AGAINST THE TIDE Book #2

Chapter One: For Love

Vienna's POV
"You had five more days! Five days! Why would you quit when you only had five days left?"

"Because something came up-"

"And you couldn't wait five days?" Viola questioned me.

When I'm often obsessed about something, I go after it. Nothing really matters at that point.

About a month ago when I was still in rehab, a woman was reading a magazine. The front page caught my attention. It was a photograph of a billionaire. That isn't at all fascinating because that's the world I have grown up in. It's the young girl next to him. She caught my attention. I asked the woman if I could read the magazine after she's done and she agreed. The girl's name is Vittoria. I once had a daughter by that name. I named her before I out her into the arms of a nun. I left and I never looked back.

The days that followed, I kept thinking about Vittoria and eventually, when I couldn't sit still anymore, I left rehab to come to Manhattan to find her. It's not that hard to know where she is because it's not a secret where Marcelle Balotelli lives. They have been repeatedly photographed leaving a luxury apartment building together.

Everyday I sit on the bench across the street waiting for her. Five times I have cowered from approaching her. Seven times I have followed her to her around but still I have never been brave enough to approach her. Today, I followed her to this clothing store and I hope that I'll be able to at least say something to her.

"No. I couldn't wait five days." I answered.

Twenty five years is a long time. I put it off over and over again. It's time to tell her what happened and why I stayed away. But how will she take it? Do I even have a right to come into her life like this?

"You know what is at stake here, right?" After my divorce from my husband, after I had Vittoria, I went back to him and he took me back. But because I was plagued with sadness over giving up my daughter, I found myself turning to alcohol just to get by. A few pills here and there and eventually, a full blown addiction. I have been in and out of rehab. My late husband left everything to the children and they leverage that over me. "We had a meeting and we decided that we will cut you off if you don't complete your time at rehab. It will be in your best interest-"

I hanged up on her.

They can cut me off. I don't care. I want to make amends. I want to make peace with what I have done.

I picked up a bunch of clothes after switching off my phone. Vittoria is with two other girls. I took a deep breath and began approaching. I stopped on a rack of clothes close by.

My heart is racing at lightning speed. What does someone say after twenty five years?

"It is so expensive!" She has a beautiful voice!

Poor girl. If I would have raised her, I would have spoilt her rotten!

"Excuse you! Isn't your boyfriend on the top ten list of wealthiest men? Can't he afford this?"

Marcelle Balotelli. Yes, he's very rich. The Bakes are old money.

"Number four and we are talking declared wealth. Not even wheat he has stashed away." A girl who sounds Irish or is it Scottish remarked. "Doesn't he give you an allowance? Try it on!"

"I guess I can try."

She made her way to the changing room.

I stayed in place.

"I envy her." The other girl said. "A man that rich who dots over her, gives her anything she wants and she doesn't use it! I'm struggling financially and I wish I had a man like that."