Chapter 4 REMAIN SIMPLE AND LOW-KEY

Sam raised his eyebrows, amused at Athena's words. 

"You finally decided to take charge of the situation, aren't you?" He asked.

"Huh!" Athena scoffed. "Hannah Wilson managed to turn the tables before because I let her do whatever she wanted but not this time..." she paused, shaking her head. "She's going to regret messing up with me…" 

"You're planning on exposing her?" Sam tried to guess her thought.

Athena snorted. "Not just that..."

"What if he stood in your way? What will you do?"

"I'll beg the elders for divorce using his stupidity as one of the grounds..." She explained thoroughly.

Sam nodded as he smiled and assured her. "Whatever you're planning, I'll be here to support you, Thena..."

"I know..." She smiled back and went, "I always got your back ever since and I'm thankful for that..."

"We're friends, remember?" He muttered hesitantly.

"We're best friends, Sam..." She corrected him with a broad smile before she leaned back on her seat.

***

Sam dropped Athena at the MS hotel lobby as she requested before driving back to his place…

Athena watched him leave before she checked in on a room…

The guy insisted on sending her inside to assure her safety but she chased him away because she didn't want him to know that she was intending to get a cheaper room… He would definitely create a fuss over it and she didn't want that. She barely took a nap during the flight thus she wanted to have long hours of sleep. Only if she got herself into a cheaper room, she could have enough rest as she assumed that her family would come to search for her after escaping from her so-called husband.

***

Terrence drove back to his apartment in a gloomy mood. He kept on cursing Sam in the back of his head and even blamed him for poking his nose on their business. If not for the latter's sudden arrival, he would have brought Athena home easily but he appeared out of the blue and ruined everything… He felt upset and stressed because of it…

He stripped down his clothes irritably and took a quick bath to cool himself down. In just a few minutes he came out wearing his bathrobe, while drying his wet hair. He headed straight to his mini bar, took out a bottle of hard wine, and poured his glass half of it. He then went into his living room, settling down on his couch.

Slumping his back in a lazy manner, his mind went back to Athena and Sam. He imagined them laughing happily which made him feel so uncomfortable… He grew up with her and even frequently surrounds her back then but he never witnessed her laugh heartily similar to what she had shown whenever she was with Sam. This certain situation made his chest tightened. He felt like he was stabbed with needles prickling his inner muscles for some unknown reasons… In addition to this, he also feels like suffocating… 

'What was wrong with me?' he thought, whilst taking a sip from his glass in a leisurely manner.

Ring!!! 

Ring!!! 

Ring!!! 

Terrence was snapped back to his senses by his mobile phone, ringing loudly. He stood up and went to his room with large strides to get it. Peering on his flickering screen, his brows began furrowing together upon recognizing the caller ID in display… 

Aligning his phone in his ear, he greeted emotionlessly. "Dad…"

"Where are you brat?" His father barked. "Why aren't you bringing your wife back to our home yet, huh?" Mr. Adams couldn't refrain himself from getting agitated on the other end of the line.

"Dad, I just got home." Terrence explained patiently. "She hitched a ride to Sam and I think she had already—..." He wasn't able to finish his words as he was immediately interrupted by his father.

"She is your wife and not Sam's, that's why I told you to pick her up!" His father roared. "You are responsible for her safety and not anyone else! Your father-in-law called me just now and told me that she hasn't been able to come home yet! What were you doing? Have you been whoring around, huh? You're married for Christ's sake!" His father began to scold him endlessly.

Terrence massages his temples soothingly. His father's constant nagging made his head throbbing therefore he resigned to his fate and refuted, "Dad, don't talk nonsense... I'll go find her." 

"You better be... It's getting late." Mr. Adams ordered, sighing heavily. "Bring her to your apartment for the meantime! Let her stay in your place for a couple of days before she gets her final decision on where to live." He added domineeringly.

