Elena
“Madam, welcome home.” I just got back to our home, but before I could walk through the front door, the butler rushed toward me and greeted me too enthusiastically for my liking.
I didn't know what he was trying to do or say, but I was too exhausted to pay attention to anything else. I felt lightheaded and weak, hence, I only wished to take a warm bath, eat something, and have a shut eye. I need the peace and quiet for my peace of mind right now.
“Benson, you're standing in my way. What's happening?” I could hear how faint my voice was. My situation was that bad, and I could pass out at any moment if care wasn't taken.
I haven't had a single bite since yesterday's breakfast.
“Madam, forgive my impudence, but it's not advisable that you go in right now. In fact, I suggest you sleep outside tonight.”
What the heck! Could someone tell me what was happening here?
“Benson!” I used all the energy I could muster in calling out to him, and he could tell I was exhausted. More so, I wasn't in the mood for any games.
“Madam, the boss is inside. He looked so pissed when he came back. I would suggest that you don't meet him until after his anger subsides.”
“Ronan is here?” I know we share this house, but when I left the hospital, Ronan was still with Auntie. I just didn't expect him to be here so soon.
But why was he so angry that Benson wanted me to stay away from him? He wouldn't still be angry with me for having visited the old house, right? Besides, the doctor already assured us that Uncle Simpson would make full recovery soon.
“Madam… Madam…”
I sidestepped Benson and rushed toward our bedroom. Whatever the problem was, we could talk it out. I planned to have a heart-to-heart talk with my husband, anyways.
As soon as I opened the bedroom door, Ronan turned around and locked gazes with me. He still had that same look as if he were spitting fire with his eyes.
Benson was right. Ronan looked extremely pissed, and the hatred in his eyes was palpable.
Why would Ronan have so much hatred for me?
I accept I'm a little selfish for wanting to spend my last days with him. However, spending a few months beside me shouldn't be anything compared to how long he had to stay with Darcy after I was gone, right? I only wanted my hubby to accompany me on this journey. It would be too lonely without Ronan beside me.
“Speak of the devil!” Ronan declared mockingly, while striding towards me with a cold expression.
A devil? Ronan called me a devil? Could I have fallen so low in his eyes because I became wishful for once? All this because I visited his father to prevent our divorce?
“Give it to me!” He demanded without giving any explanations, and I could only wonder what he meant by ‘it’
I didn't take anything from Ronan, did I?
“Ronan, please calm down. If you tell me what you're looking for, I can help you find it. I…”
My words were cut short when he scowled darkly. Before I could say jack, Ronan was standing right in front of me. Even the air would need permission to pass between Ronan and me.
I felt shaken at first, thinking about what would become of me if he decided to beat me to a pulp. However, my mind played out in time, and the beautiful memories of our childhood emerged in my head.
No! Ronan is not a woman beater. I could bet my last card on that, at least, I knew him that much.
“Where the fuck is the divorce document? I asked you to sign the papers at dawn, so why do I not see it anywhere?” He bellowed, jilting me from my thoughts.
My heart plummeted at Ronan's
words, and I had to take a few steps back to steady myself.
I held my forehead in my palm and leaned against the door for support. My body was shaking, causing my legs to wobble. However, I didn't dare to move another inch, as Ronan moved to block my path. I knew he wouldn't move, but I wasn't scared of him either.
He would never lay his hands on me.
With those thoughts filling my head, my eyes finally scanned the scattered bedroom with documents flying everywhere. There were clothes on the floor, and everything on my dressing table was lying on the floor also.
My body lotions, perfumes, makeup kit…
Everything was a mess, and even the broken shards of glasses didn't go unnoticed by me.
“Don't waste my time, damn it! Where is the divorce agreement I gave you?”
Ronan suddenly grabbed my arm so tightly that I didn't dare to move. I felt like he could break my bones if I made a wrong move.
Just as fast as he grabbed me, he let go of my arm and watched with conflicting emotions as I hissed in pain.
My arm became red, and a stinging feeling assaulted my senses. I knew I had to get an icepack quickly, but what if he grabbed me once again?
