The Italian's proposal

Chapter Twenty-seven

Timothy

Timothy arrived at his apartment after ten o’clock that night, he has been arriving late at night for three days. He went from his apartment to his work and back. He didn’t feel like going out or seeing anyone, he had to put up with all his mother’s rantings and his father’s disagreement with the decisions he made regarding Melody. He was in no mood to put up with the constant complaints about Giannato’s marriage.

“She left you at the altar!” his mother had told him the same day of the wedding.

“I don’t know what you were thinking marrying a young lady like that,” his father had said, as he poured himself a shot of whiskey. “You could have hit on one who wasn’t pregnant by another man. You’re not bad looking, and with how well positioned our family is, I’m sure, we could find you a wife who would want to be linked to you.”

He understood the desperation and public embarrassment his parents were going through at the moment, he himself felt ashamed, but he did the right thing by letting her go and going his own way. At least, that was what he kept repeating to himself like a mantra. The fact was that his parents forgot that he, above all, was the one who was most affected by this situation.

The company would not be devalued, his profits would not diminish, even the three million that were stolen had been recovered. He had to use the force of the police, because he knew a person there who owed him a favor, and together with him, he made Equilay Thompson hand over all the stolen money.

Even after his sister-in-law intervened on his behalf, he wanted to do the right thing in a good way, even though he did not deserve it, Timothy did not want him to get away with the crime, he wanted to make him pay, at least, he wanted him to hand over all the money, and he did not hesitate for a minute to use his contacts in the police to put pressure on him. But there were worse things in the world, worse things he had to worry about, things that if he had been aware of them in time they might not have happened. He could have anticipated losing Melody.

“You don’t know her!” he said to his parents, who invaded his apartment at the conclusion of the failed ceremony. “You are judging her without knowing her.”

They didn’t understand the situation he was going through. His parents had no idea of the agreement he agreed with Melody and he intended to take the truth to his grave.

He had enough to do with his sister-in-law and Hamlet knowing the true root of their union.

“Neither do you. You don’t know her, and you’ll never know her, because she’s gone, you don’t know what kind of conflict she might have had with the father of her child. Did you ever stop to think that maybe she wanted to get back together with that man?” his mother walked up to him and put her hands behind his back, he was looking down the street, the buildings seemed so far away, as far away as he wanted to be at that moment from anyone who spoke, who breathed.

Of course, he thought about it! But just as the thought came, so it vanished. Melody was a woman of principle and unbreakable character. If that man didn’t want her baby in the first place, he was sure, she wouldn’t be looking for him.

“I don’t want to be the one to tell you this, my son, because I care about you and I always will, I will support the decisions you make, even when I don’t agree, that’s what we parents are for, to support their children even when we don’t agree. But the truth is that you don’t know anything about that girl, did you meet her what, a month ago? And in that few days you realize that you can marry her? No, my dear son. Relationships don’t work like that.”

“I know her well enough,” he rebutted annoyed, “and frankly I’m uncomfortable with this, mother, you can’t see what I see.”

“We can’t see it because you didn’t give us a chance to get to know this girl. Because you only took her to the family dinner your mother forced you to go to,” this time it was his father who raised his voice.

He rarely heard him get upset, not even when he found out that someone stole three million dollars from the company. His father didn’t lose control over anything. That was why he was one of the most accurate and prestigious businessmen, both, in Italy and in the United States.

“You don’t understand anything, but don’t worry, it won’t be necessary anymore,” his voice sounded sharper than he would have wished, but that was how he was feeling.

That was how his heart felt at that moment. As if it were all steel, and not precisely because it was strong, but because it was cold.

He didn’t think it could hurt so much to say goodbye to Melody, but there, in his apartment without her tiny feet and her sincere smile, without her laughter like a clapping walrus. He noticed her absence and it hurts. Those details that might seem stupid and meaningless, now took an indescribable meaning.

It was true that she was not as delicate as the other women he had been with, she was totally different from the stereotype he was supposed to have as a wife, but he was sure that for the first time in his life, she was the woman he wanted to have by his side. Even if it was for only six months.

He hated having to trust anyone but himself, after what happened with Gia, he thought he no longer had the ability to believe in people.

He was minutes away from proposing marriage to a person who was completely superficial and one who didn’t value his affection, devotion, or commitment. At no time Gia valued the year they were together.

Thank heaven he realized before he made the absurd decision, not because he stopped the marriage proposal by an epiphany, but because he discovered her infidelity.

