The Richman - Woman In Shadow

The sun shyly peeked at the eastern horizon, the morning air was cool and the spring scenery looked so bad to be missed. Christabell took her baby to a nearby park for a walk in her stroller. This time she was not alone, after Zoey worked for her as Adrianna's babysitter, Christabell practically never cared for Adrianna alone except when she was breastfeeding her.

With a custom-made stroller for baby Adrianna, she pushes her baby around in the park to enjoy the view and fresh air. Of course, the expensive stroller was deliberately ordered by Richard as a form of his love for his only daughter, even though Christabell hopes that Richard will not flood Adrianna with luxury items so that Adrianna will grow up as a simple person considering that her mother was raised in an orphanage and was lives full of shortcomings.

Christabell actually prefers Adrianna to be raised simply, not all her wishes are fulfilled, and not taught and flooded with luxury items since childhood that was given freely by her rich father. Christabell wants Adrianna to learn how to proceed to get what she wants, instead of immediately relying on her parents' wealth. But it seems so difficult to convince Richard with such parenting. Richard has always been principled, as long as he can give his best, why give something ordinary.

Apart from working for her, Christabell also felt an emotional closeness that she had difficulty explaining between herself and Zoey. Perhaps it was because the girl had also grown up without parental affection, and grew up in a nun's dormitory that Christabell had more empathy for Zoey. Feeling that he and Zoey had the same fate as a child until they grew up.

An example of the closeness between herself and Zoey is the frequent heart-to-heart talks with Zoey about those young girl's life. Many things lodged in Christabell's head as the big question she asked Zoey, and the young girl did not hesitate to answer so honestly and sincerely. Of course, Christabell liked Zoey apart from her similar background in life, also because of Zoey's satisfying performance. The young girl treated Adrianna very well, with or without Christabell's direct supervision.

***

Christabell stopped beside a bench and decided to sit there with Zoey. Apart from taking Adrianna for a walk, Christabell and Zoey also enjoyed relaxing time while chatting lightly. Christabell sat down and Zoey followed her, while Adrianna played with her baby toy that was placed in her stroller. A question was asked by Christabell to Zoey, "Have you ever thought about why your parents left you?" Christabell asked suddenly.

The question took Zoey a little by surprise. "No." she shook her head.

"You take things for granted?" Christabell turned to Zoey.

The young girl smiled sweetly, dimples and shady gaze made Christabell fall in love with him. The girl reminded him of his youth, a time of self-discovery with a large question mark lodged in his head about the reason his parents left him.

"I was raised by a nun who always said I was fine. I was meant to be born and my existence on this earth is God's will. I don't have to question anything and blame anyone." she said.

Christabell smiled, a moment later her gaze wandered away. "I'm the same as you," she said.

Zoey's brows knit together. "What do you mean, Madame?" she seemed unable to understand the meaning of Christabell's words just now.

"I don't know who my parents are." Christabell took a deep breath after articulating that fact. "I know how hard it is to be people like us, that's why I begged my husband to accept you, even though your educational qualifications did not get his approval." Christabel smiled broadly. "Somehow when I saw you, it felt like I saw myself."

Zoey looked teary. "I don't know how to thank you, madam."

"You don't need to be grateful, maybe as you said earlier, everything that happens on this earth is fate." Zoey smiles.

In the deep conversation between them, suddenly a middle-aged woman came and stood in the distance looking at them. Christabell is not really aware of its existence because on holidays, some people visit parks to relax or walk with the family. Richard's absence today is because he is on an overseas visit on his business trip.

"Madame, it looks like someone is watching us," Zoey said, she looked protective because she immediately stood up and covered Adrianna's face from the strange woman's sight.

"Where?" Christabell immediately panicked and glanced around.

"From three o'clock." Zoey gives the code.

Christabell immediately rose to his feet and took Adrianna in his arms. She walks fast while Zoey carries Adrianna's stroller. Their breath hunting accompanied their trampling towards the house. The woman who at first seemed to be only watching them from afar had apparently been quietly following from behind. Entering the gates of his stately home where two guards were at the post, Christabell immediately asked them to check out.

"There's someone following us, please check." Bell orders before finally entering the house, followed by Zoey. Their faces both looked pale.

"Did you see the woman's face?" Christabell asked terrified, while Zoey nodded rapidly many times before swallowing hard.

"I didn't have time to see her face, maybe we can find out from the CCTV if he dared to get closer to the house." Christabell laid Adrianna on her bed, with shaking hands she picked up her cell phone and intended to contact Richard.

"You can go," Christabell said, Zoey, nodded and left Christabell's room.

