Daddy’s Little Pet

ROBERT

“Robert, stop sending me flowers! Stop sending apology notes! They won’t change anything, so stop. Stop it!” Renee’s voice came through from the other end of the phone the moment I pressed the answer button and held the phone to my ear.

I shivered slightly. Her call had arrived just as I was wallowing in self-pity, with a bottle of whiskey in hand and a plate of uneaten food staring blankly at me.

I’d been ready to drown myself in a sea of sadness when this phone call interrupted my lonely reverie.

Like always, her voice pulled me out from under the water where my problems had taken hold, forcing me into a state of self-consciousness I hadn’t felt in days.

Renee was my lifeline. A ray of sunshine amid a stormy sky. She made me want to be more. To be better. She was my rock, the one thing that kept me grounded in the midst of this constant chaos.

Ever since she’d come into my life, everything had changed.

For the first time in years, I felt so in love. So happy. So, satisfied. So, content. So…complete. But then I’d ruined everything by being selfish.

I’d ruined it all by not trusting her enough to disclose my most intimate secrets. I’d shut her out, thinking I was protecting our relationship, but I wasn’t.

“Fuck!” The words flew out of me, leaving a sharp pain behind, and echoed around the room like a warning shot fired into a still sky.

“Did you hear what I just said?” Renee’s voice came through, this time sterner and harsher. Something about her tone and how she spoke made my heart ache terribly.

“Yes… Yes, I did.” I stuttered. “I heard you and… Renee, you called me once, and I immediately picked up when I saw your name flash across my screen, but you’ve ignored my calls and texts. Why?”

“You’re wondering why? Isn’t it obvious? I don’t want to talk to you, Robert. I wanted to block your phone number, but I kept forgetting. Don’t you understand? We’re over, and I don’t want to see or hear from you again. You could send as many flowers as you want from now until whenever, but my decision remains unchanged. We should go our separate ways. I’ve moved on, and you should as well.”

“Really? You’ve moved on?”

“Yes… yes. I… I have.” She stuttered. Even though her voice had an odd mix of hurt and anger, I could detect her lie.

Also, if I guessed correctly, she was either crying or trying her best not to.

Back to her statement, I winced slightly at the realization that her words hurt. They cut into me with a sharp, painful force.

‘She’d moved on. I should let her go. We were over.

My mind raced through all the possible ways she could’ve moved on without me. Was she seeing someone else? Did she replace me so quickly and…? Fuck! The idea of Renee with another man made me sick to my stomach.

Clearing my throat and doing my best to sound strong and confident, even though I knew deep down I was anything but, I spoke up. Softly and gently this time, carefully selecting my words.

“You should stop saying things like this, Renee. You may be done with me as you claim, but I am not-”

“Oh, please…” She interrupted before I could finish. “We’re done, and I’ll say it again and again. You should stop sending me flowers and just leave me the fuck alone!”

“Renee, I can’t. Can’t you see? I just can’t let you go. I need you.” My voice cracked as my chest tightened and heaved simultaneously.

“Robe-”

“I told you that day, Renee, that I’m not a man who backs down from a fight. You should know I won’t stop until I get you back.”

“But we’re done!”

“We’re not.”

“We are!”

“No. Not until I reclaim you. Not until I make you mine again.”

Silence fell. It seemed to go on forever, and I took advantage of the few seconds to gather myself and prepare my next words carefully.

“I want to see you… Please.” I said, breaking the tense quiet. “I need to apologize once more for what happened and-”

“Goddamnit.” She hissed, interrupting me.

“What… Renee?” My voice sounded confused and lost-well, I was lost.

“What the hell do you take me for? Like, really?!” There was a strange note in her tone, almost like a bitter chuckle, and it made a shiver run down my spine.

The shrillness in her voice had me wincing momentarily, and I closed my eyes briefly, preparing myself for whatever she’d say next.

