MRS. SMITH

CHAPTER 3: MRS. SMITH

Raquel knew for a fact that Eliot is somebody, a sin from that island she must forget, but her heart couldn’t. The memories of the night they shared would came back, on how much she moaned with pleasure, forgetting the marriage she was forced to, while they were together.

Eliot Duke made her forget every pain, and the torment meant to made her suffer. When she rejected him, Raquel knew it ended, that the fate that was playing between them was already cut in loose. Not until seeing the great Eliot Duke in the flesh to the charity ball she had accompanied her mother.

“Tired of forcing yourself to smile, Mrs. Smith?” Eliot’s voice filled her ears, and unconsciously, Raquel stepped away from him. “Am I really that scary, huh?”

She hardened her resolve.

Don’t do anything silly. Raquel was begging herself. Don’t do something that would only hurt you badly at the end. She reminded herself about what happened to David that night before the whole world knew that they had spend the night together.

Sensing that she didn’t wanted to talk, Eliot released a sigh, the hardened composure relaxing for a bit. He stared outside of the garden.

“I looked for you, when you left me that morning.” He professed, and there is this pang that twitched inside his chest, because it might be the last time he would be able to see her…again. “I went back to Bali hoping to see you there, but you never came back. You were gone, it was as if you just disappeared out of nowhere not wanting to be found, but yet… I do, I found you, Raq.” He took a deep breathe. “A few months would be enough to forget you. I could go back and hook up with some women, but I couldn’t…it was always, I always search for you everywhere…”

Her chest hurt. His confession wanted her to take another risk, but she stop herself. Raquel was tired hoping. A happy ending isn’t meant for her. If she run with Eliot, she knew how that happiness would be crushed and torn at the end of the day. David would made sure that she would always suffer more than what she can take.

“Raquel, I—”

“There you are! I’ve been looking for you everywhere, Eliot!” A voice of a woman interfered the two.

Raquel took that moment to leave without glancing back on her shoulder. Quick on her feet as if escaping Eliot was enough.

She was rooting that he was committed, but then, how can she deny the other part of her, which seems oppose to the idea of Eliot Duke being bounded? But compared to her, Eliot deserve a young woman, a free woman whom he can marry someday.

“Where did you go?” Her mother hissed, when she catch a glimpse of her.

“Just outside…” Raquel lied through her teeth.

Her mother rolled her eyes.

“I told you not to leave my side, but anyway, be quick and write me a cheque.” She seems to be in a rush. “I couldn’t let some of my amigas getting ahead of me.”

“Ma...” Raquel trailed off. “I don’t have any money.”

“Of course you have.” Her mother clicked her tongue.

“B—but Ma, I really don’t have any money—”

“Hush!” Her mother scowled at her. “Write a cheque now!”

Left with no choice, Raquel handed a cheque towards the organizer. She unconsciously locked her eyes with Eliot who offered her a smile, but she looked away. Beside him was that woman who was eyeing the male rather affectionately.

Raquel knew that look.

“Oh my, if it wasn’t for Mrs. Smiths donation!” The host seems pleas. “A round of applause for her!”

The guest whispered against with each other.

Raquel smiled shyly.

She was ready to leave, but she were stop hearing some things from the women who were eyeing her from head to toe.

“Gold digger. If it wasn’t for David’s money…”

“Right, as if we didn’t know that she came from a poor family.” Followed by a shake of their head.

Raquel clenched her jaw, but didn’t say anything.

She goes to her mother, her eyes were losing its emotions again.

Seeing that Raquel was treating him as if he were a stranger, Eliot let out a sigh. It’s funny how the great Billionaire of Jewelry Enterprises is being rejected, and was chasing after a married woman he couldn’t wrapped his fingers around.

“Are you okay?” Cherry touched his shoulder affectionately. “Do you need anything? Drinks, or what?”

“I’m not just feeling well.” He lied.

“Do you want me to drive you home?” Cherry seems worried.

“No, it’s fine.” Eliot was ppolite. “A friend of mine is picking me up—”

“Eliot!” And out of nowhere, another call gets between the two.

It was another woman. Cherry’s expression turned sour.

“Charity.” Eliot smiled at the latter.

“Hey, you asked me to pick you up?” Charity was grinning, when her eyes meet Cherry’s annoyed face, it was like her grin broadens. “Oh, I didn’t know you were with someone.”

“Sorry about that, I am not just feeling well.” When Eliot turned to look at  Cherry, the woman’s expression changed.

Charity wanted to laugh hard, but she hold herself back.

“By the way, Cherry meet Charity, she’s a friend of mine—”

“More than a friend.” Charity was amused.

“O—oh, well, please to meet you.” Cherry accept the hand she offered, but there was this contempt on her smile. “By the way, are you feeling alright now, Eliot? If you want, you can stay with me in my room.”

“I can’t, we’re leaving soon—”

“—or not.” Charity gave Eliot a cheeky grin. “I’ll just check something.”

