Chapter 98

"My First Day as a Mother"

Rafael Junior's wailing filled the old house, and for the first time, I became a happy mother, struggling to be a good mother. The kitchen was in disarray, the kettle on the stove hissed as the boiling water was about to spill over and there were the baby's lunch items on the table, ready to be used.

"Oh, my baby, just wait a minute, your milk is on its way, "I said, smiling and hurrying quickly across the kitchen room to prepare things for Rafael Junior.

I turned off the kettle's stove and washed my son's feeding bottle, then scooped milk and counted the measurement based on the instruction label from the milk packaging box. I poured hot water, but some of the milk spilled over, and I quickly grabbed a hand towel from the rock to wipe the spilled milk off, only to add more mess when the bottle fell down on the table and emptied with the hot milk. I dashed over to my son's chair before the hot milk reached his side of the table.

I was gasping for air and lamenting the fact that I was a clueless mother. I sighed urgently.

"Calm down, my love; Mommy will make another one," I said as I kissed him, and he fell silent, struggling to breathe after crying.

"Let me handle his milk," Carlo said. He stood at the door behind me. Perhaps he noticed what I was doing and watched me as I nervously prepared milk for my son. He went to the fallen feeding bottle and started making Rafael Junior's milk.

"You can do it like this," he demonstrated. "You also can't give him this milk after shaking the filled feeding bottle. You must cool it down and apply several drops to your palms to feel the heat that is sufficient to keep your son's tongue from burning. "

My son fell asleep after a few minutes of being fed.

"Have you taken out the contents of the supermarket bag I bought yesterday?"

I remembered what had happened the day before. Carlo had purchased supplies for my son, but was devastated by Rafael's unexpected visit.

"I only got the milk and the feeding bottle this morning," I said, lowering my gaze to the table. “I'm sorry about last night.”

"What happened last night?" He gazed at me, waiting for a response.

"Can you tell me about what happened at the mansion?" I didn’t answer his question; instead I asked. "Have you submitted your resignation to the Morrow?"

"Yes, Mrs. Morrow was aware of my intention to resign, and a letter of resignation will be sent. My belongings were in the living room, if that's alright with you. "

"After all, why not? You're my husband, and you have the right to be with me at all times.” I shrugged.

"I know, till the day you will have your longed-for revenge to fulfill," he murmured, moving closer to the table where I was cuddling my kid. "Can you tell me what happened? What was the doctor's reaction to the information you revealed? If you had told him the truth? "

I answered flatly, "I told him that I was Catherine's trusted friend, and I gave him all the information he needed to know."

Carlo's eyes were dissatisfied with what I stated. "You still haven't told him your name is Catherine."

"Yes, but..."

"I instructed you to tell him everything, including your name, Catherine."

"I have to protect myself a little, Carlo," I said, watching his increasing fury. Give me the privilege of not being directly impacted by their fury. I told him about Catherine's wound, which her wife inflicted by hiring Roger as a gunman, and how he came to be Rafael Junior's biological father. And with those two significant disclosures, he will have more faith in me for his son, my son. "

Carlo didn't flinch, saying, "You know what Monica? It's more important that they know who you are than that they believe you as Catherine's trusted friend. This will simply prolong your pain with these individuals, "he said, raising his voice.

"I told him how it happened that he became Rafael Junior's biological father! I screamed at him to listen to my side of the story. I told him about the night; Catherine had switched places with his wife in order to make love to him." I sobbed, “And that it was his entire wife's plan for Cathy to have his baby, I told him it was Madam Mea's idea for me to impersonate her in order to fool Rafael in bed. That's why I played Mea's double in a farce film she made up for them. "

Carlo was intently listening to me.

“It was all her damned idea, not mine, but I bore the brunt of the consequences while she had a stranglehold on her husband by seeking another woman." I heard my own cry, and we became silent for a moment.

Carlo shifted to the opposite end of the table and sat quietly. Maybe he was considering my explanation, or maybe he wouldn't accept it. And then he turned to face me.

"OK, you've revealed your half-truth, and I accept that, but..."

"But, what?" I inquired.

"Based on your confession, the doctor will undoubtedly find ways to find Catherine, and you must prepare yourself for another long process of hiding yourself being revealed as Catherine, who may have a tragic ending," he coughed.

"Are you feeling well, Carlo?" I observed a slight reddening of his nose.

"What I felt was out of your business, right? Catherine? "

"You know how concerned I am about you, Carlo," I said.

"I've never noticed such concern from you, Cathy," he sighed, "for as long as I can remember, your entire concern has been yourself and your personal anguish and happiness."

And there was something troubling about his tone.

"I believe I should beg your forgiveness, Carlo. But you also know what we agreed on before we decided to have a connection and certain intimate interactions." I stated my case. "We barely know each other."

He groaned and gazed out the window. "We don't need to quarrel over a situation that might only result in additional suffering," he remarked as he stood to his feet and walked closer to me, saying, "You should pray that Madam Mea will never end up killing you again."

