The Irresponsible Lady

“She said stop!” Henry gritted his teeth, his grey eyes glaring at the drunk man in front of him.

He had been watching the young lady drinking non-stop for the last hour with no intents of approaching her but he was curious to hear her story. She seemed sad and it was clear she had chosen alcohol as the escape route of whatever that was bothering her.

He had only planned to watch her from the corner of the bar without letting their paths cross until the pervert started to pester her.

“I-I thought she was alone.” The man slurred before backing away slowly.

“Get lost!” Henry hissed and the man scrambled off.

“And who are you?” The lady with straight brown hair watched him closely with narrowed eyes.

“You do know how dangerous it is for a lady to be drinking alone by this time of the night, right?” Henry stared down at her.

He had an indifferent look on his face but he found it hard to stop staring at the gorgeous being in front of him. He wanted to commit each of her features to his memory. And he didn’t even know why.

“And why do you care?” She scoffed, reaching out for the glass of whiskey.

“You have drank enough.” Henry stopped her by holding her wrist.

Her eyes fell to his hand on her wrist and she chuckled under her breath.

“Men. Always thinking they can tell me what to do with my life.” 

Henry frowned at her statement and retracted his hand. He wasn’t one to interfere in one’s life, especially that of a stranger. But there was just something about this lady.

Something that made him want to protect her from all the hungry eyes in the bar, waiting to make their move on a vulnerable lady.

“I must have overstepped my boundaries. I just wanted to-”

“Forget about it. Just leave me alone.” She got up from the stool but lost her balance.

Henry stepped forward and caught her in his arms before she could fall to the floor. The strange lady nuzzled her face in his chest with her eyes closed. 

“I hate you. I hate you.” She murmured something incoherent under her breath.

“What mess have I gotten myself into?” Henry sighed, adjusting the sleeping lady on his arms.

He carried her out of the bar after paying her bill and getting her coat and bag. His right-hand man, Alex, opened the door of the backseat without even a change in his demeanour.

If there was one reason Henry had kept Alex by his side for the past seven years, it was because of how unflinchingly loyal Alex was. If Henry called Alex to help him with a dead body, his man would do it without a single question.

Henry placed the lady in the backseat and she crawled into a ball like a child. He then moved to the passenger’s seat as Alex started the car.

“Where to, sir?” Alex asked.

Henry checked out the sleeping figure from the rearview mirror. 

“You bastard…” She blabbered.

Henry had no idea where she stayed and she didn’t look like someone who could give him a concrete answer at the moment.

“The nearest hotel.” Henry muttered before putting on his seatbelt.

As soon as Alex parked the car, Henry took the lady into the hotel room while Alex made the payments. In order to make sure that she was safe, he ordered Alex to pay a hotel attendant to watch her through the night.

Henry glanced at her on the hotel bed and shook his head slightly. He had no idea what led her to drinking this much but she sure was an irresponsible lady to have ignored her safety this way.

“Sir?” Alex called and nodded his head to inform Henry that he had negotiated with the hotel attendant.

Henry got up to leave the room but he was held back with a tight grip on his sleeve.

“Don’t leave me. Please, don’t leave me.” The lady’s eyes were closed but her voice was begging him earnestly.

For a split second, Henry was torn between staying behind and leaving the room. But he gently removed her hand from his sleeve and turned to leave.

***

Henry got out of his car, heading into his son’s school with Alex leading the way. He had gotten a call this morning from the office that his four-year old son, Ryle, had gotten violent with another child.

The principal had called him personally and urged Henry to come to the school as soon as possible.

Henry found this strange and suspicious. He knew Ryle could be stubborn sometimes but he was hardly aggressive.

“Has the hotel attendant given you a call?” Henry asked as they headed towards the principal’s office.

“Yes. She informed me that the lady had left the room thirty minutes ago.” Alex responded.

Henry said nothing else, simply nodding his head. He had half-expected her to ask for the number of the person who saved her from the pervert last night but it seemed gratitude wasn’t in her morals either.

Why was he even expecting her to give him a call?

“I can’t believe a father would raise his son this way!” 

Henry frowned when he heard voices coming from the principal’s office. The door was ajar so he remained by the doorway, wanting to see what was causing the spectacle.

“I heard he’s a single father and a wealthy man as well. This is what happens when you neglect children and let nannies raise them!” 

Henry scoffed under his breath at the scenario. So now, they wanted to teach him how to raise his son?

His eyes moved to a corner in the room where he saw a tiny frame sitting on the floor. Henry blazed with anger and kicked the door wide open.

Everyone in the room jumped and turned towards him with surprised faces.