Chapter 4: I will do what I want

ABIGAIL

“You’re late”.

Abigail ignored Caroline’s remark as she walked inside the sitting room, before making herself comfortable on one of the unoccupied couches. She was at her grandmother’s house. The only placed that used to feel like home to her now felt empty. Her chest felt heavy, and she wanted to leave the moment she stepped in.

Nevertheless, Abigail looked at the clock on the wall. It was thirty minutes past two.

“I was working and I did not realize it was getting late”, Abigail said unapologetically. She had not been working. She had spent the day cozy in her pajamas, watching the news and deliberately watching time fly. 

And when she turned to them, her eyes landed on her cousin Sebastian, who huffed at her. She looked at Caroline for a moment and then turned to her Uncle, Diego who gave her a nod.

“That is fine. Though I think you should have taken a day or two off work”, said Diego with a soft smile. With the smile, wrinkles, few gray hair, and the glasses on the bridge off his nose, top it off with the polite look, Diego looked harmless. But he still made a cold shiver run down Abigail’s spine. 

“Oh please Dad”. Abigail turned to Selena when she heard her speak, trying to ignore the spike in her heartbeat. 

He could no longer touch her. He would not dare it. 

“How is Mr. Cooper doing Selena?” Abigail asked, and Selena’s face contorted into a frown.

“You’re his fiancée, what does that have to do with Selena?” Sebastian asked. 

“Why don’t you ask her yourself?” Abigail retorted, still looking at her younger cousin.

The alarmed look on Selena’s face brought her peace, calming her insides which were a mess. As much as she could tell the whole family what Selena did, Abigail did not feel like she was ready for the kind of drama it would bring. 

And it seemed like Selena did not want that either. Even though it was clear that she wanted Caleb for herself.

“Is there something going on that I don’t know?” Caroline asked, looking from Abigail to Selena in confusion. 

“There is nothing mother. I don’t know what Abigail is talking about”, Selena said, quickly masking her discomfort and eyeing Abigail with her usual disdain. 

Abigail rested her back on the chair, staring at the wall. She would rather look at that than any of the people currently in the same space with her.

“I know that the both of you are not fond of each other, but your disagreement is the last thing that needs to be brought to the table right now. Yesterday, someone murdered my mother in cold blood. This is the moment all of us need to stand together as family”.

Abigail’s eyes shifted from the wall to Diego who had his hand clasped together, and then Caroline. When it came to looks, both of her children had taken after her. Dark hair, brown eyes, similar facial features. Diego’s genes had played no role. It was a pity that neither of them took after her intelligence. 

“I spoke to the police. They are still working on the case, but I have told them to do their best to catch the culprit. He cannot be roaming free”. 

“How is Abigail not a suspect? She was the first person at the crime scene”, said Sebastian, looking at Abigail maliciously. 

“Says the person who has never hidden his dislike for Granny. I’m sure you all are happy that she is out of your lives”. Abigail knew they were rejoicing. And it did nothing but rekindle the flames of anger in her chest. 

“None of us are happy about that Abigail”, said Diego, but she did not turn to look at him. She narrowed her eyes at Sebastian who clenched his jaws.

“What makes you think that you are the only one grieving? As much as she was your loving grandmother, she was also my mother. Remember what I told you over the phone Abigail? Your attitude is giving me ideas so you better watch your mouth and tone when you speak”. 

Caroline looked like the pleasant aunt, and she was anything but that. Right now, Abigail knew she was threatening her. Play along or be treated as an enemy. And at that moment, she knew she was not ready to be a puppet.

“There is no need to…”

“Diego, don’t!” He snapped his mouth shut. 

“Is there anything important to talk about or did you call me here to waste my time?” Abigail demanded. If it was possible, icicles would be shooting out of her eyes with the way she glared at Caroline. 

Caroline raised a brow at her and rested her back on the couch she sat, looking like she had gotten her answer to where Abigail’s loyalty lie.

“If you are going to be so disrespectful then get out. Nobody wants your off putting presence here anyways”, Sebastian glowered at Abigail. 

Anyone who did not know would think that she was over reacting. That she was just being disrespectful. But the truth was that every single person in that sitting room had hurt her one way or the other. Starting from Caroline who threw her into the asylum to Sebastian who made bullying her his mission. And there was Selena who had done nothing but despise her until she slept with the man she was supposed to marry.

And there was Diego. He had done worse. Yet, it seemed like he was the kindest.

“I shall be taking over as the new chairwoman starting from next week. Until mother is buried and the will is read”. 

Abigail stilled. 

Caroline was a successful woman who owned a large publishing media company. But despite all her achievements, Abigail knew she had only one goal. To be the chairwoman of Rivera group.  A position Felicia Rivera used to hold until her death.

Not only that, Abigail also knew that Caroline had her eyes on her grandmother’s assets. Felicia was one of the wealthiest people in the country in terms of net worth and assets. Even with all that, the Rivera family had not been classified as old money. It had only been twenty years ago when their wealth began to flourish to high extents. Though the Riveras had never been poor.

“Good to know that you are getting something that you have always coveted”, Abigail pointed out. Though if she were to be logical, Caroline deserved the position with how much she had contributed as the COO of the parent company. But her personal vendetta against her, made the thought of Caroline taking over as chairwoman rub off on her the wrong way.

