LOGINShare
5: Close to Him
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56I pushed my head back and whispered the same. “Who are you?”
I tried to take the image of the man in front of my face, he was taller than me and has curly hair, a square jaw, and amber eyes. I squinted my eyes and gave him a knotted forehead. “This is my house.”“No, this is obviously my house,” he said in a serious tone as if he was lecturing a five-year-old who doesn’t understand a candy cost money and trespassed on his property.I blinked and pointed at the knob with the key. “But the key fits, I opened the door, this is my house.”He looked at me appraisingly for a moment, The man was about twenty-five and looks like a rugby player, his stature towered me so well that I can hide in his strong muscly body comfortably, it didn’t compare to my fragile little one. “Look here, Miss.”“This is my house.” He kept on staying firm with his words. Playing tough, eh?“I inherited this from my mother who just recently passed away,” I pulled the paper I got from Mr. Stanley and showed it to him, “see? It’s not long enough for my name to be written in the land and property ownership, this is my house.” I emphasized the last sentence clearly and firmly too if that’s what he wants to play.He didn’t even bother to study the paper and just glance at it before returning his gaze to me. “This is my house.”That’s it! I flung my arms and pull my long sleeves up, they’re a bit lose so it’s easy to get them on my elbows. “Let me in my house and we’ll talk about this,” I commanded and didn’t bother to wait for his permission and just entered the house.I was welcomed with a clean open space with a long grey sofa and two wooden chairs with a wooden rectangular center table, the dining table was three steps away from the living room and a show kitchen behind it with a lot of drawers and hanging saucepans was partitioned by a thin wall. I gestured for him to seat on one of the chairs while I settled myself on the sofa expecting to hear a protest from him but he didn’t and just sat on the left chair.I almost made a squeaky sound with my shoes because of the glossy hardwood floors, I crossed my legs and rested my back, masking my surprise with a blank face.“I’m Harriet and the solicitor said my mother left me this house just recently, before she died.” I started, looking down at the shiny floor.The man in front of me made a guttural sound. “I’m sorry for your loss then but I doubt you’re given the wrong information? This is my house, I live here.”I rolled my eyes and showed him the key in my palms. “No, it’s mine, if it doesn’t, why does the key fits?”The man shrugged and gave a sour face as if he suddenly got tired from hearing all my insisting.The sound of a phone vibrating with a piece of calm relaxing music surfaced from his pants pocket, he got alerted and gave me one more dim look. “I don’t know, do I look like I care? This house is mine. End of this.”He stood and walked towards the stairs leaving me hanging from our conversation. I attempted to caught him but my arms grasped only the air, what a fast walker! My face flushed, I went back to my seat and cover my hands with my face. What should I do if I found a man in the house I inherited from my mom? I reached for my phone in my pocket but I hesitated to pull it. I want to call Mr. Stanley and get him here but he was old and fragile, I doubt he’ll jolt and die once he got here.This was more difficult than I thought, how could a man live in the house that my mother owns? Does she know this? Does she keep tabs on this and asked him to pay rent? But Mr. Stanley never said anything. Mom was a logical human; she can be a hoarder and bitchy at times but she wouldn’t miss a chance on telling Mr. Stanley about this not when she knew she was going to put this in her will. A thought cross my mind and I abruptly stood up. A pain on the back of my neck rubbed me from reverie, so I was rubbing it the entire time I walked up to the second floor of the house. I first heard the noise of someone talking before I saw the first door in the hallway was slightly open.I inched towards it and the back of the man that left me in the living room greeted me. I was about to get a hold of the doorknob but I halted when I found him holding a bouquet of white roses and was about to put it on top of a brick chimney.I squinted my eyes and focused on it and recognized it as a tomb. He built a tomb inside MY HOUSE? What the! He stood with his arms on his back and said softly,“I wish you could see this, for so long, a person decided to visit me, a crazy high school girl that claims our house.”He made a small laugh as if insulting me as ‘a crazy high school girl who claims this house’ was a silly joke. Does he not have empathy? I just told him my mom had died and she left this house to me. Doesn’t he know that when the key fits that means it's yours?