Chapter Eleven: Closer Than You Think!

Vanessa's POV.

I woke up feeling a little bit uneasy. I felt the kind of ache in my chest that told me that today would leave scars on me that I wouldn't be able to wash off.

I was to appear in court by 10am and my divorce with Damon was going to be finalized. It was going to be an end to years of betrayal, disguised as love to me. I was supposed to feel extremely free but then I felt as though I was still haunted by everything that had happened in the past.

My phone buzzed in my hand, snapping me from my thoughts back to reality as I looked down at my phone to see the unknown number that didn't want to leave me alone. 

This number felt like a pain in my life, that didn't want to go away. I picked up the call and tapped on the loudspeaker.

“Hello?” I said but I still received silence as usual and I just heard the sound of my own breath echoing at me. 

I hung up the call instantly and I tried to call back, but the line didn't connect. I felt a chill course through my veins and I felt like whoever was tormenting me was actually watching me closely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I reached the court a few minutes before the clock struck at ten. I was fed up and I just wanted to be done with everything once and for all and close this chapter of my life.

My lawyer, Lawrence, was already waiting for me. He was our family lawyer and he was always calm with me. When I got home last night he called me and spoke to me about the things I should expect.

“Hi Vanessa. How are you doing?” he asked and I smiled at him.

“I'm doing good Lawrence. I guess we will soon be entering inside” I replied.

“Yes we will but the judge hasn't arrived yet and I wonder what is taking him so long.” 

“That is weird.” I said, raising my eyebrows at him. “What I mean to say is that this is a court and punctuality is the first law citizens abide by.”

“Yeah you are right. I just think it might be traffic delaying the judge from coming but in the meanwhile let me go discuss with the rest of my lawyers and once everything is ready I'll inform you.” Lawrence said and I nodded my head at me as he walked away.

My eyes kept wandering around because I began to feel unsafe. I only spoke to Ethan about the unknown number persistently calling me and no one else knew about it except from both of us.

I noticed a black car parked far away from where I stood. The windows of the car were tinted but for some reason I still felt that someone was staring at me and my phone proved my suspicions right as it buzzed in my hand. Exactly at the same time that I spotted the car.

Unknown Number: “I will be there watching. Just like I promised.”

My throat tightened and I wanted to feel scared but I also knew that that was not the solution for the problem I was facing. Without even thinking twice, I gathered up the courage that I needed as I moved towards the car.

Something in me told me that whoever was tormenting me was inside that black car and all I needed to do was to unveil the person. I was some few steps away from the car and as soon as I reached where I wanted to be, I opened the door of the car immediately as my eyes landed on Damon.

“Damon?” I called out his name as I had a stunned expression on my face. And he looked up at me from the driver's seat.

“Vanessa?” he muttered and I felt anger course through my body.

“So it is you. You have been the one calling me and sending those messages to frighten me? What do you really want from me Damon?” I lashed out at him and he stared at me with a confused expression which didn't mean anything to me.

I knew very well that he had the behavior of a narcissist. He would do a lot of things to make you react and once you do he's going to act as though he doesn't understand you but this time around there was no way I was going to let him get away with it so easily. 

“To me, it seems as though this whole divorce is too much for you. Maybe you have lost your senses in the process.” he said and my fingers moved before my brain could catch up as I snatched his phone from the console.

“Don't you dare lie to me. Do I look like a kid to you?”

“Vanessa! Give that back to me right now” he snapped at me as he tried to grab his phone away from me but I didn't let him do so.

“Password,” I demanded and he smirked.

“For your kind information. I am not giving anything to you.” he replied and I didn't bother to argue with him.

Instead I tried to put in his password using the little suggestions in my head. I tried twice and failed and then I decided to use the one password that I thought of. 

I typed in the date that we got married and the screen unlocked instantly as my breath got caught in my throat.

“You are still using our marriage date as your password. After everything that has happened?” I questioned as my chest heaved and he shrugged at me.

“I never changed it. I have important things to do, I am a businessman and the least of my worries is trying to change a password.” He said and for a moment his explanation sounded very innocent to me but it also felt like obsession.

I looked down on his phone and then I saw three missed calls from an unknown number. Exactly like the ones sitting unanswered in my own phone, and in that moment it felt as though my stomach had flipped.

“It's you.” I muttered and he snatched his phone away from my grip.

“You are not the only one who can get calls from unknown numbers, Vanessa. So don't twist this into something that is not and what are you even talking about?”

“You vile man” I screamed as my voice began to shake. “I don't have proof yet against you, but when I do. I am going to make sure that you regret every second of this.” I warned him and before he could respond to me. A familiar voice filled our ears.

“Damon!”

I turned to see Sabrina as she ran towards us and threw her arms around Damon's neck, like they were the last two lovers left in the world.