“R… Ronan, why don't you calm down and take a sit? Let's talk about this, please. I have something to discuss with you.” I tried to act as normal as I could, but Ronan could tell the fear in my voice.
“I didn't mean to hurt you, Elena.” Ronan pleaded in a small voice that could only be described as a whisper. Even though he didn't speak loudly, I still heard him, and at that point, all the butterflies in my stomach broke loose.
“I… It's okay, Ronan. I’ll be fine.” I assured in an equally small voice. Ronan was running his hands through his hair, messing it up. He looked frustrated, just like me.
Looking my husband up and down, I suddenly wished I were the one running my hands through his smooth and silky hair.
My nostrils were soon filled with nothing but his manly scent that I could always make out, even among a thousand men. The scent was intoxicating, and all I wished for was to be enveloped in his embrace.
I knew I would miss being in his arms, but I guess I could enjoy this while it lasted.
Many people feared Ronan Simpson because of his cold nature and the tendency to keep others at arm's length. However, he was always nice to me. Until Darcy confessed her feelings to Ronan in college, I was the center of his world.
How could I bring back those days and enjoy my husband before leaving this lonely world?
All I wanted was for Ronan to embrace me every night, pat my head, and lull me to sleep. I wanted him to be by my side, even if he didn't want to. Even if his heart belonged with Darcy, I could still borrow him for a few months, right?
Without thinking twice, I wound my arms around Ronan's waist and slammed my body into his.
“Hubby, please, don't leave me.” There was a silent pause, but I didn't relent. “Please, Ronan. I love you too much to lose you. My love, stay with me, please.”
I didn't care about the picture Darcy sent anymore. I didn't even care if he slept with her. All I wanted was for my husband to make my last days less painful.
I placed my head on his chest and listened to Ronan's heartbeat. I could feel him breathing onto the skin at the back of my neck, as he was a head taller than me. He was also more built and just too gorgeous for a man.
I’d do anything to remain in Ronan's embrace like this.
“I am not a beast, Elena, so why do you enjoy bringing out the worst in me?”
ElenaThe charity gala was still being discussed online. I felt like a discarded shoe when I saw all the blessings and well wishes the two received. What broke me more was a comment that Darcy and Ronan should just get married already. “Dear, I’m so sorry; my boss just assigned me an impromptu client, so I can’t accompany you today. I’ll make it up to you, Elena. I’m truly sorry.” We haven’t seen each other in the past three years, and I was looking forward to having a good time with Nancy. “It’s okay, Nancy. Take care of yourself. I’ll be fine here.” Being a busy lawyer was much better than being a desperate housewife trapped in marriage.I was soon at a maternity and baby products store. The TV displayed pictures of babies and the various baby items available. It was so cute that I couldn’t help but walk in.“Welcome, madam.” A cheerful sales attendant approached me with a contagious smile plastered across her face. I smiled unconsciously, getting pulled into her jolly mood. Sp
ElenaThe clouds began to gather, and the streets of Lockwood were soon becoming empty. Everyone was hurrying toward their destinations, but a certain individual walked among the sea of people like a headless chicken. Her steps were sloppy, her eyes looked puffy, and her whole appearance screamed one word-pitiful! The lonely figure was none other than myself, Elena Jones. I didn’t know what direction my life would take from now?The more unloved I felt, the more confused I was about bringing a child into this cruel world, or should I just leave with the baby? Suddenly, I was jolted to my senses and moved out of the way reflexively. A few young men on motorcycles began to cackle provocatively while surrounding me. One of the riders nearly ran over me. Landing butt-down on the ground, my senses kicked in.I was in trouble!There were three men in total, and each one was scarier than the next. One of them had scorpion tattoos spanning from the right side of his face down to his nec
RonanSeveral Hours Ago: “What! Are you serious?” I blurted in shock, grabbing my phone tightly. I didn’t wish to believe what I was hearing, but it’s Elena and David Spencer we’re talking about here.“Calm down, Ronan. A college friend just gave me the information. I don’t know if that’s true, but many people know how close they were. Maybe someone just overreacted. Go and see for yourself..” Darcy’s voice sounded hesitant, and I felt it as she tried to hold back more information. Even at a time like this, she still tried to speak up for Elena. How could Elena despise someone as accommodating as Darcy?I disconnected the call without bidding Darcy goodbye, because her attempts at defending Elena were getting on my nerves. Those two had history, and I would be a fool to believe that this was merely a coincidence. Opening my tracker app, I quickly found where Elena was, and drove to the hospital after entering the GPS coordinates. Along the way, a thousand and one thoughts run thro