‘It’s been really long, my darling. When will you see me?’I snorted when he moved aside and the framed painting of a lady that looks like she’s been part of the nineties wearing a white dress with pearl earrings in a vintage background, that answers why this lady doesn’t show up to him. He’s an impudent bastard who doesn’t know empathy. I don’t ask for his acknowledgment for my distress, just empathy, it’s okay if people don’t solace me, it’ll be awkward for me then. I’m not raised with people having to comfort me, Richard doesn’t do that, he joins in the fun with me when I was a kid but he doesn’t care when I’m sad he’d just let me in the corner, sometimes I wonder why he didn’t give me the same attention to my siblings, I understand why he didn’t, now.“Hey!” I almost jumped and bounce like a ball when a hand grabs me from behind and a lady with cat eyes smiled at me.“Who are you?” As I whispered the words a soothing sweet scent traveled to my nose, it was so feminine and mellow that I could dream about pink petals falling on the ground.“Wasn’t I supposed to be the one who asked that?” The lady clasped her hands together, I took a long deep breath and inhaled the scent coming from her. It calms me knowing a lady showed up and gave me a warm smile in this house. It’s like she’s welcoming me into this house with just the scent of her perfume.“I’m Harriet, this is my house.”Related chapters
Exchange Help with Mr. Wolf 6: Second-hand Embarassment
The lady was wearing a mesh pink tutu skirt that almost touched the floor and white ballet flats, a loose white shirt was tucked in the skirt and she wore her black hair in a high ponytail, her cheeks were in a shade of rosy pink and her upturned eyes look sharp with mascara on. “My name’s Harriet, my mother left this house to me," I said in a dignified tone. She might have not believed me because her pink lips twitched but her sharp expression doesn’t change. I offered my hand and she looked at it for a second before accepting it. "Hello, then." “Blake?” The door swung open and the man that talks softly earlier gazed at us. “Yes?” “You’re still here.” He just didn’t ignore Tiffany's answer, but he pointed at my presence like it was a big joke for him that I’m still here. I gave him a frown and straightened my posture. “Why should I leave? This is my house.” The man closed his eyes firmly and ran a hand through his wavy hair before seriously looking at me. “I already told you
Exchange Help with Mr. Wolf 7: Blink Twice
Over a cup of coffee, I watched Tiffany as she told me a story about the legendary wolf with her hands. She looked like my Math Teacher who instructs with both of her hands, as if agreeing also on what she’s supposed to teach, her expression told me that she teaches the lesson already for years, she got a firm and steady eye as she talks and a loud high-pitch voiced that show confidence and never falter. The difference between Tiffany and my math teacher was she doesn’t want to be a math teacher, she failed the entrance exam at a known university in another city and falls into a private college instead, she entered the only available course there and became a math teacher, her demise did well on her in the end when she landed a consistent paying job but the people she knows and her closest friends and family laughed at her secretly as she walks, she’s just another stupid girl who thinks the world revolves on her, but alas! She was slapped with the truth; no matter how much time you c
Exchange Help with Mr. Wolf 8: Cross Over
I reached the road that got me away from the forest, I walked home with my hands on my back and dared not to look back. It was a nightmare going there, Tiffany kid about me looking like the picture in the tomb. It’s like going to the wrong house was not enough embarrassment. “Why not?” Tiffany raised her brow, the way she spoke was something a bit lower than her usual, it's a bit manly, she went to her bedside table and poured tea on a nordic teacup, “I think they gave you access to the house.” She clasped her hands and walked in front of me with so much authority I could suffocate, she lowered her head to match my eyes. “What do you mean?” I inched back, what was she saying and what’s with the sudden change of voice? Tiffany pursed her lips and give me a scalding hot tea some liquid spilled on my lap, “Exactly the words I said.“ She stood and started to take the kit to my side. “You saw it, didn’t you?” She inched into my side and whispered. “The tomb he worshipped. I believed
Exchange Help with Mr. Wolf 9: Persuade Me
