MAURICE'S POVI turned around to look at Lucy. Why did she choose now to do this? What was she trying to prove? I had already explained everything to her before we arrived here. Why was she trying to be stubborn?I glanced at Glenda who had her red, teary curious eyes on me before returning my gaze to Lucy.“Not now Lucy.” I said calmly.“It can't wait. It's important.” She insisted defiantly.I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to calm myself. “Okay. I'll be back shortly.” I said to her and continued leading Glenda up the stairs.Glenda glanced behind at Lucy, then at me before she moved her feet forward. I averted meeting her gaze. I knew they would only be filled with questions. Questions I couldn't yet give answers to.“I'm sorry. Glenda, I'm sorry. Sorry for not being here with you. Sorry for not being a shoulder to cry on. Sorry for not calling you.” I blabbered away once I got Glenda into our room and settled her on the mattress.She was seated at the edge of the bed and I
BRIAN'S POV“That was too much. You shouldn't have stopped her from attending the funeral. He was her father.” I calmly reprimanded Aunt Helena.After taking Glenda in and she ran to embrace my father, I snuck out to call Aunt Helena.“”If I had known this was what you planned, I wouldn't have brought her along.” “You did a good job bringing her.” Aunt Helena commended.“You caused her too much pain. It was too much for her to suffer.”“That's exactly how I want her to suffer!” Aunt Helena's tone had a sharp satisfying edge to it.“She should feel the pain her miserable mother caused me and my daughter. That witch made Elsa grow up without her father. My stupid husband loved my brother's wife more than his own family! He was willing to do anything for that she-fox! Even die for her, which he did. I hope he rot in hell with her!” She spat. Her anger was rising.She was getting furious. I could tell by the tone of her voice. Earlier, she had refused to tell me the actual reason for the
GLENDA'S POV I stirred awake and heaved deeply. I had cried for most part of yesterday and it had exhausted me. But surprisingly, I had slept well. I felt well rested. It was more rest than I had gotten in the past few days. I smiled to myself as I recalled the reason for my good rest. “That's a beautiful sight to wake up to everyday. Feels good to see you smile.” Maurice's breath was warm against my face. I managed a shy smile. “I've told you to stop watching me sleep.” “You're too tempting. It's hard to stop.” I chuckled. Maurice was going to start his naughty jokes now. But his tone was serious and lacked the usual teasing that often clothed his words. “You cease every opportunity to tease me, don't you?” I joked. A playful smile splayed my lips. I expected him to come back with another tease directed at me, but there was nothing from Maurice. I looked into his eyes and there was sadness. Nothing like the usual joyous mischief in his eyes. It was very unlike him in the
MAURICE'S POVGlenda's silence was killing me. She didn't say anything. She just sat there in utter shock. It was as though she turned into a statue after hearing the news.“Won't you congratulate me?” Lucy's mocking voice cut through the sickening silence.“Lucy!” My voice was icy, hard and menacing.The stupid girl didn't even allow me to break the news to Glenda myself. How could she just blurt that out so recklessly? I wanted to make Glenda understand that this was a mistake and that she should see it as only that. A mistake.“What?” Lucy feigned innocence. “Having a baby is good news. Good news deserving of congratulatory greetings… I didn't say anything wrong.” She defended. But everyone present at the table could read the sarcasm embedded in her words.I tutted and ignored her. I turned to Glenda whose face was now drenched with tears. I shut my eyes regretfully. Seeing her like this and knowing that I was the cause of her suffering made me hate myself.“Glen…” I tried to call
GLENDA'S POV The squabble between Brian and Lucy itched my ears and disrupted my thoughts. I just wanted to leave from there.In that moment, I felt like I was being watched. I knew I wasn't mistaken when I raised my eyes to find Maurice staring intently at me. I took a deep breath, wiped my face clean, smoothed my hand over my dress and without uttering a word to him, I turned around and left.I headed straight to Maurice's room. The room I had begun sharing with him. The room we had made ours as husband and wife. I felt like a guest in it. A guest whose visit has come to an end.I set about and began gathering my things. The Lucy I knew would want this room for herself just because she was pregnant. She would assume the place of Maurice's wife.And at this point, I wasn't even certain of my position with Maurice. I wasn't certain if I still had a place in his life. If I even ever had a place in his life.I was so consumed by the thoughts swirling through my mind that I didn't hear
