Fourth

A week had passed since Linna had met with the Scully family, and no one had contacted you, which was already making her create her own conclusions about it. For herself it was too long to have a breakdown. She felt that she had done the right thing but had done it the wrong way or that maybe she shouldn't have done the right thing.

She was insecure. Too insecure. More than I would have liked. Robert's parents apparently loved the idea of having a grandchild, their eyes even sparkled, they both promised to talk to their son and bring answers to this desperate mother. But where are they? Where are they with this so-called answer?

Linna was already getting a headache, it was late afternoon and she was finishing updating some price sheets before picking her son up from school. Her company is called Fizz, a marketing company. Most things happen on the app, which is where people have access to various courses from his partners and the company's vice presidents, and learn how to make money with online sales.

The role of everyone in the company is basically to make these people actually make money. Maybe it is the famous pyramid, where there are course sellers who make a lot of money, convince people who need the money, they buy and start selling as well. And that's the whole point of being a good seller. Absolutely everything is online, Linna doesn't like paper very much, never did, so she suggested the app.

Every year there are several parties in the company, big parties, sometimes for employees and partners, sometimes for the ones that stand out in sales. It is not just a party, there are trained professionals in a lecture teaching unique sales techniques that will help double those people. And that idea, of course, was Linna's. Even though she is not very social, because it is her business, she really likes to see people happy.

All the time there are meetings for the improvement of the app, so it's nothing too complicated, and also improvement of the people. That means improved pricing, improved contest concepts, improved sales. Linna likes to always be bringing something new, so once a week she holds a general meeting to try to gather or take new ideas from them.

Scanning some documents she stared at her wristwatch. Time to go. She hates being late and that includes picking up her son. She has never been the kind of mother who keeps him waiting, never will be. In fact, she feels sorry just knowing that there are parents irresponsible enough to leave their children late at school, she can even imagine how upset the child will be, and how much nonsense they will create in such a small head.

It's okay that your son is ten years old and entering his pre-teen years, but try not to treat him like a baby because this also has a big influence on Matt's upbringing and that of any other child. He just needs to learn to say no and deny things in the right way. Without yelling or arguing. Everything in Linna's life was based on talking, so it would be the same with her son.

She picked up her purse and left, locking the door, took the elevator with her vice who was talking on the phone and gave her some space, even though she overheard. Clearly she was interested in the guy she was talking to, laughing like a fool and gesticulating with her hands in an absurd manner. Linna held back her laughter, deep down she wanted to feel that sensation. The elevator opened, the reception desk was full, some people were being attended to and others were chatting in groups, all well dressed.

As Linna walked by waving to some of them a shorter woman appeared in front of her, crying.

- Hi, you work here, don't you? - Linna nodded in surprise. - Please help me. I started at Fizz two months ago and made only five sales but never got paid for them, and those five sales were going to help me put a roof on my house, ma'am. I asked at the front desk but they said there's nothing to be done. - Linna put her hand on the woman's shoulder.

- It's okay, who attended to you? - She pointed to Stefan, a white man with shaved hair, very

handsome if not arrogant. - Stefan, please do me a favor.

- Madam, I'm in the middle of an appointment. - Linna immediately understood what this was about, she stared at the black-skinned woman, very beautiful, her life depended on it. She didn't receive any assistance, which she should have. But there was Stefan attending to a blonde and white woman, dressed in designer clothes.

- I didn't ask. - Stefan came to her with his tail between his legs, the funny thing was that he already knew what he had done wrong. - Why didn't you help this woman.

- Her problem is irrelevant to us, there have been other people with the same issue trying to get money from the company! - Linna approached him, dying to yell at him in the middle of the crowd.

- Irrelevant? She needs the money to put a roof on her house! Look at the rains last month. Don't you have a heart? I don't ever want you to treat anyone this way again, and especially because you are this color, you think I never noticed that difference? - Stefan frowned, staring at the stranger.

- You shouldn't worry about these people. - he stammered.

- Stefan, you're fired. - Linna could say a lot more, however this sentence was enough for a white man who thinks he is superior to her to collapse.

- What? You can't do this! - he shouted for attention.

- Have you forgotten that I own the company? - He smiled. - Honey, you can make an appointment with that girl over there, you can tell her it's the president of the company. Don't worry, we'll resolve this in just three days and not even.

- Oh thank you very much darling, thank you very much. God bless you! - The woman hugged Linna and Linna hugged her. It had been a long time since she had felt a hug full of feeling like that.

- Now I have to go. - She walked away waving.

. . .

She parked in the same spot as always just in front of the school. Handling a car was now as easy as riding a bike for you. She waved to some mothers and got closer, the inspector already knew who she was, after all, most of the time she is the one who picks up her son at school. It's always her and the grandparents, so there's no way the school doesn't recognize her.

As usual she approached Flavia and greeted her with a good handshake while watching the children leave. She looked around finding it strange, her son was supposed to be there, otherwise he would have come to her already.

- Did you come for a meeting? - Flavia asked without facing her. After all, all the children were waving at her.

- Flavia, where is my son? - Linna crossed her arms and swallowed dryly.

- Oh, he's already gone, Linna. With a friend of yours.

