Chapter 23

Veronica wouldn't listen to him, angry as she packed a small bag and moved towards the garage, ignoring Adam as he pleaded beside her.

"Veronica, will you just leave just like that?"

She hissed at him. "Of course, I will leave just like that. Until you tell me what you were doing at the crime scene, Adam, we have nothing to talk about. It would be strange to stay together in the same house with silence and yet say nothing to each other so let me go. I can't stay in the same house with you and fight you." Her voice trembled. "I just can't do that, Adam."

His voice shook as he replied him. "Then don't, Veronica. Don't fight with me."

She blinked, licking her lips. "I have to. I don't feel comfortable staying here with you. My father is lying still at the hospital for Christ's sake fighting for his life and the police suspect you, it would be stupid of me to pretend that I am not worried of that. I can't deal with that level of anxiety, at least for the baby's sake." She shook her head. "Let me go, Adam."

He shook his head, daring to move closer to her and winced, staying still when she flinched and moved backwards. "Why don't you trust me more?"

She scoffed. "I am not sure I ever did. This is life and death, Adam."

He nodded. "Exactly why I need you to trust me harder, Veronica. At least, for the baby's sake. I've saved you countless times so why would you think that I will hurt you now?"

"You married me for money to save your business and should anything happen to my father, you stand a great chance to gaining much more than you bargained for as he had amended his will ever since he found out that I was pregnant and made himself believe that the both of us are a loving family." She explained.

He flinched. "But the two of us are a loving family and you should know I would never hurt your father. It hurts to know that you think I did this." He shook his head in sorrow.

She snorted with derision. "It hurts that you think I am stupid and can still lie to my face even after the evidence is there. What were you doing at my father's office that day?"

He sighed. "Not this again. I will tell you the same thing I told the police right in your presence the other day. I was not at his office."

She laughed, shaking her head in mockery. "Of course, you weren't there but I don't trust that footage you dropped. I will trust the evidence. What was your hair looking for at the crime scene?"

He breathed out an exasperated sigh, running his hand through his hair and messed it up without a care. "I just told you that I have no idea. Veronica, I am telling you the truth."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, man. I have no idea of why I should trust you." She pushed his hand which was reaching to her away and left the house, getting to the car before letting the dam flow.

She sagged against the wheel, heaving as tears flowed from her heavy heart and minutes later, angrily swiped at it and headed to Sandra's house.

Adam's knees wobbled and he plopped into the nearest chair, his head doubling over in grief. He cried out, letting his shout echo back to his ears and soothe his frayed emotions. Why must he keep on experiencing bad occurrences when he thought he already had his life figured out? He had believed he was done with the misfortunes and his life was getting back on track - he got his business back into action, he got married, he found out he was going to have a baby, he was falling in love with the woman he married and he was convinced she liked him too and now this.

He cried out again, his roar choking his throat and making him cough when he was done. He was fed up. He didn't blame Veronica for leaving. He would have done the same if he was in her shoes. Damn it, he wondered how his hair got to the crime scene. He hadn't had a cut in weeks that a random serial killer could have planned and picked it up. Moreover, he hardly used a public saloon so he was certain the universe was not done with him and was hellbent on frustrating his life.

He sighed, fished out his phone from the pocket of us trousers and dialed Bruce.

"Hey, man." Bruce greeted.

"Bruce."

Bruce jerked. "What's up, man? You sound horrible. You sound like death."

An amused chuckle escaped his throat. "I feel horrible, Bruce. I feel like death."

Bruce sighed, feeling pity for him. He wasn't a religious person but he was moved to going on a prayer spree for Adam. "What is going on with you? The investigation? Don't worry, man. You have got alibi. The police won't just arrest you like that. I will make sure of that."

Adam shook his head. He knew apart from the conviction of his innocence that Bruce was going to take care of him. "Not that."

Bruce was worried. "What else happened? I don't think anything funny came up at the office."

Adam grunted. "Veronica moved out of the house."

"What? Oh!" Bruce was struck speechless.

Adam cleared his throat. "Will you like to have a drink with me, Bruce?"

Bruce swallowed. That was a bad idea. He wasn't ready to listen to Adam's sob story and have to carry him off afterwards when he got wasted but he couldn't leave him to go all by himself. 

He nodded. "Okay, Adam but we will be doing it my way. Just stay at home and I will get the drinks to you."

Adam shrugged. "I don't have a problem with that. As long as the drinks get here, I am cool."

Bruce smiled. "Be with you in a few." He said and disconnected the call.

Veronica wiped off the tears off her face and drove out of the house. She couldn't believe he hadn't noticed that she was still around and come running to plead with her to stay s little bit more. 