MAURICE'S POV"Dad... Dad... Maurice!"I jolted and stared at Brian wide-eyed. His face was turned up in an irate expression."Um... What did you say?" I asked, trying to hide the fact that I had not been listening.Brian had been saying something and I wasn't paying any attention. I was so distant and lost in my thoughts.I took a minute to comport myself. The events of the past few days were taking a toll on me and I was zoning out too often. I peeled my eyes up at Brian who had been intently observing me. He was giving me a berating look.Brian. My son. I sighed deeply. Everything was in a total mess and I was so confused on where to start."Sorry." I apologized. "I wasn't listening.""That was obvious. I guess having a wife and a pregnant mistress isn't going as easy as you thought it would." Why did he always do this? He always spoke without reasoning, blurting out the first stupid sentence that pops up in his mind. One thing I was at least certain of was that he didn't inherit
GLENDA'S POVLucy was a constant disturbance. She was always wanting something from Maurice under the guise of her being pregnant. And for some inexplicable reason, Maurice was always too quick to indulge her.I was beginning to feel lonely, left out and abandoned. I saw Maurice everyday, but we barely talked. The situation was even more difficult than I envisioned.I stood by the kitchen island, absent-mindedly staring at the mess I had made in Nora's perfectly clean sink. The water I had come for, had spilled over it and I knew just how much Nora hated that. I took note to ensure that I cleaned up after."You're still here."I raised my head in the direction of the voice, Lucy was inclined against the door. Her hand crossed over her chest.I glanced at her, ignored her and set about returning the glass to its place in the cabinet. I jerked in shock when I turned to see Lucy behind me, so close.She was smiling eerily. "Did I scare you?"I was exhausted and had no energy to deal wit
MAURICE'S POV"Are you even listening to me?" Sam's agitation was evident in his voice.The pattern of me zoning out on people talking to me was becoming a habit. Too much was going on in my mind."I'm sorry, bro. What were you saying?""You are doing this too often." He commented. "Why are you distant? Did something else happen?"I sighed, unsure if I should keep bothering Sam with my many problems and complicated life. "How is Glenda?" Sam asked, worry etched in his voice.He was always too quick to ask about Glenda. Why he thought she was the only one who had trouble with everything going on baffled me. I couldn't understand why he never once thought that maybe Glenda was the one causing us trouble."She is changing, Sam." I began."Changing?... How?""Just yesterday, I found her twisting Lucy's wrist in the kitchen. Lucy was practically in tears, but Glenda wasn't letting go. I could never have imagined her to behave in such a manner.""And what did she tell you?" Sam asked."Luc
GLENDA'S POV I didn't want to accept how foolish I had been. How gullible I was. How blindingly trusting I was. “Elsa, please tell me this is all not true. Tell me this is all a prank. Say it. Laugh all this off… Say you're joking!” I yelled at her. I shook my head as though doing that would dispel everything that I had heard. “You are a liar! I don't believe you!” I broke into a sob. “I trusted you, Elsa. I loved you! I trusted you!... You were my sister! That's how much I cherished you.” I spilled through my teary, pain-filled voice. “And I hate you! I hate you Glenda! I hate you!” She countered, panting with dark rage. The room was filled with the heat of the hate emanating from her. The stench of her loath towards me was palpable in the ambience of the room. It felt so surreal. Like acting out a scene with the evil villain. Only, this was far from a dream or a movie. It was my sick reality. I could never have thought Elsa, whom I considered akin to my sister, harbored su
MAURICE POV It was a long drive. It had been two hours ago since Lucy agreed to take me to the place she talked about, yet we still hadn't reached. We kept taking neverending turns and corners. “Are we there yet?” I asked like an impatient child eager to reach the park sooner. “No. It's right up that corner.” Lucy replied. “How many more corners are we going to take?” Exasperation embellished my tone. “How did you even come to know about this place?” I asked out of my impatience and eagerness to quickly reach Glenda. The long hours of driving was beginning to make me rethink my decision. I couldn't help but begin to consider that this may be a ploy to distract me. “Um, he brought me here one time when we needed to talk privately. This is his hideout.” she spoke shyly. From the sound of her voice and the expression on her face, I understood that this was where they came to do all their plotting. Could Brian and Lucy still be working together? Could this also be one of
BRIAN'S POVI repeatedly slapped the passport against my palm, relishing in immense satisfaction as I walked to my car. It had taken longer than I had anticipated to get it done but I was finally holding it. My ticket to leave this place without being spotted by anyone.Best part, I was taking the woman I love along. Everything was falling into place. I smiled to myself as I got in my car. Aunt Helena had no idea how smart I could be. By the time she'll realize anything, we'd be long gone. Far long gone! To a place where no one can ever find us! Our disappearance would be a huge disappointment to Aunt Helena. It would put a big hole in her plans.As I sat in my car, my hand rested idling on the steering wheel. I gaze through the windshield, staring fixated at nothing ahead, my mind traveling back to that day at the hospital.★★★Flash back★★★“I've lost him.” She was crying profusely. “We failed.”I glanced over to Lucy curled on the gurney, an irritated look draped my expression.
