CHAPTER 9

ALEXANDER stared at the closed door of their adjoining room. He doesn’t understand why he’s feeling guilty about what he told Amara earlier when she asked him about the things that she did here before the accident. He knew that she has temporary amnesia, but why he’s having this feeling that maybe she’s just faking it?

Amara is known here in Hacienda Montefort for being an insensitive and immoral wife of the winery’s owner. The workers often saw her with other men in the vineyard and in any part of the farm. Because of it, Alexander wanted to divorce her for disgracing his family. But his stepmom is stopping him from doing so because Amara’s late father holds thirty percent of company stocks. Amara was also the board’s favorite because her charm can lure every investor to sign their contract. But Alexander knew that Amara is playing dirty to succeed. Alexander is suffering in this kind of setup. On the outside and in front of the public, they’re husband and wife. But inside this house, they’re just nothing but fuck buddies.

Until the plane accident happened, and the new version of Amara was reborn. The wife that she’s showing him now is far from the wife that he had before the accident. If her changes are caused by temporary amnesia, then it means that the monster woman that they knew, will be back and ruin their lives again sooner or later.

After changing into outdoor clothes, Alexander went outside his room. He was about to walk down the stairs when he thought about checking on his daughter.

“What all of you is doing here?” Alexander asked the three maids standing outside Billie’s door. “And, Aura and Thelma, where’s Amara?”

The two women hesitantly pointed at the door. “Miss Amara insisted on checking on Billie even if we told her that her daughter doesn’t want to see her.”

“What? Why did you let her in?” he asked in furrowed brows. “And, you, I told you to not leave Billie’s side always, right?”

The young babysitter of his daughter lowered her head. “I’m sorry, Sir Alexander. Miss Amara asked me if I could give them privacy...” she said. “And, she asked me politely...”

“She talked to us nicely too,” Thelma agreed. “Before the accident, her treatment to us is lowly as a dog.”

The lines in Alexander’s forehead deepened. He looked at Billie’s door and didn’t waste any time. Amara might be doing something terrible with their child. But all he thought was wrong when he opened the door and saw Casey crouching beside the bed in front of Billie.

She never talked to Billie in that position. She always wanted her daughter to be looking up at her while they’re having a conversation. But, now is really different...

Amara spoke softly at Billie and looked at her as if she’s the most adorable person in her life, while the child kept her head low and avoiding her gaze. When Amara tried to hold Billie’s hand, and the child swept her hand away, the pain he saw in Amara’s face felt genuine.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Amara asked Billie in a soft voice that Alexander has never heard before. “Why don’t you speak to mommy?”

Alexander was dumbfounded. Amara never talked like this to Billie, especially if the kid is having tantrums. Amara would instead scold and shout at her than speak to her softly and tame her.

Alexander was about to close the door when he heard Billie spoke. “I hate you,” she said and started to cry.

He expected Amara to walk out of the room, but what she did shock Alexander.

~0~

“MISS AMARA, are you sure that you really wanted to see Billie?” Aura, one of the maids, asked Casey while following her towards Billie’s room.

“That baby pink-colored door on the corner is Billie’s room?” Casey asked, ignoring the maid’s question. “Who’s with her?”

Aura scratched the back of her head. “Melani’s with her.”

Casey stopped walking and turned to Aura on a knotted forehead. “Who’s Melani?”

The two women glanced at each other again. “She’s Billie’s babysitter, Miss Amara. You’re the one that hired her to take care of Billie since she was born.”

Casey paused. How could Amara just let her child being taken care of by other people? Her heart wrenched at the thought that the poor little girl grew up with the care of maids instead of her own biological mother.

“Miss Amara?” Thelma called her attention. She doesn’t know that she’s been staring at Billie’s room for too long.

“Ah, I’m sorry... I’m just carried away by my thoughts,” she said and wiped the tears on the corner of her eyes. “Stay here. I’ll just talk to Billie.”

With the chagrinned expressions of the two maids, Casey knew that they wanted to stop her. Still, she opened the door and peeked inside the room. The babysitter looked up and gasped upon seeing her. She stood quickly and widened the door for her.

“Miss Amara...” She bowed at her. “Billie’s watching her favorite children’s movies on her tablet,” she said in a shaky voice.

Casey nodded and stepped inside the room. “Could you please leave us for a second, Melani?”

The woman looked up at her with wide eyes. Casey thought that maybe Amara wasn’t treating them right. That’s why they’re shocked that Amara-from-the-accident is being fair to them. Casey groaned silently. If Amara was still alive, she would kill her.

“Ah, Miss Amara... Billie doesn’t want to talk to you.”

“Please, Melani?” she pleaded, squeezing the woman’s shoulders gently. “I just want to have a second with my daughter.”

When the woman stepped out the door, shocked and speechless with how she talked to her, Casey went to Billie’s bed excitedly. She crouched beside her bed and looked at her lovingly.

“Hi, baby...” she called her attention. “Don’t you want to see mommy?”

Billie looked at her in furrowed brows. She opened her mouth to speak but changed her mind and decided to shut it again.

“What’s wrong, baby?” she asked, not taking her eyes off her beautiful face. “Why don’t you speak with mommy?”

The kid pressed her lips together. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke. “I hate you...” Her eyes were like knives stabbing her soul. “I hate you.”

Casey’s mouth fell open. She knew she doesn’t need to be hurt because she’s not Amara, but she can’t help it. She can’t bear to see the hatred and pain she’s seeing in the little girl’s eyes. And, when she started to cry, Casey’s heart broke. She stood and, without a second thought, wrapped her arms around the child.

“I’m sorry...” she murmured as tears fell on her cheeks. “I’m sorry, baby...”

***