Furious Hearts

chapter forty four

After throwing up for the fourth time the morning and repeating the washing up ritual, she growled in frustration. But compared to the beastly emotion in her heart feasting her life away, she found that she preferred throwing up. Besides, it was worth it. A sign of the beautiful life growing inside her. Her baby. She had resigned to working at home. Not because of the morning sickness, no, but because of a certain man she still foolishly loved with every fibre of her being despite his betrayal. The man that made her deliriously happy, then inexplicably anguished. He'd made her dream of a perfect paradise before shattering it all to dust. He fathered her baby and disowned it. He humiliated her by making her a wretched mistress. A home wrecker!

She uncurled her clenched fists and breathed. Deeply. Stress was not good for her nor the baby. It recently was the cliché mantra for everyone: Vanda, Dr. Raphael, Rosanna... She sighed dejectedly, her tear ducts flooding. She feared she'd become dehydrated with all the crying and mopping around she'd resigned herself to. Blinking the irksome tears away, she occupied the chair behind the work desk. Her throat clogged and the temptation to just cry overwhelmed her. The enigma of loving someone who had no qualms about shuttering her heart, gorged her brain cruelly. Usually, she'd bury herself in work or a long relaxing swim but none seemed to work. The stars must have been conspiring against her.

She raised her head at the rumble on the oak door. With a mastered control on her shaky voice, she called them in.

The door pushed open and Rosanna stepped in. "Someone's here to see you darling girl." An affectionate smile etched on the elderly woman's lips.

"I'm not expecting a guest today Rosanna." She declared arranging nonessential files to avoid eye contact.

"I know dear, but_"

"Tell him to go away. I don't want to see him." She ordered angrily. Eddie had set camp right outside her house refusing to go until he spoke to her. She'd expected him to give up by noon the first day but the stubborn handsome ox was idling there for a week now. You don't care Gina! He's a married man. A cheat! Her conscious reminded.

"It's not Eddie. I wouldn't allow that rascal in here." Rosanna said defiantly. Her hands waved in the air in angry motions. "At least not without thoroughly using my spatula on him."

Gina's lips curled into a weak smile. After Mona's death, Rosanna hadn't stopped playing the role of her mother. The woman reminded her so much of her birth mother. Especially when she was being a protective mother hen or trying to make her laugh. That was when she wasn't trying to fatten her up with everything fit for human consumption available in the kitchen. If not for the heaviness in her heart she would have actually laughed at the woman's antics. Her hands were poised on her hips, her lips pursed tightly in a disapproving scowl and the flare of her nose which was stuck up in the air was evidence of her implacable fury. Anger wasn't good for her age.

"Who is it then?"

***

Gina reached the foot of the grand stairway. Her eyes caught the female figure that stood facing away from her. What was she doing here? Hadn't she been aware of her son's secret marriage? Gina snorted inwardly at that. It wasn't a secret marriage, she was the secret. The mistress. The fact that the woman had encouraged the disreputable charade that was hers and Eddie's relationship disgusted her the more. That wasn't true friendship. To think she was Mona's best friend! She consciously laughed at the idiotic promise she'd made to her; to never leave Eddie? Well Gina had never been with him in the first place.

"How are you honey?" Sue asked. Genuinely?

What do you think?

Gina resisted the urge to roll her eyes. With an exaggerated smile, she beamed enthusiastically. "Sue! I just found out that I'm your married son's mistress, of course I'm fine!"