RonanMy mind conjured images of Elena in David’s embrace. How dare she do this to me? Yes, I don’t love her. However, I never led her on. In our three years of marriage, I never tried to raise her hopes. Elena, on the other hand, didn’t stop reminding me how much she loved me. She always told me I was her first and last in everything, and I felt my heart swell whenever she made those comments. I guess the only thing I beat that Spencer guy in was being the first man to take her virginity.“Why am I so pissed off about Elena being in the hands of her old flame?” It must be because she had been lying to me for the longest time. I wished I could get to hit that David guy once again. I should have beaten him to a pulp and broke some bones, even. Then I’ll see how he’d dare to touch my woman again. “Shit!”I quickly swerved an oncoming vehicle just now, and would have been involved in an accident if I didn’t react fast enough.“How dare you occupy my head like this, Elena Jones?” I pack
ElenaIt’s the third day of being admitted to the Saint City General Hospital, and I must say I had a lot of rest. My mind hasn’t been so at peace in a long time. I feared I might even grow too many pounds from lying here and eating all the good food that Benson brought daily.The doctor didn’t want me to go home until everything was okay with both the baby and myself. I wouldn’t blame him for trying to be careful. After all, whenever we met, I was in terrible shape.“Okay, Mrs Simpson. You are free to go home now.” Finally! I get to get to leave this bed. It’s so funny how the doctor hasn’t allowed me to step an inch out of my ward or watch television. He even made Benson cease my phone, saying I only needed to sleep and get my pressure to reduce before I left the hospital. Now he was finally ready to release me.“Thank you, doctor.” “Don’t thank me, Mrs Simpson. Just take good care of yourself. I really wish I could say I don’t want to see you here again.” We both chuckled at his at
Elena“Elena, dear, it’s so good to see you.” As soon as I stepped through the door, Uncle Simpson’s exaggerated reaction alerted everyone to my arrival. He looked much more relaxed, as compared to how I met him five days ago. Standing before my father-in-law right now, I felt guilty for not visiting him since we left the hospital. “Uncle, I’m so sorry for not coming to see you all…” I was about to say more when he beat me to it. “Come on, Elena. Why must you be so hard on yourself? You’ve brought me flowers every single day I spent in this hospital. Who cares if you couldn’t be here for only two days?” What? Me? Flowers? When did I send him the flowers, and how did I only leave out two days? This man! He was clearly lying with such a straight face. Even I wouldn’t have detected the lie, if I didn’t know better. “Come over here, my child. Don’t just stand there.” Uncle Simpson held my hand tenderly, unconsciously taking my mind to how my father used to hold my hands. “Don’t be too
Elena“Ronan, what is happening there?” Uncle Simpson probed, his face ashen with shock. He was speechless at the scene on our screen, just like I was. Haven't I cried enough? Haven't I complained enough? Haven't I loved my husband enough? What was it about Darcy that I could never surpass? “Ronan Simpson, I am talking to you!” Uncle growled in a suppressed voice, gritting his teeth. I could see he was doing everything possible to control his anger. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. “Dad, it's nothing. No need to get yourself worked up. It’s not what you think.” Ronan spoke in a terrifyingly calm tone. I felt like a block of wood that Ronan had absolutely no regard for. “Are you listening to yourself? Ronan, do you think having women swoon over you is what makes you a man?” Uncle still suppressed his anger a bit, but when Ronan didn’t respond, he became more forceful. “I've been with your mother for more than thirty years, Ronan. In all those years, I have never looked
