Chapter 37 — She Woke Up

“Have you informed all the parents of children that tomorrow is going to be an annual celebration of the school?” Mrs. Brown in charge of functions asked me.

“Yes, I have informed everyone,” I said. The school was going to organize a children’s fair, and I had a lot of work to do. I had to check the children’s performance list, guest list, and the parents.

“And what about children’s costumes?” She asked while glancing through the list of students who were going to perform in the fair.

“Um, sorry, I forgot to tell Teena. I’ll call her,” I said and pulled out my phone, and was about to call her but Mrs. Brown cut me, “Alice, I don’t want any mistakes this time. I hope you will understand it,” she said, emphasizing every word.

“I will make sure,” I mumbled.

She nodded one last time before storming into her office.

I sighed with relief and headed towards the school garden. I needed some fresh air to calm my brain down. I pulled out the list from my bag and checked on the children who were going to perform on stage. Number Tenth Harley. It surprised me to see that she was also going to perform at the fair. When did she return?

“Princess.” I heard her soft and little voice from behind. I turned around to find her near the bench. I reached out to her.

“Oh, Harley.” I hugged her tightly, cutting down her breathing supply. “I missed you so much.”

“I also missed you.” She looked so adorable in her pink dress. “Where have you been?” Oh, I forgot I must have been in Norway when she returned from Tuscany.

“I was—” Before I could finish, someone cut me off.

“She was with her prince,” Vivian said and gave me his playful wink. “In Norway. Am I right, Princess?”

“This is none of your business,” I snapped, looking back at her. “So, how was your holiday in Tuscany? Have you enjoyed it there with your maternal aunt? What have you seen there?”

Harley frowned with confusion. “I have no maternal aunt and I have seen nothing there because dad’s men locked me in a huge house and didn’t allow me out,” she said sadly. “I hate him, I hate my dad’s men.”

“Why didn’t they allow you out?”

She glanced at her father before looking back at me.

“Harley, we are getting late, let’s go, sweetheart.” Vivian interrupted us and took hold of her hand. But she didn’t move from her place and stood there rigid.

“I don’t want to go,” she said firmly.

“I want to talk to her,” I said and glanced at him before turning my eyes back to her. Suddenly, something caught my attention. Her left leg was swathed in bandages. “What happened…” I stopped in mid because I knew who would answer me.

“Harley, your friend Ashton always asked me about you. Don't you want to meet him? He is over there waiting for you.” I smiled and she nodded and walked away quickly. I looked at her until she disappeared among the children.

“What the fuck is your problem? Why did you let her go knowing that she is injured?” Vivian growled.

I crossed my arms over my chest, looking into his eyes. “What happened to her?”

“None of your concern,” he snapped and headed toward Harley.

But before he could go, I quickly grabbed his hand. “Answer me, Vivian. What happened to her? Why did you send her to Tuscany and why did you lock her in the house?”

“It was an accident, and she wasn’t being locked but protected…” He clenched his teeth. “There is nothing to worry about.”

“Nothing to worry about? She is just five. How could you leave her alone in that house…how could you—?”

“She was not alone there. She was with her nanny and my men.” He cut me off sharply.

“Vivian…this is not an answer. Answer me!” I demanded.

He didn’t utter a single word. His eyes were fixed on his fisted hands. He was refusing to look at me because he was angry.

“Look at me, Vivian.”

“What do you want to hear?!” He said through teeth. “My enemies attacked my little girl, and her life is at risk. And here I failed to save my baby despite having so many people under me!”

“She was attacked!” I gasped in horror. She was only five and someone had tried to kill her. “And you didn’t even bother to tell me once?”

He turned around to face me. “If I told you, what would you do, Alice? And…” before he could finish, I heard the horn of a car. “Go, your husband is waiting for you.” He pointed to the black Mercedes.

I glanced over my shoulder to see Henry. Why was he here? I looked back at Vivian. His eyes were still fixed on his hand. He didn’t raise his eyes at me once. Like he didn’t want to talk about this topic. I grasped my bag and was ready to leave.

