THREE YEARS LATER
I took the last sip from my whisky glass, New York Fashion Week was getting closer and I was stressed that the collection we were going to present wasn't ready yet. The first costume trial should have been ready by now.
A few knocks on the door diverted my attention from my work. When Cristina appeared with my mother and Gina, I gave an indifferent look to the two women who entered without asking.
"I'm busy, I can't attend to you right now." I said, turning my attention back to the papers I had to review before signing, ignoring the women who sat in front of my desk as if I hadn't said a word.
"Alexis woke up." My mother said, and I put aside the papers, furrowing my brow, unable to believe what I was hearing.
"Woke up? When?" I asked incredulously, although I could tell by her serious expression that she wasn't joking.
"This morning, the hospital called me. He woke up from the coma. We didn't want to go without letting you know." Gina said, looking at me disdainfully.
This morning? They waited all this time to tell me? I stood up abruptly, leaving the papers that were supposed to be signed by the end of the day and gathered my things to leave the company.
"You couldn't have let me know this morning? Damn it." I couldn't help but be angry with my mother and Gina. It wouldn't have cost them anything to call me on my phone to inform me of the news.
"Brother, you have no right to be mad. It's because of you that he's like this. In any case, we can't see him until visiting hours, so we preferred to wait. I knew you would rush to the clinic and it would be a waste of time." Gina said, daring to speak to me in her arrogant tone, reminding me of what I did years ago as if I didn't live with that burden on my back for thirteen years.
I approached her in two strides and she shrank in her seat as her face turned red.
"Speak to me like that again, and I'll cut off your allowance for the rest of the year. Don't forget who you're talking to, rude girl." I spat the words angrily in her face and she opened her mouth in surprise.
I walked away from Gina and resumed my path to the door of my office, not caring that I left them sitting there. However, before leaving, I stopped for a few seconds when I heard what my mother was saying to Gina.
"Leave it, Gina. Since he divorced that woman, his mood has worsened." My fists clenched tightly at my sides, feeling the anger bubbling in my system as she referred to my ex-wife that way. But I ignored it because I had more important matters to attend to and continued on my way.
I admitted that since I returned to New York without achieving my goals with Sarah, I had become more irritable than ever. I couldn't even stand myself. But that didn't give her the right to speak about my ex-wife however she pleased, let alone remind me of it after three years in which I focused one hundred percent on my company to avoid thinking about my misfortunes.
"Cristina, cancel all my appointments for today. I'll arrive at the end of the afternoon or perhaps at night." I informed my assistant as I passed by her, and she stopped me three steps ahead.
"Ms. Rachel called again. I told her you were on a business trip, but I don't think she believed me." I rolled my eyes upon hearing that name that gave me a headache.
As much as I rejected her and avoided any encounter with her, she kept insisting on resuming "us" or taking action. What a stupidity, there never was an "us" and there never would be, especially now that I could finally rid myself of her damn threats.
"If she calls again, tell her I'm giving her a VIP pass straight to hell." I said with a relieved smile on my face. Cristina looked at me surprised by the message I was leaving for Rachel the harpy, and nodded her head.
If only I had put a stop to her from the beginning, if I had said that years ago, I wouldn't be feeling so miserable right now, and burdened with the guilt of losing my wife. But there was nothing I could do anymore, I couldn't turn back time, and all I could do was accept my punishment for failing her, for hurting her.
I drove to the private clinic on edge, still unable to believe that Alexis woke up from the coma after the doctors said he would never wake up and would be in a vegetative state for life, that only a miracle would wake him up, so they suggested countless times that it was best to pull the plug, but I never allowed it because I was waiting for that miracle the doctors spoke of. Was this a miracle? I felt a great relief and a spark of hope ignited in my chest, while I remembered the moment I saw Alexis almost dead by my side.
I wiped away the rebellious tear that escaped from my eye and parked the car when I arrived at the private clinic. I didn't need to ask for Alexis. The nurse confirmed that he woke up in the morning and asked me to wait a few minutes while they did the final tests.
My heart raced with excitement and I couldn't help but wonder if he remembered what happened. What if he didn't want to see me because he remembered it perfectly?