Sandra danced to her favorite music blaring out of the speaker of her phone as she tidied her apartment. She had been so busy lately she kept postponing the day she said she was going to arrange and neaten up everything. She couldn't wait to be done so she could stretch out in a hot tub - she had gotten the scented oils ready, she remembered with a smile - and then stream episodes of her favorite drama series. 

She looked up in surprise when her doorbell rang. She frowned, wondering who it was as she was not expecting anyone. She dropped the rag in her hands with which she had been cleaning and moved forward to the door.

"Who is that?" She asked, ignoring the fear in her belly. Ever since Mathew had been attacked in his office, she had been a little paranoid and she hated that. She scoffed, ignoring the unsettling feeling of fear clutching at the edges of her heart. She doubted she had enemies she had to be mindful of. She scoffed as she was reminded by a random thought that Mathew also thought that way and was now occupying a VIP ward in one of the largest hospitals in the city.

"Sandra, open the door." The voice was tired and muffled but Sandra knew exactly who it was.

She sagged in relief as she moved closer to the door. "Veronica, what are you doing here?" She gasped in shock as she opened the door and saw her with a bag. "Where are you traveling to?"

Veronica snorted as she moved inside. "Can I stay here for a while?"

"What happened to your big house?" Sandra asked as she locked the door and followed her in.

"It's Adam's house and not mine."

Sandra scoffed. "Stop being ridiculous. You know what I mean."

Veronica sighed as she sat on a chair, placing the bsg beside her. "I moved out."

Sandra's eyes widened in horror. "Why would you do that?"

"To protect myself?"

Sandra snorted with disbelief as she sat beside her. "Don't tell me you believe that Adam is responsible for the attack on Matthew?"

Veronica's lips shook as she stared at Sandra. "I don't even know what to believe in, girlfriend." She confided in her friend.

Sandra scooted closer to her. "Well, I can tell you what to believe in. I believe Adam that he wasn't at the crime scene. I know he loves and adores Matthew and would never have done anything to hurt him."

Veronica nodded, struggling to hold on to what to believe in if he should believe in the caution pumping hard in her or the love and trust she felt for a man she believed she hardly knew and didn't know if he loved her back.

She slouched into the chair, drained of energy. "I am here now, girl. You can't send me back."

Sandra scoffed. "I can do that so don't be too sure of that. I can't host a runaway married woman in my house." She grinned at her. "What do you think the other bloggers will do if they find out about this?"

Veronica scoffed. "Then you do all you can to make sure no one finds out about this or we will both have drama we will rather not deal with on our hands."

Sandra chuckled. "It doesn't sound like you are giving me a choice in this. You are here already as you have said."

Veronica laughed. "You are damn right I am giving you no choice so please get me something to eat. The baby is famished."

Sandra laughed. "You mean the mother?"

Veronica laughed. "Just get me something to eat. I am hungry."

Sandra laughed. "She finally admits to her hunger. You will have to chill though because I have been cleaning the apartment all day and haven't cooked."

"Ah!" Veronica groaned.

Sandra pouted. "Will you eat bread?"

Veronica made a face. "No."

"Why didn't you call me that you would be coming over?"

Veronica scoffed. "And have you lie that you are not at home? Would you have agreed to let me stay here if I told you that I would be coming here?"

Sandra grunted. "You may be right."

Veronica snorted. "You know I am right. Now, let's clean your house together so we can cook."

Sandra passed her the rag. "Use this. I will find another one."

Adam looked up as Bruce gently knocked on the door and walked in with a bag. He sat down beside Adam and brought out bottles of beer and set him on the table.

Adam frowned. "You bought only four bottles?"

Bruce snorted. "Would you have wanted me to come with the whole brewery?"

Adam winced. "Two bottles of beer won't be enough to knock me out. This house feels empty without Veronica and I need something strong to knock me out to sleep tonight."

Bruce frowned as he looked at him. "That was why I bought four for you. One of us has to keep a sane head."

Adam grinned. "I can still pour you a cup though."

Bruce chuckled. "That would be nice of you."

Adam shrugged. "I am a good person."

Bruce stared at him, noting the worry lines around his lips as he guzzled down a full mug of beer. "Will you like to stay over at my place if you don't want to stay alone?"

Adam shook his head. "Then I wouldn't know when she comes back home. I will stay here."

"And drink yourself to death every night while waiting for her?" Bruce hissed.

Adam grinned at him. "Okay, I will stop drinking. Just let tonight go."

Bruce sighed, knowing he was in for a long night. He watched as Adam guzzled down the beer like he had been starved of it. He knew when he got tipsy and as he had expected and feared, Adam began to talk his ears off with how much he missed Veronica and how hurt that she was that she suspected him of hurting Matthew.

"Here we go." Bruce sighed as he leaned back on the chair and listened to Adam recount his woes.