But immediately he grabbed my hand. “I am sorry for what I did on that day and please…” before he could complete himself, someone snatched my hand firmly and pulled me over to him.

“We are getting late. Let’s go, Alice,” Henry said coldly and dragged me towards the car.

“Wait…” I said, but he already opened the door for me. Defeated, I sat in the car. “Why are you here?”

Henry clasped his seatbelt, frowned angrily. “Why? You don’t like it. I came here to pick you up and interrupted your conversation with him?” He snapped, glaring at Vivian.

“Why do you always take things in the wrong way? We were just talking.”

“Both of you were talking while holding each other’s hands?” He narrowed his eyes. “I don’t like it when he is with you. From now on you are not allowed to talk to him.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Don’t you think you are overreacting, Mr. Angry? Why have you become a control freak?”

“I haven’t become a control freak, Alice and if I have, then I would not have let you work in this damn school.”

“You can’t decide what I should or shouldn’t do.”

He gripped the steering wheel angrily. “Yes, I can Alice! I’m your husband and I have all right over you. I do what I want when I want, you can’t say no to me.”

“You are my husband, not my owner. I’m human, not the thing you have right on me and…” I stopped in mid after seeing his expression. He was pissed off. “Why don’t you accept that you’re feeling insecure with Vivian,” I whispered so that he could not overhear me.

*****

I stayed in my room and didn’t go to him. He didn’t talk to me either after the last conversation between us. I didn’t like his control over me. He can’t tell me whom I should talk to or not to talk to. I lay down on my bed, staring out through the open window.

Suddenly a soft knock sounded on my door and Henry stepped into my room carrying a tray of the food. “You haven’t eaten anything after returning from school,” he said and placed the tray on the table beside my bed.

“I’m not hungry,” I said without glancing at him.

He sat on my bed and I could feel his hand on my legs, even though my legs were covered with a blanket. “I’m sorry Alice for being so loud on you.”

“You are always being so loud on me, Henry. It’s nothing new, so why are you apologizing to me?”

He didn’t say a single word.

“I can tolerate your anger, I can tolerate your hate, but I can’t tolerate your orders, Henry. You can’t stop me from meeting people or talking to them.”

He stood up to leave. “I’m sorry for all those shits that I did to you, and I’m sorry for what you have been through because of me. I wish I could understand you before, Alice,” he said and walked out of the room.

I kept quiet, wanting him back.

An hour later, again a knock sounded on the door. I growled with frustration and checked the time: it was 11:23. Who was knocking on the door late at night? Before I could rise to my feet, he cracked the door open and stepped in. “Henry, what are you doing here?”

He ran his fingers through his messy hair. “I can’t sleep without you. Can I sleep with you in your room?”

How could I refuse him? He wanted me, and I promised myself that I would make him happy. I nodded at him, and he didn’t take a second to jump on my bed. “Thank you,” he said while lying beside me. My bed wasn’t big like his but big enough for both of us.

He wrapped his powerful arm around my waist and pressed my back against his firm chest. I heard him inhaling. “You smell so good. I can’t sleep without your smell. It reminds me I’m not alone,” he mumbled and rested his head on my shoulder. I adjusted my body to get more comfortable with him, and his arm tightened around me.

I smiled and closed my eyes.

Suddenly, the loud buzzing of the phone interrupted us. Henry growled and turned off his phone.

Again, his phone rang. “You should pick up your phone,” I said, turning my head to him.

He lazily picked up the phone. “Hello,” he spoke while rubbing his sleepy eyes. “What?!” His eyes widened when he heard the next thing on the phone. “I will be there.”

He quickly stood up and rushed towards the door, but before he could exit, I asked him. “Where are you going?”

He stopped near the doorway and looked at me, finally realizing my presence. “Sorry, Alice, it is urgent. I have to go to the hospital now.”

I felt panic in my chest. Hospital? “Why?” I quickly approached him. “Is everything okay?”

He rubbed his forehead. “Yeah, everything is fine, Alice.”

I frowned. “Then?”

“Ava woke up from the coma.”