Michael Summers likes to play safe. Even before when we were in primary school and decided to play hide and seek. He always hides behind my back and whenever I finished counting to a hundred, we’ll switch and he’ll be the seeker. But as I read his expression right now, I can’t help but judge him. “You followed me?” The words I spouted were full of spite, I can’t even feel I’m me right now, all I could sense was the color black and red. Back when I was a child, I was humming while walking and holding a white plastic bag in both hands, the road to our house was solemn, even though it was just nearing evening. There were funeral homes on the west road before I took a swerve to the right, I don’t like walking home alone but it can’t be helped, Ashton and Andrea were still small and need attention always. "What are you doing Harriet?! You should've searched for your real father, not gone into the woods and disappeared like that!" Michael was mad, and moments like how I handle this was
Exchange Help with Mr. Wolf 10: Undying Support
"Harriet! Where do you think you're going?" Michael roared. But I was unstoppable. I pulled out the bag we used for camping and walked toward the cemented road. "Anywhere just not here, Michael," I shrieked, tears spilling from my eyes. I crunched my nose when I felt Michael's pulling my bag. "Don't you dare stop me, you idiot!" I'm hauling my bag back but he was too, I thought about what the result would be. My clothes will be scattered on the ground.I gave my hardest pull and was ready to march away but stopped when Michael said something that was beyond unreasonable. "Harriet! You could live with me! I love you!" I could turn and face Michael to give a horrifying look but my feet feels like they were planted with stones on the ground. It's heavy, my bag's heavy, and my body feels like twice my weight. I don't like this feeling, I never felt the same towards Michael. I always looked at him as someone that has the same level as Ashton and Andrea. He was a little brother, my st
Exchange Help with Mr. Wolf 11: Companions
I know I told myself to forget this rotten house, but here I am. Living alone was never an option, I'm always used to waking up to family, drinking drip coffee with family, and eating with family, at home... Family is the definition of home for me, but now I guess I'll be living alone and going to strive hard to make the farmhouse liveable again. This time, I have to start all over again, I woke up feeling sore all over, the hardwood floor I covered with some of my long clothes was so cold last night that I thought I'm in a dream that only say the words: "come live with me". I must be going crazy who would want to live with me? Surely, my family's out on the choices. I was finding someone to blame, I could only think of them, they made me live here. My mom in particular, but there's no point on blaming the death, wasn;t it?I exerted all my muscles to stand and went to the kitchen. The floorplan was simple, there were two bedrooms on the second floor, a living room and a kitchen and
Exchange Help with Mr. Wolf 12: Midnight Fire
“I told you, you could stay with me,” he snarled and I almost imagine him transforming into his wolf form with sharp fangs and fiery amber eyes like what the people talked about. I blinked a few times and covered myself with the top I’m supposed to be wearing. I’m just wearing a black bra, what a wrong timing for him to barge at the balcony. “You mean, you’re the one who whispered? I’m not hallucinating?” He steps forward and I almost tore the top I’m holding just for him not to see any part of my body, well, it’s dark, and the moon just gives off enough light for our shadows, but I could still feel his breath fanning over me, it means his already in front of me. I bent back and my feet step on something sharp. As if it was a desperate call to avoid him, I remember I have a rendezvous with Audillon. “What do you want from me?” I faced him with the courage I muster up for years. “The first time we met, you made clear that I can’t take a step to your house forever, what made you thi
Exchange Help with Mr. Wolf 13: Danger Zone
"Who did this to my car?!" Richard was walking back and forth like an insane person while his mistress was struggling to get the water hose. It's so satisfying to watch them, much more when the two meet and hit each other’s faces, the mistress got wet when she don't know that the hose opens up when pushing the trigger so she didn't know she pushed it while pointing it at her face. "Get water, you stupid wench!" "I'm getting it, why don't you help me!" "You noisy pest, don't you dare command me!" The car's still burning and they look like two idiots shouting on each other’s throats. They've been running around like a bee in hysteria and I've been smirking all the time."Where do you live?" I enjoyed watching them that I didn't notice Audillon coming to me, not a smear of anxiety on his face, as if he didn't burn a car a few minutes ago. "Why? There's no need to do that. You could just leave me where you met me," I replied. "Are you going to go back to school now?" Roaming my eye