Obviously Linna had already associated him with the little boy's father, but that was impossible. Matthew could only be released with his grandparents or his mother, so why had this school been so irresponsible?

- What? Are you crazy to release my son with a stranger? - She didn't spare the loud voice, nor did she care how the other parents looked, much less how the children looked.

- Ma'am, the man signed the worksheet before taking your son confirming that he was a friend of yours. Matthew didn't think it was strange either.

- I don't care what Matthew thought. God damn it, he's a child! - Linna felt a huge pain in her heart, thinking that her son had been kidnapped. Because it's always the worst case scenario. - Give me that fucking spreadsheet!

Flavia went around the guardhouse to get the notebook. The spreadsheet will be used precisely for these occasions, when the guardians who signed the official term for the student's departure and someone else comes to pick him up. With the signature it is possible to trace a lot, unless it is a fake. He opened the notebook to the last part of the signatures and then stretched out his arm to Linna.

She recognized the signature. It was who he imagined, and maybe it was worse than a kidnapping.

- I can't believe it. - She laughed weakly, throwing the booklet at the inspector. - I could let my son go out with anyone but this guy! This will get to the principal, dear.

Linna hurriedly left the school, going straight to the company because that was the only place to get in touch with Robert. After all, that was where Robert's contact number was, and Linna hoped it would be the company's as well, because if it was the company's it would be impossible. She quickly removed her car from the parking spot and turned around the avenue going back the same way she came. He accelerated the car with the idea of the fines that would arrive in less than a week.

For the first time he did not park in his space, did not hand the keys to the valet, went inside and said nothing to anyone. For the first time his own employees found his sudden and rude entrance strange. Linna was so desperate that she didn't have the patience to wait for the elevator, she just took off down the stairs like a complete desperado. She didn't even think she was in heels, however, for a brief second Linna felt her foot turn to the side and when she thought to hold on to the banister her body went backwards.

Turning until the stairs came around, her forehead hit hard against the wall and despite the headache it didn't shake her. The concern for her son was much greater than for herself. Linna removed her heels throwing against the staircase and walked back up the stairs until she saw the door to her floor. She opened it with force and anger and walked in stride to her living room. He opened the door by placing his fingerprint several times since he couldn't remember the key at a time like this.

To his surprise, as he closed the door and walked away he saw his son and Robert sitting on the yellow couch. Both had worried faces.

- Mom! Are you all right? Matt ran towards his mother and hugged her.

.

- I am son. But what about you? Are you okay? Did he hurt you? - Linna looked at her son from every possible angle and there really wasn't a scratch on him.

- No, Mom, Uncle Robert said he knew you. Look, he's very nice! - Robert stood up, wearing a suit and a burgundy overcoat, his shoes were clearly designer. Linna trembled and hugged her son with all this closeness. Robert frowned and took two fingers to his eyebrow and withdrew them, making Linna see the blood there.

- What happened? - And then I knew it was from the fall. Her son looked at his mother strangely and ran into the bathroom.

- Don't ask like you care. Don't ever do that again, Robert. - she babbled thickly. - What do you want?

- Linna, you're bleeding! - Robert looked worried, but Linna would never believe him.

- Stop pretending to fucking care! - Linna pushed him away and had her wrists grabbed, being pulled inches away from him. - Let go of me.

- Stop being stubborn. This will take at least four stitches. - Somehow she despaired, but this was too much for her. Staring into those honey-colored eyes was like returning to that altar. Back to that humiliation.

- Let me go. - She pushed him hard enough to make him take two steps back. - I told you to talk to me by e-mail before a situation like this happened!

- Isn't he my son? I...

- Why did you come back into my life? - He felt a tear fall. - Why did you have to bring up this whole fucking past?

- Mom, here, wipe this off. - Her son appeared holding moistened tissues, Linna smiled and accepted taking it to the supercilium, however when she made contact she felt a lot of pain and then just wiped around trying to please the little one's attitude. - Uncle Robert can take you to the hospital if you want!

- No," he answered immediately. - No need, son.

- I just picked him up from school, nothing happened. We stopped at a doughnut store, bought an afternoon snack and brought him here. His secretary said you'd be right back. - Robert stared at his watch, and then she realized that this was a mania. - Now that you are here, I can leave. - He smiled, and Linna's eyes widened as her son hugged him.

- Thank you so much for bringing me here, Uncle, you are so nice. Mom's coolest friend. - She swallowed dryly once more, closing her eyes and starting to feel dizzy and get a headache. Taking steps backwards she tried to lean on something. Robert noticed her body softening and before she could fall, he ran to her, hugging her waist and preventing her from banging her head against the edge of the table.

- Let go of me. - she whispered, her vision blurring.

- You need to go to the hospital, Linna. - Robert caught her body like a feather as she tried to move her arms to push him away.

- I'd rather die, Robert.

Robert frowned when he saw that she fainted, he worried because the last time this happened someone died in her arms and she as the mother of his child had no right to do this. He noticed how scared Matt looked and was already crying.

- Is my mother going to die?

- No, Matthew. No," he replied nervously. - We'll get her to the hospital and everything will be fine.

At least that's what he hopes.