CAMILLEI am surprised she is still here.Obviously not alone as well.Two pairs of eyes stare at me as I walk into the hospital room, judging and questioning without having to say anything.I do not let that bother me because apparently, that is the least of my worries.I still have the documents in the save to worry about, which by the way I did not read.I already had so many pressing issues to deal with, and whatever is in that file scares me, be it good or bad.Maybe when all the current happenings slow down a bit then I can be strong enough to take any new surprises.I don't even think a woman with a child should be this stressed out.'What a surprise, look who we have here' I try to act like I got my shit together and be in control while I greet them, and not stretch my acknowledgement and surprise with a hug – I know better.Having known them for a very long time, I know a meek person always ends up being torn apart with their ever-lashing tongue, and I am not playing that par
SCOTTI did not bargain for this.I had believed without a doubt that coming back and facing work will help me move on and make me too busy to worry about anything else.But staring at the pile of paperwork on my desk made my heart beat with even greater worry and left me with a migraine.The last thing I want to do is go through the financial report my secretary had dropped off on my desk.I already know what to expect.At the top of the files is the one from the Meyers.I did not have to open it to know what was in it. Jake already briefed me on every new development on my way back.Mr Meyer had canceled the contract and wants an immediate refund to his company.I should be worried shit about the slow backslide the company my father spent decades to build, an empire whose foundations have been so strong and rigid until now, but all that is in my mind is the very clear image of a woman and fresh memories I had with her.I have taken my loss and I am trying really hard to move on, but
CAMILLE.Never been more irritated than I was earlier.After several minutes of back and forth with the Parker women, I just could not take it any longer and I went out to get some air.Turns out they do not know about Scott and I and were only surprised by his sudden appearance, wanted to know why exactly he was here and why he would leave like that after donating blood to James.Why do they have to be so annoying?Their presence is becoming so unbearable I wish I never called in the first place, and from the look of things, they don't seem to be leaving anytime soon.Funny talk about being here for James in his weak moment.If I had known that the simple side comments they made the first day James introduced me to them was going to be a lifetime of trial sessions, maybe I would have considered my choice of a husband.But what do they say about love being blind.Well I guess mine made me deaf as well.I want to go home and get away from them, take the time to rest and maybe start app
CHAPTER 36CAMILLEMy luck came in on a Monday morning.The weather was extraordinarily cool, and I had earlier attributed it to the absence of Martha and her daughters.I guess I was wrong and they could not really stay longer than I had imagined in “such a terrible place filled with sick people and disinfectants” as Jenny had put it before they left three days ago.But now, sitting in the little park behind the hospital, I realize why everything looked so alive and vibrant today is because the universe has answered my prayers.I GOT A JOB!!!Okay, nothing fancy to be so loud about but then it was something to start with.I am to work as a receptionist in the Empire hotel, one of the biggest hotels in New York City which accommodates very important personalities.This is a very big step for me and I wish someone was around to share it with.I haven't spoken to Helen since the incident in her house because I haven't fully come around to facing her after what Tyler did.I have made up
CHAPTER 37CAMILLE'What?'I stared at her confused and scared.What has gotten into her? How did she even get in?I know she never needed permission to come here but I never gave her the house keys, so how-My thoughts are distracted when I notice her take a step towards me, the glass still in her hand.What does she want to do?She is my sister, she can't hurt me will she?But I find myself cautiously taking a step back as well.'Don't act dumb Cam, like I don't know what you have been up to''I don't know what you are talking about Helen, can we talk about this in a more approachable manner? Tell me what is going on please?'Did Tyler tell her about the incident?If anything I should be the one who is mad at her for what he did.But will he really tell her that he tried to rape me before I tried defending myself? Will he tell her he hurt me with the same knife he had threatened me with?Something is not right here.'You have James, Camille. You have a wonderful husband who adores y
CHAPTER 38SCOTTI woke up to one of these nightmares again.But this time it felt different.It was so real I actually woke up with a heaviness in my chest like I have really lost something in reality – again.I could not sleep anymore, too scared of what I might see if I slept again.I spent the rest of the morning aimlessly going through some of the files I had brought home from work, but my mind kept getting distracted with thoughts of Lucille and Camille.I have a looming threat of going to court facing my family's business and here I am thinking of two women who were in my life so briefly but left eternal footprints.Talking about home, Dad had sent for me a couple of days ago and I arrived just last night.We haven't had time to talk and I know it is going to be a long one, with me just listening to everything he says because I do not have anything valid to say.I already messed up.Less than two years since the business was put in my care and we are already facing a lawsuit, a