Latest chapter
Exchange Help with Mr. Wolf Epilogue (Part 2)
Ahhh…I should just choose to stay in the town where I was raised, in the house of my father, and watched Priti grow, I want to say to everyone that I’m honored to have her as a sister. I should just forget about the wolves and didn’t force to see the ending, who was my real parents, and why Artha steal me from my birth mother. I shouldn’t stay curious, I should just stay silent and uphold my peace. Then, I wouldn’t have to witness a fire, and blood spilled in the air, if only I didn’t get angry and pursued revenge on my father, I wouldn’t have had to meet the legendary wolf. Maybe that’s his reason all along. He wanted me to stay by his side until he found my birth mother. He had to lie about his love story and keep secrets from me, and on the paper, I saw his name signed aside from the blank that I needed to sign. It just meant that he now let me become his neighbor. That was ironic. The house burned down, and I almost lived in his mansion for how long, it’s a pity that it was b
Exchange Help with Mr. Wolf Epilogue (Part 1)
Just like any other movie or story – it must end. The bad guy finally sprouted like a mushroom, I conversed with him, he plotted murder, and he was so ugly. Because of my coercion, he took me on his journey, with the help of others of course, Lea was pushing my wheelchair while Azi and Neneuis were on my side, and Blake and Tyler lead the way. “It’s not like I’m doing this for you. That idiot brother of Tyler killed someone close to me too.” Neneuis made clear while they were walking to enter the forest, I’m wheelchair-bound for the rest of my life, so Lea just wheeled me. “You’re pertaining to Lukas, right?” I replied, confident that she was talking about him because there’s only him, right?Neneuis smirked. “Not entirely, I’m doing this for myself also,” she said, then walked past us. Her outfit was back to the emo girl that I first met, she was wearing a black square-neck sleeveless blouse tucked in a brown wrap-around skirt and a black belt hugging her legs, because of her sh
Exchange Help with Mr. Wolf Chapter 91: Last Chapter
They knew… I returned to the room acting so scared and so cold, I fear for my future all of a sudden. They need to have a valuable reason why they didn’t tell me about my mother or else… Or else I’ll be seriously mad. I came back to bed with so many thoughts in my head and a heavy heart. It’s not that I don’t know they’ve been hiding secrets, I know, it’s not like a person can live without hiding secrets from anyone, I believed we have three faces, and that also comes with secrets, we have private secrets, secrets we only knew, like for example in our body, I have three moles in my back, and I can be naughty at home, and be friendly and shy at school. There were secrets we could not tell everyone, that’s just part of life and I respect that. But I didn’t know the secrets they hold were deeper than a well on a hot spring. I didn’t know it held the truth in me. They know who my birth parents were. I’m anticipating to know, yet I also don’t want to know. My other problem, on Phi
Exchange Help with Mr. Wolf Chapter 90: Vendetta
I was blind. I knew there was something behind his force smile, and his gestures, and all. But who am I not to pull on security when I don’t know what to believe. Am I going to trust him or his brother? Who’s telling the truth? Of course, the rational sense to believe on someone was with Tyler, I should’ve believed in him and maybe the night won’t end so bland, I enjoyed the longest time with him, and I’m happy and at peace compared to his brother who I just met, he said he lurks in the shadows and have a creepy conversation with me at one moment, it sure gives me a warning sign and I almost believed in him. But who am I to believe Tyler was the one killing my friends? He clearly denied it and I wanted to believe him so bad but I couldn’t agree with him at that night, there’s a voice saying I should not, obviously part of that was the last words of Lukas. “Harriet, whatever his brother said to you, believe him.” What kind of sentence was that? Why does it have a double meaning
Exchange Help with Mr. Wolf Chapter 89: Trusting You