RonanI was excited to finally see my father being his former cheerful self. Even though he ignored mom and I, we couldn’t blame him too much. No one could touch his dear Elena, after all. I always wished Elena could be as truthful to my father as he was with her. He loved her more than his own son, but Elena never saw beyond her schemes and ploys. Dad truly deserves someone better to dote on than her. Sometimes, I wonder what her true face looked like, because I couldn’t tell who Elena was anymore. I watched her grow up, and I thought I knew her, but I didn’t. The Elena Jones I grew up with would never have done all the despicable things she did and still paraded herself around like an angel. I couldn’t explain it, but I wondered if she got hurt in the wrist. I noticed how badly she tried to hide the pain, but Dad wouldn’t allow me to touch the wheel chair. To top it all off, he only wanted to be with Elena, and he just had to praise my wife for being beautiful. It was a good thin
Ronan“What is it, Elijah? Why are you here?” I told Elijah to focus on the work at the office, yet, here he was. “Boss, the meeting with the CEO of Chiq Royale is set for 2 o’clock p.m. You know it was supposed to be a meeting of the two CEOs. So I wanted to find out if I should just send an email to cancel it or…?”Oh, right! I totally forgot about that. I was finally going to meet the mysterious CEO of Grand Ambience today. How could I miss this because I became too weak? Damn that Conrad for keeping me here till the end of the week! I bet he’s just enjoying holding me in this damn hospital.“You could have called me on the phone for this, Elijah. Don’t waste my time. Why are you really here?” He couldn’t fool me with his facade. I could already tell he was hiding something.“Boss…” Elijah still hesitated, but I wasn’t having it. Whatever he had to say, he might as well spill it now. My look said it all, and he didn’t dare to tarry any longer. “Boss, the design team made a compla
Ronan“Elena!” “Calm down, Ronan. You called out to her for the past few hours, but we’re doing our best to find Elena wherever she is. All I need you to do is calm down for me, okay? We’ll find Elena for you.”Valerie had always been willful and mischievous, but no one ever told me she was a sweet talker. How could she promise me something like that? I may have lied to myself for a long time, but how was I to find Elena? How were we to find her? Keeping hope alive about her existence was the best I could do. How then could I tell Valerie to find Elena? If anybody were to find Elena, it should be me. After all, I was the one who pushed her away without listening to what she had to say. She lied to me so many times, but right now, all I wanted was to see her safe and sound. I would do anything for that.“Ronan, are you even listening to me?” How could I have zoned out on my kiddo? This battle had nothing to do with Valerie, and I wouldn’t allow her to spend her holiday searching for
Ronan“Uncle Edmond, I am so sorry for everything I have done to wrong you all these years. Please don’t hold it against me, I beg of you. I have treated your precious daughter like she meant nothing to me. Elena was everywhere with me, and she meant the world to me, but I could only discover how much I loved her after seeing the damning diagnosis. I should have been there for her, but I wasn’t.” I remained kneeling at Uncle Edmond’s bed, wondering if there was a way to make him wake up right now, I would have done that already. Maybe that would attract Elena’s attention wherever she was.Reaching for Uncle Edmond’s hand, I squeezed it a little tighter and wished with everything in me that he could respond to my touch. Alas, it was only my wishful thinking.“Uncle Edmond, you did a favor for my family that we could never pay back. You gave your life to protect my father, but all I gave your daughter as gratitude was scorn and insults. I never treated Elena better than a gold digger w
Valerie“Mom, I’m in front of the elevator. Tell me which floor I can find him.” I arrived at the Glenn Family Hospital, wondering how long it was since I last came here. It’s really been a while. I couldn’t get it off my mind that my laptop was in someone’s car, and I didn’t have any way of reaching him either. All I had to do was see my brother first. After everything, I would find my bag.Why hasn’t mom responded to me? “Hello, mom,” “Hello,” Mom finally responded, but I didn’t like how she responded. She sounded as though something bad had happened, and even though she scared me a lot, I took a few breaths to calm my raging heart. I couldn’t allow myself to over react.“Mom, what is it? Why do you sound like that, and why does the background seem so chaotic?” I didn’t realize how, but my voice began to tremble as I listened to the commotion in the background. “Mom, please talk to me. Which floor are you on? Just…”I wanted to be there and see things for myself. My brother wasn’t
