THE MAFIA’S HEIR

RICARDO’S POV

I was extremely pissed at everything, starting from the night before, when I saw her looking so beautiful and laughing her heart away on Federico’s story. I had totally lost it when she had said she was going to be out with a different guy every other night, looking like a snack. I had been angry, and it made me say the wrong things. Never had I seen her tear up before. That was excluding the night after Bianca had showed up at my home unannounced. That night, I had walked into the garden to see Laura crying. She hadn’t noticed my presence, and I did well to remain unnoticeable. I had felt so bad seeing her cry.

Okay, I know you’re probably wondering what a wicked and heartless bully like me was saying about the very girl he bullies. Trust me, I’m not proud of all I had done to Laura. I never have.

What Laura had done to deserve all the harsh treatments I gave to her? To be honest, she had done nothing. It was just that her presence had caused me a lot more inconvenience than I was willing to admit.

It had all started many years back, when she had showed up in our house. I had walked into the kitchen to see my mom laughing so happily and playing with this girl. I was a few years older than the little girl who had been sitting on the refrigerator in the kitchen, while mom tickled her sides. None of my cousins bore a resemblance to the girl, so I only assumed it was a friend’s daughter.

It was later that night I had been informed that the little girl was Laura, and she was going to be in our house during the week days because her mom was the newly employed housekeeper. I still wasn’t bothered about the arrangement until the days began to pass. I was the last child my mother had bore, my immediate older brother being older than me with about 10 years. I was literally the unexpected child that was very much pampered, so it was difficult for me to see my mom’s attention gradually shifting away from me. Those days, mom would spend the entire day in the kitchen, discussing with Laura’s mom or playing with Laura. I knew mom had always wanted to have a female child, as I and all my siblings were males. But I wondered why it had to be Laura that satisfied that craving within her. It wasn’t like I didn’t have a lot of female cousins that could fill the spot. Losing my mom’s attention made me become jealous and spiteful towards Laura. I remember a day when she had asked to join our game when my cousins had visited. That was the first time I had spoken to her condescendingly. I had made jest of her parent’s poverty, told her rich kids didn’t play with the poor ones. Most of my cousins weren’t pleased with my attitude, but chose to say nothing. I remembered being more angry because all she did was shrug her shoulders and head back to the kitchen where she had come from. I was desperate to make her feel as bad as she was making me feel about my mom, so I decided to keep saying hurtful things to her. Things got worse when her mom had fallen ill and Laura had to completely move in with us.

I had been angry that my parents had taken her in, instead of just letting her remain with her father. At the time, I hadn’t an idea that her father had abandoned Laura and her mother long ago. My parents had shocked me all the more by saying she was going to be enrolled in the same school as myself. That had been the beginning of bullying Laura. What drove me to the edge was the fact that she acted indifferently towards my harsh treatments, so it made me push all the more. I wanted so badly to see her breakdown and beg me to stop. Now, thinking about all I had done, I was greatly disgusted at my actions. How could I have been so inhumane towards her?

Well, it didn’t stop there. In highschool, when I realized that somehow, I had begun to fancy her, I bullied her all the more. It was no longer about my mom’s attention, it was about the fact that I was beginning to fall in love with someone I was supposed to hate. I hated that fact.

My anger towards the whole thing only seemed to have aggravated the day that Dennis had pulled her hair at school. Dennis McCarthy used to be my American friend in high school. That was until we got into a huge fight. The cause of the huge fight? You guessed right. It had been Laura, and it was something I never wanted her to find out. Dennis was a part of my clique then. We all came from rich homes and had luxurious lifestyles. Everyone knew Laura was the girl ‘I’ bullied in school, and he was supposed to know that as well. I had never gone as far as pulling her hair, so what gave him the right to think he could do so?