SCOTTI am back to being sixteen again.That is the only way to explain the way I feel now.Although right now the only thing missing is the girl I met in the horse shed.Maybe because she is gone forever and I was always supposed to be with her sister.I could not say anything for a long time while Dad rambled on about the company and about how our alliance will be the perfect solution to both our bproblems.Maya just stood beside him and smiled down at me the whole time with her left hand resting on dad's wheelchair.So he didn't really invite me here for a talk.He already made a conclusion and just wanted to pass on the message.There was no better way to say that he didn't trust me to handle his company well, to say that he didn't trust me enough to make the right decisions.So is this the right decision? To tie me up with my nemesis?Thank you Dad, this is just the best decision ever.'...not just our partner but also your bride'Wait, what?I snapped my head up to look at both
CAMILLEEverything in my life is happening so fast and so bad as well.I woke up days ago after my best friend attacked me in the same hospital my husband is.No one was beside my bed waiting for me to wake up, no flowers or notes.That is how bad things have gotten for me.I was lucky my baby had survived the stress and damages done to me as the nurse had told me when she noticed me feeling my belly.I do not know what I would have done if I had lost it, but one thing is for sure I will never forgive Helen if that happened.Even now, while sitting in the park and letting myself relax in the company of all these other people, I wonder if things will ever be the same between the both of us again.Now the only person I have is James and do not know for how long.If he survives this he might not want this child and what's worse? He might ask for a divorce.What then?I start life all over again but this time without my family, my husband or my best friend.How will I even do that?My who
CAMILLEI wanted so badly to believe that I was wrong, and that my eyes were deceiving me.But it wasn't.It was really James and doctor George.I couldn't peel my eyes away from them as they went towards an empty table opposite where we sat, that seemed to have been reserved for them before they even arrived.What are they doing here right after we just had an argument at home? He didn't even bother to come after me or just call me to make sure I was safe, and the next thing he is meeting with George?'Are you okay?' Emma's mom touched my shoulders and I relaxed into it, taking note of my environment once again.Is everything alright? You look like you have seen a ghost' if only she knew that what I had seen was worse than a ghost situation.'No, of course not, I told you what's going on with me so I just zoned out for a while' I tapped my temples dramatically in a bid to hide my face when I noticed James eyes sweeping the room.My stomach rumbled loudly as I stared at the plate of
CAMILLE'Were you really going to come see us?' the little girl asked as I held her hand while we trotted to the nearest ice cream stand, her mother walking closely beside me. Her gap tooth made her words absolutely different from the normal pronunciations.She looked older and more frail than the last time I saw her, and anyone who saw her might think she is the one undergoing treatment and not her daughter.'Of course I was, you don't believe me?''Well, it was already getting late and if we hadn't seen you in the playground you could have left''Hey, don't be rude to someone who is about to get you chocolates, she might change her mind' her mom chipped in.'Don't worry dear, I was definitely going to come around, I just got some really bad news and I needed quite a while to process it' I assured her and squeezed her hands lightly.'Look, the bus isn't there any longer' at first I didn't understand what she was talking about until my eyes followed the direction of her hands. Truly,
CAMILLEI couldn't believe what I was seeing.The lame and bloodied body lying on the bed in front of me didn't look like the woman I had always loved and shared everything with.She was sleeping when I walked in – or so I thought – until I ran my hand over the bandage on her head and down her hair.She reminded me of what James looked like the first day I had come to see him in the hospital after the accident, and I remember just what I first thought when I saw him in that state – he will never make it.She opened her eyes and her once distraught face glowed with excitement she couldn't really express as she tried to smile.'I was beginning to-' she coughed and I patted her hand and signaled for her to stop talking. 'Thank you so much for coming Camille, you had a choice and you still came''It is okay Helen, come on, we are still friends'She tried to chuckle but ended up coughing again, and I watched with pain as the strongest woman I have ever met, and one I always depended on fo
