Taming My Arrogant Husband
Chapter 56: Luck wasn't on her side

Sophia's POV:

We are in an exclusive restaurant near Downtown Mall, having our lunch together when suddenly, a woman in her white dress stood in front of our table.

At first, I thought she was just one of the waitresses in the restaurant, but when I noticed Daniel's gaze on her, I slowly looked up only to be surprised to see my mother looking at me. "Baby."

I gritted my teeth as I dropped the spoon hard on my plate.

"Sweetheart.."

I heard Daniel call me and even though I didn't speak, I knew he already knew who the woman was in front of us.

"Belle, can we please talk, Baby? Even for----"

"No!" I said sternly and stood up without looking at her.

"Baby, please? Even just for five minutes?"

"I said no!" This time I looked straight into her eyes. I saw the sadness and regrets in them but I chose to ignore them. I gulped and composed myself. "We have nothing to talk about, and just in case we have, you're already 16 years late for that, Mom!"

I didn't miss the look of surprise that was written on her face when I mentioned the word 'Mom', but I immediately turned around.

"Sweetheart, let's go!" I took my bag and started walking towards the exit without looking back.

This time, I didn't see the next things happen behind me. I missed the way Daniel's face lit up when the word 'sweetheart' came out of my mouth. I also missed the way he grabbed my mother's hand when she tried to run and follow me out.

"Let me just talk to her, Mrs. Del Mundo." He said putting a calling card in her hand. "I'm Daniel Kelley, and I'm her husband."

Although she was shocked hearing the news, she still gave him a warm smile.

"Call me, I'm willing to listen to your story." He added that made her in tears.

"Thank you, son." She said wiping her face.

"Your welcome. I have to go Mrs. Del Mundo." And he was about to follow me when he heard my Mom's voice again. "Thank you for loving her." He was stopped in his tracks and turned to her. "Thank you for loving my daughter, Daniel."

He just smiled at her and nodded before he followed me to his car.

"I thought you said you would talk to her?"

The first question he asked me was when he closed the door on the driver's seat.

"I tried but I still can't," I said avoiding his eyes. Then I felt his hand on my knee but he didn't say a word. I just heard him sighed before starting the engine. "You haven't t finish your meal, do you want us to stop in a Pizzeria?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You haven't touched your food earlier---"

"I'm okay, thank you." I turned to smile at him.

But when I thought this day is over, then I was wrong. Because the moment we stopped at the red light, a familiar woman came to my sight. "Layla Angeles!"

I didn't notice I mentioned it out loud that made him looked at me, confused. And my eyes widened as we moved.

"Who is Layla---"

"Stop the car!" I said removing my seatbelt.

"What do you mean stop the----"

"Stop the car, Daniel, please!" I couldn't help to raise my voice.

He immediately stopped the car on the side of the road.

"Why did you want to stop the car?" He asked but I just ignored him and continued removing my shit of a seatbelt.

I immediately opened the door and ran as fast as possible to reach the spot where I saw Layla.

"Hey, Sophia! Where are you going?"

I heard him scream behind me but I didn't look back. Six bodyguards, including him, followed me but my mind was focused on my goal of finally talking to Layla. But she's no longer in the place where I saw her earlier.

"Where are you?" I formed my fists in frustration, then I felt a hand on my arm.

"Who is Layla Angeles? Why are you chasing her?" I looked at Daniel and was about to open my mouth, but someone caught my attention behind him.

I was almost in tears when I finally grabbed her arm from behind. She looked at me confused, but I introduced myself before she could ask something.

"Layla. Layla Angeles, do you still remember me?"

Hope shined instantly from the back of my mind, but that hope faded quickly when she shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Miss but I don't know who you are." She said, taking her arm from my grip.

"It's me, Belle, Sophia Yzabelle!"

"I'm sorry, but you're mistaken. I don't who you are." And she started to walk away from me.

"No! So che mi conosci. Sono Belle Del Mundo, ex fidanzata de Joseph De Lucca, sei anni fa il tuo ex capo. Eri lì e hai visto cosa mi ha fatto." (No! I know you know me. I'm Belle Del Mundo, Joseph De Lucca's ex-fiancee, who was your former boss six years ago. You were there and you saw what he did to me.)

My words made her stop and I saw the recognition in her eyes when she turned to me. I immediately rushed in front of her, without noticing my husband's presence behind me.

"Cosa vuole da me?" (What do you want from me?)

I gave her a half-hearted smile as I held her hands. Even though she didn't mention my name, I know she remembers me now.

"Ho bisogno del tuo aiuto, Layla. Eri l'unica che ha visto quello che Joseph mi ha fatto sei anni fa." (I need your help, Layla. You were the only one who saw what Joseph did to me six years ago.)

