Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Four Annabelle _ I couldn't understand why Henry was aware of all I was doing and never told me for once that he had access to my personal computer. It was very wrong and I was displeased to know that. “Thank you for letting me know all this. I will make sure I fish out who is behind this and no one will know that you helped me with this. Thank you.” I said to my secretary. She stood up and walked out of my office, leaving the field behind. I looked at the file again and prayed that it wasn't Henry that was behind framing Travis. “I mean, he has every reason to do that to him so why wouldn't he? But no, Henry is not that desperate. He doesn't need to do such a thing just to get at Travis. He knows how much trouble it would cost me and even my dad because we had investors for that organization too.” I didn't know what to think and what to not think but I knew something was odd about how Henry had been acting and it was more odd that he had access
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Five Annabelle _ I walked out of Henry's office betrayed. “How could Henry do something as terrible as this?” I was certain he knew what would happen if alas my Dad found out that he was the person who is in full ownership of that organization. “What am I going to do now? Who would I tell?” I thought as I got into my office and paced around. I knew that I had to be careful in dealing with Henry from then on because I didn't know what else he could be capable of doing but I don't know. “And Travis never trusted him for once. It's as though he already knew who he was.” I thought again. I sat down on my chair and took my phone from my wardrobe. I wanted to call Travis so I could tell him what was going on. “No, I shouldn't,” I said and dropped the phone on another thought. I didn't want people to hear and I don't know if the environment is even safe for me. I just became so conscious about everything and I wasn't at peace anymore. Moments later my Dad
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Six Annabelle _ I sat still in my office without bothering myself about finding out who the person was since I already knew it was Henry. Then, I heard the general office meeting alarm go off. I stood up and said, “That must be Henry. He didn't even bother to tell me he was going to call one before he did.” I scoffed. I knew he was up to something with the meeting. I walked to the large room for the meeting and stood beside him, where I normally would. The energy between the two of us was odd. It felt like I was standing beside a villain but I stood still to hear what he wanted to address. We waited for everyone to arrive before we took our seats. Seconds later, Henry stood up to address the staff. “Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you all for coming and for all the hard work you have put into the organization that has ensured our growth to this extent. We all saw how impressed the founder was when he came to see all that we had achieved. He was
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Seven Annabelle _ I had gotten to a point where whatever it was that had to do with Henry, I didn't want to participate in it. I knew I could see him outside my door trying to get in, I just sat in and did not respond till he left. The rest of the day was spent alone in my office. I didn't speak to anyone nor let anyone have access to me despite how many times my secretary told me that I had people who wanted to see me. The moment it was closing time, I packed up my bags and went out of my office. I walked fast because I didn't want anyone to disturb me or speak with me concerning what had happened earlier. “Annabelle, Annabelle,” I heard someone call out to me as I walked to the parking lot area. I got to my car and turned to see who it was. She immediately waved at me to wait after I looked at her. Then she walked up to me as fast as she could. “Do I know you?” Her face didn't ring a bell. I couldn't know everyone that worked in the offi
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Eight Annabelle _ I refused to stop my car for Henry. Although he looked like he just wanted to have a conversation with me and nothing more that would make me more offended, I wasn't interested in listening to his manipulative words. I drove away and I did not allow him to say whatever it was that he wanted to say to me. On my way home I dialed Travis's number and put it on my speaker, so I could take the call as I drove. “Hi, beautiful. How are you doing?” I wasn't sure I was in the mood to hear the, “Hi beautiful,” I was traumatized already by all that had happened today but I didn't complain about it. “Look Travis, I found out who was behind framing you. Please act in an open-minded way when you hear me say who the person was.” I added because I knew that Travis could throw a fit after hearing who it was, especially because he had said it could have been him. He scoffed. “Everyone has seen who your company said it was. Such a pity for that yo
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Nine Annabelle _ My mind was flooded with the thoughts of what was the right thing to do after all I had found out about Henry. I had not even thought about what I was going to eat or food. That was how I behaved whenever I was in unrest, I always forgot to find something to eat until very late at night when I began to feel hungry. That was also the reason why I added so much weight when I was stressed despite not eating the right amount. “I’d take something light tonight. Maybe a slice of Sandwich and juice.”I said to Nana. I just felt like having something that could make me interested in eating because I wasn't in the mood. I walked into my room and my whole body felt tired as I entered it. “Sigh!” I crawled to my bed, laid on it and removed my heels while in bed. “I don't feel like going anywhere tomorrow or seeing anyone. I think I should take a break.” I said to myself as I lay in bed. I felt my phone vibrate on the bed. I was so tired, I j