What gave him the right to even think he could lay his filthy hands on her?! Even as I think back to that day, I’m still angry. I remember stepping out of my just concluded class, only to see the hallway crowded with a lot of students. I had made my way through the crowd, only to see Dennis and Laura in the middle. Laura whimpered, tears clouding her eyes as he pulled on her hair. I had become instantly angry and it took every strength in me to not have caused a huge scene and broken his bones. Well, I still had my wish when I met him at the restroom later that day. I can’t begin to give the details of our fight, but I remember the fact that he returned home with a broken nose. I had warned him to keep shut about what happened between us, and to tell our other friends to stay away from Laura. She was mine, and no other person had the right to treat her badly. I was really a foolish teenager. How could I have thought it wasn’t okay for others to treat her badly, but fine if it was me? I was the one who loved her, I was supposed to have treated her better. I can’t believe all those times where I’d shove her against the wall, or grab her arms so tightly that it’d leave a mark. We had attended a private college, so it was not so different from being in high school. Throughout high school and college, she had no friends because everyone was weary about getting on my bad side. That was until now. Until Bianca came into the picture. Bianca stood up for her all the time, and it made me wonder what I was really doing. Bianca cared about her. I also did, but our actions towards her were opposite.

It had been after Bianca had showed up at our house and I had seen Laura cry….. It was after then that I realized I needed some sort of therapy. I had gradually become so evil, and I didn’t even realize it. I had made silly excuses as a teenager, and gone ahead to make her life a living hell. The very same person I loved.

You would probably not believe that I loved Laura, but I truly did. I love her so so much that I had gone crazy seeing her with Federico. Initially, I wasn’t bothered about suitors coming her way because she wasn’t really what a lot of guys would see as attractive. Well, she was to me. She had always been, and I didn’t care if she wasn’t the trendy kind of girl. I knew that underneath those thick rimmed glasses and big clothes, laid a very sexy body. I was very sure about that after all the nights I’d sit at a particular corner of the pool. From that angle, I could clearly see everything Laura was doing in her bedroom. Those were excluding the days her lights were off, or her windows were closed. So trust me, I’ve seen her and she was a goddess. I know I’m so perverted, but that was the only way I could soothe myself after having to act all day like I actually hated her. Most nights, I would jerk myself off to sleep with thoughts about her.

Suddenly, I was very scared because of the presence of Federico and many other men that would definitely come into the picture. I started noticing Federico had an interest in her, a few weeks before I got the promotion. My father had already hinted the fact that I was going to be promoted, so I made a move and requested for Laura to be my assistant. That way, I’d get her far away from Federico. When she had started working under me, I knew my attempts to have her all to myself were not enough because I always noticed a lot of eyes on her during lunch. Unwelcomed eyes.

But now, after all my attempts at making her work so hard so she’d miss her lunchtime, and probably minimize the chances of her getting close to any of those interested men, I could see how wolfly I failed. Not only had I stressed her out for nothing, it seemed to be that Federico was just a step away from winning her over. It ached my heart all the more because there was little to nothing I could do about it. Now, it was worst because she has planned to leave my side. I didn’t know how I was going to cope, and I could feel my head begin to ache me as she walked out of my office in tears. She had left just after letting me know how foolish I was. I should have known that Laura wouldn’t have agreed to stay as my personal assistant, if there wasn’t a reason behind it. Even though lately, I didn’t bully her or say hurtful words to her, she was definitely not going to be okay with being my assistant.

So all along, she had remained just to make sure I was okay? Just to make sure my mom wasn’t worried.

I quickly rushed towards my door and opened it, expecting to see her sitting behind her desk. I was disappointed to see that she wasn’t there. Had she gone to plead for a change of duty already?! My head banged all the more and in that moment I had to speak to the only person that knows about all these. I took my phone from my work desk and placed a call to my older brother; Davide.

“Buongiorno!” He greeted cheerfully, and I sighed tiredly. He seemed to have noticed my countenance and asked. “Is all well?”

“I….. messed things up.” That was all I could say at that point. He went silent for a while, before speaking up.

“With Laura? Ricardoooo…” He chastised. “I thought you were seeing the therapist I recommended to you?”

“I was! I am.” I sighed. “And I have really improved….”

“Then what has happened now? What did you do to Laura this time?”

“I insulted her, and literally called a slut.” I muttered, getting ready for him to lash out.

“God, what?! Ricardo why?”

“I was jealous. I was so jealous, I couldn’t help it.” I could feel tears stinging my eyes.

“Are you about to cry?” He asked, sounding amused.

“No.”

“You don’t sound like opposite is the case though.” He chuckled.

“This is not the problem now. How do I get her to forgive me and stay back?”