“Do you know how much it hurts hearing you say that? Telling me you want to see me, and you want to apologize when I keep telling you I don’t want any of that. How can you even think I’ll take you back after what you put me through? My trust in you is broken, and I’m a mess here. My whole life’s a mess. I’m not falling for your shit anymore, Robert. Just know this-I’M NOT GOING TO ANSWER YOUR PHONE CALLS. NO MORE TEXTS. NO MORE FLOWERS. NO MORE APOLOGY NOTES. NO MORE GIFTS OF ANY KIND. JUST LEAVE ME ALONE.” Her words rang loudly through the phone, echoing over and over.

There was no point in trying to speak through this raging storm of emotions, so instead, I listened to everything she screamed. I didn’t utter a word at all.

“I’m never going to see you again, Robert. If you don’t want to end this relationship, that’s your problem because I’m physically and mentally done. Your so-called delivery guy just added to my bad day and… fuck!”

“Wait a minute, what?”

“Yes. In case you didn’t know, the delivery man called me a whore.”

“What?” I repeated, my mouth open at the same time.

“Yeah. He’s seen me on the news and recognizes me. He said a lot of nasty shit to me, and I bet he’s not the only one who’s going to. I’ve had more than enough of all this drama as it is.”

My body tensed as if I’d been punched hard in the ribs. After everything Renee had been through, the last thing she needed was insults from any motherfucker.

After everything the media had said about her, the mere thought of her being harassed by that motherfucker made my teeth clench. Oh, the delivery company was going to pay dearly. I would make sure of it!

“I’m truly sorry, Renee. I’ll take care of the delivery man. Nobody will ever bully or insult you again. I’m not going to let them. I guarantee it. I’m already dealing with the media, and…” I trailed off, unable to say anything more even though I wanted to.

I wanted to tell her that I had so many plans in motion and that I’d finalized all of them with Mark, my assistant, only a few minutes before she called.

Plan A was in the works, and I had another big surprise for her-something to do with the restaurant where she’d been laid off.

I wanted to tell her everything and show her I was doing all I could to ensure she was never hurt again. If only she’d let me, I was trying to get us back on track. But…

“Renee….” I began softly, “Give me a chance to prove that I can be better. You’re pushing me away, but I’m never letting go. So please tell me if there’s anything that can ease your pain and hurt. Tell me. I’ll do it. So far as it doesn’t mean we’re over for good. Damn, Renee. I can’t accept that.”

As I finished speaking, silence descended once more. Time seemed to stand still, and my chest heaved lightly.

I waited with patience for her reply. I waited to hear what she had to say. I hoped for something positive, at least. Maybe my pestering would move her a bit.

Finally, after some seconds or minutes, she sighed.

I couldn’t tell if it was a sigh of relief or exhaustion. But it indicated she had something to say, which made me happy.

“Robert.”

“Yes, Renee?”

“Robert.” She called, her voice soft and almost whisper-like. My chest tightened, and my heart ached deeply due to the tone.

“Right now, the best thing you could do for me…. is to let me go.”

A single tear slid down my cheek from nowhere, and a small inaudible sob escaped my lips.

“Renee… Please. You can’t expect that from me.”

“Just let me go. I’m attempting to move on, and you should do the same. This will be the last time you hear from me, so please remove my phone number from your contact list. I’ll be doing the same.”

“No, Renee. Don’t you-” I began to say, but she cut in.

“I’m having a bad day, and it’s mostly because of you. The damage you caused is making my life a living hell as it is. If you don’t want to add to my problems, steer clear of me. Goodbye, Robert.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but she didn’t give me a chance.

The line went dead, and I stared blankly at my phone’s screen.

Everything she’d said pricked my tongue and left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth-than the sour taste of the whiskey I’d been drinking.

Her words struck a chord within me. Their finality shook me to my core and left an imprint that wasn’t going away anytime soon. And I wouldn’t say I liked it.

Inside my head, my subconscious whispered, ‘If you think she’ll easily forgive you for what you did, man, you’re wrong. So, so, so wrong. You must grovel. You must suffer for inflicting such pain on her. You must feel the repercussions of the public humiliation you have caused her.’Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Shaking my head, I looked around the empty room, and slowly closed my eyes, trying my best to fight away the fear lurking within me.

The fear that I might have lost the love of my life forever and there was no real chance of fixing my relationship with them.

I kept saying I couldn’t let her go. Like never, ever. And yet, it seemed I might have to.