Chapter One Hundred and Forty Annabelle_ Brooklyn walked into my room with a look filled with concern for me as she approached me. I'm sure she wasn't wearing that gait until she saw me holding my head like I wasn't feeling good at all. “What is the matter again? Are you fine? Your head hurts?” She rushed to my bed, sat beside me and asked. I smiled at her, I knew she was concerned and I didn't mean to get her so worked up. “I'm fine. I just woke up and I felt a sharp headache. That's all. It's nothing serious.” She took a deep breath. “You look like you've been beaten by life. You got me so scared when I saw you looking like that. Why are your clothes all over the floor?” She dropped her bag on the bed and stood up to pack them off the floor. “Don't worry about that, the cleaners will come and take them out soon,” I said to Brooklyn who had picked up the clothes from the floor and put them into the dirty cloth basket. “You should keep your space tidy even though you have pe
Chapter One Hundred and Forty One Annabelle_ I didn't have the intention to take Henry's call but I showed Brooklyn. “Why would he be calling me? What does he want? I am not going to pick up this call.” “You should take the call and put it on a loudspeaker. Let's hear what he has to say. I will record his voice with my phone just in case he says anything that can implicate him.” Brook insisted. I didn't want to speak to Henry at all and I didn't like the idea Brook proposed but I agreed. Brook turned on her phone recorder and put the phone beside my phone. I picked up the call and waited for him to say something. “Are you home?” Henry asked after a long pause of not saying anything to me. I didn't want to say anything because I was angry he didn't even think to greet me or ask about my well-being, but Brook encouraged me to speak so I answered, “Why are you asking me if I'm home?” “Can't I ask my fiance if she's at home or are you cheating on me again?” He asked. I looked at
Epilogue Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Six Annabelle_ Months after the nightmare I had with Henry. I woke up in my new home with the perfect peace of mind I had always wanted. My life was in a better shape and even though It wasn't perfect, I was living the future I had always dreamed and hoped for. I stood in front of the large windows in the parlor, looked out of it and took a very deep breath. “Come back here! If I catch you, I will eat all your candy.” “You won't catch me then!” Johnson was running after Norah. It was not going to be my first time experiencing such as they have both been best of friends since we all moved in together. “I've told you two. No running around.” I said and shook my head. Travis was the one handling the major companies owned by my dad. He and my dad had become very close following the incident with Henry. Travis held his suitcase, walked down the stairs of our new home and said, “Anna, do you know where my car keys are? I couldn't find them
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Five Annabelle_ The tunnel led to one of the trees in the compound. I walked out of it and snuck to the back of the several police vans that were parked in the compound. I was on the lookout for Alex because I wasn't sure of who to trust. I saw Henry and hid behind the car. I couldn't afford him to see me and then come up with another lie that he wasn't the one behind my kidnap. Someone touched me from behind and I lost my breath for a while. I turned back slowly towards the person and found that it was Alex. I took a deep breath of relief and hugged him. “What happened?” He asked, concerned. I was still trying to get my breath, when he yelled, “Medics, medics.” And the whole attention drifted towards us. Immediately, I could see them putting handcuffs on his hands and leading him into the car like the criminal that he was. “Travis, Travis is badly injured. He has lost a lot of blood.” Those were the first words I said to Henry so they could go a
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Four Annabelle _Henry went out of the basement he kept us in. He went out through a different door this time. I saw him but I was not fully conscious.I didn't know what to do to get us out of his place but I knew that if we did not try to get help from the cops or whoever was around, things would get worse for us all and Travis could die.“Travis,” I called out to Travis who lay in his blood on the floor with his eyes swollen. I wasn't even sure if he was still alive. “Travis, can you hear me? Travis!” I yelled. I couldn't afford his death.“Yes, I can hear you.” He said in a very low voice. I knew he was losing a lot of blood and he was in severe pain.“Can you loosen me? I know it's hard for you to get up but if you can try, it would help us out. We can't stay here. Now is our time to get out of this house because I can hear people walking back and forth in his house. I'm sure they are looking for us.” I said to him to encourage him to get up. Travi
