Time-Bound

Chapter 15

July 25th, 2019.

Bruton place, Mayfair, London.

7:35 p.m.

The whole family had ordered food from Nando's. They were eating when Victoria noticed Anthony, Brenda and Mercy exchanging glances.

"Okay. Now what's going on here?" Victoria said.

The trio quickly looked away from eachother.

"Nobody wants to talk to me or tell me anything." Victoria said.

"Huh...I..." Mercy said.

"You think I don't know." Victoria said. "I know everything. So don't bother hiding anything."

"W-what do you know?" Brenda asked.

"The three of you are planning something. And I know what it is."

The trio swallowed hard.

"What do you think we are planning?" Anthony asked.

"You see my love," Victoria placed her hand on him. "I..."

"You can speak without touching me." Anthony shove away her hand.

"I...Okay, I know you all didn't get to be like a family and you keep looking at eachother because you feel apart right?" Victoria said.

The three sighed loudly.

"What? Am I wrong?" Victoria asked.

"I...Yes, We...Actually, No." Anthony said.

"So why the loud sigh?" Victoria asked.

"I...We are...Um..." Anthony stuttered.

"We are actually happy that you finally got to understand us." Mercy said.

"Oh my darlings, I'm so..." Victoria got cut off by Anthony who got up and left for his room.

"Fo-Follow him." Brenda said.

"Yes, I...Uh...What did I say?" Victoria asked.

"Just go!" Mercy yelled.

Victoria left them and went after her husband. She knocked on the door.

"Come in." He said.

"Are you okay?" Victoria asked.

Anthony turned around and faced her. He had been facing the window.

"What do you think?"

"You don't seem okay to me." Victoria said.

"And why do you think I'm not okay?" Anthony asked.

"I don't know. You just left after I..." Victoria said.

"Who did you call darlings?" Anthony frowned.

"You guys."

"We guys? Am I one of them?" Anthony asked.

"No. I mean...Uh...Yes." Victoria looked away.

"Are you forgetting something?" Anthony asked.

"What?"

"We are divorced Victoria. There is nothing binding us together." Anthony said.

"And the kids?"

"They're adults now. Not kids you can order around." Anthony made to walk away.

Victoria held his arm. "Can I be your own kid that you can order around?"

"What on earth does that even mean?" Anthony asked.

"I want us to be the way we were. The way things used to be." Victoria said.

Anthony yanked his arm from her grip. "The way things used to be. You mean, when we were married?"

"Yes." Victoria nodded.

"I see. But we're divorced now. Things can't suddenly go back to..."

"We could remarry."

"And then get divorced again?"

"No. This time I promise we won't."

"How can you even say that? Are you in control of the future?"

"No, but I'm definitely in control of my actions and I regret them." Victoria sighed.

"What actions do you regret exactly?"

"Abandoning you and my children."

"Oh. And why do you regret...?" Anthony asked.

"I was a really bad person Anthony and...."

"You still are."

"Huh?"

"Yes. You heard me."

"But how am I...?"

"Take a look at yourself in the mirror. It is written all over you."

"Okay, how do I get you to forgive me?"

"Change. You've got to change. I can't keep forgiving the same mistakes over and over again." Anthony sighed.

"But I..."

"Shh. Let me speak. You know how much importance my job holds in my life right?"

"Yes, I do." Victoria nodded.

"I'm just the same as school teachers. We go to work every day of the week and on weekends, we get a break. If any of us were to skip work one day then we get fired. Do you know that?" Anthony asked.

"Yes, I do." Victoria nodded.

"Then tell me why you couldn't compromise just a little bit to save your family?" Anthony asked.

"I..."

"Every single time I tried to speak to you and explain things you always lash out at me and I couldn't watch you throw insult at me and question my character. You always thought I was committed to my job because of the air hostesses and you would insult me and everything else which led to our constant fights and arguments, hence the outcome. Brenda's sickness." Anthony said.

"I know I was wrong but it isn't all my fault." Victoria said.

"Oh yes. I forgot you're always innocent in every wrong doing of yours. I depended on you. I wanted you to take good care of the children for me. But what did you do? You got a Nanny instead. Why did you become a mother if you can't behave like one?"

"Anthony don't talk to me like that."

"Of course. I shouldn't talk like that but only you can. You know, I'm surprised you've not started shouting and playing victim like you've always had."

"I...Stop blaming me."

"Oh no. Of course not. I can't blame the popular actress." Anthony sighed. "It's my fault. If I didn't depend so much on you, things wouldn't have led to this. You know, after our divorce things became better. I built a strong Father-daughter relationship with my girls and I knew what I was up against. So that way, I could play my role right and I did. But my Brenda had to go through the side effect of everything just when I thought everything had died down."

"I didn't know it was this bad."

"How would you? All you cared about were the scripts and the directors."

"I've hurt you. I'm sorry."

"No, no. You hurt everyone. Tell me. Why do you think Mercy is always lashing out at you?" Anthony asked.

"I...I didn't..."

"You know. If you really are sorry and want us back in your life, then you have to prove it." Anthony said and walked away.