THE MAFIA’S PET BABY

CHAPTER03

The ghost of yesterday



She hasn't changed one bit. She was still that vision of perfection with a flawless complexion and dark green eyes that shone even in the dark. Her long black hair fell down her back and her full lips curved into a bright smile showcasing her perfect white set of teeth. She was still that tall and slender woman with a toned physique, all her curves were in the right places. I watched mouth ajar as she walked with so much confidence.

She is a model after all. What was I expecting? I felt a wave of jealousy hit me, not for her physique but because of the way Ryan, my husband, was glazing over her with so much admiration.

He wouldn't leave her arms. My parents, who were watching the whole scenario, exchanged amused glances in the background, not even noticing that I was standing a few feet away. Weren't they going to ask about me?

Ryan hugged her again, kissing both her cheeks. In my entire three years of living with this man, I have never seen a smile this bright. I couldn't make any more movements. I could only feel the cracking of the non-existing bones in my heart, watching as they seemed so oblivious to the fact that they were in a public space.

It'd been three years since Carly left the country and I had thought Ryan was out of her life for good, but it seemed that their bond had never truly ended.

Ryan and I had a complicated story, to say the least. We started dating behind Carly's back, after she introduced him to the family as her boyfriend. We were both glazing over the fact that we saw ourselves again after many years and I got carried away. I knew it was wrong, but I just couldn't help the way that I felt about him. I convinced myself that it was okay to pursue him even if it meant hurting her.

I stood there, frozen in shock as Carly and Ryan walked towards me, their faces beaming with happiness. Carly's smile was particularly bright, and it seemed to mock me as she looked at me from head to toe. Ryan, who still held her hand, looked like the cat who had just gotten the cream. I made an attempt to move, but my legs were rooted to the spot.

Carly's voice was like a knife to my heart when she spoke, "Hey, sister, how are you doing?"

The way she said "sister" was like a mockery to my face, a reminder of the bond we shared, but also the pain I had caused her. I managed to stutter,

"Hi Carly, I didn't know you were back." My voice was almost a whisper, and I felt like I was going to collapse.

Carly turned to Ryan, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "You didn't tell her, did you? "Don't worry, he probably didn't think it was important enough to mention it."

She took a step closer to me, her eyes still hovering around me. "You look like you've lost your charm, Maya. Where's your magic wand?" she taunted.

I felt tears pricking at the corners of my eyes as I realized that Carly was obviously enjoying my pain. I remember how Carly had reacted when she found out about my relationship. She had been furious, and I had apologized countless times, but it seemed like it wasn't enough.

At this point, the tears were threatening to spill, and I felt like I was going to break down. If I had known that things would turn out like this, I wouldn't have ended up with Ryan. He had charmed me, swept me off my feet, and I had fallen deeply in love with him. But now, it seems like it was all a mistake.

Carly's laughter was like a punch to my throat. "No, baby, don't cry," she said, in her mocking tone. "You will only make me laugh."

"Carly, I have already apologized countless times to you." I managed to speak, but she just scoffed.

"And what? That's supposed to be enough? Karma is a f**king b***h, I guess." She snapped.

She was right, but here's the thing. "You didn't want to get married, Carly." I reminded her.

She laughed again. "That's not the point, Maya," she said. "The point is that you stole him from me, and now you're paying the price."

Just then, my parents appeared on the scene, oblivious to the drama that was unfolding.

"Hi Maya, have you seen your sister?" mom asked,

"Yes, mom, we're trying to catch up." I looked towards Carly, who just rolled her eyes.

"Thanks mom and dad for coming" but my mom just ignored me, her eyes scanning the room.

"I've not seen my pretty daughter," she asked, "Where's she?"

"Over there, with the Rutherfords," I pointed, watching as she walked away, followed by my dad.

Indeed, I was invisible. No one in the world cared about how I felt, about my pain. I was alone, and it was a devastating feeling.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash of glass and the sound of shattering wood in the air. My head snapped towards the commotion, and I saw that a massive chandelier had fallen from the ceiling, landing on the table where the Rutherfords were sitting.

The entire place erupted into chaos as people screamed and rushed to get out of the way. Luckily, Mr Reginald was able to pull Lily and his wife away. I felt this huge relief seeing that my child was saved until my eyes landed on my parents, who had been walking towards the Rutherfords' table. They were caught in the midst of the chaos. Mom was knocked to the ground and dad was seen desperately trying to pull her to safety.

Without hesitation, I quickly rushed towards them in fear to assist Dad as he stumbled backwards. I saw that she was bleeding from a cut on her forehead.

"We need to get her out of here, now!" Dad shouted, his face pale with worry.

I didn't hesitate. I quickly grabbed my mom's arm and dad helped put her onto my back as we hurried towards the exit. I caught a glimpse of Ryan and Carly, who were staring at me with a mixture of shock and concern.

But I have no time to think about them now. I had to get her mom to safety, and fast. I pushed through the crowds of people with my heart pounding so fast in my chest, and finally we emerged into the parking lot where they had parked due to lack of more space.

Soon we were safely in the car, speeding towards the hospital, my heart still racing with fear. I couldn't bear the thought of losing my mother.