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-ThreeAnnabelle_All I saw was the blood of Travis spilling on the floor like someone had made an incision on a bottle.I picked a cloth that I saw in the room and used it to tie around his arm. I was very displeased with Henry as he stood and watched me take care of Travis' hands unremorsefully.“What has gotten into you? Why are you doing all this?” I asked with so much pain in my heart. I couldn't understand how Henry became the way he was all of a sudden.“Get back to your seat and tie yourself at this moment, Annabelle.” He yelled at me. “You should not have pushed me to the wall all these years. You are the reason why I'm like this. Yes, it's all your fault.”Travis tried to help himself up from the chair I sat him on so that I could help him with his hand and reduce his bleeding. The cloth I had used to tie his hand was filled in no time and I could see that Travis was losing a lot of blood at that time.“Let's take him to the hospital. You know he
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Two Travis_I broke into the house through Henry's kitchen window after I was sure he had gone out of the kitchen.I walked to the slap where knives were kept and I picked one very sharp one.“This should do a good job,” I said and hid the knife behind my back.“What you don't understand is, I'd catch a grenade for ya!” I could hear Travis as he sang in his voice to the song he played out. I used that opportunity to search around the room for any sign of Annabelle and Johnson.“Annabelle! Annabelle!” I whispered as I entered every part of the room downstairs.Then while walking on the corridor, I walked on a part of the floor that felt like something was beneath it.I went back to look at the stairs to be sure I could still hear Travis playing his song, which he was before I went down to check what it was.“This very strange man. Heaven knows where he kept Annabelle.” I tried to open the thing but I couldn't get how it was being handled. It had a complex
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty OneTravis_I received a call from an unknown number. It was very late at night. I had thought it was probably Annabelle because I had been expecting her to call me but I did not receive any calls from her.When I saw that it was unknown, I did not take the call because I was still hurting from the fact that Henry was playing the hero when he did not help to find Johnson at all from the onset. “He's my son. She's supposed to allow me to come along irrespective of what Henry was going to say or do. Don't I deserve to see him too?” I said to myself inwardly.Norah had slept off on my leg. We sat together in the parlor watching a movie.My phone kept ringing and ringing so I became forced to pick up the call. I did not say anything after picking up the call.“Can you hear me?” The person whispered and it made me curious. I placed Norah's head properly on the chair and stood up to receive the call in a place where she would not be disturbed.“Who is this?” I
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Annabelle_ I was scared that Henry might hurt me so I began to yell at him before he got closer to me, “Henry, what is wrong with you? Do not try anything funny. I'm warning you. You know how this will end. It will surely end badly for both of us. Just let me leave peacefully.” “You are not leaving through that door. Not today and not until you sign the wedding document.” He said and got closer to me. He pulled me with force to himself and began to kiss my body against my will. “Get off me! Get off!” He disgusted me but he held me so strong. It was very hard for me to move my body away from him. It was as though he wasn't the same Henry I had known. “Stop it, now!” I continued to shout at him but he would not let me go. I stretched my hand to reach the vase that was used to decorate his parlor. I was able to reach it and I slammed it on his head with all the force I had. I didn't know what to do next and he did not give me any option. All that was
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty NineAnnabelle_Brooklyn and I got to Henry's place very late at night. We had to drive for a long time for us to get to Henry's place. “Why does it look as if Henry is not around?” We were able to get into the house because the gate was not locked. “It's very strange that Henry's gate is open. He never opens his gate.” I said to Brooklyn who was driving the car.“Just be patient. It's late already and he was expecting you. So why wouldn't he leave his gate open?” I knew Brooklyn was tired of hearing all my complaints.“I don't feel good about this honestly. Something is wrong somewhere.” I said to Brooklyn, “Don't drive to the front of the building itself. Park around here.” Henry's compound had some gardens and big trees that one would go through before one would get to his house. I just wasn't comfortable with the way I felt.She sighed but did as I said.“I'd go in by myself alone. You should stay in the car in case anything bad happens.”Brooklyn ga
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty EightAnnabelle_Travis drove us into a very nice apartment that he said belonged to Samantha. It was a more beautiful apartment than the one that he lived in. “This apartment is nice. You guys could have lived here instead of where you're presently living though.” Brooklyn said. I was surprised she said that out loud so I turned to look at her.Travis smiled and said, “Well, Samantha loves her things to be perfectly the way she likes them. She fixed it several times, that's why it looks as good as this.” We got out of the vehicle and we could tell that Johnson was not in that building because everything there was so calm but we walked into it irrespective of how the environment felt, leaving Brooklyn and Norah alone in the car.Travis unlocked the door and led me into the room. “I don't think anyone is here at the moment but we can search the apartment to see if there might be any lead in the house,” Travis said to me as he walked into the living room