Chapter 18
“WHAT’S that?” Casey asked in an arched brow when Alexander placed a small paper bag on the coffee table in their garden where she and Billie were having a ray of sunshine. “Is that for Billie?”
Alexander’s brows furrowed. “Do you think I’ll buy our daughter the latest model of smartphone?”
Casey pressed her lips together as she looked at the small paper bag. “Are you saying that you bought me a new phone?”
“Why does it sound a big deal for you?” the man asked on a knotted forehead. “Why don’t you take a look at it?” He opened the paper bag and took out the box. “Try it. If you don’t like the features, we’ll get a different one.”
“You’ll do that?” she asked in disbelief. “Then what are you going to do with this?”
“I’ll include it in the raffle prizes for the winery’s Christmas party,” he said, then laughed. “I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.”
“Are you saying that I am ungrateful?” Casey raised an eyebrow. “And, I don’t want to accept anything from you. I hate to think that you just bought it for me because… because of what happened to us.”
Alexander didn’t speak. He just looked at her in furrowed brows. “If you don’t want to accept, then it’s fine,” he said and put back the box inside the paper bag. “I shouldn’t buy this in the first place.”
Casey watched the man took the paper bag and threw it straight into the bin. “Hey! Why did you dump it?” she asked, then went to the trash bin. “My gosh, why you didn’t insist? Don’t you know how to persuade a girl?”
Alexander looked at her questioningly. “Persuade?”
“Yes,” she snarled as she took the paper bag out of the bin. “I can’t believe you!” She marched back to her chair and placed the phone’s box on the coffee table carefully. “It’s not because you’re rich, and you can buy anything that you want, you’ll just dump a thousand-dollar worth of smartphone.”
“How did you know that it’s worth a thousand dollars?” Alexander asked. “I never told you its price.”
Casey paused, then looked at the box. “Based on its model and brand, it’s easy to tell that it’s quite expensive.” She rolled her eyes heavenwards. “But I won’t buy a phone as expensive as this; I’d rather give the extra money to the charity.”
When the man didn’t answer, Casey looked at him. Alexander was looking at her as if he couldn’t believe everything that she says. She then remembered that she wasn’t Casey, that she’s Amara: The prodigal wife of the Winery’s CEO, the monster wife. But, she has amnesia… and she can be any woman that she wanted because she can’t remember herself, and that alone can justify her acts.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, brows furrowed. “Did I hurt your ego?”
“Mommy, daddy’s mad at you,” Billie butt in, then laughed. “Look at his brows. They’re almost touching!”
Casey sat beside Billie. She scooted closer to her so she could put her arms around her. “Daddy’s wasting money. Is he always like that?”
Billie looked at her. “Nah, you’re the one who loves to waste money.”
Casey gasped. “Me?” She drew her brows together to look as if she’s confused. “But…” She looked at the phone’s box. “I really wouldn’t buy such an expensive phone—”
“You know what, you can refuse my gift to you without making me look as if I wasted my money just to make you happy,” Alexander said, grabbed the phone and walked out of the garden.
“Daddy’s mad,” Billie told her. “But, he’ll forgive you.”
Casey looked at Billie. She can’t help but feel bothered by Alexander’s reaction. “Do you think so?”
Billie nodded. She swayed her feet under the table. “Because I know that Daddy loves you…”
Those words from Alexander’s daughter hit Casey in her chest. “Daddy loves mommy…” she repeated as the claws of painful truth wrapped her heart. And, I am not your mommy… she added in her mind as she looked at her admiringly.
That day, Casey woke up by Thelma’s good news for her. She said that Billie was fully recovered from the trauma and wanted to see her. Out of excitement, Casey went to her room without even changing her nightdress.
It was a relief that the child has recovered from the trauma that the explosion caused her. A childlike Billie shouldn’t experience that kind of disaster. It hurt Casey every time she remembered that Billie was alone in her seat on the plane, and her mother, who was supposed to be sitting beside her, was with her lovers and doing something immoral.
She still can’t believe that Alexander loved a woman like Amara. That woman doesn’t deserve to be loved. She doesn’t deserve to have a child, to have a family. But, life is just really unfair…
Casey hugged the child and kissed her in the temple. “Mommy loves you too,” she whispered. “Remember that.”
Billie hugged her back. “I love you, Mommy…” she said. “I’m happy that you have changed now.”
Casey pulled back from her. “Do you like what I am now?”
Billie nodded. “Before, you’re always mad at me. You hate to have a tea party with me here in the garden, and you’re always out with your friends…” The child started to cry. “You never had a time for me, Mommy.”
To see an innocent child shed tears because her own mother neglected her made Casey’s heart wrenched. It pained her so much to see her suffer like this. “I’m sorry, baby…” she told her and pulled her in her arms. “I promised that I will never do that again to you.”
Billie looked up at her. “Promise?”
She looked at Billie and smiled. “Promise…” When she’s about to hug her again, her eyes caught Alexander standing in the doorway and watching them. “Baby, wait for me here. I’ll just talk to daddy, okay?”
But when she was about to go to him, he turned his back and leave. “Alexander! Wait for a second—” She stopped on her feet when he suddenly turned to face her. “W-where’s the phone?”
Alexander walked towards her with furrowed brows. “Amara, please don’t say promises to Billie… Don’t make her believe that you will never change.” He clenched his jaw, “because I know that all of these are just for temporary.”
***