Chapter 6 - Ivy... Died?

Gerard searched around the hotel but couldn't find Ivy, which made him anxious. Did she go home?

He called North and asked if he had driven Ivy back home, but North replied that he had left once he had dropped Ivy at the Starlight Hotel.

Gerard became even more frantic. Where could Ivy go? Then he remembered the bridge he used to bring her to watch the sunrise and sunset. She loved it there; could she have gone to the bridge?

Gerard quickly walked out of the hotel but was stopped by his bodyguard. Gerard had two trusted bodyguards other than North, and the one in front of him, Fred, was one of them.

Fred was panting and sweating as if he had run quickly to find Gerard.

“What happened?” Gerard asked quickly.

“Boss... The Missus..” the bodyguard looked nervous, scared, and hesitant to continue.

His reaction only made Gerard more anxious. “What happened? What happened to her? Tell me!”

“The missus... The missus..” Fred gulped, afraid to say his following words.

“TELL ME!” Gerard roared to his subordinate for the first time.

“She... She was involved in an accident. And she... She died,” Fred said with a trembling voice.

Gerard gasped and staggered back. What did Fred say? Ivy... My Ivy... She died?

“What... What do you mean?” Gerard asked with a pale face.

“We saw Mrs. Huxley crying when she left the hotel, so we followed her to guard her. She went in the direction of the bridge. But… but a car hit her when she got close to the bridge. I was too slow to react, but Brian leaped forward to block her from being hit. But… They both got hit in the end. And they... they were thrown off the bridge because of the impact,” Fred was shaking; he was scared of being yelled at by Gerard because of his incompetency in saving Ivy.

Gerard’s mind buzzed when he heard Fred’s words that he stood frozen and could not react. After some time, he finally regained his mind and ran toward the bridge. Fred followed him, afraid his boss would do something stupid like jumping off the bridge to follow Ivy.

When Gerard reached the bridge, he saw many police officers had already arrived, and the bridge was sealed as a crime scene.

His knees became weak when he saw to pool of blood on the ground and railing.

One of the police officers noticed him and told him it was a hit-and-run case, according to the tire marks on the ground.

There were no surveillance cameras in the area and no other witnesses except Fred.

“What did you see?” the police interrogated Fred on the spot.

Fred repeated what he told Gerard to the police.

“Did you see what type of car it was? Do you remember the registration number?” the police asked.

“It was a black car, but I didn't really take notice of it,” Fred replied. “It was too sudden, and all I could think about was rushing to save Mrs. Huxley and Brian, but they toppled over the railing once hit.”

“We’ll ask the search and rescue team to go down the river,” the police said and turned to see Gerard, only to find out that Gerard had gone down to the river.

“Mr. Huxley!” Everyone shouted anxiously and hurried to stop him.

“Mr. Huxley, the search and rescue team will be here soon. They are professionals; they will be able to find Mrs. Huxley,” one of the police officers said as they tried to pull Gerard away from the river.

“No! I need to be the one who saves her! She’s in this situation because of me! If I didn't... If I didn't...” Gerard didn't finish his words but plunged into the river.

Everyone was panicking because, at that time, the river current was strong. Everyone present knew it was hopeless for Ivy to survive, especially after getting hit and falling into the river.

If she didn't die from drowning, then she most probably had been washed up to the sea. The river was connected to the sea, and with the strong current, it would be impossible for Ivy not to be swept away.

But no one dared to say those words to Gerard.

The police did a DNA test on the blood, and the result was consistent with what Fred had told them. The blood belonged to Ivy and Brian, the bodyguard.

Gerard spent three days and nights on the river, not caring about anything else other than finding Ivy’s body. He didn't believe that his beloved wife had died and left him. He didn't want to believe it. If he believed it, then he indirectly admitted that he was the cause of Ivy’s death, and he could never bear the guilt. He couldn't be the one who killed her; he kept denying it. He loved her. She needed to survive!

Everyone tried to stop him, even asking him to rest, but he didn't heed their words. Even Old Master Huxley was unable to persuade him to stop.

After three days and nights of being in the river without resting, Gerard’a body finally couldn't take it, and he collapsed.

He was brought to the hospital and was put on an IV drip because of his fever and weak body.

He was unconscious for three days, and Old Master Huxley felt pain in his heart looking at his grandson lying so weak and pale in the hospital bed. He accompanied his grandson to the hospital, even going as far as not returning to the Huxley Manor bug sleeping in the same ward as his grandson.

Gerard woke up after three days of being unconscious, and the first person he saw was his grandpa. Anger filled his whole being.

“Are you happy now?” Gerard asked Old Master Huxley with a hoarse voice.

“Gerard, what are you talking about? How could you say that?” Old Master Huxley was hurt by Gerard’s words.

“How could I say that? HOW COULD I SAY THAT?! Ivy died because you asked me to divorce her!” For the first time in his life, Gerard raised his voice to his grandpa and yelled at him.

Old Master Huxley was stunned to hear his grandson, who was always gentle toward him, suddenly shout at him and accuse him of killing Ivy, but he still tried to coax Gerard.

“Gerard, it was an accident. It wasn't your fault,” Old Master Huxley said gently.

“Yeah, it wasn't my fault. It was your fault,” Gerard said coldly and turned on his back, showing his grandfather his back, not wanting to see him.

Old Master Huxley was stunned to hear Gerard’s cold tone and gaze. He knew then that their relationship would never be the same again.

He sighed hopelessly and asked the search and rescue team to keep searching for Ivy and Brian.

Two months passed, and everyone knew it was futile to keep searching. During those two months, Gerard changed. He became cold and indifferent toward everyone, including his grandfather. He didn't even talk to anyone.

After two months of unsuccessful efforts, Old Master Huxley finally asked everyone to stop searching, and he began preparing for Ivy’s funeral.

Old Master Huxley was also in pain, knowing that Ivy had died. It wasn't his intention to ‘kill’ Ivy. He just didn't want Gerard to have a daughter of a murderer as a wife. But fate turned out to be cruel.

When Old Masted Huxley told Gerard that they would stop searching for Ivy and had to prepare for her funeral, Gerard didn't have any reaction. He just followed everything his grandfather did. He looked exactly like a soulless robot - not talking to anyone and following everything mindlessly.

Everyone was worried about him. He didn't show any emotion, much less cry. Old Master Huxley even brought a psychologist to check on him, but Gerard still acted the same in front of the psychologist. He just started ahead and said nothing, ignoring whatever the psychologist asked him or told him.

The psychologist told Old Master Huxley that Getard had shut himself off, not letting anyone inside his mind. It would be difficult to treat him, even with hypnotherapy, as Gerard was fighting against it. All they could do for now was for him to grieve in his own way as long as he didn't try to hurt himself or did something worse.

Gerard finally showed emotions during Ivy’s funeral. He broke down and cried, not caring who saw him. Everyone was heartbroken seeing him weeping so sorrowfully that they couldn't help but cry with him.

Thinking of the past, Gerard felt suffocated. He felt chills all over his body, his heart began to beat fast, and he had shortness of breath.

North, who was sitting in the driver's seat, noticed his boss’ condition and quickly called out to him.

“Boss...” North looked back and saw his boss’ pale face and shaking body.

“Pills...” Gerard gasped and said with difficulty as he stretched his shaking hand to North.