After Zoey left her room, the door closed again, leaving Christabell and her tiny baby alone. Several times she considered contacting her husband but chose not to. This small business, of course, does not have to reach her husband's ears, who is busy with more important matters. Christabell decides to call the guard and ask for the CCTV footage to send her.

***

Christabell sat staring at the face of a middle-aged woman who was caught on her home security camera. Instead of hiding her face when she found out there was a surveillance camera, she appeared to be deliberately showing her face on the camera.

There was Richard's voice talking to someone outside the room. Christabell immediately put her cellphone on the table and got up from where she was sitting.

"Honney . . ." welcome in the form of a big smile and a brief kiss on the lips for her beloved husband.

Richard returned the smile of his wife. "There is a problem?" asked Richard, taking Christabell's hand and making his wife look him in the eye. Christabell shuddered.

"Nothing." she lied.

"You look nervous."

Christabell smiled broadly, hiding her uneasiness. "I just missed you." Christabell tiptoed over to kiss Richard on the lips. Even though Rich did not fully believe it, he tried to wait for the right time, to pry the truth from his wife.

"I'm so dirty, can you wash me?" Richard teased, removing the vest he was wearing.

"Oh… you are so naughty." Christabell rolled her eyes at her husband, and Rich was not angry with the immodesty that his wife had just done. Because Richard immediately brought his wife into the bathroom.

"Rich !!!" Christabell struggled through laughter and shock that Rich locked her in the bathroom. Impatiently, after stifling his cravings for more than a week, Richard was like a hungry lion unwilling to let go of its prey.

Rich keeps Christabell's position sandwiched between himself and the waste fell. Rich gently burying his high nose bone into the base of Christabell's neck made his wife bristled.

"You miss me?" whispered Rich.

"Actually not really !!" Ciristabell teased.

"You just said that." Richard stressed himself pressing Christabell's body making her even more helpless. A moment later Richard began to crush Christabell's lips with passion. When Rich let go, Christabell knew exactly what to do. Starting with preparing a bath with warm water and also fragrances, followed by stripping off her husband's clothes.

"Come." Richard stretched out his hand as soon as he was in the bath.

"I have to breastfeed Adrianna." rejected Christabell.

Richard furrowed his brows. "Adrianna was fast asleep when I came into the room."

"Yes, I'm just worried if she wakes up."

"We can leave the bathroom door open if you're afraid you won't be able to hear hervoice when she wakes up." Richard provides options.

Christabell bit her lip, she tried to consider. "I'll lock our door." She walked quickly out of the bathroom and immediately realized his intention. After making sure the door to her room was locked tightly, she also made sure that Adrianna was still fast asleep in her bed.

After that, she left the bathroom door open before following her husband into the bathtub. Even though Christabell didn't seem to enjoy this moment much, Richard always enjoyed the moments when his wife took off her clothes one by one. Her stomach is still slender even though she has given birth to a child, her chest is getting fuller, and a pink hue that makes her so lush and attractive.

Richard kissed Christabell's nape, making Bell even more bristly. It was inevitable that Rich's male passion was perfectly channeled in the heart. Even after Richard found the peak, Christabell immediately jumped out of the bath and rinsed his body, and then ran out of the room with the towel wrapped around him.

Richard saw the oddity but still tried to restrain himself. While rinsing himself under the shower, Rich considered the various possibilities.

"Did Pablo call her again?" Richard's brows knitted deeply.

***

Like cat and mouse, recently Christabell seemed to be hiding something. After last night Richard tried to get information and failed. This morning even between breakfast he still could not make his wife open her mouth.

After kissing his wife on the lips and the forehead of his little daughter, Richard jogged to his car. Shortly before getting into the car, bodyguard came over to him, seemed to whisper to Rich briefly. A few moments later Richard got into his car, after waving at Bell and his daughter, the car that Rich was in sped away leaving the yard.

While on the way to his office, Richard called someone.

"I need information on someone," Richard said to someone on the other side of the phone.

"I'll send the photos to you right now." Close Richard. Anxiety was clearly visible in his eyes. Richard immediately called his bodyguard.

"Tighten house guard, do not let strangers enter for any reason."

"Understand sir," He replied.

"Keep Christabell comfortable."

"Yes sir."

Richard looked again at her face, not looking like a criminal or someone with evil desires. But why did the bodyguard say that his wife Bell was followed by a woman while taking Adrianna for a walk to the park with Zoey?

Richard played his hand as his gaze wandered out. His thoughts were mixed between his business and his family. Some business competitors are very likely to use such intimidating methods to get Richard to give up one of the projects he is currently working on. Although it is not ethical, it has happened to several business people like him.

The business world is sometimes crueler than the jungle, humans do not hesitate to hurt other humans for the sake of death.