Terrence clenched his jaws at his father's instructions as he downed his remaining liquor. They were always similar to cats and dogs, never trying to hide their hatred towards each other so how was he supposed to convince the latter to stay in his apartment? Furthermore, he didn't want to yield and admit defeat to a vicious woman like her as he found it outrageous. Hence, he began to suggest. "Dad, I don't think she would like it to stay here in my place. How about letting her stay at the hotel?"

"Are you nuts?" Mr. Adams' voice couldn't be more thundering on the other end upon hearing his son's nonsense. "Aren't you aware that someone is targeting your wife? Are you willing to suffer the consequences if she got kidnapped or worse turned dead? Your ancestors will take you with them and drop you to hell!" His father threatened him spitefully. 

"Fine. I'll go get her now…" Terrence grumbled in defeat. 

How could he not know that someone was targeting his nominal wife? There are lots of them actually…

It never escaped his awareness that a few of their family friends who had known Athena as the daughter of the Stanfords secretly urged their son's to pursue her obviously because of their personal interest but then her family chose him instead to be her husband among them even if he wasn't interested to be with her because their families are closer to one.

In fact, he was fond of Athena before… It's just that, when they reached their teenage years, she began to show her real colors. He finds her having a hidden vicious side, bullying the weak. That put an end to his fondness towards the latter until now… When and how she started to act differently, he didn't know and he wasn't interested to know the reason behind it either… What he witnessed back then was enough to make him realize that he made a mistake in getting close to her…

 

"You should stop doing nonsense, Terrence!" His father continuously berated him. "Tame your wife and have children with her! We are waiting for that event to happen! Don't let us down, son! We're getting old now. We need grandchildren to play within the garden." Mr. Adams sounds agitated. 

Pursing his lips in displeasure, Terrence dropped the call completely ignoring his father's rants and wishful thinking. He changed his clothes and stormed out of his apartment after taking his phone and car keys in hands. He then drove fast while dialing Athena's number along the way…

***

Athena had just finished her relaxing bath when she decided to call her boyfriend and check on him. Sitting on her comfy single-sized bed, she took out her mobile phone from her sling bag and dialed Mike's number but she couldn't reach him. She tried a few times but still to no avail…

Annoyed and irritated, she threw her phone on the bedside table and went to her little fridge stationed at the corner. She took out a few cans of beer, drinking them on the balcony while gazing at the luminous lights…

She was thinking about everything that happened to her from the past… The frame ups, her shotgun marriage and her struggles while she's living far away from home… They appeared blurred but the wounds remain fresh. It hasn't been cured despite undergoing a medical procedure to get rid of them. The pain surges and intensifies when she sees him, the man that secretly stabbed her without even knowing. 

Terrence, whom she allowed to get closer to her since childhood aside from Sam, had occupied a fraction of her heart but it was hidden in the deepest part where no one but her and her alone knows about it. The very first time her eyes fell on him, she felt something strange about him. Irritating, amusing, she couldn't describe the feeling as it swirls inside her heart like a tornado whenever he appeared around her. As a child, she wasn't aware of it but as years passed by, she came to a certain conclusion: she was infatuated with him and she was terrified to show it because of a possible rejection therefore she exercised herself to master a nonchalant expression in front of him… But now, that affection towards him was replaced by endless anguish and hatred. 

A soft sigh escaped from her mouth as she realized that she was going to endure all of it frequently now that she decided to come back. She couldn't escape again and hide everything just like before… As she thought of it, she suddenly felt depressed and melancholic…

Half an hour passed, her mobile phone started ringing, snapping her out of her terrain of thoughts.

Athena took a deep breath and grinned thinking that Mike had finally called her. She sauntered towards her phone, answering it carelessly. 

"Babe..." She chirped, followed by her constant nagging as she started to feel tipsy and lightheaded. "I've been calling you many times but I can't reach you… " 

"Where are you?" A man's deep and husky voice inquired on the other end of the line. 

