Broken Trust

Chapter 5

Camilla

Enough days had passed that it would be very suspicious if I didn't at least try to go back home. If things were going like the first time, I won't be able to get inside my own house, but it's a risk worth taking.

"So? Are you able to come with me?" I ask, not wanting to keep imposing on Rachel, she has been really nice about everything, but she has a job to go to.

"Yes, if we are lucky Scott will be there and I will be able to show him the test results. There were enough traces to confirm you were hit by a date r**e drug cocktail. There's no way this combination could be blamed on accidental or recreational use, it was clear what the intention was when they used this."

"I don't know how he will react, but something tells me he won't be easily convinced," and that was because in my previous life, no one had believed me, just Rachel and a couple of friends, but Scott refused to even consider that I was under the influence of drugs when he found me with another man, one that I barely remembered. But maybe something as simple as having proof would change my future? That if he was not in from the start, just looking for an excuse to get rid of me and get his hands on my business.

"Just let me take care of this, and I will make sure he listens to reason," I see Rachel's determination and a spark of hope blossoms inside me. I hated that part of me still loved Scott after everything that had happened, but he wasn't the man who had pushed me to my death, there was a a tiny chance he hadn't been involved with that, but what about everything else?

We travel mostly in silence. I have been doing that a lot, staying in silence and staring at nothing. Part of it was having the worst experience in my life, dying like that, followed by reliving the second worst experience with getting abused and losing my child. I even questioned my sanity at times, thinking I had imagined everything that had happened. I read somewhere about a person who got knocked out and dreamed a whole life, that once he woke up, he got depressed about the family and the life he had lost. It could be like that for me? But it wasn't exactly the same, for a few things had happened that matched my memories. I needed to keep going and try to get to the bottom of whatever it was happening.

"Here we are, ready?" Rachel says, with a gentle touch to pull me from my stupor.

"Thanks,"

We both get out of the car and go directly to the front of the building. I smile at the doorman and I see his surprise at my arrival and his look of guilt, and I know it won't be different this time.

"Ms. Stone, I wasn't expecting you," he greets me nervously.

"I have been ill, that's why I had to stay away," I say, trying for the door, only for him to step in my way, just like the first time.

"I'm sorry Ms, but we have orders not to let you into the apartment," I could see that he wasn't comfortable with the situation, but it was his job to make sure that the rules were followed, and I also know he would be risking his very own work if he let me go through.

"What?" Rachel sounds incredulous, and she looks at me and then at the doorman as if trying to solve a complicated puzzle. "You can't forbid her from going into her own home," she says, so matter of fact, but there's a little problem with that.

I still remember it so clearly.

Three years ago

William was not happy with the situation, but there were appearances to maintain, and it would do no good to show everyone that his daughter-in-law was not one of his choice, even if everyone could guess that one. He hated that the wedding was still going to happen, but he couldn't think of any way to stop it. He watched as most people left after the rehearsal dinner, until it was just his ex-wife and his sons that were left.

"Scott. I wanted to give you this before, but I think this is a better moment for it," William presented a small box, and when Scott opened, he was a little puzzled by the key he found inside. "I know that you wanted your own house, maybe even something outside the city, but right now I think it's better if you stay here in the city, close to family. So, I want you to have the apartment in downtown."

"This is too much," Camilla said, knowing which apartment he was talking about. It was one he used sometimes to entertain clients, but with just a few changes it could be a nice home for a couple of newlyweds.

"You don't have to, father," Scott replied, feeling overwhelmed with the situation.

"I don't have to, but I want to. I want you to have a home worth of your station in life. It's just a simple gesture to help you start your life."

"I'm really grateful, father," Scott hugged his father, not a gesture that was common of his family, but something that he felt he needed to do because of the situation. It was not a simple gesture, and it had to be treated as such.

"I just want you to be happy," but for William it was more than that, it was just another form of control, something to feel like he was still in charge, even if his son had stepped out of the path he had set for him.

When William had made the production of gifting us the house, I had truly believed it was a gift, it was only when my world fell apart that I realized it was not a gift at all. Even after almost three years of marriage, the house was still in his name, therefore, I had no claim to it. I could hear Rachel arguing with the doorman, but I'm not really listening to them. I watch as the manager walks our way holding a small suitcase. That's new, that suitcase had arrived to my hotel room weeks after I was thrown from my own home.

"Ms. Stone," the manager greets me with a touch of concern. "I'm sorry to inform you that you have been taken from the list of approved guests and we cannot let you in. In fact, I will have to ask you to return your keys if possible."

"That's ridiculous," Rachel insists. "How can you stop her from going into her own home!"

"The apartment is in Mr. William Stone's name, and he is free to decide who is allowed to go inside."

"I thought it was yours?" Rachel turns to me.

"My father-in-law gave the apartment to us as a wedding gift," I confirm, "but I don't know the details. Scott told me he was going to take care of it? Maybe they never finished the change of ownership."

"Is Scott here?" Rachel demands, as she takes her cell out of her purse and start dialing.

"I'm afraid Mr. Scott is not here, he must be at his place of work," the manager responds.

"He is not answering," Rachel glares at her phone as it is the one responsible for this.

"Anyway, I was asked to give you this in case you came by," he gives me the suitcase, and I take it. It feels heavy, but I know is not holding much.

"Do you want me to help you carry this back to your car?" the doorman asks, and I only shake my head, taking a couple of steps away.

Even knowing that this was coming, I just can't believe it, it hurts, so much.

"I'll take you back home and then I will go talk to Scott. I can't believe this!" Rachel exclaims as she helps me back to the car.

I feel suddenly exhausted, and it's not yet noon. I hate this, I hate the whole situation. I hate the pity in Rachel's stare, even if I'm grateful for her support. I also feel uncertain as I look at the suitcase.

"I want to go with you to see Scott," I ask, not sure if she will agree. I feel a little broken and emotional, but I feel like I need the confrontation to finally make the situation real, it still feels so foreign and weird.

"Is that a good idea? You are holding up better than I expected, but still, I guess it's not easy for you to find out you can't go back to your own house. What's up with that?" she wonders.

"I think it was done on purpose. Scott's father never liked me, and I'm sure he will do everything in his power to make sure that I stay away from his family. He is devious that way."

"You know he is one of my dad's closest friends, but I don't know him well. Still, it's hard to imagine someone doing something like this," and she didn't even know the worst of it.

"Most of the time Scott had my back, it's just, I don't know what happened exactly, but now he won't even talk to me. I tried calling," I confess, because even knowing what was going to happen, I still tried a few times, only to find he had already blocked my number.

"Oh, he will listen to me, don't worry about that. I won't let him keep punishing you for something you had no control over. And we will have to take a look on those claims about you somehow being involved with others."

"I think it's just malicious talk from people who want to break us apart. You know I do a lot of the work I do has me meeting with partners in different parts of town. Some of the organizations I support only have a person in charge, so it's not odd of me to meet with men for lunch or dinner, and that can be easily misinterpreted."

"Yeah, that might be part of it," Rachel agrees, but she doesn't look convinced, I just hope she doesn't start suspecting me, because I really need her support.