"Mi dispiace, Belle, è passato molto tempo. Non posso aiutarti." (I'm sorry, Belle, it's been a long time. I can't help you.)

She said dropping my hand but I grabbed them again.

"Per favore, Layla. Ti ho cercato negli ultimi sei anni dopo quell'incidente." (Please, Layla. I've been looking for you for the last six years after that incident.)

"Belle, ho già dimenticato i dettagli di quello che è successo prima. Mi dispiace, ma non posso aiutarti."

(Belle, I've already forgotten the details of what happened before. I'm sorry, but I can't help you.)

"Wait!"

I called her when she was about to go. I get a calling card from my bag before I take her hand and put the card on it.

"Per favore, ti prego, Layla. Sono disposto a fare qualsiasi cosa, per favore, aiutatemi. Ho bisogno della tua dichiarazione per quello che è successo. Joseph ha eliminato tutte le riprese della CCTV, quindi non ho alcuna prova in me. Sei la mia unica speranza, Layla." (Please, I beg you, Layla. I am willing to do anything, just please help me. I need your statement for what happened. Joseph deleted all the CCTV footage, so I don't have any proof in me. You are my only hope, Layla.)

Tears are now blurring my vision but I just blinked them off.

"Questo è il mio indirizzo e il mio numero di telefono nel caso in cui tu abbia cambiato idea." (This is my address and my phone number in case you changed your mind.)

She just nodded but said nothing as she walked away from me

again.

When she's finally out of sight, I couldn't help the tears that ran down my cheeks. I've been looking for her for more than six years, hoping that one day when I replace her, she will help me replace justice.

Yes, I wasn't a rape victim, but the trauma and emotional stress left in me after that incident is still inside me. I'm still holding it until now. And not to mention the fact that my father almost disowned me for what happened.

I was standing there, crying and looking at the direction in which Layla lost in my eyes when someone took my hand and pulled me into a hug. I don't even have to ask who's arms were around me right now. I hugged him back and cried on his chest.

We stayed there for I don't know how long, and the next thing I know, we were inside the car and he's asking me again the same question that he repeatedly asked earlier.

"Who is she? Who is that Layla Angeles?" He asked me after putting my seat belt.

But I remained silent until he asked again.

"What were you talking about and why were you crying as if you were begging for something?"

"She's just one of my friends before."I replied but my eyes were looking outside the window.

"Just one of your friends?"

"Yeah, she's nothing important."

"Really?"

I closed my eyes when I heard sarcasm in his tone.

"I heard Joseph De Lucca's name."

My head snapped to him when he mentioned that name. But I gasped when I noticed the way he gripped the steering wheel that almost turned his knuckles into white. And he asked me again before I could open my mouth.

"I will ask you again, Sophia. Who is Joseph De Lucca in your life?"

My mouth opened slightly from the harshness of his voice. I know he has already asked me this thing before, but why do I feel the way he asked me this time is different?

"Your ex-boyfriend or your ex-fiance?"

"He's not an important person----"

"Dammit, Sophia!" I flinched when he slammed his hands on the steering wheel. "Don't tell me he's not an important person to you, because I know it's not true! I saw how you cried for him almost every night! So answer my question, who is he to you?"

"He's my ex-fiance." I tried to answer him calmly.

"I knew it!"

"Daniel, it's not what you think." I held his arm and he looked at me clenching his jaws

"Why, what do you know about what I'm thinking?"

"What is happening to you?" Instead, I asked, ignoring his previous question. "Are you jealous?"

He also ignored my question, but the kind of look he gave me almost made me shrink in my seat. I'm afraid to think he's back, the old Daniel Kelley I've met before.

I swallowed the knot that formed in my throat when he swatted my hand, so I have no choice but to put it back in my lap and turned my gaze on the road.

Since it's still early, people have to be seen on the side of the road, some are walking, giving flyers and brochures from different companies they work in, and some were just waiting ... waiting for their loved ones or perhaps waiting for an answer to their question like me. I'm waiting for his answer if he's jealous or if he's also in love with me.

It seems that luck was not on my side today, because so many things happened in just one day. First, my mom showed up again, secondly, I saw Layla. Yes, I finally found her, but nothing seems to have happened in my six years of searching for her. She said she doesn't remember the details of what happened before or maybe she doesn't want to help me... I don't know.

And above all, Daniel sudden outburst. I really wanted to tell him and explain the truth, but I don't want to risk what we have right now, and I'm not even sure what his reaction will be if he replaces out the truth. But there's something else happened today that I didn't notice. The card I had given to Layla earlier was not mine but to my husband... who has his office number and address.