[10]

"Has my husband said when he'll be back this afternoon?" a woman in a wheelchair asked. She looked over at the entrance to her three-story house. This house was anything but ordinary. It was a luxurious mansion, complete with all the trappings of a couple from an upper class background.

The room where the woman sat had been set up with a window overlooking the main gate. The idea was to let her know right away if her husband came home, even though it was unclear when he'd be back.

"Nothing, Mrs. Rebecca," said one of the servants, not far behind the woman.

Rebecca Sawyer let out a long sigh. She was Damian Sawyer's wife, but unfortunately, that was something she could only celebrate on rare occasions. Maybe at the beginning of their marriage? Or maybe it was before everything happened? The accident that made Rebecca regret and curse her new status as "different."

 "Give me my cell phone." The hand with red, polished nails asked for her cell phone. Since she'd been in a wheelchair, she'd found it really difficult to move for even light activities. The news that she could no longer walk had put her off even trying. She even had to ask someone to move her wheelchair for her.

"Yes, ma'am."

Rebecca's new cell phone was in her hand in no time. It was simple for her to look up the number of the man she was interested in. She quickly called her husband's number, hoping that this time Damian would come home and be with her. It had been two weeks since Damian had come home, although Rebecca knew he was very busy.

"What's the problem, Rebecca?"

Rebecca smiled. It was a relief to hear Damian's voice on the other end of the line. She really missed Damian, who had two moles near his eyebrows. "When are you planning to come back, Honey?"

Finally, Damian let out a chuckle. "I'm not sure yet. I still have to tie up a few loose ends with Marcus and Victor. You know, Hilarious is entering its final semester, and there's a big meeting coming up about the new school year. There's no way Victor can handle that on his own."

Rebecca frowned. "You're always so busy. When can I get ahold of you?"

"I think I can make time for you next week."

The answer didn't sound very promising, but Rebecca was still hopeful. "Alright, I'll wait for you. I'll ask the waiter to prepare the most delicious dinner for you when you arrive. What do you think?"

"Sounds like a great idea."

"I'll wait for you, then."

"Yes."

That was all Damian said, but it had a big impact on Rebecca's mood. Her face was no longer sad. There was also a twinkle in her eye that seemed to show she was excited. Her smile looked a bit wider than usual. It only lasted for a moment, though.

"Liar," she said, putting the cell phone on the table nearby. "Kate, can you take me to the library? I'd like to get back to reading."

The maid, Kate, came right over and moved the wheelchair Rebecca was sitting in. She moved slowly and steadily to keep the lady comfortable in this luxurious house. "Should I get some snacks and tea ready?"

"No thanks," Rebecca replied briefly.

After that, no one said anything else. Nevertheless, Kate asked one of the other staff members to go to the library as soon as possible. Rebecca made sure there were no layout errors in the room she was in. Since the accident and her subsequent wheelchair-bound condition, Rebecca has been on a rollercoaster of emotions. Even a minor misstep could lead her to curse and utter profanities.

"I'll get some cut-up fruit for you to have while you read the book." Kate guided Rebecca's wheelchair to the library room at the end of the corridor.

"You know, Kate," Rebecca said, resting her hands on the arms of the wheelchair. "I just want to read, not eat."

Kate swallowed nervously. "Yes, Mrs. Rebecca."

"I'm not going to get into a shouting match over this. It's just a bit of foolishness. I'm emotionally drained from Damian's lies!"

Her other hand was clenched tightly. Rebecca's breathing also became more emotional. "How long will he have his way with my life?" she demanded.

Kate had to choose her words carefully to calm Rebecca down. But what? Her mistress just wanted Damian to come home and keep her company for a while. That's what Kate assumed.

"When I looked perfect to everyone else, I even realized with common sense—if I was lucky—that Damian only saw me at a glance. Even though we got married, Damian was still the same. He just ignored me. Even up until my situation like this..." Rebecca's hands were clenched. She was so angry, she couldn't vent on anyone else—she had to vent on herself.

Rebecca started pulling her hair out in frustration. She gave her cheeks a good slap. On top of that, she scratched her arms without thinking about how it would make the scratches worse. Some of the waiters who tried to stop her also got caught up in Rebecca's tantrum.

The woman wasn't concerned about it. All she wanted was for Damian to come to this house. At least come along to make her feel less lonely.

***

"Is she going to be okay?" a woman with a rather striking appearance asked. For her age, she chose to wear a bright yellow blazer and bone-white cloth pants. Even so, everything the middle-aged woman wore fit perfectly, with no gaps.

"Yes, Mrs. Hera." The family doctor treating Rebecca said with confidence. "I gave Mrs. Rebecca a low dose of tranquilizer. It seems like something happened today. "Normally, Mrs. Rebecca doesn't get this emotional," the doctor said, looking at Kate, who was standing not far from Rebecca's bed.

Everyone was in the main room where Rebecca was sleeping. Including several maids who had just finished treating their coworkers who were affected by Rebecca's tantrum. Including Kate, who had a long scratch on her face.

"Mr. Damian hasn't been home for about two weeks, Doctor. "I think that's the reason Madame is feeling uneasy."

"Oh, no!" Hera Sawyer crossed her arms across her chest. "That woman never learns, does she? Damian is tied up at the moment. It's not feasible to be by her side constantly. Why don't you keep her company? Or you could just drop by to see how she's doing, right?" She opted to sit on one of the couches in the main room. "Can't you be a little understanding, Kate? You've been a butler in this house for a long time, so you should know one thing about my son." Hera gave Kate a look that said she thought she was being a bit sardonic. "Damian doesn't have a lot of free time."

"My apologies, ma'am." That was all Kate could say as she looked down, feeling regretful.

"I don't blame Rebecca's situation, especially since this incident has brought this woman down." Hera let out a long sigh. "But surely she can't be hurting herself?" The woman let out a sigh, sounding frustrated. She was there today to meet her son-in-law and go over some family meeting agendas. This includes checking on Rebecca's condition directly after the accident that really knocked her daughter-in-law's spirit.

But she never imagined that Rebecca could be so out of control of her thoughts.

"And you," Hera said, pointing at Doctor John. He'd been taking care of Rebecca since the beginning, monitoring her health, and making sure she was okay mentally. "How can you take responsibility for all the reports you've given me about Rebecca's condition?"

The man in the white coat gave a little smile. He sat down not far from Hera, who looked annoyed at him. "She's physically healthy and her condition is nothing to worry about. But I'm monitoring because Mrs. Rebecca is accepting of her condition. She needs the support of those closest to her, especially Mr. Damian, Mrs. Hera."

Hera looked away. "You should know how Damian and that son of a bitch work."

John smiled again. "I'll try to give her more understanding, including not hurting herself if get too emotional."

“Do your best, Doctor.” Hera again let out a long sigh. “If things continue like this, when will Damian have a successor?”