Chapter 20: Twenty
Chapter Twenty.
Time flew so fast. a week flashed through their eyes. This made Jennifer wonder if she would ever be able to get her memory or better still, if Francis or even Amanda would get in touch to at least get her out of the bore hole she was in.
Mark on the other hand, was feeling rather irritated. Having spent a great deal of time living alone, basking in almost pure silence, surrounded by his artworks and work materials, he had become more than married to silence. But since a week passed, he realised the lady was going to stay for a long time. He had to do something fast, so he thought. He had to be alone as he always had.
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Jennifer, sprawled on the red cushion, which she surprisingly loved, stared at the black screen of the laptop in front of her.
Through the week, all she did was watch Netflix and browse through the internet. She had also checked if there was news about her being missing, but nothing was there. In fact, it got to a point, she was logged out of the page after checking for a million times.
That discovery alone dampened her spirit.
Alongside came the annoying silence when Mark was both in and out of the house. The house was so quiet, even her dad's resting place had more noise.
Sometimes, she wondered if he had an illegal job, the time he got back home was questionable at times.
But she kept her questions to herself, especially after he had snapped at her the previous week.
But she knew within her those questions will soon get out, and no amount of snapping would limit it.
Jennifer sat up and switched on the laptop, a thought of searching about the top hundred handsome men in the world, creeping into her brain.
She heard the doorbell ring, and it was the first time she did hear it since she had gotten there, so that brought a slight excitement with it.
She stood up to go check the door but she was stopped by Mark's voice.
"I'll get it."
"I can do it." Jennifer retorted.
"Sit down." Mark said pointing a finger towards her while walking to the door.
Jennifer scrunched her mouth and sat down.
In few seconds, Mark and a man with deep brown skin colour entered.
Jennifer studied the visitor who had a sling bag over his neck.
The first thing that caught her eyes was his glasses. For a second, they looked like they were lensless. Jennifer took a better look and discovered it was actually lensless and they perfectly complemented his eyes that seemed to be playing happily.
Mark and the man walked to Jennifer, the man pronouncing his presence with a pop sound from a chewing gum.
"Ben, Jennifer. " Mark said obviously irritated by his chewing.
Jennifer walked to the two men.
Ben walked a step plus and stretched his right hand.
"Lovely meeting you babes."
Jennifer smiled and took his outstretched hand which felt really tender.
"Nice meeting you. I love your glasses."
"My pleasure babes and you can have it if you want." He removed it and placed on the rim of her nose, leaving it for her to adjust.
Jennifer balanced it on her nose, the glasses felt amazing and immediately Jennifer decided Ben was not taking it home.
"Don't worry, you can have it." Ben said as he walked to the couch, Jennifer beaming with smiles.
She looked at Mark who had a scornful look on his beautiful face and gave him a fake smile.
She went to sit beside Ben and started a conversation with him.
"So, I am guessing you are the private investigator."
"You are right babes."
"What is with the babes?"
He shrugged. "I just sort of prefer saying it in plural form. Saying babe is kinda of stale. And I am starving." He said, his unfamiliar accent dragging at some point in everything he had just said.
"I will get you something..."
"I have chicken wings in my bag."
Jennifer watched him, her lips partly opened, as he brought out a white nylon and took a wing out of it. He took out his gum and stuck it to the nylon.
He ate part of the wings and put the rest in the nylon.
"So..." He said while chewing.
"I heard about your story. Quite interesting. But I have a question..." He paused and dipped his hand into his bag.
He brought out a drink and took a long gulp.
Jennifer looked at him amazingly. But she still thought he was weird. She wondered what Mr Mark was thinking and looked up to see him coming from the kitchen door, she did not even see him leave.
"So, Nini..." Jennifer cringed.
"Wait, you don't want me calling you that?"
"Obviously." She said, her voice a little deep, not how she had wanted to come out.
Ben mouthed a 'Sorry ' and continued.
"My question is , do you really not have an idea of how you got to the ocean?"
Jennifer shifted back, her lower lip tucked in.
"I do not. I have tried, trust me. But all that comes is those dreams."
"What dreams?"
"The ones about my husband talking to me, petting me and all that stuff. But one thing is that, at the near end, his face changes to..." She stopped when she realized she was talking too much and was about to reveal what she did not want to say.
But Ben definitely caught her last statement.
"To what?"
Jennifer looked at Mark and then at Ben. Ben nodded and took another bite of his wings.
"This your husband," He raised his brow.
"Francis." She answered.
"Yeah, Francis. Did you guys quarrel often?"
"No."
"Did you suspect anything at all about him? Something secretive?"
"Not really. But I remember a time, after my dad died, my help, Hannah, was about to tell me something about him and my best friend, but immediately he entered."
Ben stroked his imaginary beard.
"Hmm... this best friend of yours, she won't have a reason to hurt you right?"
"I guess."
"Your dad was the CEO, who is there now?"
"Francis."
"Why?"
Jennifer licked her lower lip and took a quick look at Mark who had his head bent over a sketch book.
"I told him to be the CEO."
"So you are originally the CEO. Why did you make him CEO?"
Jennifer leaned on the couch and sighed deeply.
"I did not want to be the CEO. I just could not do it. Not after the only person who kept me going had died."
Jennifer could feel the tears forming already. She removed the glasses and pressed her fingers over her eyes.
"One thing that made me successful was my dad's force. He helped me in every aspect. He trained me. I ran to him for help every time. I remember he always chastised me over it, but I just always needed him. He was everything, my mom, my dad, my teacher, my friend, my lover, my God-sent person.
"After he died, I became afraid. I just couldn't do it. I needed him, but he wasn't there. I was worried, what if I destroyed the company in just a day? I just had to give it to Francis."
Ben nodded, sympathy in his eyes.
"You trust Francis?"
"With my life."
Ben looked towards Mark's direction, likewise Jennifer .
"I will help you get information about what is going on. If you want, I can check what Francis is doing with the company."
"Yes. And please, help me reach my bestie, Amanda and if possible, Hannah."
"I will." Ben proceeded to stand up.
"How about your payment?" She stood up, watching him as he ate a wing.
"I don't think there would be a need for that."
Jennifer looked at him in surprise.
"No need girl. This one is on me. You just live an amazing life here and make sure to have fun."
Jennifer huffed.
"I wish. Thank you so much though, I appreciate it."
"Yeah. I will need the contacts of those people you mentioned, or even more. And also appropriate addresses."
"Sure." Jennifer took a paper and pen from the floor and wrote what she needed to write.
As she handed the paper over to him, she wondered if Mark had issues with associating with people as she did not hear his voice throughout.
"This will do." Ben said, taking his gum he stuck to the nylon and putting it into his mouth.
Jennifer felt her lips turn into an ugly shape as she watched him leave.
After he had left, and after Mark had ensured the door was locked, Jennifer stared at Mark's figure as it moved closer.
He stopped at a point and looked at her.
"I think you are an idiot for giving Francis the company."
Jennifer just looked at him, careful enough to mask the pain she felt at that moment and walked away.