Five.

“Hi, beautiful, where's my wife?" Kai asked as he walked past Xara. She had listened to her friend's advice and gotten a makeover. She cut her long boring dark brown hair to shoulder length and had gotten light brown highlights in her hair.

She had also discarded her dull, boring and unattractive clothes for sexier ones.

“ Welcome home, Mr Maximilian," Xara spoke out making his jaw drop.

“X-Xara?" He called shocked as she smiled at him.

“ You had a makeover?" He asked happily for a while.

"I hope you're not dressing sexy for any other man, because whatever you do, you'll always be poor, boring Xara Wilson and nothing more." He stormed away.

"WHAT EVER DID I DO TO YOU?" She screamed after him as he came to a halt, staring at her sobbing on the floor.

"You agreed to marry me; you could have declined, but you married me anyway, knowing full well that I don't love you." He responded softly.

"Do you think I had a choice?" She laughed.

"Perhaps I should have run away like Mabel, maybe I wouldn't have been—"

Kai smacked her head across the wall, causing her to scream in agony. He was enraged and furious.

How could she have brought up Mabel's name and what she had done in this house? He pondered this.

"Xara, Xara, Xara."" Amanda and Penny jolted her awake.

Amanda checked her wrist for a pulse, but it was faint.

"Penny, please inform the driver that we need to get her to the hospital as soon as possible." "Amanda stated , bringing Kai to reality.

What have I done? He panicked as he dropped his briefcase and carried his wife out of the house. He sat her in the car and drove her to the hospital.

What had gotten into him?

He wasn't like that; he was never a woman beater.

So, why now?

Why now?

These were his thoughts as his knuckles turned white from gripping the steering wheel too tightly.

He parked his car and carried his wife into the hospital, yelling, "Emergency, emergency!"

Nurses and paramedics rushed to him as they loaded his wife onto a stretcher and wheeled her away.

Kai paced up and down the hospital corridors uncomfortably.

What if she died?

Mabel will not forgive me. He thought to himself.

“Sir..." A doctor patted him on the shoulder.

"Is she all right?"" He asked, turning to face the doctor.

"Relax, she's fine. We simply wanted her to gain consciousness before informing you. Sorry for the delay." The doctor smiled.

"Thank goodness she's okay, any complications?"" He inquired.

“No, she's fine, just a minor concussion and some swelling on her head." As they walked to her ward to see her, the doctor responded. The doctor left them alone to talk.

“H-hi." Kai was able to say.

"How may I be of help to you, Mr Maximilian?" She inquired coldly.

"Xara, I am truly sorry; I don't know what happened to me; I simply overreacted." I'm sorry; Mabel is a sensitive subject for me." He expressed regret.

"But it wasn't my fault that this had to happen; I was just a victim of circumstance, and I didn't want any of it." I was compelled against my will." She justified herself.

He took her soft hands in his and looked her in the eyes. In them, he saw both innocence and unhappiness.

No, she's fine, just a minor concussion and some swelling on her head." As they walked to her ward to see her, the doctor responded. The doctor left them alone to talk.

“H-hi." Kai was able to say.

"How may I assist you, Mr Maximilian?" She inquired coldly.

"Xara, I am truly sorry; I don't know what happened to me; I simply overreacted." I'm sorry; Mabel is a sensitive subject for me." He expressed regret.

"But it wasn't my fault that this had to happen; I was just a victim of circumstance, and I didn't want any of it." I was compelled against my will." She justified herself.

He took her soft hands in his and looked her in the eyes. In them, he saw both innocence and unhappiness.

“I apologize for everything." He said to her as she looked at her burned hand from his mistress. The sore had died, but the scar remained visible, despite her efforts to fade it with ointments.

Is he going to change? She expressed her worries.

"I will change; please forgive me." He responded, making her realize she had said it aloud.

As Penny, Alianna, Amanda, and Xara's mother entered the ward, she took her hands out of his and stared at him.

"I'd come to see you later, get well soon," Kai said as he left the ward.

“"Baby, are you all right?" Her mother inquired as she sat on the bed.

"I am truly sorry that this had to happen. "Oh, how I wish we could turn back the hands of time." Her mother soothed her.

"It's all right, Ma; the damage has already been done." "How about we just get on with our lives?" She grinned dryly.

"How are you feeling?" Alianna switched the subject.

"I’m fine, just a mild headache, nothing to worry about." She gave them assurances.

I expected him to like the new me, but this is what happened." Her friends gave her a sad smile as she sighed.

"I brought food for you girls." "Kai also mentioned putting food on the table.

"Wow, Mr Maximilian, thank you." "said Alianna.

"Please call me Kai." Only Xara has permission to address me as Mr Maximilian.I love how she says it." He teasingly made her smile.

“We appreciate it, Mr Maximilian." She was flushed. He liked the sound of Xara's voice because, despite her youth and innocence, it was femininely deep and husky.

"You are most welcome. I need to attend to something; I'll see you later." He kissed her pale hand and exited.

"I hope this lasts forever, because this side of him is lovely." She complained to her friends.

“Enough of Kai, it's time for food," Penny said as she placed the food in front of them.

"How did he know what my favorite ice cream was?" She was taken aback.

Penny replied as she bit into her juicy burger, "He might have asked your mom..."

"Do you believe he assaulted her?" One of the nurses inquired about her friend.

"It appears that way, or perhaps she slipped and hit her head." Another suggestion was made.

If she had, she would have been stitched. I believe she was pushed against a wall or beaten. "The bruise on her cheek proves it." The first nurse stated.

"It's her problem; she chose to marry a wealthy man and should bear the consequences."" She said to her friend.

"Well, let's get back to work before we get into trouble, see you around."" She said as they parted ways to attend to their patients.

These nurses are always gossiping about others.

They should hope their bosses don't find out about this because they are doomed.

I should concentrate on getting better and returning to my life. While limping to her room, a random patient thought to herself.