CHAPTER 4

"Arcelia?" Someone called my name from behind and I quickly turned around and saw Geno behind me.

"Are you okay? You've been standing at the door"

"I... Nothing. I'll be going to be my desk" I quickly walked past him and went to my desk. I focused on my work and managed to do quite a lot before my lunch break.

My phone rang and I picked.

"I'm going there now"

"I'll see you soon" I hung up and grabbed my bag. I was about leaving the building when the receptionist stopped me.

"This was delivered to you" it was a small parcel that could fit into my bag.

"Is there a senders name?" I looked around the parcel.

"No. A little boy just dropped it off" I examined it.

"Okay. Thank you" I wanted to open it and see the content but my phone rang again. I dropped the parcel in my bag and hurried out. It must be Imogen who was calling.

I arrived at the restaurant and found her. I smiled and walked over to her.

"You look so much better today" she kissed my cheeks.

"Do I?" I didn't get any sleep and I was sure as hell I had bags under my eyes. She was only saying that to make me feel better.

"How are you feeling though?"

"A lot better"

"So have you ended things with him?"

I shook my head.

"Celia. Honey you're only hurting yourself by holding on"

"I'm not.... In my heart things have ended. I just don't want to face him now"

She sighed deeply and kept quiet. I was glad she didn't say another thing. We ordered for our lunch.

I was eating slowly, not bothering to check how much time I have until my lunch break ended.

"That man has been staring at us for a long time" my head snapped up and I looked around.

"What man?"I asked in panic. Was it the same man from the morning? I had totally forgotten I was being followed this morning.

"The one outside" she nodded towards the glass and i looked outside. I saw another man dressed in a black suit leaning casually against the wall and staring directly at us.

"Fuck" I muttered under my breath. How could I have forgotten?

"Are you okay? Do you know him?"

"No" I bent my head.

"We have to leave here" I said grabbing my things but she stopped me.

"You're scaring me. Is he bothering you? I can go out there and set him straight"

"No. It could be dangerous" I said quickly and her frown deepened.

"What the hell Arcelia? Speak now"

"Okay. Okay. I'll tell you"

I didn't want to mention what happened to her last night or this morning. I didn't want to worry her but with the way she was looking at me now, I had to spill.

"There was an incident yesterday at night. The emergency team came and there was some blood in my front yard"

"Blood? Did someone get hurt?"

"I honestly don't know. Nobody does. There was a puddle of blood at my front door and a trail of blood that ended somewhere but there was no body. The man in charge seems to think that it may be someone trying to scare me?"

"Scare you? I don't understand. When did you find the blood?"

"I ordered pizza and as I was eating, I heard a noise on my door. At first I thought it was Blaed who had come to find out why I wasn't answering his calls so I didn't move but then I heard another sound. Like someone was slammed into my door and then I heard a wail. I called the team and after waiting for a while, I heard a car out front. I thought it was the emergency team but it was only an unidentified car driving away. I was going back into the house when I stepped into the blood"

"What the fuck? What did the head say?"

"That maybe someone was trying to scare me. He gave me his number to call if anything happened and that.... I shouldn't spend the night alone"

"Arcelia" she scolded me.

"Why didn't you call me. You slept alone in your house after you were advised not to?"

"I didn't want to bother you"

"You make me upset every fucking time you say that. When have I ever said you bother me. You know I'll drop everything and come to you"

"I didn't sleep if that helps" she rolled her eyes and I giggled. Her mood lightened a bit.

"So you think the man is responsible for what happened last night?"

I nodded. "It can't be a coincidence. A man in a black suit bumped into me today and I've seen so many today. One was standing directly outside the office building and now this one. I think they are following me but I don't know why. Maybe I'm just paranoid but I think they have something to do with what happened. Why did they suddenly show up out of no where right after it happened"

"Do you think this has anything to do with Blaed?"

"Why would Blaed send men to follow me or dump blood in my front yard?"

"Not Blaed. His wife"

"His wife?"

"She probably feels threatened about your relationship with her husband. Maybe she's trying to scare you off"

"There's no need for that. I'm not going to be seeing him anymore"

"She doesn't know that and you haven't officially ended things with Blaed. I think you should do that and leave town for a while"

"I can't leave my job"

"You won't have a job if you die"

"I'm not dying"

"Yes. That woman could be a crazy murderer for all we know. Just end things with him quickly and we can leave town. You and I. Maybe we can go to your mothers place or somewhere else. Take that vacation you always wanted until all this dies down"

"Okay. I'll just call him and set up a meeting to..."

"Are you insane?" She cut me off.

"What?"

"You want to meet up with him? When it's obvious that you're being followed. Do you know what she could interpret it as? What if she murders you on your way home"

"Imogen" I shouted. Why was she trying to scare me.

"Okay. None of that will happen. Maybe. But it's best you call that motherfucker and end thighs with him over the phone. It's unwise to do that"

"Okay" I mumbled and went back to eating my food. When I looked outside the window again, the man was gone. I finished eating ten minutes past my lunch break and Imogen escorted me back to the office.

At the end of the day, I had already typed my application for a leave and had it approved. Geno was more than pleased to approve it. I have never taken any leave since I started working.

Imogen had somewhere to be but she would be at my home by ten. I had until then to end things officially with Blaed and make him know that I know of his wife.