CAMILLEJames returned home while I was on my way to the hospital.I had received a call from the hospital earlier in the day for Helen Tomas, she had put me down as her emergency contact.Well who else would she have put in that position? - I just hoped she had thought about that before... I don't even want to think about that anymore.I didn't realize just how much I missed him until the doorbell rang while I was just about to step out and I saw him standing there, looking like the man I once knew, the one who always made things work out just for both of us.We didn't need to say a word, we didn't need to explain anything, we just both moved towards each other and he hugged me like he couldn't believe he had left in the first place.I didn't even realize when I began to cry, I just clutched him so tight to my body and promised myself never to let go, ever.This man in front of me loves me and there was no debating that. I was foolish and I was always the selfish one who wouldn't jus
SCOTTWhat does he know>'Hello brother' I tried to play it cool even when my own voice sounded somehow like what Judas' must have sounded like when he sat with the Savior and pretended not to have been making evil plans behind him.'Hello Scott, it's so nice to see you again' he seemed so happy to see me again and I began to relax – not too much though, I still didn't know what to expect.I extended my hand for a handshake but he ignored it and pulled me in for a hug instead.'You look great, seems like ages since I saw you and you look so different, and I a good way of course' he said as he retreated to look at me, eyeing me up and down like a mother would look her child who she hasn't seen in a long while, and I couldn't hide how weird the situation was.I led the way to a lounge close to the window and sat while he followed suit.'I can't say the same about you man, shouldn't you be resting or something? Doesn't look like a long time since you recovered' of course I won't make it
CAMILLEJames wouldn't talk to me, and I understand.But going to stay in his family house with his mom? That is something I will never understand or be comfortable with.Next thing they will be serving me a divorce paper together.I wonder why they haven't done that yet, it's been a week since he moved out after our last fight and none of them has appeared to shame me over what I had done – it felt so unnatural. Something must definitely be wrong somewhere.Was he really at his moms? Or did the James I have known all my life surprisingly decide not to tell his family about the new development?Even with that, I am most certain that he will not last a whole week without his family forcing everything out of him, so it's either he wasn't there or there was no other explanation that could fit.I thought about calling him but I realized just how useless that would be, my calls had been going to voicemail since he left, hoping for a miracle now will only be a waste of time.I had to go ove
SCOTTJames actually came for business – unless I misunderstood his stoic expression and his serious looking appearance.He mentioned nothing about Camille and it was not until the meeting had ended, when Dad invited me to his study for a short meeting that I realized I had nothing to actually prove that I was actually present in the meeting.All through the exchange of pleasantries and good health, I had been focused on the worth, waiting to hear anything related to Camille, and paying little attention to whatever was discussed.No, absolutely not! This time it's not because of love but because I was ready to interrupt him in any way possible if he as much as dared bring up the matter of Camille and I.I couldn't risk him bringing up such a thing even in a small meeting of just seven people. The media will get wind of it somehow and in no time, and it will be the automatic business gossip.“LONDON'S YOUNGEST BACHELOR AND HEIR; LIAM SCOTT HAS JUST RECENTLY BEEN REPORTED TO BE IN A SEC
CAMILLE'How do you know Scott? Is he the father of-' his words trailed off and I wished he would just keep talking. At least to give me enough time to think of the right things to say to myself.But then I had to answer faster, I didn't want to give him any chance to believe what his mind was telling him at that instant.'No, no, Scott has nothing to do with this' His expression didn't give away anything he was thinking at that moment, it was as blank as a new text document, and I didn't know if he believed me or not.One thing that kept ringing in my head was the thought of how good James had always been in reading me like I was an open and comprehensible book. If he couldn't tell that I was lying at that point, then he must have definitely lost his power in the accident.'So how do you know Scott Camille?' I was a bit surprised that he would be more concerned about that than about the pregnancy, but who cares? As long as it bought me enough time.'He came to the hospital about a
SCOTTI have been grounded.Yeah. I am a grown ass adult who has to listen to his father's commands and rely on his fiance's suggestions because every time I make my own decisions everything goes wrong.The last reckless decision I made almost cost me my life, but not that anyone realizes that to be as important as the money the company would have lost, and now I have to stay in doors until the wedding which had already been signed and sealed.'You feeling okay?' I raised my head to see Maya standing by the door to my room, still in her nightgown and with a transparent bottle of milkshake in her hand – wasn't she lactose intolerant?'I am good' I replied, but my tone gave away my uneasiness and true feeling – terrible. 'I was just getting ready for my appointment''You are seeing your therapist again?' she asked, still standing by the door, but I didn't give a reply. It was none of her business by the way, and saving me countless times won't still get her in my good books.She walked