He found it so hard to believe that Melody, such a simple and kind-hearted person, could fall in love with someone like him, so distant and resentful of love. He did not believe himself capable of loving anyone else, although now he was starting to reconsider that possibility, unconsciously.

Even at that moment it was complex for him, he didn’t know that he would be able to offer her what she deserved.

He saw it in her eyes as he watched her drive away in the limousine. He understood that must be one of the hardest things she has ever decided, her future was completely up to chance in the hands of fate and fate hadn’t exactly turned out kindly with her after finding out she was pregnant.

In the month that he lived with her under the same roof, he understood that despite Melody being easy with talking and thinking, there were many things she was silent about. Sometimes he would find her staring at him, and when he asked her if something were wrong, she would just shake her head and tell him nothing.

shopping, to sit and watch a movie. She liked to share

you don’t know anything. While your mother and I are here, waiting for you to tell us what happened. Why did she leave?” his father spoke again, this time more heated and

walked out of that chapel without a marriage effected. Don’t think you’re going to

wanting to run my life. You don’t want me as director, then let it be your will. Do you

against his words and this

looked at his father

not a milligram of hope that Timothy could run the company to perfection. Even after more than five years running it, he was grown up, he had been educated to run Giannato Enterprises, and now at twenty-nine his father believed that he

That killed him.

around the world to travel and see life, I was focused on college. I graduated with honors in marketing. Don’t you dare ever imply that I’m not capable

“Tim...”

married, I tried. Even though I didn’t want to. You set conditions for me to collect what was

on for God’s sake!” his mother shrieked, interrupting Timothy, as she burst

all. It didn’t make any sense at all, his mother’s reaction. “What’s wrong, dad?

his father said interrupting him. “I have

fear,

was a healthy man. Late in life, but healthy. “Cancer! How long have you known? When did you find this out? How

known for a few months,” he admitted simply. He

was beginning

why you forced me to marry. That’s why you wanted me to get married in less than six months,” he was a businessman, one who was known for being able to read people’s neurolinguistic language. He focused on his father, the one who taught him to play baseball as a boy, even if he didn’t have much time for the company, he always looked for a

family will always be more focused than a single man with a desire to impress women with no aspirations. I can’t know how much time I have left,

“Dad...”

of your mother all hysterical,” his parents seemed more normal at that moment. Timothy scratched the short beard he’d grown and gave them a worried look. “I’m being realistic. This... this disease isn’t something I

The only thing we’re clear on is that you

pull back together the sea of pain that was ripping through his

He never cried.

he wouldn’t

family deserved him to be

been conditioning you. But it’s just that when you broke up with Gia, we saw

to his father and smiled slightly, even though he didn’t really feel the slightest bit

worst day of his life, the day Melody decided to leave

but him, he was the only son of that marriage, he was the only son of his parents and therefore,

he murmured almost in tears. “Nothing is going to happen to you.

to understand that I’m a grown man, the truths are already being told up front. I made a mistake in not telling you long ago what I am suffering from,” his father got up from the couch and walked two steps towards him, looked him in the eyes and continued, “but this marriage thing, I only did it because I love you, because you are my only son and the best I could have wished for, even though you lost your way when your relationship ended so suddenly, I know you are a

happen, technology, science, everything is extremely advanced. You’ll see how everything will be solved and, in a few months, we’ll be laughing about this. All the money you have made with

you for being so

as if he didn’t hear him. He spoke almost on automatic, unwilling to give way to pain. “We’ll go to every doctor necessary, chemotherapy, surgery, we’ll do whatever it takes to

wished to believe

anyone, that it would remain a family secret, something between them and only them, until he had an answer to give, until he had the certainty, whether positive or negative of what was going to happen to his father. Even to Hamlet’s parents, who were his aunt and uncle, he would not tell them anything until he was sure he examined

moment, he saw the screen and realized it was his cousin. He had no desire to talk to anyone and

the hell could his cousin want at

pretty busy right now,” he decided to accept the call, just to

spent worrying about if she was eating, if she was sleeping, about how she was doing, even though he kept repeating to himself a thousand times that he didn’t have time for a

didn’t want him in her life, he knew she was interested in something else, he needed to grant her the vote of willpower she had. Soon, everything his parents said to him

That was it.

The most important thing now was to stay in charge of his family and take care of his parents. Carlota had fallen into a depression, thanks to the uncertainty of not

going out tomorrow,” her cousin

go out?” he didn’t feel like eating. He didn’t shave and hadn’t been to the gym

off at least one night so I’m giving you the chance to get you mentally prepared. Tomorrow I’ll pick you up, we could go to that golf bar