Taming Demi's Mom (ONGOING)

Chapter 43

{VICTORIA}

WHICH one, hmmm? I've spent almost an hour rummaging through my clothes, but I still can't decide what to wear today. It seems like all my clothes look ugly in my eyes. Tired, I lay down on my bed and sprawled over my scattered clothes.

I stared at the ceiling of my room for a few minutes. I placed my hand on my chest, feeling its strong beat. I closed my eyes as I imagined Jackson's face in my head.

He was smiling at me. Through his eyes, I could see my own reflection, witnessing the happiness in my expression. His eyes gazed at me as if I were the most beautiful woman in the world for him. Slowly, he took steps closer to me, reaching for my hands. He gently held my hands, maintaining eye contact with me.

But suddenly, his facial expression changed. Now, he looked extremely angry at me. He gradually tightened his grip on my hand, causing me even more pain. I winced in pain, pleading in his eyes, but he just gave me an expressionless look.

"I'm hurting, Jackson," I told him.

But he only tightened his hold on me as if my bones in my hand were about to break. I don't know what happened to him or what he was thinking. Why is he doing this to me? I can't imagine that he would be able to hurt me physically and emotionally.

"How dare you come back to Italy? Since you left me, you have no place in this country or in my life," he coldly stated.

Tears started to roll down my eyes. I could endure the pain of his tight grip on my hand, but adding his hurtful words made it unbearable for me to act like I was fine. I can't hold back my tears anymore.

"Jackson," I called out his name, more like I was pleading to him.

He slowly released both of my hands. Until I found myself falling into a dark and endless void, unsure of where I was heading. As I looked up above, I could only gaze at Jackson's face, with his cold expression still fixed upon me.

I jolted awake, gasping for air as if I had really been falling. I recalled Jackson's cold expression. That was the first time I had seen him like that.

I couldn't help but ask myself, Am I ready to face that other side of him? Can my heart handle hearing those words directly from him in person?

But no, I have to endure it. I need to swallow my pride and endure the pain as much as possible. It's still my fault. I have to bear all his anger while apologizing and continuing to tame him.

It's ridiculous how our world flipped in an instant. He used to be the one taming me to make me fall in love with him, and now I'm the one who has to tame him to regain his love and trust.

I'm fully aware that this will be a tough journey for me, but I won't give up until I reach my goal. I hope Jackson will open his heart to me once again, accepting me not just as someone familiar but as his girlfriend and soon-to-be wife. I won't make any mistakes for him again.

I slowly rose from my bed and faced my scattered clothes. My gaze stopped at a familiar off-shoulder jumpsuit shimmering with glitter. An idea instantly popped into my head.

That was the outfit I wore on my first day at his father's company, the day we first met. The day he made a move on me at first sight And that was the luckiest day of my life. I can't forget that moment, every second of that moment.

I picked up the outfit and examined it. "This would work," I said to myself.

I headed to the shower to freshen up and get ready. It was still early, with the sun just rising. I purposely woke up early to have ample time to prepare. so that when I finally see Jackson later, I'll look presentable in his eyes.

After showering and putting on my clothes, I searched for the sandals that I also used to pair with the jumpsuit. It took me a while due to the multitude of my belongings. Having been away from Italy for so long, I couldn't remember where I had stored my things.

Once I found the sandals, I wore them and faced the mirror in front of the drawer. I pulled a chair and placed it in front of the mirror, taking a seat. I applied light makeup and a cherry lipstick to my lips. I combed my hair, leaving it in its natural state. I usually don't style my hair or use any styling gel to maintain its natural health and smoothness.

After I finished working on my looks, I left my room and proceeded out of the house. In the backyard, I found Dad and Demi playing badminton, and that's where I headed. I instantly smiled as I walked towards them. I love seeing them have this kind of bond together.

"Dad, I'll go now. I'll leave Demi with you for a while," I informed Dad.

Then, I turned to my daughter, giving her a soft kiss on the forehead. "Behave to your grandfather, okay?" I reminded her.

"Okay, Mom. Buy me some chocolates when you come back home," my daughter requested.

I smiled and pinched both sides of her cheeks. "As requested by my princess," I joked.

I waved them goodbye before getting into my car and closing the door. Starting the engine, I headed out of the yard, turning my wheels onto the wide road. I just drove slowly. Even though I'm excited to see Jackson now, on the other hand, I was nervous to see him.

