MELISSA’S POV The wailing of sirens filled the air. At long last, the paramedics were here. I wiped the tears on my face before turning to look in the way of the ambulance. “Hang in there okay, you'll be treated soon,” I said in a tone that was so comforting for someone I claim to hate. The crowd pointed in our direction and the ambulance also followed along. Some men in their uniforms brought out a wheel bed that had IV drips attached to it. When they reached our side, they carried Listowel from my lap and put him on the bed before moving him to the car. “Are you coming along?” one of them asked when he realized I was standing still staring at them with tears in my eyes. “Yes, yes,” I responded before rushing to board the ambulance as well. In the ambulance, I knelt beside him while rubbing the back of his palms. Staring at Listowel’s face, a pang of guilt pierced through my heart causing me to pray silently that nothing bad happens to him. WENDY’S POV Laying do
WENDY’S POV Clinton attempted to calm me down but I didn't budge. Not until I have gotten to know why the person saved Melissa. “Is there a possibility that it was deliberate or perhaps an accident?” This question kept pricking my mind several times so I knew I had to get answers to it by hook or crook. Grabbing my phone, “Enter his number,” I demanded, shoving it into Clinton’s hands. “Whose number?” my blood started boiling as he asked. I cut him a deadly glare which immediately got him back to his senses. His fingers tapped lightly on the keyboard as he entered his boy’s contact. Snatching the phone and pressing it to my ears, I rushed my hands through my hair as I waited for him to answer. Soon, “Hello?” Clinton’s guy deep voice resounded from the other line. “Yeah… it's Wendy. Can you give me more details on the guy that came to save Melissa? Was it an accident or deliberate action?” “Ummm… I can't tell if he is related to the Melissa girl or whatever her na
MELISSA’S POV “You will need to wait here, ma’am.” This is what the doctor had told me when they sent Listowel to the theatre two hours ago. I had to sign the authorization form by myself. Just as Listowel had instructed. He refused to give out any of his relative's contacts so I just had to do it. My left foot consistently tapped on the floor as I anxiously waited for the operation to be over. Everything in me can attest to the fact that this is the longest two hours of my life. I've been staring at the entrance to the Theatre for hours now, hoping that at least a nurse would walk through the door and tell me Listowel is fine. Just when I was about to avert my gaze, the door finally swung open. My heart leaped into my throat as I stood up on my feet and rushed towards the doctor. “How is he doing? Is he still in pain?” The words flew out of my mouth as fast as I thought of it. “Please calm down. Mr. Gordon is stable now.” The nurse revealed and I instantly felt as i
MELISSA’S POV My fingers halted in their tracks as Listowel’s eyes suddenly flared open. Without a second thought, I withdrew my hands from his face but he managed to hold my wrist mid-air. “Could it be that he heard me?” I thought in my head as I tried to wrestle myself free from his grip. Clearing my throat, “you're awake?” I nervously asked, my voice shaking. A smile swept across Listowel’s face as his gaze swung left and right on my face. “You… you’re here,” he mumbled. I felt relieved as soon as his deep voice hit my ears. My vision was blurred with tears as I answered him, “Of course I will be here. You nearly died because of me, you idiot.” The smile on his face broadened and something flickered in his eyes when he noticed that I was crying. “Why are you crying? Which of us is the patient here?” he teased. Sniffing back, I replied, “I’m not crying. It just… hormones..” His hand shot up, wiping the tears from the corner of my eyes. “Melissa,” he weakly mention
LISTOWEL’S POV I sat upright on my bed, scrolling through my phone as Melissa also lay down on the couch. I noticed the stress drawn all over her face so I asked her to sleep for a while. My mind trailed back to the sheet Melissa had handed to me earlier. When Melissa asked me if it was content, I had lied to her that it wasn’t anything important and that the jerk who had poured the acid on me was probably writing a love letter to his lover. Melissa didn’t press further. We only laughed it off and I guess I was able to convince myself it is no big deal. When in actual fact, my heart has been pounding with rage. I’ve always known Wendy to be a bitter person but I never expected her to go to the extent of deforming someone. Paying someone to deform a rival is no different from murder. If she had the mind to do this, killing off someone would be a small thing for her. Since the criminal is on the run, I might not get anything to use against her. No. I have to catch tha
A few minutes after assisting Listowel to climb back into his bed, the nurse from earlier entered, her breath rugged. As soon as her eyes fell on me, she asked, “Oh miss.. where have you been? I was looking everywhere for you. I thought you’ve even left your boyfriend behind ....” Listowel and I looked at each other’s faces before I turned back at the nurse. “Oh, I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I just stepped out for fresh air. Also, we are not a couple. He’s not my boyfriend. We’re just acquainted,” I clarified with a straight face. “Sorry, ma’am. My mistake..” “It is fine dear.” By the way, the doctor has a message for you. “Me?” I asked, stunned. “Yes, please. I will do you the honor and break it to you since he’s not here..,” Sure.” Considering Mr. Gordon’s current condition, she commenced, ” The doctor thinks it will be best to have someone he’s familiar with to assist with this recovery at home even if it is just tonight. Since you’re already h
