Valeria
What do I do?
What do I do?
I pace in my room as I recall the conversation from yesterday. My father indirectly told me that my mother stole money. He might not know it, but I lived it.
Could she be the one who sent those men to this house to steal because she knew I am working for rich people? Because if she knew that I am working for the mafia, I don't think she would have done it.
But do you know what the worst part is? Is that I am not surprised my mother is capable of doing this, and now, I am dying of embarrassment and I don't know how am I going to tell Lorenzo and his father. This is shameful and I fear that they would kick me out of the house, or worse, fire me from my job.
I take deep breaths and try to come up with a way of telling them. I need them to believe me and trust that I had nothing to do with it. But would they even believe me? Especially when Lorenzo had thought I was behind it before?
I look at the time and see it is seven-thirty in the morning. I need to go make breakfast and then I might break the news to them.
I go downstairs and plod to the kitchen. I huff heavily before starting my morning routine. It's not that I don't enjoy it, it's just that there's a lot going on in my mind that I have no energy to do anything. I feel very anxious and scared to tell the only people who see me as a human. I know I am not 100% sure that my mother was behind it and I might look like I am throwing my mother under the bus, but honestly, she fucking deserves it.
When I finish cooking breakfast, I take everything to the dining room and call everyone in.
The heavy aroma of the food planted a satisfied look on everyone.
When they finished eating, I took everything to the kitchen and washed the dishes. When I finished, I proceeded to Mr. Gonzalez's office.
I walk with heavy steps upstairs, too scared to arrive at his office. I don't even know how to start the conversation on the matter. I have never been a confronting person. I hate confrontation and I'd rather stay silent. I am a very insecure person and my confidence is below zero. I would thank my mother for that. She's the reason behind how I act, and she is the reason behind how I am feeling right now.
How could she meddle in my work? Is money that important to her?
I take a few more deep breaths before raising my hand and knocking on the door.
"Come in."
I twist the doorknob and trudge inside. I find Mr. Gonzalez and Lorenzo sitting inside, probably discussing business or who might the person behind the attack is.
I close the door after me and stand in front of their confused faces. I fidget with my fingers as I struggle to start the conversation.
"Valeria, is something wrong?" Mr. Gonzalez asks, standing up from his seat and slowly making his way to me.
"I...I...I know w-who attacked...that night." I drop the bomb and wait for their reaction, but get none.
I look up only to see them more confused. But after a few seconds, Lorenzo speaks up.
"Who, Valeria?" His hard voice makes me regret even speaking up.
I swallow hard before explaining what I heard from my father. "I went to my parent's house yesterday. My mother wasn't there, so I spoke with my father about random things until he told me about my mother getting loads of money. My father didn't know how, but he told me she got a lot of money, like a million or two. There were three men that night and they took ten million. I am so sorry."
I shamefully lower my head and wait for their yelling, but I don't hear anything. I don't even dare to look up.
"You do know that we have to kill her, right?" Lorenzo says.
"Lorenzo!" His father yells.
"Kill her? No...please, look, I'll return the money somehow, but please...don't kill her."
As much as I hate my mother, I don't want her to die because of me. Yes, she deserves to be punished, but not killed. It might sound selfish, but I don't want her to die because of me.
"It's either killing her or sending her to prison." Lorenzo continues, ignoring his father, who's trying to shut him up.
"Look, do whatever you want, but please don't kill her. I admit...she's a bad person to me and to my father, but she doesn't deserve to die."
"Valeria, thank you for telling us. Go back to your room and don't worry about it," Mr. Gonzalez says, making me widen my eyes.
"Sir...I am not fired?"
"No child should bear the consequences of his parents. Besides, we still need to make sure your mother is behind it."
With that, I turn around and leave the room, with my heart beating like the flash.
I go back to my room and cry. I am so embarrassed and I feel like I can't work here anymore. But what about my father? How will he live alone without me if my mother is gone? I can't ask the Gonzalez's to let my father stay here. They wouldn't even agree.