Ronan“Elena… Elena… Elena… Please, Elena. Don’t leave, Elena. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I couldn’t protect you. Please… Don’t go…” Huh! I woke up with a start, unable to find my bearings. However, I could feel the soft bed beneath me.There were beeping sounds in the room, coupled with a shooting pain at the back of my palm. I couldn’t tell how exactly I got here, but after a while of adjusting my eyes, I finally found my answer. “The heck! How did I get here?” I am in a hospital. Who brought me here? The last I remember, I was in my house with Elena’s test result in my hand.“Yes, Elena.” I had her test result with me. Where was it? Could everything that happened be nothing but a dream? No. I could remember everything vividly. There was no mistaking it. I really saw that result and passed out after Z confirmed the diagnosis. Elena truly developed stage three brain tumor, and they gave her only ten months to live.“Elena,” I couldn’t get this nagging feeling off my chest. I had to f
Valerie “Sir, I just arrived in Lockwood. Yes sir.” I had to report to my superior that I landed safely. If I had my way, I wouldn’t call him at all, but I would have had a lot to explain. I knew my boss didn’t feel happy about granting me this leave, but he had nothing else to do about it. I’ve earned this. I have worked for so many years without asking for a single day off. I didn’t even have the chance to meet my family for a long time. Now that something this massive happened, I couldn’t just remain there without coming back. From the way my boss forced himself to sign my request, to how he tried to cut my stay here shorter, even requesting I alert him to my arrival in Lockwood, I knew he wouldn’t have granted me this long leave if he had the chance. Alas, I even promised to avail myself whenever they needed my services, even though I was on leave. “Thank you for approving my long leave, boss. I will be going now.” It took all the strong will I developed over the years to
DarcyI was kept in this room ever since I was thoroughly wasted and left here. I wasn’t allowed to leave this place; hence, I could only endure the prison I got myself into. Despite all the hardships I had to endure, I was well fed. It felt like I was being fattened for slaughter. Looking around, the whole place seemed too quiet for my liking. It was as if everyone locked me in here and left to God knows where. “Should I try to escape? Maybe no one would even know I left, right?” I finally tried to get out of bed, feeling my lower body ache terribly. It was as if I was jammed by a trailer, causing my legs to feel so heavy.I fumbled with the window for a while, but it was locked. I couldn’t spot anywhere I could open it.“Fuck! I can’t even move without feeling pain. How am I supposed to escape if the place is like this?” I know I looked battered, and no one would see me like this without calling me a slut. The bastard left tons of hickeys on my body, and I could tell he enjoyed ever
Elena Silence! Loud silence!That was the only thing that filled the sitting room as if we both wanted to hide from something. However, it was the tales from my past that shocked Nancy and I into silence. Even I couldn’t tell how I survived everything that life threw at me. I was only glad that I survived, and here I was-telling my story as if it was a tale from a movie. I bet it would have been a blockbuster movie if my story ever got to be adapted into a film.All along, Nancy couldn’t stop her tears from falling. She kept opening and closing her mouth without anything coming out. I watched her expression change from shock to anger, terror to frustration, then to awe, and finally, admiration. “You mean you went through all these but never said a thing to me? Elena, are we still friends in your eyes?” Nancy’s tears kept flowing as she continued her rants in frustration. I had no response for her words, since I had no particular reason for not telling her about everything I went
Elena I really enjoyed my time at the restaurant, and I knew I would definitely be back here later. “Since we already agreed that you’d spend the night at my place, why don’t we just head home at once? We have a lot of catching up to do.” I just couldn’t say no to Nancy anymore. For her to insist that I spent the night at her place, I was certain she had something she wanted to share without involving Malvin. We had a lot to catch up on, indeed. I bet none of us would get a wink of sleep tonight. “Okay, let’s go.” Just like that, Malvin was shooed like a fly, and he had no other choice than to take all our bags and head to our house in a cab. “You finally got your dream couch, huh? It’s big enough to accommodate two people, just like you envisioned.” That was my first remark when I entered her living room. Nancy only smiled at me as if she was basking in my admiration of her couch, when in actual sense, I knew she was glad to have marked yet another item off her wish list. Na