GLENDA'S POV “Don't you want to hear my story?” She asked, pouting her lips, feigning childish annoyance. I was finding it difficult to understand everything going on. I had never seen this side of Elsa. She looked like some deranged psychopath. “Elsa. What…” I could barely formulate my thoughts into words before a forceful, painful sting shot through me. The electric sensation began from the cheek of my face, spreading pain, surprise and fear through my body. I stared at Elsa in utter disbelief. Did she… Did she just slap me? “You don't get to ask the questions.” She commanded in an icy tone. “Now, back to the story.” The iciness in her voice disappeared almost immediately as it had appeared. She was acting like a person with multiple personalities. I stared at her speechlessly, still reeling from the pain of the slap she had given me. She cleared her throat and began. “There was a beautiful woman who fell in love with a man. But sadly, the man did not return the woman’s love
MAURICE'S POV I walked back into the house taking quick long angry strides heading back to my study. My face contoured into a growl as I muttered angrily to myself.“Did they find her?” A voice asked.I stopped and turned. I hadn't noticed the presence of anyone seated in the living room. Nora materialized before me. “Has she been found?” She asked again. Worry and anticipation embellished her expression.The eagerness in her gaze only added to my fury. It was a stupid lead. A total waste of my time. Utterly pointless!There was no trace of Glenda where they had thought they had a lead. I wondered what their team was doing as regards to this case. Absolutely nothing! And my infuriation was growing with each passing time.I averted her gaze. I was too pissed to break the bad news to her. I scanned the area of the living room and then set my gaze on Lucy.“Why are you still here?” I interrogated her icily.She seemed to cower under my demeaning stare.“I was concerned.” Her voice was
GLENDA'S POV She came closer and sat beside me, darting her head behind her constantly as though checking if she was being followed. “I knew I'd find you here.” She whispered. Her alert gaze roved around the room. Oh thank Goodness! Finally someone was here to help me. “Elsa… Elsa.” I called out weakly, a tinge of excitement and hope adorned my gruff voice. “Elsa. Brian. Please get me out of here.” I mumbled. “I know.” She whispered in response and placed her right index finger over her lips. “Keep it down.” She darted behind her again. I immediately understood. We needed to stay quiet so we didn't alert my captor. I nodded vigorously to the best of meager strength. “Don't worry, I'll get you out of here.” She reassured me and tried to help me sit up. “You're weak.” She commented. She struggled to lift my limp body. It didn't help that I couldn't assist her by at least raising myself. Whatever Brian had been feeding me was still working actively inside me. “He has been feedi
MAURICE'S POVI took the next available flight back to London. All the while keeping constant communication with Nora regarding Glenda's return.I could feel it in my guts that Glenda was in trouble. It was confirmed when I returned late that night and Glenda was still nowhere to be found.There was no trace of her except for the blood that stained the vanity table and the telltale of someone being dragged on the floor.Incompetent staffs! How could someone enter the house without being noticed? Were they all asleep?I wasted no time informing the police. The evidence present, all pointed to the fact that Glenda has been kidnapped and investigations kicked off immediately.That was three days ago. Three days since the investigation to determine Glenda's whereabouts began and three days of no result.No one knew how she left the house. No one had seen her and no one knew who had abducted her. It was all too mysterious.So chaotic that it turned me into a frantic mess. Not knowing the
GLENDA'S POV A loud thumping sound woke me from the darkness I was floating in. It seemed to grow louder, increasing in its disturbing volume. I felt dizzy, hazy, like a clouded mist. I tried to move but my limbs felt too heavy to comply. Slowly, I fluttered my eyelids open. I was welcomed by a dim yellow light shining brightly beside me. I shut back my eyes. My head was aching badly. I tried to move again, propel myself and access my environment, but the aching weight in my head kept pulling me down. I shut my eyes and cursed at my failed attempt. I opened my eyes again and squinted past the yellow light to look around my environment. My eyes roved over the strange and unfamiliar setting. This was not my room. Where was I? How did I get here? The throbbing pain in my head increased as I tried to remember. Such a simple task brought me such intense pain. After a minute of trying, the memories came flooding into my mind. The bathroom. The feeling that I was being watched. The fe
MAURICE'S POV“What do you mean by you can't find Glenda? Isn't she at home?” My cold voice shot at Nora.I had just checked into my hotel room and was calling to inform Glenda. Her phone had been ringing non-stop with no response. I did try calling her earlier too when my flight landed but there was no response either. I assumed she must have been napping or up to something that kept her busy.Regardless, I expected her to be with her phone and to return my call at the earliest. I took some time to get myself settled and tried calling her again.Feeling frustrated after several attempts of being unable to reach Glenda, I called the house line only for Nora to tell me that Glenda wasn't home.“I just came from her room. She asked me to make dinner and that she'll come down to have it. That was four hours ago. The food was getting cold, so I went upstairs to inquire from her if she had changed her mind regarding dinner. But she wasn't there.” Nora explained over the phone.I found her