Athena failed to realize the difference between her boyfriend and the man's voice thus she proceeded to babble her drunken words. "I'm staying in MS hotel, for the meantime... I'll be home tomorrow morning."

"Stay right there. I'm on my way.."

"Hahaa…" Athena giggled, amused at what she heard. "Thanks for making me laugh, but please stop bluffing…" she grumbled.

"What is your room number?" The man asked calmly.

"You don't have to know. You're not coming anyway…" she refused to spill as a tear began to fall from her eyes.

"Say it. Which room are you in?" He asked again.

She sniffed lightly before she said, "I can't afford the luxurious room so I'm checking on the cheapest room for the night..."

"What did you just say?" Terrence frowned in confusion. "Why can't you afford the expensive room?" He inquired curiously. 

"Mike," a sob escaped from her mouth. "I… I… Need to go..." She dropped the call before she let her tears fall from her eyes. She's crying for something she didn't know

"Athena!" Terrence called out in a hurry but his call was abruptly cut off by the woman. Her sniffling didn't escape from his ears and he wondered if she was in trouble...

'Was she crying? Why is that?' He thought doubtfully as this was the first time that he heard her emotionless voice come out faltering. 

He hastened his speed, racing towards MS hotel like a madman. Arriving at the parking lot, he hopped out from his car and went to the receptionist's desk to ask for Athena's name and the number of her room. 

"Miss, which room does Athena Adams check-in?" He asked hurriedly. 

"Excuse me sir?" The receptionist looked up and stared at him. "I can't tell you anything, sir. I'm sorry to tell you that informations concerning about our clients' should remain confidential. We have rules that should be followed..." The latter added apologetically. 

"But it's urgent!" Terrence reasoned out, racking his brain for another suitable excuse to get in. "She's drunk and she's upset of me. I'm afraid something might have happened to her…" he pleaded.

"Sir," The receptionist looked shaken.

"Can you bear the consequences if something happens to my wife, huh?" He growled menacingly while shooting daggers at the poor receptionist. 

The latter had started to pale, trembling in fear as she opened her computer and started searching for Athena's name through their records but then… "There's no Athena Adams checking in, sir…" her voice was obviously nervous as she spoke.

"How about Athena Stanford?" He suggested.

The receptionist then tried but still, she shook her head and said, "No Athena Stanford…"

Terrence tried to think of another surname. This time he tried his mother-in-law's. "How about Athena Wayne?"

The latter scanned once again and her eyes finally lit up. "She's in room #123..." 

"Thank you." Terrence murmured thanks and cursed within as he hurried towards the elevator... 

'Damn it! She's using her mother's surname, huh?' He scoffed internally but then he realized that she's indeed telling him the truth about her occupied room. This made him recall the past. His hatred towards her was shaken a little…

Athena was after all an heiress, a billionaire's daughter but bragging over her fortune has never occurred to her character. She prefers simple and low-key before but he didn't know that until now, she still remains that way… Series of questions began popping out of his head but he pushed those aside as he spotted her room number.

Terrence halted and knocked on her door furiously.

"Wait a second!" She shouted, followed by her stomping steps.

His heart began hammering inside his chest as he waited for the door to open. A mix of pain and hatred spiraled in his heart when he imagined how narrow her space inside must be. 

'What's with the savings? She's f*cking loaded!' he thought, balling his fist in irritation. 

He really couldn't understand why she had to suffer like this when she could have swiped her card and lived luxuriously! It made him think that perhaps she had gone mad or maybe she was hit by something that caused her to act like this.

The door swung open and a newly bathed woman wrapped in a white bathrobe staggered on his view. Her nose appeared red and her eyes were swollen. Such sight only added to his irritation therefore, he lost control of himself and shouted out in rage.

"Athena Stanford Adams!" 

The woman blinked and stared at him, confused and bewildered."You! What are you doing here? How did you find me?"