Eight- Raya's school

SARAH PIERCE

“Argh!” I squeezed my hair after Raya and I entered our room. How did we know it was meant for us? There was a silly, small signboard in front of the door. I almost thought I was at a club house showing me to the VIP section. “What was I thinking?” I sat on the carpeted floor. “It will take one million years to make that kind of money.”

“Mummy?”

“Mummy is thinking, Raya.” I sighed. “God, what do I do? I almost died paying off the other debt. How do I deal with this?” My heart squeezed at the thought of how hellish the past three years were for me. But I quickly erased the thought to avoid drowning into the depression that almost killed me after I had Raya. “Where do I start from?”

“Mummy, I am hungry.”

“Raya.” I chuckled with disbelief and a little bit of relief. “Five million dollars must mean nothing to you. Hmm. I envy you, my daughter.”

“Five?” Raya spread her fingers and glanced at it.

“Yes, five.”

“Pix. Seven. Eight?”

I laughed, but it was short-lived. The price of that thing overwhelmed my thoughts. I pulled at my hair again and groaned, “Why did you break that pretty thing, Raya?”

“Hmm?” Her pretty eyes widened.

Her cuteness almost distracted me. “Raya.” I held her hands and drew her closer. “This house is big, isn’t it?”

“Big house!” she almost screamed amidst her giggles.

“Yes, baby. In this biggg house, there are plenty, plenty of things. But some things go krrrrr when you touch them.”

“K-k-k?”

“Krrrrrr. Kuh. Kuh. Bang!” I intensified my seriousness. “They break and they cannot come together again. So, Raya, unless I give you something, please do not touch anything in this house.” I ensured our eyes were connected. “Okay?”

“Like the toy?”

In our former house, Raya liked to touch things, and that sometimes included doodling on the wall. That house was already in the worst state, Raya's play sessions could have easily caused damage. It was a special toy that helped me solve that issue. However, that toy got lost on a certain day I do not wish to recall.

I smacked my lips and nodded. “Yes, Raya. Like the toy. The toy doesn’t break.”

“But mummy.” She frowned. “No toy. I have no toy.”

“Mummy will buy it for you. I will buy plenty of toys.” I spread my hands to gesture the magnitude. “Plentyyyyy toys.”

“Yes!” Her lively voice came back.

“So, is my beautiful Raya promising not to touch anything here unless I say so?”

“Yes!” I love how her cute teeth always appear whenever she says that word.

I held out my little finger. “Pinky promise?”

Her entire right hand wrapped around my pinky. “Pinky, mummy.”

With a heart stirring with joyfulness, I kissed her cheek. “That’s my baby. I love you.”

“Yes, mummy.”

“Huh? Where is my I lauv you?”

“Mummy.” Raya groaned and tried to weasel her hands out of mine. “I am hungry.”

“Ugh… It is always food over love for you. You have your priorities set straight. I respect that.” She blinked in response, and I took that as a sign to get up and temporarily get my mind off the five million. “Let us look for something to eat. At least, he didn’t forbid us from eating.”

~~~

“We need to talk,” Nathaniel’s voice zapped me out of focusing on the toaster.

“I have said all that needs to be said,” I replied after a deep breath, my head not bothering to turn towards him.

“No. There is a lot to be discussed.” He walked in, and I made myself alert, my eyes still not lifting off the toaster. “Miss Pierce.”

“Just go away.”

He did not listen. He soon stood next to me, and my anger towards him refused to arrive on time. I think the scent of his cologne managed to infiltrate my guard. That scent alone reminded me of our happy days, and I craved to go back to those times.

Oh shit. I must be losing it. That cologne shouldn’t still pull at my heart. Not after everything

Anyway, I was greatly ashamed of those weak thoughts, so I lowered my head till I was courageous enough to face the man I used to love- the man I used to be sure loved me as well.

“We,” his breath tickled my shoulder, wearing a tank top was a bad idea, “need to talk.”

‘Talk about what?’ I could only respond within my mind. ‘Talk about what you insane twat! Do you want to talk about how you left me after five years of relationship? Or how you left when I needed you the most? Do you think you are Avatar Aang or something? Do you want us to laugh about it? Or do you want me to praise you for pretending not to know who I am? You fucking insane stupid man!’

“Do you want to beat me up?” His question made me realise that I had lifted my head and my eyes were glaring hard at him like the dirty soul he was. “You always have that look whenever I speak.”

I cleared my throat. My eyes darted to the side, and my arms folded. “So what?”

“Never mind.” He turned and walked to the refrigerator. After picking out a bottle of water, his dark eyes flickered to me. I quickly looked away. “You are going to be an interesting one.”

“Huh?”

He swiftly shifted the conversation. “We need to speak about your daughter.”

“I told you, I will pay for what she broke. If you want an apology on top of that, I will-”

“I never asked you to pay for it.”

“Unlike some people,” I finally found my courage as well as my foolish stubbornness, “I take responsibility instead of running away. So, I insist on paying for it.”

His eyes fluttered with brief disbelief. Then, with a sigh, he said, “I don’t have time for your silly, confusing argument.”

“Silly?”

“I believe your daughter should have started school. My secretary compiled a list of notable academies.” He reached into the back pocket of his fine trousers and tossed a brown envelope onto the island next to us. “Select a suitable one within three days. Also, let me know if you need an in-house housekeeper. Raising a child must be difficult.”

“Please.” My words were no longer sharp. His offer to enrol Raya in a good school softened my anger, and it reached one of the few guilts I have been carrying around. One of the reasons I moved back home was because I was not doing well enough to take care of Raya, not to talk of paying for her education. “Raising Raya was more difficult when-”

Uh oh. I wasn’t supposed to say that out loud.

Nathaniel frowned. “When what?”

I shook my head. “I guess I should thank you for thinking about Raya.”

“If you are well-mannered, you don’t have to guess that.”

“Look here-”

“Who is Raya's father?” he suddenly asked, his face pinched with a seriousness that made me entertain the thought that perhaps Nathaniel was not the person I dated.

But that makes no sense. I know who I dated, and it was clearly Nathaniel Storm. The way my body stills because of his cologne is enough proof. Also, I sometimes see his traits in Raya.

So, what is Nathaniel Storm doing? What does he gain from acting this way?

“It is none of your business,” I finally said.

“Very well.” He glanced at the envelope. “I expect your decision. Also, sign the contract, I left it in the living room.”

“Ugh, you and your contract.”

“Sarah.” His eyes focused on me, yet I could not read his emotions. “Let us do our best to avoid each other.”

I gave a curt nod. “Good plan. Once Raya starts school and I start a new job, we will have no reason to cross paths. Except when I make installmental payments for that vase or whatever.”

“I said-” He dragged a sharp breath, one would think he would strike me dead the next second. But, he didn’t. With a weird smirk, he said, “You're amusingly stubborn, Miss Pierce.”

And a chill came over me.

That… The first day we met… That was the very statement he uttered, just as we were about to part.

My brows furrowed in perplexity.

Damn it…

He must be doing this on purpose. Making a fool out of me, teasing me and yet helping me while pretending not to know me.

If all of this is truly a game, Nathaniel had made his first move. I just have to figure out how not to lose.