show of teeth. I picked up everything with insane concentration until she mentioned that she wanted to reschedule.

No. No. She couldn't leave just yet. I still-- I still had a lot to say to her. I still wanted to look at her. What is wrong with me? My entire body was beginning to hurt for no reason at all.

I had to stop her from leaving.

"Alma. Sit, let's--"

The words died on my tongue when a glass of water splashed against my face, splattering onto my shirt. I gasped and inhaled water instinctively. It only shot up to my head and made things worse, but I heard Alma loud and clear.

"The next time I hear my name from those filthy lips, your blood will be the next liquid you're wet with."

Her words were so calm and silky that I wasn't even enabled to process the shock of the water. She threatened me.

"Oh my god!" Linda chimed next to me, rushing off her seat and handing me a handkerchief that I'd rather not use. "I'm so sorry. Mr. Page, is this enough evidence? I want to sue her for harassing my husband!"

I didn't even know what embarrassed me more, Linda spewing nonsense or Alma splashing water on me before everyone. I pushed back the seat and stood up, watching Alma glare at me.

"I mean it." She added, speaking through gritted teeth. She retreated, then turned to the lawyer. "Pick a comfortable date to meet with me. As you can see, meeting here will do no good. If they're aware of my taking over, then that's enough. It's not like we need any of them to sign anything. I won't be appreciating any round table talk with these people anymore."

He nodded in the affirmative. I gawked like a fool. Linda yelled like a four-year-old, and her mother remained stunned, just like the rest of us. Alma didn't go directly outside. She moved to the living room section and called a little girl. She looked about five years old, the same number of years since I was a bitch to Alma.

My eyes bulged, and I heard sirens go off in my head. The room boiled into absolute, tensing silence while I watched her hold the girl and usher her out. In a brief moment, they'd gone.

Could it be—?

No, right? Alma despised me too much for that. Setting eyes on them like that rang bells in my head, and I pushed my way out of the table arrangements, knocking down a few things carelessly.

"Babe? What are you looking at?" I heard Linda ask me, but her voice was too distant to be taken seriously. The only thing that had my attention was the door Alma passed through and how hard I contemplated following her or not.

"Babe! Did you see what that bitch did? Babe?? Answer me!"

Like I had no power over my body, I was hurrying to the door, hoping to catch up with them.

"Carl, are you seriously going to follow her? Is that it? If you walk out that door, this marriage is over! This marriage would be fucking over!"

Consider me a bachelor then because I walked through the door without thinking twice. I was able to catch up with Alma while she was helping the little girl into the car from the passenger's seat.

"Alma?" I called out softly, and her head snapped in my direction. She immediately muttered something to the child and gently closed the door before turning to me.

"Stand exactly where you are..." she said, placing both hands on her hips.

"W-what?"

"It makes it easier for me to run you over, since you have a death wish." She spoke with so much precision and not too much effort, and she didn't even mind staring back at me. She felt nothing. Alma felt nothing for me.

I was still stunned by her choice of words, unable to make up a response of my own. I was tongue-tied, nervous, and confused, but Alma wasn't waiting for any of that. She turned around and entered the car.

"Alma, please wait! Just...hear me out, okay?"

Her hands dropped to her side, and she was before me again. "Let me tell you how this will go. You'd shut the hell up and get out of my way, or I'd drive to the police station and file for a restraining order. I do not want disgusting people like you around me—"

"And her?" I probed, looking into the car. I was too unsettled, too impatient to care about a restraining order at the moment. I just wanted answers. "Who's she, Alma? Your daughter?"

"That's none of your business. Now get out of my way, or I might really kill you." I grabbed her hand and pulled her back before she could walk away.

"Is that our—"

"Unhand her right now!"

The sound came from neither of us. It was a manly voice that I didn't recognize. I didn't let go of Alma yet, but it did turn to see who it was. A man in a suit approached us. Tall, fairly handsome, and, of all things, annoyed. I looked at Alma and read the shock off her face.

"Rodney?" She called out, yanking her hand from mine. For a moment there, I could tell she didn't expect to see him here, but Alma said nothing about it. "I...was waiting for you. I didn't know you'd end up dropping by!"

She sounded so genuinely excited to see him that it physically hurt my chest. The guy, Rodney, stepped in between us and faced me. He had brown eyes, just like Alma's, and looked up to standard. That angered me even more.

"I'm aware that respect isn't a feature for everyone, but what happened to basic decency? Holding another man's woman like that is rude. It could get you behind bars, Pal," he said to me, emphasizing every word.

Another man's woman? Was he Alma's Husband? A fiancé? A muscle in my jaw ticked, and I clenched my teeth. "I was just trying to talk to her."

"You can do that after you seek an appointment. Back off. Now!"

I scoffed, ruffling my hair but not wanting to create a scene, especially when the child was there. Now, my thoughts were split in different directions. Was she, or was she, not my child? Was Alma in love with this man? Who was he?

They didn't come here together, so how did he find her? My head might explode if I keep thinking about it too much.

"I'm sorry I took so long," Rodney turned to Alma, leaned in, and placed a small kiss on her cheek. "I hope you're not stressed. You're probably surprised to see me."

Alma, in response, wrapped her arms around his neck. "No, I'm perfectly fine...babe. You came at the right time. Let's go. I'm done here. There's nothing important."

"Alright, I'll drive," he responded and helped her into the car, while I stood dumbfounded and rooted to a spot.

She called him babe. Wow. It felt like I wasn't breathing fine, all the negative emotions in the world crashed onto me, and I stood there, even after the car was out of earshot.

This wouldn't do. I needed to find out all I could about Alma, especially about that child. I turned around to see Linda approaching. I didn't know whether to start calling her my ex-wife yet.

"Was it satisfying seeing her?" she attacked, "You look like you're desperate to cling onto that tire and follow wherever she drove to. I should have known what to expect from you the moment you threw her out."

I brushed past Linda, paying her no mind.

"Don't walk out on me. I'm talking to you! This is a marriage!"

Ah. I guess it didn't end when I walked out the door. I ventured, but Linda followed, taking longer strides to catch up with my pace.

"Are you going to do the same thing? Are you going to discard me just as you discarded your preg—" She paused and exhaled deeply? What was she trying to say? "Are you going to abandon me too? I thought you changed, you snake."

And that struck a nerve. I was already criticizing myself daily and trying to live with the fact that Alma would never forgive me for all I'd done to her. I didn't need anyone else to do it for me.

I lunged at Linda and pinned her against the wall, hard. She panted, her breathing raggedy as she looked up at me. "Are you sticking to murder now?" she spat. "Go ahead! Kill me because I can't bear you a child."

I stared intently into her eyes, lifting her chin with my middle finger. "Maybe I am discarding you, but don't you dare liken yourself to Alma. Is that clear? I made the worst mistake of my life the time I decided that I felt something for you. I ruined my life by ruining hers, so when you talk about her, you speak with respect, Linda!"

"L-let go of me!" she grunted.

"And I walked past that door. Why don't you get the divorce papers ready then? Make it easier for me!"

Linda pushed me off her and stepped away, blinking back tears. "We'd talk about this when you're sober!"

"I'm not you! I'm not drunk, Linda." she knew that, too, but she walked away anyway. Anything to not face the elephant in the room.