WENDY’S POV I've been refreshing my phone for the past two hours, hoping to come across an article covering LISTOWEL’S injury. But not even a single article was published about him. Heaving a sigh for the nth today, I tossed my phone aside and leaned into the chair. The utterance I had with Clinton filled my memory as I closed my eyes. Clinton was adamant about not allowing me to go out not to even talk of going to the hospital. He locked the room and threw the keys into his pockets, but I was still not having it. I wanted to go out and see how Listowel was doing. It took the intervention of an attendant at the hotel who came to open the with spare keys after hearing me bang on the door for help; to I was able to go out. I was even more pissed when I realized, Clinton, in fact, wasn't concerned about my safety at all. He only needed me to stay put so that his so-called, “competent” boy won’t be in trouble. I stormed out of the guest and headed to the hospital. Bani Me
WENDY’S POV It’s been fifteen minutes since I came to the Gordon Mansion. Grandma and I have been waiting for feedback from his men for a while now but still nothing. The old lady has been pacing up and down, asking for the progress of their search every three minutes. A buzz from her phone garnered our attention. We all turned our heads in the direction of the phone, anticipating what it was. Grandma picked it up and her face lightened up as she read what was on the screen. From her expression, I could tell it was good news. The men might have been able to locate Listowel. Just then, “They’ve found him!” She exclaimed with joy. “Really? Where is he?” I asked with a broad smile. But within me, I could feel my anxiety bubbling up. They said he was—.” She was still talking when her phone rang, causing her to pause. She gestured for me to hold on before swiping on the phone screen to answer the call. “Alright, that’s good. Tell him to call me when he’s changed. Bye
MELISSA’S POV I was thrown back to reality as Listowel left. The rooms became eerily silent, just like it has always been. Maybe I needed a partner after all. Even though allowing Listowel to come here was a bad idea, his presence made this house feel like home. While he was busily attending to my knees, one of the many thoughts that was swirling in my mind was my imagination of how perfect it would have been if we were an actual couple. I imagined how fun life would have been if Listowel knew about Crystal and we were actually living together. I couldn’t help but envisage how lovely our family would have been if only I were not a contract wife to Listowel but his real wife and there wasn’t any such person like Wendy in the picture. “How would have life been?” I thought aloud as I stood up on my feet. Heaving a sigh, I glanced at the center table, grabbed the remote, turned off the lights in the living room, and headed to my washroom. I needed to take a quick shower befor
MELISSA’S POV Moments later, “There…. It's all done.” Listowel said, raising his gaze to meet mine. He had finished wrapping the bandage neatly around my knee. He cut off the excess bandage and asked me to stretch my legs. “Yeah… stretch it a bit forward. Do you feel any unease there?” he asked, probably making sure that he hadn't wrapped the bandage tight. “No. It is fine..” I responded, stretching my legs as he instructed. “We are all done then. Let me throw out the water and arrange the place before I go.” Listowel said while standing up on his feet. He strolled to the kitchen and attempted to pour the water into the sink. “No...no…” I said gesturing for him to send it to the sink in the guest bathroom rather. Some people may not see it as a big deal but I don’t find it hygienic to pour water filled with all those blood cells and other bacteria into my kitchen sink. Without any debate, Listowel did as I said as he turned and headed to the guest bathroom. I don
MELISSA’S POV “Thank you for your help. I think I can carry on from here,” I said as soon as Listowel set me down in front of my house. I can't believe he actually held me in his arms from the crime scene up to my house. Even in the elevator when I requested for him to put me down, he insisted otherwise. “I’m not leaving you here until I make sure you're good,” he said, his eyes trailing to my knee which he had tied with a singlet earlier on. “Do you need your singlet? I will dry-clean it and return it to you if you want. Better still, I could get you a new one….” I said and feigned ignorance, acting as if I didn't understand what he meant. “I’m. Not. Talking. About no damn underwear. I just want to go in there with you. Treat your wound. Put you to rest. And go back to my house. Simple.” A scoff escaped my lips as I asked, “Why would you want to go inside my —” My words caught in my throat when Listowel snatched my card and used it to unlock the door. He opened th
