"He said you tried to seduce him."
"What? That bastard! I am going to kill him!"
"Toria," Reyona called breathily.
Toria bottled up her anger for the moment as she looked down at Reyona, where she was urinating.
Even though Maxwell had provided a wheelchair and Toria had been able to help Reyona from the wheelchair to the toilet bowl without much issue, her sister was out of breath by the time she sank onto the toilet seat.
She looked pale to Toria.
"Are you fine?" Toria asked Reyona in concern.
Reyona, who had momentarily closed her eyes, opened them and said, "Yes, I am okay. I just don't like this feeling of helplessness. The fact that you two are fighting is not helping as well."
"That bastard caused all this," Toria muttered.
"Toria," Reyona called in a disapproving tone. "I thought you used to like him."
"I have never really liked that bastard. I just tolerated him because I knew you loved him."
Reyona looked at her sister in surprise. Then she sighed again as she asked, "I do not want to believe what Thomas said but he seemed so sure of it. I need you to tell me what really happened, Toria. Were you maybe drunk and you forgot who he was or..."
"So, you believed him?" Toria asked in a deadpan tone.
"No, I… I just... you don't know what it means to forget a huge chunk of your life, Toria. I need to understand," Reyona said as she leaned her back against the seat cover. "He has told me everything and you are not really telling me much. What happened between you two? What happened in the last three years?"
"I really wish you didn't remember the last few months," Toria said.
"Why?"
Toria sighed and said, "Let's get you back to bed."
"No, I need you to tell me what..."
The door to the room opened.
Almost immediately, they heard rushed footsteps right before Thomas said, "Reyona, our host is here again. You might want to come out now."
Reyona's brow furrowed a bit at that statement.
She thought Thomas didn't like her being in the company of the man. He had said so to her earlier.
Why was he calling her out to see him again?
Also, why the hell can't that man stay away from her?
Thomas had said he was a family friend; she couldn't remember having met him anywhere but she knew that there was something about him.
It made her uncomfortable.
Toria, who knew why that weasel was calling Reyona, smiled inwardly and said to Reyona:. "You know what, Rey? I think you should take your time. You need to catch your breath before you go back to bed."
"Uhh…"
"Babe!" Thomas called in a high-pitched tone as he suddenly pulled the door open. "Are you alright?"
"I think that is a question for you," Toria muttered with a scowl.
Thomas was standing there with a piece of chicken in his hand, a smudge of oil on his mouth and Maxwell was a few distance from him.
Maxwell paused in his stride when Thomas opened the door and he turned away to give the ladies privacy.
"Is there any reason why you are here right now with that mess in your hand?" Toria asked in disgust.
Even Reyona gave Thomas a questioning look
"I was worried about you," Thomas said to Reyona, ignoring Toria. "Do you need help with anything?"
"No, she is good. I am here in case you are missing it.
"Which does not say much. We all know you are jealous of her and you can choose to..."
"Thomas," Reyona said in warning. "Can you stop, please?"
"Alright, alright, babe. I will not upset you. I am sorry. Pardon a loving husband for worrying."
"Or a scared motherfucker running from Karma," Toria muttered beneath her breath.
Reyona didn't hear what she said but she gave her a look.
Toria raised her hands in a sign of surrender to show that she was done.
Reyona pressed the water dispenser, and she pulled up her pants without bothering to tell either of them to turn away.
She was saving her breath for the move back to the wheelchair.
Then she raised her hand towards Toria and the latter quickly moved closer to help her.
Thomas rushed in too. "I will do it. She is my wife. I will help her."
"With what? Chicken bone?" Toria asked with a scathing look.
"It is fine, Thomas. She can do it. You need to finish eating. You look ridiculous with that thing in your hands," Reyona said with a tired smile.
"If you say so," Thomas said with a huff as he backed away. "Though I don't see how you can still trust her after all, I told you she did."
As Reyona was busy concentrating all her strength on moving from the toilet seat to the wheelchair, he continued mumbling. "Some people are meant to be as far away from you as possible. Wasn't there something said about a man and woman becoming one flesh? Which means the wife must believe everything the husband says. If she can't even trust him enough to..."
"I think the ladies don't need all the talking, Mr. Lanoth. Since you are done eating, why don't we take a stroll together while your wife settles back into bed? The doctor said she needs her rest. I am sure you would agree, as the loving husband that you are."
"No, yes, I mean..."
Toria almost creamed his feet as she guided the wheelchair past him.
Thomas hurried after them while saying, "Yes, I know she needs to rest but I don't need you to... I don't want to go on a walk with you. I want to stay right here with my wife."
"Is that so?" Maxwell asked tonelessly.
"Yes, besides, why would I be so foolish as to follow you anywhere when I know you might harm me? You have your eye on my wife after all," Thomas said as he dropped the chicken bone in his hand on the platter of meals he had been wolfing down before Maxwell entered.
"You are in my house," Maxwell said simply. He looked over at the half-eaten food and said, "I don't have to take you on a walk with me if the goal was to harm you."
Thomas looked at the food skeptically and looked towards the bed where Toria and the nurse were helping Reyona back into bed.
Then he lowered his voice so that only Maxwell could hear him as he said, "Well, I would have you know that I gave her out of it."
"I didn't expect otherwise," Maxwell said without missing a beat. "So, about that walk..."
"I am not going," Thomas said emphatically.
"Okay, then," Maxwell said so simply that Thomas looked at him in surprise.
"Okay?"
"Yes, it is what you wanted. You have made your choice."