Chapter 31

ANGEL SINCLAIR.

The next day, I go down to the dining room ready to eat and find the table set, but no one there. I go into the kitchen and find Margareth. She's rummaging through the cupboards, looking for something.

"Margareth, do you know why my father isn't at the table drinking coffee?" I ask.

"Hi, honey," she replies, turning to me, "Your father and Madison aren't awake yet, they're tired from the trip."

"Um, okay," I say.

I leave the kitchen and sit down to have coffee by myself. I take a piece of toast and dip a knife into my berry jam. It's the only jam I like, so it's my favorite. I spread the jam on the toast and take a generous bite.

I roll my eyes and spit out the rest of the toast when I realize that the jam tastes of pepper. I automatically get up from my chair and call for Margareth, who comes running over.

"What's wrong, Angel?" she asks when she sees me coughing non-stop.

"Margareth... the jam... it's got pepper in it," I say slowly, with a lot of difficulty, and stick out my tongue straight away.

"You're turning red, miss," she says, taking me in her arms, "Let's get you to the hospital. Don't worry, I'll tell your father, but I'll get you a glass of water to drink before we go".

Margareth pours the water into my mouth and I can't stop coughing. My throat is on fire and I can already feel the allergy sensation welling up again. Why did my jam have pepper in it? I really want to believe it's not what I'm thinking, but it's the only plausible explanation.

Margareth carries me to one of the cars and our driver starts it. All the time she's smoothing me out, as well as grumbling about the fact that the jam has pepper in it. Margareth is always attentive to everything, she wouldn't let pepper get into the jar of jam. I already know what happened.

As soon as I arrive at the hospital, I'm seen. The doctor decides to leave me here all day, only releasing me at the end of the day. Margareth went back to work and my dad kept me company with Madison. I call Ashley and tell her what happened, since I know she's worried about me.

Madison is being kind, always offering to help me. I don't think she'd be so childish as to put pepper in my jam knowing that I'm allergic, so there's really only one person left.

***

When I get home with my dad and Madison, I go up to my room. I take a shower and put on my pajamas to go to sleep. I'm feeling better, but I'm still not 100%. The pepper really makes me ill and I'm going to have red blisters all over my body for a long time, as well as having to take the medicine the doctor gave me to detoxify.

I comb my hair and put on a satin cap. I apply my face cream and sigh deeply as I leave the bathroom. I watch my bedroom window being opened and see Bryan. Yes, he's out on the balcony again smoking weed and, of course, he can't help but make fun of me.

"Did the jam taste good?" he asks laughing.

"You're a bastard!", I snap, approaching the window and looking him right in the face, "My pepper allergy isn't just any allergy, but I know you don't care if it's a strong allergy or not. Your intention was to bring me down even for a day, wasn't it? I ended up in hospital because of you, you idiot! I spent the whole day in a room unable to do anything, feeling agony all over my body, especially in my throat. It's not going to stay like this, Bryan. It really isn't," I say.

"What a shame it's only been a day. The idea was to keep you in hospital for at least a week, although slutty women like you deserve worse than that. Some even deserve death," he says, as if those words had no weight at all.

I stare at him in disbelief. Bryan outdoes himself every day. With each passing day, I get to know a little more about the person I'm living with. And I can assure you that he's worse than I think he is. There are no limits for him, so he doesn't measure the consequences of his ridiculous actions.

"You look like such a child. Putting pepper in my jam only affected my health, but it didn't affect me at all. As you can see, I'm fine. I just need a night's sleep and tomorrow I'll be brand new, ready to take you down, because I'm not afraid of you at all. It's not going to be a kid like you who takes my peace, but it's good that I take yours and you make it very clear, isn't it? Is it all desperation? I thought you were stronger, Bryan. Don't worry, I'm going to get ready to take a lot more of your peace".

"I'm sorry to say that you've already started losing, Angeline. 1-0 to me," Bryan says, "Good luck, you'll need it a lot."

"I don't need luck, I was born with it. We're only at the beginning of the game and you've already started by knocking out your opponent in an unhealthy way, but you can be sure that I'll turn the game around without having to hurt your health, at least not your physical health," I laugh quietly.

Without replying, Bryan's disgusting ass simply blows smoke in my face and I quickly close my bedroom window.

"Moron!" I mutter to myself.

Who does he think he is? I've just put one of my most expensive creams on my face and he's blowing the smoke of this disgusting weed he uses all over me. I put on some perfume and finally lie down, thinking about what I can do for Bryan tomorrow. Let him wait for me, because I'm not going to have any pity. After all, when it was my turn, nobody did.