CHICAGO, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA


    AT RIA ROBERT APARTMENT


    Ian stopped the car but didn’t pull into the driveway of Ria’s home. “Thanks for the ride.” Ria said when she got out of the car.


    “You are wee.” Ian replied.


    Ria expected him to drive away but he didn’t make an attempt to do so. Ian just sat in the car staring at her. Ria raised an eyebrow at him and then he just simply nod his head.


    “Yeah. Bye!” Ian waved before driving off slowly.


    “Ma’am Elise.” Ria called when she walked into the house.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    “Oh.. Miss Ria, you are back.” Ma’am Elise sat up on the couch.


    Immediately Ria noticed the sad expression on her face. “What’s wrong, ma’am Elise?” She went to her quickly.


    “Oh.. nothing.” Ma’am Elise sniffed.


    “Something is wrong. You just don’t want to tell me about it.” Ria settled beside her.


    “I am just tired.” Ma’am Elise mumbled incoherently.


    Something is quite not right. Ma’am Elise barelyins of tiredness! It was weird to hear iting from her.


    Ria held her hands. “Ma’am Elise, remember our promise.. no secrets.” She stated intently at her.


    Ma’am Elise eyes became blurry from tears that threatened to spill anytime soon. “What happened? What’s wrong, ma’am Elise?” Ria stood up immediately, she searched around the house to see if someone had barged in and harm her but everything was clean as usual. Well that was her first thought!


    “Oh… miss Ria -” Ma’am Elise voice trailed off.


    “Rx. Just tell me about it.” Ria settled beside her on the couch again.


    “I.. I.. met Leo and Abigail at the mall today.” Ma’am Elise managed to say.


    Ria gasped in shock. “Abigail.. Abigail is carrying his child… probably the second or third.. and I couldn’t hold it in. I broke down in tears at the mall.” Ma’am Elise sobbed.


    Ria wiped her cheeks. She has no idea of what to say or how tofort her. It must very hard for ma’am Elise to see the man who had caused her so much pain in the past to be happy with the woman who had also betrayed her. That’s unfair! Does taking what isn’t meant to be yours greed?


    This question reminded Ria of how her uncle Frederick had taken away her father’s inheritance. Frederick Robert had more than enough but he still wanted the token that belonged to Nathan.


    “I shouldn’t be like this because of them right? I.. I…. mean I ended things with Leo long ago so I shouldn’t be bothered right? But I can’t just take it off my mind. It should have been me carrying his child. I should have been me smiling so happily that way. These are just stupid thoughts that have been bugging my mind since I came back from the mall.” Ma’am Elise sniffed.


    “Oh.. ma’am Elise.. please don’t cry.” Ria pulled her in for a hug.


    “He didn’t see it. I am d he didn’t see me because I would have been so ashamed of myself.” Ma’am Elise cried.


    Ria withdrew from the embrace. “No.. no.. don’t talk like this. You shouldn’t be ashamed of yourself. You are also doing a great job at living a happy life. You have to take him off your mind.”


    Ma’am Elise nodded in agreement. “Yes.. yes.. yes… I should stop thinking about him because he has moved on with Abigail so I should do the same too.”


    Ria understood why ma’am Elise was feeling sad. Leo has a wife and children. But her case is different, she is still yet to find love and have children of her own.


    “I am sorry.” Ria apologized not knowing what to say.


    “I promise not to think about them again. I swear.. I am going to forget everything I saw today.” Ma’am Elise wiped her face.


    “Please don’t think about them anymore.” Ria embraced her again.


    It won’t be easy for ma’am Elise to forget about her past but at least she could try not to think about her ex husband and ex best friend.


    Several minutes passed with ma’am Elise crying and Ria only let her go after she calmed. Ma’am Elise wiped her face and sniffed.


    “Now look at what you have done to these babies.. you ruined them.” Ria used her fingers to wipe ma’am Elise cheeks.


    “Don’t mind me. I shouldn’t let you see this other side of me but you know I can be so emotional at times.” Ma’am Elise managed to smile.


    “Yes, I know that you are a strong woman too. And Leo is a jerk and a bad ass for letting a woman like you go! If only I could meet him then I would tell him that he lost a precious jewel!” Ria gritted. And she keeps praying that ma’am Elise finds true love. A man that would love her deeply knowing that ma’am Elise is not too old to find love! She is still in her prime.


    “Miss Ria, you are stronger and I envy your courage.” Ma’am Elise pinched her cheeks yfully and they both giggled.


    “Now tell me how was your meeting with Mrs Pe?” Ma’am Elise sniffled.


    “Good it was -”


    “Wait before you say a word let me get you something to calm your nerves. I know for sure that meeting a money figure like Mrs Pe Bryant wasn’t an easy task.” She interrupted Ria.


    “Yes it wasn’t easy. I was so nervous, ma’am Elise!” Ria huffed.


    Ma’am Elise stood up and went to the kitchen. Ria pulled off her ts and then arranged the collections back in its ce.


    “Here you go.” Ma’am Elise came back with a ss of chilled orange juice.


    “Thank you.” Ria gulped down the whole liquid and dropped the ss on the table. And she went on to exin everything that happened at the Pe Jewelry Store.