In Love With My Bully-Chapter 76: The Ties that Bind

Three weeks later, I was still at the Numero mansion. Abby wouldn’t let me leave.

Now that she had only Queen to dot on, it was almost like she didn’t want the baby out of her sight. She had maintained her stance about not wanting Chayara in her home, and I knew this was causing a rift with her husband.

I hoped and prayed they would find a way to deal with what was going on.

Richard came by to see Queen before heading into the office. It was his daily routine. He would stop by in the mornings and after work. He was adorable with Queen, and he had been handling Chayara on his own quite well.

He was going to defy his mother; that much I expected, but this family was coming apart gradually. Mrs. Numero was a strong-headed woman; as long as she believed her actions were protecting her family, she would stand her ground until the very end.

When I mentioned moving back into my own apartment a few weeks ago, Mrs. Numero had pleaded for me to stay back.

I love the woman like my mother, but I also needed my independence back.

I had assumed Richard would want me back home, to our house. Maybe I was expecting too much. Maybe it was too soon.

I left him with Queen in the nursery and headed down for a cup of tea when I heard one of the guards from the front gate announcing the arrival of a guest to Richard’s dad.

The busybody that I was, I looked out the kitchen window and saw a woman that looked like she was in her fifties, dressed in an elegant navy pantsuit, heading towards the front door. I didn’t have to be told who it was.

There was a slight similarity between her and Sam, same sharp cheekbones, same cold eyes.

The way she carried herself, I knew she would not go down easy. She had a thin manila envelope in her hands, and the frown on her face clearly left no avenue for pleasantries.

I heard the knock, and I debated ignoring it, but then I heard Mrs. Numero’s voice ring out from the top of the stairs.

Oh shit! This will end badly!

"Nita? Are you there? Could you please get the door?"

"I’ll get it." Mr. Numero hurriedly said before I could respond and headed to the door himself. I stepped out of the kitchen, and Mrs. Numero was halfway down the stairs when she said

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

I saw that coming...

"I let her in." Mr. Numero quickly responded. What would two grandmas look like when fighting? I was rooting for Mrs. Numero, though. Hahaha.

Abby made her way down the stairs, her arms folded with an angry look on her face. Her husband stood between both women, silent and tense. Lilian didn’t look like Abby scared her, though. She merely lifted an eyebrow.

"Abigail," she greeted. "Still as dramatic as ever. I hear you are losing your marbles these days."

"And you didn’t age well." Abby shot back, eyeing the envelope in Lilian’s hand. "Let me guess, you ran out of minions to do your dirty work and plan on doing it yourself."

Lilian sighed. "I don’t have time for your theatrics." She turned her gaze to the stairs. "I’m here for my granddaughter."

Richard was heading down the stairs when he heard the last part.

"Richard, it’s nice to finally meet you." She acknowledged, her tone polite. Lilian extended the envelope. "This is a formal notice. I am filing for full custody of Chayara. You will be required in court next week.

I expected him to explode, but instead he took a deep breath and smiled. This action seemed to shock Lilian as well.

"You could have just let your lawyers drop it off. Seems to me like you are feeling quite confident."

"I have every reason to be. Chayara is my granddaughter. I have blood ties."

"You seem to forget that she is my niece, which makes her my dad’s granddaughter. We have blood ties as well. Do you really want to fight my father, who has every attorney and the entire justice system on speed dial?"

I saw her swallow hard but quickly regained her composure.

She turned to Mr. Numero. "You took Sam away from me when I was young; I said nothing. You murdered my brother; I said nothing. My son ends up in jail because of you; I said nothing. I will be damned if I let you take another child away from me."

"I will be damned if I let Chayara grow up to become like Damon and Sam." Mr. Umero said calmly.

"You think this is going to end with Chayara?" Lilian turned to Richard. "I will take out the sins of the father on the child. I will burn you and everyone you love so badly, you won’t recover from it."

"Get out of my house, Lilian, before you accidentally slip and hit your head." Abby threatened to step closer to her.