MELISSA’S POV My eyes flickered when met with at of the figures before me. It was Listowel. He quickly rushed to my side. Pulling me into a tight embrace, “Are you okay?..” he asked, his breath rugged from the sprint he might have taken to get here. I let out a sigh of relief as his warm body touched mine. His body frame was big, especially his chest, so I felt like a child in his arms. Sniffling, “yeah… I’m okay” I nodded before answering. Running his hands gently through my hair, “I’m so sorry, I couldn’t find you on time. So sorry,” he whispered over my shoulders. He gently pulled me from his hold, caressed my checks, and asked in a low tone, “Did he do anything to you?” With tears streaming down my face like a free fall, I shook my head in disagreement. “Thank God. I was so scared,” he admitted before pulling me into a hug again. A sharp pain pierced through the cut on my knees, causing me to wince, “Ouch…” “What's wrong??” Listowel asked, his voice laced
MELISSA’S POV Clutching my bag tightly, my eyes darted sideways as I tried to confirm if someone was indeed following me. My breath hitched in my throat when I caught a glimpse of the figure behind me. From his black-on-black outfit, I could tell he was a man. Who was he? Why was he following me? What does he want from me? Quickening my steps, I dipped my hands into my bag to search for my peppered spray. Suddenly, “Hey….” the man’s creepy voice resounded from behind. My heart pounded even more heavily when I couldn't find the pepper spray. Without looking back, I took to my heels. I could feel my pulse beating in my palms as I ran. Realizing that he was catching up to me, “Help….” I shouted, hoping that someone would hear and come save me. My cry for help was only responded to by the quiet streets. I guess this is the disadvantage of living in a residential area. People don't sit outside nor linger around for fresh air. Panting, I took out my phone, hoping
MELISSA’S POV The cool evening breeze welcomed me as I stepped out of my office. Adjusting my bag strap, I darted around to check if there were any colleagues in sight. I wanted to let them know I was leaving first today. Yes, it wasn't 5pm yet today. It was fifteen minutes past four and I was already leaving the office. Why? Because I’ve been feeling a bit restless today. I’m certain that I’m not unwell but I can’t really tell where this sudden feeling was coming from. I was only able to endure till this time because I only forced myself to. Luckily, a staff from the executive office passed by just in time. “Hey Aria…,” I called while waving to get her attention. Halting in her tracks, “Hi Miss Muggins..,” she responded with a smile. “I’m a bit under the weather today so I will be leaving—” “Ouu… so sorry. I hope you get better soon,” she said, cutting me off with her concerned words. “Thank you, dear. In case HR comes around, kindly let him know.” “S
LISTOWEL’S POV My mouth flung open widely as I stared at what I had just done. “No, no, no, no! There must be a way to delete this…” I mumbled as I tried to figure out how to delete the photo. My fingers hovered over the phone screen, searching every nook and cranny for the delete button. “I have to get rid of this before she sees it.., I muttered after finally seeing the delete button. My stomach twisted when I realized there wasn't any ‘delete for everyone’ option. “I cooked…,” I yelled and clicked my eyes shut hoping that by the time I opened them, everything would just be an imagination. But no. The goofy photo of myself was staring back at me after I opened my eyes. “This is so embarrassing….,” I said while running my hands through my hair. The double checkmark appeared beside the photo and there was no doubt that Melissa had already viewed it. Tossing the phone aside, I turned off the bed lamp and laid back on the bed, my thoughts a mess as I contemplat
LISTOWEL’S POV It wasn't part of my plans to get Melissa flowers today. While on my way to work this morning, some pretty lilies caught my attention. They were so pretty yet delicate that they immediately reminded me of Melissa. I signalled for Kevin to park after which I got out and headed to the florist. A bright smile formed on my face while my eyes flickered with delight. “Lisa is going to love them,” I mumbled to myself while darting at them in admiration. The lilies looked so cute and lovely. Since I was running late to work, I decided to personally deliver them to her after work. I was so certain this was the plan I was going to go with until I remembered something. “Melissa has resigned from the M&M legal firm and is no longer working so she will definitely be at home today.” I thought to myself and signaled for Kevin to move. “Take me to Crimson Estate,” I said before bringing the flowers to my nose to inhale the sweet fragrance exuding from it. I could se
WENDY’S POV Let go of me!” I screamed but my voice could barely be heard as the person’s hands had covered my whole mouth. “Ughhhh… fuck...” he let out a scream as my nails dug into his skin while I bit his hands hard with my teeth. His grip on me loosened instantly as he winced in pain. “Fuck you” he cursed, shocking me. It wasn’t the fact that he had cursed at me that shocked me but the fact he was the last person I expected to do this. “How dare you…” I sneered, my hands shooting up to his cheeks as I gave him a dirty slap. Glaring at him from head to toe, “Have you lost your mind? How dare you touch me with those filthy hands of yours?!” My blood boiled with rage as I stared at Kevin. LISTOWEL’S butler. What was he thinking when he touched me with those filthy hands of it? Wait, who gave him the audacity to even come near me? Not to even talk of dragging me like that? Hitting his chest without a stop, “ Answer me! Who do you think you are to stop me? Do you even kno