Chapter 185: Side-story: The joy and the shame

Caesar and Nora were busy clothing Noah. The chubby little baby was a handful when it came to changing clothes and Nora always needed the assistance of another person.

Mostly Caesar was the one to help but every now and then Avery would help her out too or sometimes one of the maids did.

When they finally finished the almost impossible task they both took a breath of relief.

Noah kept staring at his sweater. His cheeks were blushed and bun like, it was so adorable one would just want to eat him up. He was like a little mochi.

Once Noah had enough of staring at his clothes he looked at his father and raised his arms up.

"Uhh!" He presented a demand.

His cute little gesture always meant one thing. 'Pick me up'

Caesar could never resist it. No one could, so he immediately brought him in his embrace and Noah rested his entire self on his chest. It was one of the things Noah loved doing, he loved his dad's chest more than his mom's and Nora found it sort of offensive but she kept her mouth shut for the sake of her dignity.

Just then, at the same time there was a knock on the door.

"Yes?" Nora answered it.

Hugh entered the room and gave them both a small bow.

"What's wrong?" Caesar asked.

"It's your step mother, she is going nuts. She keeps wanting to escape." He explained.

Caesar sighed and then gave Hugh an answer, "Let her go." His immediate answer left Nora shocked.

"Hey, you're letting her go?" Nora raised her brows at him and looked at her husband with a questionable look. Why would he say something like that? It can't be… Did he decide to forgive her?

Caesar looked at his wife and gave her a reassuring smile, "She'll come back on her own." He then looked at Hugh, "Leave her door open and leave your post for a while. When she escapes, follow her, let her go wherever but don't let her leave the city."

"Yes." Hugh gave him a nod and then left to do what he was told.

"Nistia is too big to just escape in a day." Nora said to her husband

"Yes. No doubt. But you can't be too careful."

"You're really confident."

"I know what's it like when you have nowhere to go. You always end up coming to that one place you wish to run away from." He sighed, "When we get her back. Rama can get a good look at her mother so that he doesn't act up."

Nora held her husband's hand and kissed his cheek, "That memory is long in the past."

"Yea." Caesar kissed Nora but Noah wasn't pleased.

"Uwwaaah!" He hit his father's chest.

Nora laughed, "Looks like Noah doesn't want you to have me." She took Noah in her arms.

Caesar looked at his son, "What kind of behavior is this? I'm her husband."

"Ahh!"

"Well excuse you I will do what I want." Caesar kissed Nora again that shocked Noah, "That's my wife Noah."

But Noah had to claim her mother. She was his only so he kissed her too.

Nora laughed at his actions. She had two babies fighting for her.

"You love mama that much?" She nuzzled her nose with his, "You won't let mama be anyone else's"

He giggled, "Ma!"

Nora and Caesar froze and looked at each other.

"Oh My God!" Nora exclaimed, "He said Ma! It's his first word!" She looked at her son again, "Noah say it again! Say Ma!"

"Noah! Say Da!" Noah looked at Caesar, "Dada?" Noah didn't respond, "Say it, Dada! Da!"

"Da!"

Caesar felt something pierce his heart.

"Say it again!" He took Noah in his arms again, "Come on! Da!"

But Noah lost interest in trying anything like that. He leaned against his father's chest, placed his thumb in his mouth and drifted into sleep.

Caesar pinched his cheek softly, "Oh well." He kissed his forehead. Other chances will come again.

***

Caesar's step-mother, Naria's room was left unlocked as instructed and she didn't waste any time running.

She ran all the way to the back door of the mansion, towards the gate and out of the place.

She must have thought once she was out everything would turn out fine but perhaps, it was that she had forgotten that her deeds had been exposed to everyone or maybe she didn't think she could be hated so much that as soon as people saw her, they began to curse her.

In the middle of the street, when people recognized her they cursed her. Called her names, accused her of many things.

Everyone naturally assumed that she must have run away so some went to call the guards.

Naria was terrified.

Everywhere she tried to run to, she'd get recognized and people would treat her the same.

They'd call her names and curse her.

She was a sinner.

A vile woman.

A person who ruined lives.

She was a killer.

All she did, she was being shamed for it.

When she was unable to run anymore she stood quietly in the middle of the square where people began to throw eggs on her.

It was the moment she was being humiliated at the worst.

She was evil.

She was inhumane.

Some people began to throw rocks at her but she was powerless.

All she had done in her life was coming back to her.

Her karma.

She had nowhere to go. No one to return to, no one to support her and it was her own fault.

She had completely ruined herself.

All this. She realized at that very point where she was being shamed for her very existence.

In the end she turned and ran back to the mansion.

When she reached the gate, all ragged, bleeding and messed up from head to toe, she was greeted by her step-son.

He opened the gate for her, "Welcome back step-mother."