CHAPTER ONE.
It began as a whispering in the air, the rain. The day was beautiful and the sky was a dome of plasma blue, the clouds looked like airy anvils drifting under the gleaming disc of the sun.
A petite lady with long blonde hair and a face that looked like beauty itself looked out the hospital window in the reception hall, star struck by the beauty of nature. The sky darkened as she watched and soon the tapping on the window was heard and then it became a pitter patter.
People ran for cover outside and umbrellas were opened as the clouds spat out their beads of water. Puddles began forming as the rainfall became heavier. The Rain danced upon the roof of cars and she could hear the murmuring of the rain through the window. It sounded like the buzzing of angry bees.
"Ma'am you can come in now," someone said from behind, tapping her on the shoulder softly. She turned with a tight smile.
"Thank you."
Clutching her bag, she followed the nurse into ward B.
"You have fifteen minutes, we don't want the patient to get emotionally stressed as that would be bad for her treatment," the nurse spoke once they got to the door.
"Of course, thank you." She entered the room.
"Oh Adrianna, you finally came," her mum said with a wide smile as she spread her arms out wide for an embrace.
"Mum I have missed you," she cried out, hugging her tightly.
"I have missed you too baby."
"Tell me, how is your dad?" Linda asked with a soft smile as her daughter took a seat on the visitor's chair.
"He's fine... without you, he doesn't even care if you are alive or dead, mum, if he found out I was here, he would be mad" Adriana replied, downcast.
"Mum you need to forget about dad, he doesn't care about you, I mean, look what he did to you," she said touching her legs.
Tears rolled down her mum's eyes as she shut them. Adrianna's mum was one of those women who were victims of physical abuse, Adrianna's dad, Adam, treated her mum, Linda, like she was a toy with no feelings, he didn't care about his actions as he had the money to sought himself out if need be. He had pushed Linda down the stairs during one of their fights which led to her being crippled as the bones in her legs were damaged badly, he didn't even show sympathy or bother to take her to the hospital, instead, he left her on the floor crying and suffering the pain.
"Anna dear, you would not understand," she said with a soft smile, cleaning her tears.
She put on a brave face, "So tell me, is he disturbing you with suitors?"Her mum asked.
Adrianna's face fell, "No mum, he hasn't started harassing me with suitors yet," she grumbled.
"I smell a lie," her mum said chuckling.
"Mum!" She rolled her eyes, "Okay maybe he has introduced a few suitors but wasn't adamant about me choosing them," she gave in with a sigh, a frown on her face.
"You need to choose fast so he wouldn't force you to marry a ruthless man like him," Linda spoke, patting her child's hair.
"So you know he is ruthless" Adrianna raised a brow, chuckling.
"Of course he is, you can't deny the truth."
Linda stared at her daughter fondly.
"Why are you looking at me that way?" Adrianna grumbled, feeling uncomfortable with the strange stare.
"You must find a suitor for yourself, Anna. A rich suitor, a billionaire, one of high social standards, and good character so you can spare yourself a bad marriage. Your father will agree to it as far as he is well to do."
"Even if I don't love him?" Adrianna asked with a sad smile.
"We both know that your dad speaks only one language and that is money, every other thing is secondary, he could sell you off to a drug lord as long as there is a huge gain awaiting him, he doesn't believe in the love language. I mean look at me dear, he doesn't even care about me, to him I was just collateral damage," Linda told her.
"I wish you ended up better," Adrianna sighed, "ended up with a better man."
"If I ended up with a better man, I wouldn't have given birth to you," Linda hushed her.
She shrugged, "I don't mind. As far as you get to live good."
"What are you saying?" Linda frowned deeply, "do not tell me that you are beginning to have suicidal thoughts, huh?"
"Of course not!" Adrianna exclaimed, "I'm just saying I love you too much to see you suffer because of me."
"If you don't want to see me suffer, then make sure to live a good life, take care of yourself, and marry a good man. Do you not know that it hurts me more when you're in pain than when I am in pain? How can you wish to not be born, how can you? How can you throw away all the years I spent raising you to be the smart woman you are today? How can you…"
"Mum!" Adrianna exclaimed, seeing the tears running down her mother's cheek, "I'm sorry, forgive me. I did not mean to make you cry. I'm happy you married dad and gave birth to me, I just wish things were different. You don't like seeing me sad, I also don't like seeing you sad, it hurts me too."
Adrianna cleaned off the tears on her mother's face.
"I'm sorry," Linda sniffed, "but you must never speak that way again. I will try my best to live happily now so you can be happy, okay?"
"Good," Adrianna beamed and hugged her.
"Perhaps it's all my fault. I should have changed things, I could have done things differently but now…"
"Mum don't speak like that, you-"
"Ma'am your visiting time is over, please leave. The patient must have some rest," the same nurse from earlier interrupted Adrianna as she was about to speak.
"Plea-" Linda squeezed Adrianna's hands tightly stopping her from continuing her sentence.
"Anna, go home. We'll talk later dear" her mum said reassuringly.
Adrianna kissed her mum on her forehead. Grabbing her handbag she left her mum's room with a sad face. She was not happy about leaving her mum all alone in a hospital. She sauntered to the elevator and pressed the button. Finally, the elevator dinged and she ventured in, pressing the button for the bottom floor. Seconds before the door shut completely, a carefully polished shoe appeared and stopped it from closing.