Helena's Plight

Chapter 4

Helena

"Good morning grandfather, Carmen, I went over to Gerardo and planted a kiss on his cheeks, how are you feeling today?" I asked with concern.

Gerardo’s health had been failing of late, but he was a stubborn old man, who refused to give up. I took my seat beside him for breakfast, it had become our ritual to have at least breakfast together. I tried with dinner but work kept me out late at times.

Work had become my saving grace these past few years. The first few months after Armando left, after I had given up hope of ever hearing from him and after spending my days locked up in my room crying and feeling sorry for myself, Gerardo came into my room and talked me out of my misery, I remember it like it was yesterday.

"You have to give yourself a chance my dear girl, I feel so ashamed for what my grandson has done, but you have to be strong."

"How can I? I asked, what will people say?"

Gerardo took my tear soaked face in his hands and said, "f**k what people say, you do not care, you are a Di Luca, my grandson will regret ever abandoning you."

Since the death of my parents I had never felt loved before, but this man made me feel like I was not alone in this world. Slowly and with the help of Gerardo and Carmen, I grew confident and more secure.

In the first year I never left the house, and I didn’t receive any guests, I was too ashamed, people were cruel and they would say I ran my husband out of the country one day after our wedding.

Everything changed on the first anniversary of our wedding, I had started to get out of the house a little more, I was getting a little more confident and starting to feel alive again.

That day, I had just finished my walk in the garden and I was relaxing in the living room, when I heard a knock on the door! "Come in." I said.

Just as Carmen opened the door, Allegra and Patricia pushed past her. "Hello cousin, she sneered, you are looking well enough."

"What are you doing here, both of you?" I said with utmost disgust.

"How dare you speak to us in such a manner?" Patricia raised her voice as well as her hands but I was too quick for her. I pushed her down on the sofa and I swear I had never seen her so scared.

I bent down to her and said, "don’t you ever raise your voice or hands on me again! I am no longer under your authority and you will respect me."

"Respect? Allegra said, you want us to respect you? Don’t you realize you destroy everything you touch? You couldn’t even make your husband stay with you, you ran him out of the f*****g country, what type of wretch are you? And as if that was not enough, you lock yourself in this mansion and pretend to be the lady of the house. Why don’t you just divorce Armando and leave him be, I’m sure once you divorce him, he’ll come right back home to be with his family."

It all made sense now, this was what they wanted, if I divorced Armando, then Allegra would have a shot but I knew something they didn’t.

Not long after the wedding, I had also been thinking about divorce and I went to talk to Gerardo about it, it was then he showed me a copy of the agreement and it was without doubt, Armando and I could never get a divorce or it would void the deal.

The Di Luca’s would lose the piece of land but Carlo would lose everything because he would have to pay up double the amount he was paid. Gerardo said he was the one who included that clause because he didn’t fully trust Carlo. I looked at Allegra and smiled.

"What are you smiling about you pathetic b***h!" She said with a smug look on her face.

I stood up tall and said, "you would like that wouldn’t you? Once I divorce Armando that would leave the road clear for you to run after him like the hussy you are. It was not enough for you to f**k my husband on the night of my wedding was it? You want to have him all to yourself, well newsflash honey, Armando and I are for life, we are never getting a divorce, and didn’t Carlo tell you? It’s a part of the deal, if we ever get a divorce, Carlo loses everything."

"Then maybe it’s not such a bad idea, to be able to see you wretches on the street." I said with so much satisfaction.

The room went dead silent. "No! That can’t be." Cried Patricia.

"You’re lying". I smiled down at her still crouched on the sofa.

"Why don’t you ask Carlo and see if I’m lying?"

"Now, enough of this nonsense, I turned to Allegra, you can try all you want but you will never have my husband and I never want to see you set foot in my house, as of today, you are both dead to me, please get out of my house."

Just then the doors opened and Gerardo and Carmen walking in.

"Carmen, please show the miss and her daughter the way out, I believe they have overstayed their welcome."

The two women were bundled out while I collapsed against Gerardo as he entered the room and cried my heart out.

"There, there girl, you did well and I am proud of you. We have banished those demons and now they have no control over you sweetheart, you’re going to be alright and somehow I believe in you."

A few months after our incident I heard Allegra had met and married a British millionaire and moved to London.

Gerardo suggested that I joined the company in the communications department, at first it was something to take my mind off things but gradually I grew to love my job and I grew quite rapidly. Having this job improved my confidence and I even began to make friends. I had to get tough too, so I would not be taken advantage of and I had Gerardo to help me every step of the way.

I had finally come into my own and it felt wonderful. After a while I stopped thinking about my husband all together, he did not matter anymore, since he did not care to even try, I had no obligation to give a damn. I threw myself whole heartedly into my work and felt fulfilled.

"Will you be needing anything else this evening, ma'am?" Jasmine, my secretary asked as she stepped into my office. I looked up from my laptop and smiled.

"No Jasmine, I think I will also be heading out now, plus I need to see Gerardo, he said there was something important he wanted to discuss, I think it might have to do with the Knight deal."

That deal has dragged on for too long without any resolution. I shut down my laptop and packed my bags as we discussed.

Jasmine called the lobby from my office to inform my driver to bring the car out front and we both walked to the elevator and went down together. We said our goodbyes and I got in my car to head home.

I checked the time to see if I could still meet up to have dinner with Gerardo. I noticed I could still manage.

I used the fifteen minutes drive home to wonder about what Gerardo would talk about.

I went into the house and decided I should go up and freshen up before dinner but as I was going up the stairs I heard voices coming out of Gerardo’s home office.

I did not know we had guests, I decided to see who it was especially since the voices seemed to be raised.

I went back down the stairs and headed for Gerardo’s office, just as I reached the door, I met Carmen, who looked distressed.

"What is the matter Carmen? Is Gerardo alright?" I asked.

"Oh child, he had hoped to have a talk with you before all these."

"What are you talking about?" I asked distractedly as I walked into Gerardo’s office.

The moment I entered, the room fell silent and the man Gerardo had been talking to stood up to face me.