Breaking Friend Zone

Chapter 34: Love

"Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired."

— Robert Frost

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Rafael Alejandro Valiente's POV

Ms. Tammy was hysterical. Two guards instantly came to take charge of Ms. Dominguez. They held her on both hands. "I will kill you, selfish bastard!" she screamed. 

The two guards had a hard time holding her in place.  She clawed and writhed trying to get away from them. A few others came to help. 

"Ms. Dominguez! Ms. Dominguez, please calm down!" Judge Specter was already on his feet trying  to get Ms. Tammy's attention, but she was already lost in rage. 

Ms. Tammy Dominguez's eyes filled with blazing fury was directed at me. One that is not forgiving. "Because of you, my family is dead! You deserve to die too! All the people that you love!" 

Those words were like a bucket of water poured onto me and left me numbed. It slowly shredded every moral fibers if ever I had any left in me. 

"You stole our life!" She screamed again and again. The guards practically lifted her as they dragged her out of the room. 

"Dad! What is she talking about?" Clara Bell asked as she grabbed my arm and shook it to get my attention. I shifted my eyes to her and stared at her confused eyes.

"Why is she accusing you of killing her family?" Her brows snapped together. "Is it true?" she probe. 

"Dad!" Her eyes widened a little trying to get my attention when I didn't respond. 

I shook my head slowly, my mind racing. Wracking my memory of what was truly happened over two decades ago. 

"Sir, Mr. Santos came again. He's begging to see you." Mr. Crisanto Dela Cruz, my oversear on our shipyard in Baltimore said over the phone. I can't recall how many times Mr. Santos came back but it's getting on my nerves.  

I felt my daughter's hand  squeeze mine, but my mind still stuck on the past. 

"I have a lot of pressing matters that needs my attention, Crisanto. If  he comes back again, talk to the accountant and give him money. And before you do that, get Christopher to sign up some papers that he's not allowed in my shipyard premises again. 

"Yes, Sir!" came his reply.

"If he insists, tell the guards to drag him out if needs be. Don't let him in!" I instructed before hanging up the phone. 

That was the last time I heard of him.

Ms. Tammy's screams and shrieks, as she struggled out of the three courthouse's guards dragged me back to the moment. "I hope to you will lose everything that is so dear to you!" she vociferated, turning her head with her dark rage-filled eyes shot at me.

The three guards dragged her away as she kept shouting and swearing, all the while prying her hands away from the two guards holding her hands. I just looked away when they are out of sight.

I don't know how I feel about her. I didn't do anything. I am businessman and robbing me is one of the things I hated the most. And they didn't do it once, but many times. I pay my employees good. Instead of a cahoot, he could have come to me and I would definitely reward him of his honesty.

And as far as my conscience is concerned, I didn't pursue the case, I even gave them their severance pay. 

If anything happened to her, such as losing her father and brother, it wasn't my fault. That's her father's weak spirit.