“What do you mean by stay back?”

“Well, she has threatened to apply for a change of duty here in the office. And there are a few guys who would grab the opportunity to…”

“I can’t believe you right now, Ricardo.” Davide interjected. “You should let the girl breathe. Let her make her own decisions. Decisions about those men as well. Stop trying to police or Influence every aspect of her life. That is the freedom that comes with real love. You are free to get jealous, but it shouldn’t be enough to hurl insults at her! The initial plan was to give her space and let her heal. To Let her see you gradually change into a better man, before you tell her how you feel about her. But then, you had to spoil it by manipulating your way through to have her as your personal assistant. At this rate, she’d probably hate you. There’s no way she would try to appeal for a change of position, without finding out that you had influenced her position as your assistant!! It’s very unsafe to say that you have messed things up! And I’m disappointed. I wouldn’t praise you for your actions.”

“I’m sorry Davide.” I breathed out, fear being the most prevalent emotion in my mind. “But I need your help now.”

“I’m sorry, but no. I wouldn’t be helping you this time because when I tried to, you didn’t value it. You put yourself into this mess, so for once!!…. get yourself out of it.”

“Davide.” I called his name in disbelief.

“You know how much mom cherishes that girl. How do you think she’d feel when she hears that the one person who was supposed to look out for her, has been doing the very opposite all these years?”

“Oh my God! Please don’t tell mom.” I rushed out. Now, my fear had increased. I definitely wouldn’t be able to handle how disappointed she was going to be.

“I never said I would. It’s not my place to tell her. But if I actually had the right to let her know, I would have done so. Maybe it would have taught you a lesson or two about treating the woman you love, right. I’m hanging up now. Do not call me again until I return to Italy in a few weeks time. You can only call me before then, if you’ve been able to sort out this mess. Ciao.” He hung up the call, muttering something that sounded like ‘God, I can’t believe this kid’. No matter how old I get, I would always remain a kid to Davide. I had four older brothers and amongst them all, he was the closest to me. They had all studied abroad and resided in different countries. Davide had actually resided in Canada, but recently, he decided to relocate back to Italy with his family. Yes. He was married with 2 lovely kids.

His reaction and anger hadn’t come as a huge suprise to me though. Just like my parents, my older brothers loved Laura as well. In as much as they weren’t always around, they never did a video call without asking to speak with her. During the end of the year when they all traveled back for the holidays, it was the same. They all cared about her and were going to be pissed off, if they had an idea I have been everything but nice to her. Davide had only found out about my attitude towards Laura when I had called him after Bianca’s visit. I really needed someone to talk to, so I called him. He had taken things easy and tried his best to not make me feel horrible about my actions. Then he recommended therapy for me, which was actually going on well until today.

The rest of the day had passed in a blur and it was evening already. Laura hadn’t returned to her office space after she had left in the morning. The only time I heard the door open and went out to see who it was, was when Bianca had come to take Laura’s handbag. She had glared daggers at me before hissing and walking out of the office. My only option was to visit the family residence tonight and talk with Laura.

I drove in through the gates and parked my car. Inhaling deeply, I walked ahead and made my way into the entrance of our home. The moment I got into the living room, I heard sniffles and quickly turned to see Laura cuddled deeply into my mom’s side. Fuck! My heartbeat accelerated as my mom raised her head to look at me.

“Ricardo.” Mom’s face lost every iota of happiness to see me, and I knew I was fucked.

“Mom.” I whispered, my voice almost failing me. I watched in suprise as she shook her head and sighed.

“I’m so glad to see you honey. I’m sorry if I don’t look like I am.” She muttered, carefully pulling away from Laura who looked up at me then. Her eyes were blotched and red. I was a bit distracted when mom walked up to me and hugged me. If she was hugging me then that meant… that meant I was safe.

“Mom, what’s going on?” The moment I had asked that question, Laura stood up and started making her way upstairs.

“Laura has been going through a whole lot, and I didn’t even know.” Mom sighed. “I’m her mom, I should have known.” Hearing my mom say that, my forehead creased into lines. What did mom mean by that? I knew she loved Laura dearly but….

“Mom.” I chuckled nervously, making her roll her eyes at me.

