Chasing the mother of his twins

Chapter3

FLORIDA, UNITED STATES

Aria’s knees buckled and she ultimately lost any strength to keep standing; she knelt, bawling her eyes out as her parents’ casket was lowered into the grave.

As sand was being thrown atop the casket, she suddenly got newfound strength and tried to run towards the grave only for Laila to hold her back with all her might.

“Girl, don’t do this. I can’t lose you,” a crying Laila said.

“Why?” Aria cried out as rain started falling, obscuring her tears, “Why? Why me?” She clutched her chest, her eyes clamped shut, her entire being shivering from the cold. She didn’t let Laila shield her with an umbrella.

“My parents didn’t offend anyone. Why would anyone do this to them? Why me?”

“Miss Laila, help your friend up and take her out of here. Aria, you’re not the only one who lost people. I also lost a brother and a sister-in-law, people who are dear to my heart. Am I making a lot of noise? Who do you think you are to do so? Just because they birthed you?” an elderly man said the moment he came over, a frown on his face.

Aria raised her head to look at him, “Uncle, don’t tell me what to do. If you can’t cry, that’s your business. You can f*****g latch on to your ego. But I am my parents’ only child, their star. They couldn’t see me glow, that pains me. I haven’t paid them back for raising me well and some bastard came over to send them to the afterlife early. I shouldn’t shed any tears for that? If you’re that bothered by my cries unlike the rest of everyone here, you can simply put on headphones and liven the atmosphere with your terrible dance,” she growled, her eyes bloodshot.

Hearing this, her uncle harrumphed and walked away.

Little by little, all those who attended left, leaving just the two best friends at Aria’s parents’ graves.

***

Returning to her parents’ home that night, completely spent, she was shocked to find her things scattered about on the floor of the living room.

Looking upwards, she found her uncle descending the stairs with his bitchy wife and daughter, a smug look on their faces.

“Uncle, what’s the meaning of this?” she asked in befuddlement.

“Oh?” he quirked an amused brow, “You’re such a big girl and you don’t understand? Okay, since your brain isn’t mature like you earlier claimed, let me explain it to you,” her uncle walked over and without a heads-up delivered a harsh slap across her face, the force sending her to the floor.

“Get the hell out of my property,” he barked.

Disregarding the stinging pain on her face and the strong urge to cry, she willed herself to get back on her feet, “What do you mean, Uncle? This is my parents’ house!” she yelled, her chest heaving.

“Well, not anymore,” his slutty daughter said while chewing gum. “This mansion, the company, everything your rotting father owned is now ours,”

“No,” Aria shook her head, still unable to register what she just heard as facts. “That’s impossible! You’re lying!”

“Laila, or whatever you’re called, take your friend out of my property before I get her arrested for attempt to murder me,”

“Murder you? When?” Aria was confused.

“Ask yourself, little fool,” her uncle’s wife spat, throwing her clothes atop her head.

Laila helped in arranging the clothes in the box and helped her friend out of what used to belong to her parents, the latter not understanding how this was happening.

As the rain mercilessly beat down on them, Aria’s shoulders kept trembling.

“Arrghh!” she screamed out of heartache.

“Girl, it’s okay,” Laila weakly whispered, resisting the urge to cry too.

***

MONTHS LATER LAW COURT

“Mr. Cromwell, you are hereby sentenced to 1,850 days of imprisonment, hard labor inclusive, no option of fine.” The judge declared and a tear finally slid down Aria’s misty eyes.

“Mom, Dad, can you see?” she muttered with her friend consoling her. She had gotten her father’s company back, her uncle was only sentenced to five years imprisonment due to lack of enough evidence to consolidate the fact that he killed her parents.

But he was at least found to have committed fraud and some other crimes. Her uncle’s family had long fled with money they stole before her uncle was even arrested. That scheming duo...!

Well, that didn’t matter now. The good thing was that this bad guy was going to suffer for over a thousand days in a place with hardened criminals who packed nice punches! It would be best if he died there...

“You b***h! Don’t think you’ve won. I will always have the last laugh, Aria. Mark my words!” her uncle spat in a rage as he left the podium.

Laila blew a raspberry and gave him a middle finger.

“You stupid b***h. I’m going to get you. Don’t be happy... Stop pushing me. I’m not crippled!”

As her angry uncle was being led away by the police in cuffs until he was forced to get in a special van which zoomed off, Aria wiped off another stray tear with her hanky.

Then she turned to her smiling friend, “Laila, please go back. You have exams in two days. Did you even study?”

“I sure did,” the latter casually responded with a goofy smile.

“I know when you’re lying,” a doubtful look replaced Aria’s once concerned look.

“I’m dead serious, girl. I studied... a little at least,” at that both of them started chuckling.

“Seriously, you need to go. Thank you for your help and comfort. I’ll study at a local university, I’ll attend night classes, and handle company affairs with Mr Sebastian,”

“Oh your new assistant. That dude’s sure hot. Did you ask if he’s interested in fathering?”

“Laila!”

“What? He’s hot, no?”

“He’s married. Besides, even if he’s not, why would I like him that way?”

“So he’s not your type, huh? I wonder who’ll be the lucky Mr. Right in the end.” Laila rested her chin on her palm, pretending to be in deep thought.

“Right now, I want to make sure my parents’ sweats don’t go down the drain. I have faith that it will become a top company in the future,” Aria spoke with hope and then caressed her stomach with a smile, “Baby, don’t worry, mommy will raise you right and cherish you,”