“Wait…”

But she was already gone.

“So…? What about dinner?” Cherry pushed her luck.

Eliot shook his head.

“My schedule is already packed up.”

“I can wait.”

She just wouldn’t give up, huh? Eliot thought.

He didn’t want to be rude, but he also didn’t want to give Cherry a hopeless chance that he might be interested to her.

“Look, Cherry, I appreciate you really, but I’m into someone else, and I wanted for us to work. I’m sorry.”

But the woman doesn’t seem faze, she smiled more coquettishly and run her fingertips to her chest. “I don’t mind.” She was biting her lips. “I could be your dirty little secret, Eliot, and nobody would know, even her…”

“I’m not that kind of guy you were looking for.” With that said, he pushed her hand away from his chest.

Cherry’s face changes.

“What if I ask my father to pulled his investment from your company, hmmm?” Cherry was desperate using the investment card on him.

“Your father knows better that pulling his shares would leave him no chance to invest on my company again.” With that said, Eliot stepped away from her. “Excuse me.”

When he left her alone, Cherry was annoyed, she was irritated that any of her charms and advances were not working.

But Eliot’s eyes were already directed to Raquel.

He was happy when she exited the hall with the women she had been accompanying with. Eliot run to followed her only to get stunned. His world turned darker, when he saw that woman slap Raquel. Hard.

“What the fuck….”

But it did not ended there.

The rage inside his chest was bursting. His wrath awoken, when he saw that woman took off her heeled shoe and smashed it on Raquel’s face.

Eliot flinched, but Raquel did not react as if she had gotten used of the treatment.

Fuck! His fury was evident on his face.

Before he could catch the pair, Raquel and the woman already entered a Lamborghini, and it was driving away. Fast.

Eliot was angry. His madness he couldn’t contain anymore. That’s when Charity saw him.

“Hey—”

“Follow that car!” Eliot was in a rush.

“What—”

“Damn it! I told you to follow that car!”

Charity blinked her eyes, but seeing her cousin out of his cool, she already run to where her Mercedes were parked ‘til they found themselves driving, and following it.

“Who is it? What happened?” Charity was full of questions. “Eliot?”

But the latter was lost, he was still trying to process what he saw.

Is it why Raquel would refuse to talk to him? Is that why she changes? Is it because she was being abused?

Eliot didn’t know what he can do for her, but surely, he would so something for Raquel only if she would accept it.

“Where are you going?” Charity stopped Eliot, when she saw him trying to open her car after she parked it. The Lamborghini they followed enter a gate that was not far from where they are. “Do you realize that you are trespassing, right?”

“I don’t care!” Eliot sighs in utter frustration. “That woman slapped her, Charity! I saw it! She was abusing her—”

“You wouldn’t know once—”

“Fuck!”

He just couldn’t stand it!

When he saw Raquel caressing her swollen cheeks, Eliot had just totally lost it.

“Raquel.” He do not care anymore, even if he’s going to get sued.

His anger doubled. His eyes darkened seeing the bruises on her cheeks and on his hand.

Conscious, Raquel hid it.

“What are you doing here?” She calmly spoke to him.

“I followed you.” Eliot stepped closer to inspect her bruising lips, and Raquel could see the madness swirling on those orbs that belongs to him. “I had no plans to chase after you, or to be here, but I just couldn’t stand seeing your hurt—”

When Eliot lifted his head to meet her eyes, Raquel look scared. She was so pale.

“You should leave.” She pulled herself away from him. “You are not suppose to be here.”

“Raquel.” Eliot frowns.

“Please, leave.” Raquel shook her head. “I’m fine, you don’t need to worry about me—”

But she was cut off hearing her mothers voice.

“Raquel, who are you speaking to?”

“J—just somebody asking for direction, Ma.” As if scared, Raquel pushed Eliot away, and whispered in a hard tone that was begging. “Please, Eliot…”

Seeing Raquel on that state, on a desperate precipice, panicking—Eliot stepped back with a heavy heart, not before placing his calling card to her palms. “If you needed anything, call me. You know where to find me, Raq.”

When they heard footsteps, Eliot quickly run back to Charity’s car. The closed was pushed open.

Raquel’s mother came trotting behind..

“I told you not to talk to strangers, Raquel. Had you forgotten it?” She look strict.

“I’m sorry, Ma.” She hangs her head low as if a submissive puppet the way her mother likes her to be.

But not before Raquel slid Eliot’s calling card on her pocket, hoping for the promises he left.

I could help.

Could he help?

God didn’t answer Eliot’s prayer. No text. No calls came from her.

He laughs bitterly, and drunk the remaining brandy from his glass.

Eliot was never the one who chase, women wooed him, but Raquel was different. She is the only woman who made him felt whole, as if his existence mattered. And when he finally found her, he soon learn that she is married. But the scariest part was….the great Eliot Duke does not even care.