“Ricardo get over it. You are not a child anymore. It’s okay to share.” What did she mean? “Your father had told me about your jealousy towards Laura when she came into this home newly. I thought it was just a childish behavior, so I didn’t dwell much on it. I was right then, because your jealousy seemed to disappear over time. But now, it seems to be that it is slowly returning. I’m sorry love, but you’d have to share my affection from now on. Moreover, since you moved out of home, you don’t really care about…”

“Mom I’m not jealous, I can always share.” I cut her off, trying to understand what this was all about.

“Hmmm. Are you sure?” She asked, suddenly looking so serious. What was going on? I thought Laura had told mom about my behavior towards her, but that didn’t seem to be the case. “Even as your father and I are planning to officially parent her?”

“What do you mean?”

“I want to adopt Laura.”

“What?”

“You heard me.” She sighed, walking back to the sofa where she had been previously sitting when I came in. Was that the reason Laura was crying? I was confused, until mom said her next words. “Atleast, bearing ‘Fernando’ as her surname would send a message to that good for nothing. My daughter is a ‘no go’ area!”

“Who is the good for nothing?” I asked.

“Who else? The boy who has been bullying my baby.”

“What?”

“Ricardo!” She suddenly frowned at me. “You haven’t been doing a good job looking out for Laura. This person has bullied her since high school and you didn’t deem it fit to let me know. How could you stand back and watch your sister being harrassed?”

“She’s not my sister!” It came out even before I could hold it in. I couldn’t bear the thought of calling the woman I loved ‘my sister’. That was insane.

“What?” Mom whispered in shock.

“I’m sorry mom. I didn’t mean to sound that way.” I muttered. “I just think you’re taking things too fast.” I watched as she looked at me in total disappointment, before sighing and asking.

“Would you like something to eat? Are you sleeping over?” She didn’t seem pleased in anyway, so I simply nodded. I silently ate the food she had brought to me minutes later, before heading to what used to be my room. It still was though.

After having a warm shower and wearing one of the clothes I had left in my wardrobe, I sat on the bed, thinking of my next line of action. I needed to speak with Laura, and I needed to do so immediately.

I quietly walked out of my room and made my way down the hallway way, where her room was. I knocked lightly against the door and after a few seconds, it was pulled opened to reveal Laura.

The moment I saw her, my breathe literally hitched. She wasn’t wearing her glasses and her hair was wet. She looked very fresh as well and I was very sure she had just stepped out of the shower. All that she had worn was a big polo that stopped a few inches above her knees. She would definitely look better in mine. God! She was beautiful. I slowly closed the door behind me, as I inched closer to her. She seemed to have been ready for a fight because her hands had been akimbo, as she glared at me. That was why she hadn’t seen my next action coming. I leaned down to her petite form, and pulled her closer for a kiss. I was suprised as well. This was the first time I was kissing her and my heart was thumping loudly in my ribcage. Sweet lord, her lips were very soft and plump. I was still getting into the mood when she suddenly pushed me away.

“The nerve of you!” Her eyes were glassy now. “You have the guts do that to me?” I could see the shock in her eyes, but she tried to sound angry.

“Laura, I kissed you.” I said, shocking myself. I wasn’t glad she was referring to our first kiss as ‘that’.

“You really are a psychopath.” She whispered to herself, and I froze.

“Laura…”

“Don’t you dare call me.” She gritted out. “You had bullied me and toiled with my emotions! You made my life a living hell for so long. You think I would give you a handshake because you gave me a Judas kiss?” She asked, looking at me in disbelief. “You manipulated your way into making me your assistant, just so you could make me more miserable with so much work. While I was busy worrying over your well being and caring for your mom, you were simply busying thinking of worse ways to make life hell for me. And the worst part is the fact that…. I did nothing wrong.” She shrugged, putting a smile on her face, but the tears in her eyes contradicted it.

“Please Laura, I just want to talk.” I begged.

“No, you don’t!! You have probably come to warn me to keep my mouth shut. You’re just scared I would tell Madame Beatriz that you have been the one who bullied me all along. So don’t…” She was still talking when we both heard a familiar voice.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“What?”

Laura’s eyes widened in shock, and I looked back to see my mom looking at me in a way I never wished to see again in my whole existence.