Chapter 2 Cry of Fear

Chloe's POV

The light hitting my face jolted me awake. I squinted open my eyes and raised my left hand to block out the light. When I opened my eyes, Axel was the first person that came to my mind, along with everything that had happened the night before. It broke my heart to see him drive away and abandon me after something happened between the two of us. Even though he repeatedly hurt me, I couldn't give up, even though my body was exhausted.

I sat on Axel's bed, and I still don't have any clothes; only my cold naked body is covered by the blanket. I couldn't go to my own room to sleep there because Axel had left me here, so I cried almost all night until I fell asleep and didn't realize it.

I picked up my clothes on the floor and put them on. I went down the stairs to cook something for Axel and me. I think, Axel hasn’t come back yet and I don’t know where he went. It's already ten o'clock in the morning and hopefully, he will come home for lunch.

I couldn't get into my job as a doctor because I was also late. Yes, I am a licensed doctor, and my mother also owns the hospital that my grandparents bequeathed to her. I've only been at my current job for a year, but everything is going great. I only wanted to help people, so instead of managing a company, I became a doctor.

After a couple of hours, Axel has yet to arrive. The food that I had prepared for him had also cooled. I'd like to eat with Axel at the table, but it appears that he will not be returning home. I already know where she went: Stella's condo. So Axel spent the night in Stella's condo and appears to be returning home for the night.

I sobbed as I covered my face with my palm. I'm back alone in this peaceful house. Why do I get the feeling that, despite being Axel's wife, I'm still the mistress between them? I'm not sure how I'm going to deal with everything I'm feeling. Maybe it was my fault, for allowing myself to fall on him and hurt myself for so long. But no matter what I try, I can't seem to get rid of my feelings for him. I'm head over heels in love with Axel.

"Ma'am." I turn my eyes on the woman who spoke, Levine, my maid here.

Even though she is the only maid in the mansion, I still assist her with the chores, despite her objections. I don't get many maids anymore because I can do the housework as well, so I'm her assistant here and I only one who cooks for our daily meals. What I want to do is serve Axel, but he doesn't always eat here, or when he does, he's already full.

"What do you need?" I asked, wiping my tears away. She handed me my cellphone, which was ringing at the time.

"I'm sorry ma'am if I took it, but your mom is calling; perhaps she has something important to tell you," she answered that sadness was obvious in her voice. I took the cellphone from her and before she could leave I spoke again.

"Levine, just don't mind me, okay. I'm fine and can I ask you a favor?" I asked.

"What exactly is it, Ma'am?" she said politely.

"Please don't tell my Mom about what's going on here, just in case she asks," I pleaded because I don't want my Mom and Dad to know anything about Axel and my situation; better that they know nothing about what's going on here.

"Yes, Maam, you can count on me," she replied and a smile flashed on my lips.

"Thank you," I said, and she bowed slightly as she walked away. I concentrated on the cellphone I was holding, and it was no longer ringing, so I was the one to call my Mom. My Mommy is a thoughtful mother, especially when it comes to me. She always wanted to know that I was fine, and if she found out that my situation was this bad now, maybe she'd come here right away to take me home, and I knew what would happen next. If there is any trouble, Axel and I's parents' agreement will be broken.

"Hello, Mom," I began to say when she answered the phone.

"Finally, you thought of calling me. I'm worried because you're not answering my call. Did something happen? Are you okay there?" she asked, concerned. See, she's overly protective of me.

"Axel is here to take care of me so you don't have to worry, Mom," I'm lying. Shit, What I don't like is that I'm lying to her.

"Oh, is that so. Can I talk to him?" she asked, causing my heartbeat to quicken.

"Umm...Mom, Axel is still in the bathroom," I lie once more.

She inhaled deeply. "Okay, I just want to tell you to be careful there. Let's just meet at the hospital tomorrow so I can hug you, my precious daughter. I'm going to put down my phone. Bye, my baby, I love you." I smiled when she called me baby even though I was already twenty-five years old.

"Bye, Mom. I love you too," I replied, able to suppress my sobbing due to the mixed emotions I was experiencing. I don’t want to lie to her but I have to. I didn't want to jeopardize my marriage to Axel, or the friendship between Axel and my parents. So, regardless of how painful it is to nurture the pain, I can still cope.

When night falls, Axel hasn't returned home yet. I got up from my seat and put the food we were supposed to share for dinner in the refrigerator. I also had a loss of appetite. I'm sick of waiting and hoping he'll come home tonight for me, but it looks like he'll be sleeping in Stella's condo once more.

Am I just that worthless for him? Is it really that easy for him to throw away everything we've built as best friends? However, our relationship suffered greatly between the time I admitted how I truly felt and the time we married. So I only have myself to blame.

I was so preoccupied with my thoughts that I didn't notice I was about to drop the glass on the plate I was holding. My eyes widened as I stared at the ground and instinctively picked up the shattered glass. I yanked my hand away as soon as I felt it cut. I see blood dripping from it when I look at it.

"Stupid, Khloe," I whispered to myself, and as I was about to get up to ask Levine for help, I was startled awake by the sound of a gunshot. My heartbeat quickened as I sat down on the floor, and my eyes widened. Oh my God, where did that come from?!

I stood up and took a deep breath, despite my trembling. In my shock, I couldn't move when I heard the door slam open.

"Go ahead and find her!" I heard a man yell, and I knew it wasn't Axel. As a result, I dashed towards the kitchen door, terrified. After I exited, I shut the door and leaned against the wall. I'm at a loss for what to do. I should leave now, but my knees felt weak as fear gripped my entire body.

"Go upstairs and look for her!" said a man with a deep voice. Who are they on the lookout for? Woman? Because Levine and I are the only ones here, one of us must be their reason for being here. I need to see Levine. She could be damned. But I hadn't gone more than two steps when I felt something hard stick to the back of my head.

"Where are you going?" asked a man. I held my breath when I realized the gun was now pointed at me. As a sign of surrender, I slowly raised my hands.

"P—please don't hurt me," I stuttered. I was taken aback when he pressed the gun even harder against my head. Just a single touch of his gun will most likely mean the end of my life.

"You won't get hurt if you don't fight back, so walk!" he yelled at me. I opened the kitchen door, praying with each step that someone would come to my aid. What I have in mind now is that Axel will help me, but I have lost hope that he will still come for me tonight because I am just a worthless person to him. Besides, he had no idea that my life was in danger right now.

"Boss, look who I found!" His three other colleagues, who were all wearing black hoodie jackets, looked at me when we got to the living room. When they saw me, it was as if they had seen a ghost. A man with a scar on his right cheek approached me and fixed his gaze on me until he smiled like a demon. What do they need from me? Why did I end up in this situation?

"Finally, I found you too; you made it even more difficult for me to find you, and now you're here," he said, which confused me. Am I what they are looking for? But I don't know them, I don't remember doing anything wrong to make them do it to me.

"I don't know who the hell you are!" I exclaimed, which surprised them.

"You don't know who we are?" he asked, a frightening laugh escaping from him. I just braced myself, but deep down, I couldn't keep my fear at bay any longer.

"You don't know who I am?!" he exclaimed, and a loud slap landed on my cheek.