Lilian sighed again, staring Abby down. "The court date is set. I suggest you prepare yourselves."

She turned to leave, but Abby’s voice stopped her.

"You are not getting Chayara, Lilian. It doesn’t matter how hard you try." We all turned to look at Abby in shock. I mean, all she wanted was for Richard to hand over Chayara and get it over with. Hearing her declare war was shocking.

After the door slammed shut, Richard stared down at the envelope in his hands.

Abby exhaled heavily. "Well, I need a drink."

Richard shot her a look. "Mom, I thought you were against keeping Chayara."

Abby’s sharp gaze landed on Richard again, her expression unwavering. "Yes. I am still against it," she admitted, her tone clipped. "But I’ll be damned if I let that woman win against my family."

She exhaled sharply, shaking her head as if disgusted by the mere thought of losing to Lilian.

The pride of a woman like Abby Numero was not something easily dented, and for all the resentment she harbored toward Chayara’s presence, there was an undeniable sense of loyalty when it came to protecting what was hers.

Even if it meant standing behind a decision she despised.

"I still don’t want Chayara here," she reiterated, each word deliberate. "If you plan on going through with this, the consequences will be on you. There is an adage that says, ’A home is peaceful because the bastard in there hasn’t matured.’"

A cold shiver ran down my spine at the weight of those words.

Abby’s lips pressed into a thin line, her voice quieter now but still firm. "I will be dead and gone before that happens, so it’s all on you, Richard. Whatever comes next, whatever hell this decision to keep Chayara brings, you’ll be the one to carry it."

Abby had made her position painfully clear.

And yet, beneath all that resistance, I could see the cracks in her armor. The way her fingers trembled slightly as she smoothed out the fabric of her expensive blouse. Abby was a woman used to control, and this situation was spiraling out of her hands.

She was fighting to keep her world intact, and I wasn’t sure if that made her an enemy or an unwilling ally.

Either way, she had a point.

I didn’t know how this would play out or how many scars it would leave behind. But I just prayed that Queen wouldn’t be caught in the crossfire.

She turned to me then, eyes sharp but sincere, her expression unreadable for a moment before she spoke. "Which is why you’re staying for as long as it takes—or until Richard does the gentlemanly thing and marries you again."

I blinked, caught completely off guard. "What?"

She crossed her arms, her gaze steady. "You and Queen. You will continue staying at the mansion for now."

Richard frowned, clearly unprepared for this turn of events. "Mom..." His voice held a warning, but Abby was unmoved.

"No, Richard." She held up a hand, silencing whatever protest he was about to make.

"I know I said I didn’t want Chayara here. I meant that. And my feelings about this whole situation haven’t changed. But I want Nita here—to ground you, to keep you from making impulsive decisions that will cost us in court. Whether I like it or not, you need her, and so does Chayara."

Her words hung in the air like a challenge.

"Abby..."

It was the first time Mr. Numero had spoken since Lilian’s dramatic exit, his voice quiet but firm as he stepped forward.

He had watched the entire exchange in silence, observing but not interfering.

Now, he walked toward his wife, closing the distance between them before wrapping his arms around her in a bear hug.

The gesture was unexpected, and for a moment, Abby stiffened, as if resisting the warmth of it, before finally sighing and resting her head against his chest.

"Thank you," he murmured, his voice filled with something that sounded a lot like relief.

Abby exhaled, her hands coming up to press lightly against her husband’s back before she pulled away. "Don’t thank me yet," she muttered, eyes flicking up to his. "I still don’t want her here, Richard. I mean it."

Richard smirked, unfazed. "Baby steps," he teased, his voice light.

Abby rolled her eyes, but there was no real heat in it. "Don’t push your luck."

I watched the interaction, feeling a strange mix of emotions settle in my chest.

There was something about the way they communicated: acceptance wrapped in layers of old resentment and unspoken affection.

It reminded me of why Richard was the way he was. The Numero family didn’t always say what they meant outright, but if you listened closely, if you really paid attention, you’d find the love buried beneath.