After that, Robert lifted Gloria in front of me and carefully settled her into the passenger seat. It was the seat that used to be mine. I smiled too. She really should stay close. That way, I wouldn’t have to go looking for her when it was time to settle the score.
Back in the house that once belonged to Robert and me, my room had completely changed. The decor had become the French princess style I despised. From the clothes in the closet to the things on the vanity, there was no sign of me left.
A wooden crib stood by the bay window. One glance told me it was Robert’s handiwork. He had arranged everything perfectly. He never truly planned to send Gloria away.
When my eyes narrowed, Gloria trembled. Her voice shook as she spoke, “Amelia, please don’t be angry. Robert was worried about my pregnancy, so he brought me back here. I didn’t know this was your room. I’ll pack up and move to the guest room. Please don’t hit me … ”
She looked terrified. She tried to get up, but her leg cramped and she collapsed to her knees.
Robert quickly helped her up, gently comforting her.
“Gloria, don’t be so humble. I left this room for you. Amelia wasn’t here before. It was empty anyway.”
Then, he turned to me and said, “Amelia, you can see her legs are still injured. Besides, she’s now pregnant. This room gets plenty of sunlight. It’s good for her health. Why not let her stay here for a few months?”
In the past, Robert never let anyone step in front of me, no matter how many women he played around with, let alone take what was mine. This time, it was different. And that made me mad.
Robert said those women were just for fun and that he enjoyed watching me get jealous over him. He claimed it was all part of his ‘little game’. But Gloria Bello was always different. Out of the eight women, she was the only one who truly mattered to him.
Still, I said nothing and quietly walked toward the guest room.
That night, I woke from a nightmare and felt thirsty. I went to the bar for some water. But as I passed the balcony, I heard Robert talking on the phone. His voice carried a low, mocking laugh.
“I can’t really help it. Gloria got kicked down the stairs and cried so hard. It really pissed me off, so I had to help her vent her anger. After thinking about it, I decided that prison would be the best place for Amelia. That fiery temper of hers needed to be tamed.”