“It is. But it does not change the fact that the seat cannot be left empty. Besides, the board will have no problem with that decision. Or would you have preferred someone else?” Caroline asked, raising a challenging brow at her.

“No other person is capable of that besides you, mother”, Sebastian pointed out.

“And if Abigail has a problem with that then she can go and drown herself”, added Selena.

For the good parts of her life, Abigail had worked hard under Felicia’s mentorship to achieve what she currently had. The CEO of one of the best, and arguably the best skin care and makeup brand in the country, Luxe Beauty. She would not lie that she had done it alone, as Felicia had a hand in her success. The moment her company’s success sparked, it was taken under Rivera Group. 

It was one of the reasons Selena never liked her. She had a clothing brand which was almost nonexistent. It kept failing no matter the amount of funds Selena tried to gather from the family. To her, it felt unfair that Felicia helped Abigail and left her to fend for herself. What she did not know was that Abigail had started off on her own. Felicia only lend a hand when she saw the potential. 

With Sebastian being the CEO of Rivera Hotels and Felicia handling Rivera Airline herself, the Rivera Group had been nothing more than successful. 

If Caroline should take over as the new chairwoman, it meant she had some kind of power over her own business. The thought of it made something unsettling set at the pit of her stomach.

“We should not use such words on family, Selena”, Diego corrected calmly.

And there was Diego, who was a COO of the media company that Felicia personally handled. It was not under Rivera Group, which made Abigail wonder if she was going to merge.

“Family my foot! Abigail has made herself nothing but a stranger to us, father”, Selena retorted, seething.

It was true, and Abigail wanted nothing to do with them. The only moments where she forced herself to play the picture of a loving family, was in public and in front of the media. 

“That is enough. None of that matters now”. 

“Exactly. We need to focus on the present and future of our family, and forget about the past”. Diego cast a glance at Abigail, which she did not miss. 

The past…

Memories of Diego sneaking into her room at night resurfaced. She could still remember the eerie smile on his face, the disgusting feeling of his wandering hands crawling under her night dress. She had cried for help, told everyone he was touching her inappropriately and Caroline insisted that she was running mad. That the after math of what her own father put her through had damaged her mind. 

And of course, no one wanted to believe her. Even as sad and disappointed as it sounded, Felicia doubted her. Not that her state of mind at that time made her words trustworthy. 

“Is that all?” Abigail asked, unable to tolerate being in their presence any longer. 

“If you want to get out of here then do so, no one is holding you back”, said Sebastian.

Abigail stood up and walked out, knowing well that Caroline was glaring at her back. She had made her choice. She was not going to smile at them and pretend that everything that happened to her in the past never happened. 

As she took a few steps out of the door, Abigail was stopped by someone holding her shoulder. She froze, and the sensation of touch left her skin. When she turned, Abigail recoiled at the sight of Diego in front of her. 

“What do you want?” She questioned, unconsciously taking another step away from him.

“You know, I have never understood what I did wrong to have you turn out to be so defensive of me”.

All her life of knowing him, Abigail had never seen Diego lose his temper. Had never seen him glare at anyone with contempt. But she swore she could see the insanity beneath those light brown eyes covered with glasses. 

What made it worse was the fact that Diego acted like it had never happened. And even for a moment, he almost convinced Abigail that it was a figment of her own imagination. That her strong aversion to adult men at that point in her life, made her mind conjure it up on its own. But no, she did not imagine it. 

Diego had indeed touched her and when she tried to scream, he covered her mouth and nose, until she lost consciousness from asphyxiation. And the next day, when she tried to tell them what happened, everyone looked at her like she had lost her mind.

“You can lie to everyone and yourself, but not me. Stay away from me, Diego. I’m no longer that helpless little girl you once took advantage of”. 

Even though the sight of him made her skin crawl, she was not scared of the man. There was nothing much he could do but hide under his wife. 

“I have never harmed you, Abigail. In fact, I want you to know that I have your best interest at heart. Do not be stubborn. Felicia is unfortunately no longer here to protect you. I know my wife, and she will not once consider the fact that you are her niece. If you stand in her way, she will destroy your fragile little life”. 

Diego was not the first person to give her that reality check. As much as she could talk and rebel, there was nothing much she could do against Caroline. There was nothing much she could do against any of them.

“I do not need your fake concerns, neither am I fragile. Caroline can do whatever she wants and I will do what I want”. 

What was the worse they could do? She would be fine. She had not been shattered despite all she went through and nothing can break her now. 

“You are right, you are no longer that fragile, sweet little girl”. 

Abigail felt her stomach churn. How did Caroline not notice that she was married to a man who was sick in the head? Or perhaps she did, and could not care less. 

“Just one little warning Diego”, she started, her voice dangerously chill. “Don’t you ever lay your disgusting hands on me. I can promise you that you will regret it”. 

Diego’s brows rose slightly, as though he was surprised yet not taking her word for it. What would she really do if he touched her again? She had no idea yet, but she was sure he won’t get away with it. 

That was the last thought on Abigail’s mind as she made her way to her car.