My phone rings, pulling me out of my thoughts. I look at the caller ID and my parent's neighbor's name appears on the screen. I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion as to why she's calling.
I press the answer button and press the phone to my ear.
"Yes, Matilda?"
"Valeria! You need to come home, NOW!"
I quickly stand up and yell, "Matilda, what happened?!"
"Your father, Valeria! Your father has been stabbed."
It's as if the world has stopped and the only thing I could feel is the beating of my heart slowly against my ribcage as if my heart is stopping.
I find it hard to breathe as I such in the information I just received. I don't even notice my bedroom door opening as my knees betray me.
I hear distant voices calling my name, but I couldn't concentrate or answer back. I place my hand on my throat and try to breathe, but nothing helped.
"Valeria!" I finally hear Mrs. Gonzalez's scream as she kneels in front of me.
I come back to my senses quickly and grab her shoulders.
"Valeria, what happened?! Are you okay?" She exclaims.
I notice Mr. Gonzalez and Lorenzo are here as well.
"My father...my father has been stabbed."
****
The beeping sound of the monitor is the only thing I could hear as I hold my father's hand. The doctor wouldn't let me in because his condition is critical, but Mr. Gonzalez pulled some strings to let me in. From what the doctor told me, my father wouldn't live. How could an old man survive five stab wounds? Two of which put him in this critical condition.
"I am sorry, dad. I shouldn't have left you with my mother."
I don't know why, but my gut's telling me that my mother had something to do with this. She stole a lot of money for what? Surely, she didn't take this money so my father could do the surgery. She did it to escape, hence why she's not here right now.
"I will never forgive myself, dad. I am sorry I let you down," I say as tears run down my face. I couldn't even let all my feelings out because I feel numb. Everything happened in a blur and now, my father is dying very soon.
I walk out of the room and sit beside Mrs. Gonzalez. She and Lorenzo came here with me for support. I didn't really expect Lorenzo to come, but Mr. Gonzalez insisted. He stayed home with the rest, while his wife and son came with me.
What did I even do to deserve people like them?
"Sweetie, I am here for you..." Mrs. Gonzalez says, hugging me.
"Thank you so much." I hug her back. "Please go, I'll be staying here with my father."
"Oh, I can't leave you here alone, especially not like this."
"I insist. I am safe here, don't worry," I reply.
"That's nonsense. Lorenzo will stay here with you and I'll go back home and make some food for you."
"Please, Mrs. Gonzalez, it's really unnecessary."
"Not another word!" She says, standing up. "Lorenzo, stay here with Valeria and call the driver here."
"But mom—"
"Do as I say!"
He huffs and takes out his phone and calls the driver. After twenty minutes, he came.
Lorenzo sits beside me but leaves a huge space. Neither one of us says anything because one, it's too weird for us to talk, and two, I hate him and he kind of hates me.
"Sam and Johnny looked into the cameras near your house and found that your mother came back home after you left," he suddenly says, confirming my suspicions.
I don't say anything, too angry to open my mouth.
"She came back out hurriedly five minutes after she entered."
"How did the neighbor know he was stabbed?" I decide to ask.
"She saw her and ran after her, but she didn't catch her. She then decided to speak with your father and I guess...that's how she knew."
Another tear escapes as I listen to what he's saying.
"Was she always like this?" He asks.
This is the most he has spoken to me.
I sigh and say, "Yes and no. She has always been cruel, but I have never thought that she would try to kill someone, especially not my father. When I was younger, she was better. I don't know what happened to make her feel this way."
"We will find her, don't worry," Lorenzo assures me.
I look at him and nod. "If you want to leave, Lorenzo, go, it is okay. I can stay here."
"Of course, not. I will not leave you alone," he replies with a frown. "Besides, my mother would kill me."
Yeah...why would I even think he wouldn't leave because he cares about me?
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