MY car stopped in front of the WGC company. I scanned the entire building. It was still the same—nothing had changed. I missed seeing this building every day of my life. I missed working here and sharing my office with Jackson. How I missed my co-workers who became close friends, even if only for a short period.

I didn't know how to face Vine and the others. Are they angry with me? Do they know what happened between Jackson and me? But I think they do. And I think they would be angry at me for sure because I haven't contacted them for the past three years. They would think that I had already forgotten about them.

"You can face them, Victoria! It's now or never!" I reassured myself.

I drove straight to the building's parking lot and got out of my car. Heading towards the entrance of the company, I noticed the security guards, who, upon seeing me, reacted as if they had seen a ghost.

I awkwardly smiled at them, but they continued to stare at me with concern. I also noticed them exchanging glances, as if they had something to say but couldn't express it in words.

"Can I go in? I just need to talk to Mr. Jackson Bianchi," I told one of the security guards. He hesitated, looking at me with uncertainty. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Suddenly, all the security guards turned their attention in one direction and lowered their heads.

"Your attention should be focused on protecting this building. You all shouldn't talk to anyone except our employees and clients," a familiar male voice coldly stated.

My heart raced. My hands immediately turned cold with nervousness. Wait, did I hear his voice correctly? Was that really him? It seemed like something changed in his voice. The way he spoke, he sounded like a very cold man.

I turned to look at him slowly, and finally, after all those years, I saw his face again. But as I gazed at him, I gradually noticed the changes in him.

His once-long hair now had an undercut, giving him a mature and dominant appearance. His hair was tied in a lower ponytail. His facial expression was different from before. His face now bore a cold and serious demeanor, unlike in the past, when he always wore a smile. Even though he wore a long-sleeve polo, I could see that his body had become much bigger, and his muscles were prominent. I could also sense the dark aura surrounding him.

Is this how I made this man to be?

I swallowed hard. He was staring at me, but I couldn't see any signs of love in his eyes. He looked at me with no expression, and it made my heart ache. Breathe, Victoria; you know you were expecting this.

"Jackson." I called out his name. That's the only word that came out of my mouth. I could see at the side of my eyes that everyone's attention was on us, intensifying my nervousness.

"I didn't know you," he said coldly, and it felt like an arrow piercing through my heart. My heartbeat quickened to the point where it felt like my heart wanted to escape my ribcage.

I was about to walk towards him, but I halted in my steps for the second time when he diverted his gaze from me and spoke again.

"Guards, don't let that woman near me and don't let her enter my building. Or else, I would fire all of you, and I will make sure that no one will hire you in the future," Jackson ordered authoritatively before looking at me once more. His words were heartless. I really did change him badly.

Now, his eyes were full of anger, and I could see the veins popping on his forehead. When the guards blocked my way and Jackson turned his back on me, heading towards the entrance of the building, my knees gave in. I was about to collapse, but a guard quickly caught me, supporting me as I stood.

"Thank you." I weakly smiled at him.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he said to me. I just nodded.

I walked slowly back to the parking area and got into my car. I gripped the steering wheel and rested my forehead against it. I thought I could handle it, but it seems I wasn't ready to face that version of Jackson. I couldn't blame him for his actions.

He just did the right thing. I deserve this. He was just protecting his heart from me. But his words keep replaying in my mind, and the way he looks at me shatters my heart into pieces. He's right in front of me, yet it feels like he's so far away and unreachable. I don't know him anymore, but I'm more than willing to know this side of him.

I couldn't hold back the tears that fell from my eyes. Why is my heart so weak when it comes to him? I can't bear him looking at me like that. My heart can't take it.

What am I going to do now? He won't let me get near him. I don't know how his days go anymore. I'm clueless about his schedule or how long he stays with the company. Maybe I have to wait for him to leave the building. I'll talk to him when there are no security guards around and no one blocking my way.

I wiped away my tears. This was just the first attempt. I should be strong. I need to swallow all the pain I will receive from Jackson.

After a couple of minutes, I decided to drive away from my car for a second, and I stopped in front of the nearest fast food restaurant to buy some food because I knew waiting for him would be long. After buying some food for lunch and snacks for the afternoon, I immediately came back to the parking lot of the building to wait for Jackson. Thankfully, he didn't forbid me to park my car in that spot, or maybe it didn't cross his mind.