I tried to asked him what he meant but he closes his eyes and I froze, that’s it? I leaned down to his chest but I didn’t feel a heartbeat, I wiped the tears from the back of my hand, I’m not disappointed, I just realized that this was more painful than learning your mother had died. In this, I witnessed him catch his last breath, he told me his last word, I was with him just a moment ago, why did it have to happen like this? Then I remember, the headlights that focused on us, my tears-stricken face turned around, the smoke and mist lights up from the headlights, dusts and particles made me realize that it was cold and it was night, no one’s supposed to be roaming around, but me, and the one who killed Lukas. I narrowed my eyes and focused onto the man who was on the car, like me, he was also frozen on his seat, I stood up and step forward, trying to recognize who was he. The road ends up at the beginning of the alleyway, it was a dead end here, if he did not purposedly drive on
Exchange Help with Mr. Wolf Chapter 88: No One's Getting Killed
My unexpected visit to my stepfather ended. The sky was getting dark when we reached outside. Now for the problem… “We don’t have a place to stay.” I sighed, feeling the warmth the air has blown opposite us. “We can go our separate ways and find a place,” Lukas suggested. I stared at him long enough to think that I’m positive he wouldn’t get killed, because Tyler’s brother was wrong, Lukas lost his memories, and Tyler wouldn’t kill someone with the same breed as his. No one’s getting killed, why am I so convinced and calm at the fact that Tyler was killing my friends? No one’s getting killed, I repeated. Tyler’s brother was wrong. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. “Okay,” I agreed to what Lukas suggested, so he flew away while I watched his back disappear, I was about to walk on to the opposite direction too, but someone called my name again. My father has three footsteps now, but that made him more of a slow-walker—sign of aging. “Harriet, I forgot to give you this,” my stepfa
Exchange Help with Mr. Wolf Chapter 87: My Stepfather
The man has a wooden crane with a gold head of an eagle that speaks of how he became rich after he banished all his children. Was this really what it’s like to be a grown-up? You’re just suddenly tired from all the drama because it seems that it only repeats; it’s a life cycle, after the happiness, comes sadness, then happiness again then sadness, over and over, until you’re worn out until you question everything if it’s worth it until you couldn’t care less if someone leaves or dies. Life’s becoming dreadful for me, but to the man in front of me, it was the opposite, I can say that he doesn’t miss his children one bit. I’m not jealous of Priti and Genevieve. As much as I don’t like it, he married her and has a baby. Priti deserves the thing that we, his children, didn’t taste. At least give Priti a father that won’t leave when the mother dies, give her all that you can, and never lie to her. “Hey, you looked pale.” Lukas nudged me,
Exchange Help with Mr. Wolf Chapter 86: Pretty Flowers
My plan was after Lukas and I left the place of the wolves and came back to the town where I really belong was to hunt down for a place to stay. But I’m with someone who has lost his memory, and the gazes of people as they passed by us irks me. It was still fresh on them, that I lost my mom and rebel and came to the woods and I met the legendary wolf. I was fiddling with the online cash I had with my phone when Lukas tugged the hem of my sleeves. “Let’s eat something.” I stared at Lukas. It was on cue that his stomach grumbled, so I gave in. I fished my wallet and was about to head to a café, but then I remembered, they’re the type of wolves that eat fresh meat. “What? Why? Aren’t we eating?” “Yes,” I faced the direction of the supermarket instead, “let’s go buy some fresh meat,” I declared and started walking, but the guy with me didn’t even take a step. “I’m okay with just waffles, what you eat.” But the guilt in me resided, I turned to face him again and remembered that h
Exchange Help with Mr. Wolf Chapter 85: Apology
“Harriet, we’re sorry we’ve done something bad to you.” It was late in the afternoon, and we have just returned from the psychiatric hospital, I was about to swerve and go to Joshua’s place when I reached the house of Neneuis and others, his house was just behind them but Azi and Lea showed up in the front porch and approached me. I was with Joshua all day, so I turned to him with utmost confusion. He just shrugged and motioned Blake and Tyler to emerge from the door. “Harriet, are you okay?” Blake sounded so worried, he was in his guy form, I guess his feeling guilty because earlier, at dawn, when I met him with his second form – Tiffany, she was so elegant like she just went to a party with the elites, turned out it was true, I learned that because her tongue slipped when she saw me with Joshua at breakfast, she was with Tyler, and they attend a charity ball along with other businessmen, and she tagged along as his date. I’m not mad or jealous, in fact, I’m relieved that the gir
