Seraphinal
The phone clicks as be hangs up nie. My hom
ΠΠ
My blood boils. “You did not just hang up on “I diad his number immediately. Ring ring ring ring
Tourve reached Gabriel Ferrara
Leave a message.
“Ahh.” I hang up in a rush, the asshole has declined the call I try agai
You’ve reached Gabriel Ferrara Leave a message
“That’s it?” I explode. “You’ve gone too far this time, asshole.” “Mom, amit washing my hair?” Lucia calls from topstairs.
I close my eyes and take a deep steadying breath; I have to be calm until they go to bed. “Yes, Em coming” I call weetly, trudge upstairs. I’m so sick
of this egomaniac thinking he can just do whatever he wants with the kids without even consulting me
Change their name. Ha he’s kidding himself. That is not how this works.
I sit on the toilet as the kids shower and bathe while I go over my choices.
There are none.
Tomorrow, I have to go and see a lawyer. This stops now.
I run into my office at 9:05, running late as usual.
Another sleepless night followed by a chaotic morning. My phone rings and I glance down at the number
School
Oh no, what’s happened?
“Hello,” Danswer.
“Hello, Seraphina, this is Shelby from the school reception”
“Hi, Shelby, is everything all right?”
es, yes, n
no emergency or anything. I’m just letting you know that we have had a request from the children’s father, a Mr. Gabriel Ferrara, to be
included in all school correspondence from now on.”
Thump, thump, thump goes my hearthear in my ears.
“Did you, now?”
“That’s fine, isn’t it? It’s protocol to check with you that this is okay.”
I close my eyes and I really want to scream no, but know I have to pick my battles this isn’t one of thes. “That’s fine, Shelby”
“Okay, have a nice day.”
“You too.”
Shw hangs up, and I stare at the wall for a moment; in fact, I stare at the wall all day.
I have this deep sense of dread that everything’s changing and there’s not a thing I can do about it.
Why did I sleep with him, what the hell was I thinking?
I sit in my car as I dial the number. I had to wait for my lunch break in call Gabriel, and now, because I don’t want my may colleagues to
have to say, I’m hiding in my car, Ring ring ring ring. “Yes,” he answers”
Instantly, my hackles rise, why does he think it’s okay to answer the phone like that?
-1 believe you are meant to anywer the phone with hello.
“What is it, Seraphina? I’m very busy.”
I feel my temperature rise. Ilmestly, I’ve never met someone so infuriating.
“I need to talk to you.”
Ali
“Don’t act cute. Gabriel. You know damn well what I’m calling about.”
He exhales in an overdramatic fashion. “Ols, let’s see, Seraphina. It could be a plethora of reasons why you called me. What I served the children for dinner, the juke I told them over the table, the fact that I want them to have my name as well as yours, or perhaps it’s the school.or maybe you jur want to use my dick again to get off” My blood boils.
“Don’t be vulgar.” I whisper angrily.
“If the shoes”
“Can we just be civil?”
“That doesn’t work for me.”
Silence.
“I don’t have time to sit here and listen to you breathe down the phone,
Seraphina, What Do You Want”
“The kids and you want them to change their name to Ferrara.”
“Nope.”
“You didn’t say that? I ask hopefully.
“I said I would like to add my name to the end of Locke “Oh.” I frown, that isn’t what they told me.
“Is that 117
“Well..can we talk about this?”
“We just did. Goodbye.” The phone clicks as he hangs up on me.
I wait in my car in the line outside the school, at least Fm early enough today to even make the line. Some days I have to park ages away and am forced to walk in
1 feel like my head is literally about to explode, he’s right, there is a plethora of things, the name thing, the school calling, and then him hanging up on
me
I can’t wait to get home and have a glass of wine; I’may even have chip and dip.
All bets are off even if it’s a school night, and the rules are there are no rules.
Survival Today is key
The school bell has rang, and I can see Dong standing at the gate, waiting for his sister, he’s such a good boy.
I’d go stand with him except Felicity Foo and her cover of werbes are there standing around, chatting, and judging everyone like they own the school.ugh.
Chapter 50