"That's why I should protect myself by being recognized as Catherine." I thought of a few reasons to explain to him why I told Rafael half-truths.

He had this bitterness in his eyes that I could see, but the good news was that he stayed with me. "What room can I put my items in?" He sighed, “I know I can't sleep in your room with you. Isn't that still against the law? "

"Thank you for being so understanding and nice, Carlo," I moaned, "even if my decisions contradict what you believe is good for me. I know I'm a pain in your neck but I must express my gratitude for the relationships we have formed. "

"I'll try to extend my cordon of patience to you, Cathy. But before I settle into my room, I'd like you to promise me something." He fixed his gaze on me.

My heart skipped a beat when he said it, and I said, "What is it?"

“As long as some people believe we are legally married, please make an effort to honor me as a husband while we still have this unbroken connection of union."

I couldn't think of anything to say to him.

"That way, you can protect the doctor from my irrational wrath, as happened last night. Catherine, you're the only one who can stop me from hurting him now that I'm no longer working for him. "He then stepped outside and heard him climbing upstairs.

My veins were tingling with fear as a result of what he had just warned me. His tone conveyed a sense of forewarning that should not be ignored. And something inside me cautioned me to be watchful with Carlo.

Rafael Junior was gleefully splattering his food as we ate breakfast together. Carlo was eating with us, so the scene was warm and pleasantly normal.

"This should be a typical situation for a typical pair," he murmured.

Rafael Junior was being fed baby food by me. And it tasted good to my son. It was quite heartwarming to feed your own son, and it was also a source of joy to a mother. The first day of caring for my son made me proud and whole.

"This is what I wanted to do every time I thought of my boy," I said with a smile.

"Just be careful with the words and phrases you say to the doctor. It might come back to haunt you and hurt you harder than you expect." He forewarned me.

"Thank you for the warning, but I am aware of the implications of my actions."

He sipped water and continued, "Prepare yourself to be separated from your son again."

"What?"

"Remember that Rafael Junior's stay here is only temporary because you are not his true mother to them; you are simply a friend of Catherine's, and there is a good likelihood that the doctor will return here to fetch the child."

"I know, and I'm ready for whatever comes next."

"I hope so," Carlo said as he rose to leave the kitchen.

He'd been cold and distant with me since the night he fought Rafael. And I never bring it up again unless he voluntarily picks it up.

After a few minutes of washing up the dishes and clearing Rafael Junior's mess on the table, I heard noises outside the house and assumed it was Carlo and some others. I took my infant outdoors to check on who was with him.

It took me aback to find Madam Mea conversing with Carlo, and my heart jumped with panic as soon as our gazes collided.

"Hey, you! Can we talk?" Mea addressed me as her servant. She was still outside the barred gate and not a suitable fit to look at, but she was still haughty towards me. Her eyes were blurry, and her cheekbones were overly reddened from face foundation. She wasn't mindful of how she would appear to other people's eyes anymore, but unlike before, she was conscious of not wearing proper make-up when going out. She slammed the gate.

"Please, Madam Mea, don't bang that gate," Carlo said. "This is no longer your home."

I picked up where Carlo had left off and said to her, "Have the decency to ask my permission before touching that iron grill."

"Give me back my baby or I'll sue you," she yelled.

"Madam, sue your husband, not me, because, in the face of your harshness, he entrusted his son to us." I snorted, "Maybe you should talk to your spouse about it and allow him to pick up his son from us."

"Where is Catherine now?" she snarled.

"Her query indicates that she was aware of the half-truth I told her husband.

"So, your spouse had previously told you about my friend Catherine," I said gently.

"It's no surprise you have the same awful aura, because you're pals, and you're from hell." She hissed.

"I have done nothing that will send me to hell, but you are," I answered.

"Answer me, where is Catherine?" She was adamant.

I took a closer look at her and replied, "Even if I am aware of her location, Madam, I will never inform you."

"You have to, or else..." she yelled.

"Or else, what?" Are you threatening me, Madam Mea...?" My brow furrowed.

"I have done nothing wrong to you, Madam. And you're no longer welcome here. Look for another individual who can tell you where Cathy is," I said with a smile. "Or perhaps it's not a good idea for you to find her location."

"Give me my son," she tried to calm herself.

"You're going to regret this, Monica," she warned me once more.

"That's a blatant threat, Madam, but I'm not afraid of you."

"You whore, give me my son!" she said, swearing.

"He is not your son!" I cried fiercely, “So, don't behave like a responsible mother to him, because you've never been one! And I'm not going to give you Cathy's son. I wait for Cathy and hand her his son."

"I will kill her if she comes!" she raged fiercely.

"Kill her a second time?" I gritted my teeth.

"What exactly did you say?" Her rage was visible in her eyes.

"I know you murdered her, but only she survived," I shouted, "And you can't murder Catherine a second time. I'm not going to let that happen."

"Who are you, Monica Ferris?" She asked, bewildered and furious.