Page 116 of My Heart's Doctor

“Good afternoon,” he greeted, with seriousness.

Lino looked at him with arrogance, but competing with William Cavaller’s wasn’t for just anyone.

“William, we were just about to come to you. This is Lino Coller…”

“Her husband,” he said, interrupting me, with a smug smile that made fury run through me from head to toe. What had he just said?!

“Ex-husband, Lino, don’t make mistakes or say things that aren’t true. We’ve been divorced for quite some time.”

“I am her future husband,” William stated firmly, “and I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t address my woman in those terms. Shall we go, my love?” he said, and his protective attitude made me feel a warmth in my soul that I had rarely felt before.

“Yes, let’s go because Aurora is hungry,” I said, and picked Aurora up without paying any more attention to Lino.

“I want to keep playing, mommy,” Aurora asked, and I knew, without looking at him, that the way Aurora had called me was going to throw him off and he wouldn’t be left wondering.

“Mommy? How old is that child?” he asked, and he seemed confused and annoyed.

Did he really just ask that? In the few seconds it took me to analyze his question, I understood that the imbecile suspected that Aurora might be my daughter. I couldn’t believe it! That man was a complete idiot.

I looked at William and noticed that he was also furious and tense, and it didn’t escape me that he was restraining himself, probably because Aurora was there. I looked at him trying to explain that it wasn’t worth having a bad moment because of him. Directly, Lino wasn’t worth even one of the seconds we were wasting not enjoying ourselves.

“Goodbye, Lino. Take care,” I said goodbye, and at that moment I looked at William for him to follow me.

The message was understood and he took my hand to start walking away, but Lino couldn’t let us leave without having the last word.

“See you soon, my queen,” he said, and the snide tone with which he said it didn’t escape me.

I didn't understand his behavior, I truly didn't. He had pushed me out of his life and now he seemed to suggest he had some right over me, and worse, some interest in me. What game was he playing? While my mind was asking all these questions, William had stopped with every intention of going back. I pulled his hand and managed to stop him, but he didn't stay quiet.

“Coller, I told you to address my woman with respect. She is nothing to you anymore, not your queennor anything else, you lost that right a long time ago. Devon is my woman.”

“I don't believe I disrespected her, I simply said that because she was and will always be my queen.”

It was evident that Lino had lost his mind or wanted to prove something I couldn't understand. This time I couldn't prevent William from stepping away to confront him. I watched in horror as he confronted him. His fists were clenched and his muscles tense. The fury with which he looked at him was such that I feared he would knock him down with one blow. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I was extremely nervous and sad to have made him go through that moment. A few minutes later he was by my side and took my hand again to lead us to our umbrella.

“What did you say to him?” I asked.

“To leave you alone, not to mess with my family,” he replied without looking at me.

“I'm sorry about what happened. I didn't think he would behave like that.”

I put Aurora down on a towel and looked at him because he seemed upset.

“Had you seen each other again? I mean, after the divorce.”

“Never. We hadn't seen or spoken to each other. This was just a coincidence.”

William looked back to where Lino had been, but he was no longer there.

“When we leave here, we'll drop Aurora at home and go to the Civil Registry to register. I'd like us to get married as soon as possible,” he stated, maintaining his serious demeanor.

“I hope you're not saying that because of this encounter. I assure you that Lino is part of my past, nothing more, and I also assure you that it's a past I want to forget.”

“Haven't you forgotten him?”

“Him, yes. What I experienced with him is more difficult, but I assure you he gave me all the tools to do it.”

“Then?”