Chapter 37 The Threats!
Vivienne's POV
When I woke up, I didn't know where I was at first. Everything was dark and my head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. I tried to move but my body felt so heavy, like someone had tied weights to my arms and legs.
Slowly, my eyes adjusted to the dim light in the room. I was still in my bedroom, still in Raphael's house. The curtains were drawn and only a small lamp in the corner gave off any light.
How long had I been out?
I tried to sit up but immediately regretted it. My stomach still hurts, though not as badly as before. Now it was more of a dull ache instead of that burning fire. But something else felt wrong.
I couldn't put my finger on it, but my body just felt off.
"Oh good, you're awake."
I turned my head sharply towards the voice and immediately wished I hadn't. The sudden movement made the room spin again. Claudine was sitting in the chair beside my bed, watching me with an expression I couldn't quite read.
"How long was I sleeping?" I asked. My voice came out rough and scratchy, like I hadn't used it in days.
"About six hours," she said, standing up and moving closer to the bed. "You really scared me there for a minute. Your fever was so high."
Six hours? I'd been unconscious for six hours? Panic started to rise in my chest. What had been in that drink she gave me?
"What exactly was in that herb?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady even though my heart was racing.
Claudine smiled, but something about it didn't reach her eyes. "Just some natural ingredients. Ginger, turmeric, and a few other things my grandmother used to use. Nothing harmful, I promise."
I wanted to believe her, but something in my gut told me to be careful. Maybe it was just paranoia from living with Margot for so long, always having to watch my back. Or maybe it was the fact that Claudine had never liked me from the start.
"Where's Raphael?" I asked, looking towards the door.
"Still at work I assume," Claudine said, following my gaze. "I sent him a text letting him know you weren't feeling well but that I was taking care of you. I didn't want to worry him too much."
The thought of Raphael not knowing how sick I'd been bothered me more than it should. But I was too tired to argue about it now.
"Thank you for staying with me," I said, even though part of me wished she would just leave.
Claudine sat back down in the chair, crossing her legs elegantly. "Of course. Raphael asked me to come make amends, and I meant it. I know we got off on the wrong foot, Ivy. I want to fix that."
There was something in the way she said my name that made my skin crawl. It was too sweet, too friendly. Like she was trying too hard.
"I appreciate that," I said carefully. "But I think I just need to rest now. I'm still not feeling a hundred percent."
"Oh I understand completely," Claudine said, standing up again. "But before I go, I wanted to talk to you about something important."
My stomach dropped. Here it comes, I thought. Whatever game she's playing, this is it.
"What is it?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
Claudine walked over to the window and pulled back the curtain slightly, looking out at the darkening sky. When she turned back to me, her expression had changed. The fake sweetness was gone, replaced by something harder.
"I know what you're doing, Ivy," she said quietly.
"I don't know what you mean," I replied, my heart starting to pound harder.
"Playing the victim, making Raphael feel sorry for you, warming your way into his life," she continued, her voice getting colder with each word. "I've seen girls like you before. You think you can just show up and take what's not yours."
I felt anger rising in my chest, pushing aside the fear and weakness. "I'm not taking anything from anyone. Raphael invited me to stay here. He wanted me here."
Claudine laughed, but there was no humor in it. "For now, maybe. But how long do you think that will last? You're nothing special, Ivy. You're just a temporary distraction."
Her words stung more than I wanted to admit. All my insecurities, all my doubts about why someone like Raphael would want me around, came flooding back.
"If you came here to make amends, you're doing a terrible job," I said, my voice shaking slightly.
"Oh I didn't come here to make amends," Claudine said, moving closer to the bed. "I came here because Margot asked me to."
My blood ran cold. Of course. Of course Margot was behind this.
"What does Margot want?" I asked, though I was afraid of the answer.
Claudine smiled again, and this time it was cruel. "She wants you gone. And she's willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. The question is, are you going to leave on your own, or do we have to make things difficult for you?"
I stared at her, my mind racing. So the stomach pain, the fever, the herbal drink that knocked me out for six hours, all of it had been planned. Claudine hadn't come to help me. She'd come to threaten me.
"I'm not going anywhere," I said, trying to sound braver than I felt.
Claudine shrugged. "Suit yourself. But don't say I didn't warn you. Margot always gets what she wants in the end. Always."
She walked towards the door, then paused and looked back at me. "Oh, and Ivy? That herbal drink? You might want to see a doctor after all. Just to make sure there are no lasting effects."
With that, she left, closing the door softly behind her.
I sat there in the dim light, my whole body shaking. What had she given me? What had Margot planned? And how was I going to protect myself when I didn't even know what they were planning next?
I reached for my phone on the nightstand, my hands trembling. I needed to call Raphael. I needed to tell him everything. But as I unlocked the screen, I saw a text message from an unknown number.
"This is just the beginning. Leave now or things will get much worse."
I dropped the phone like it had burned me. My breathing came faster and faster as panic set in. They were serious. Margot and Claudine were serious about getting rid of me, and they didn't care what they had to do to make it happen.
I laid back down on the bed, pulling the covers up to my chin even though I wasn't cold. My mind was racing with questions and fears. Should I tell Raphael?
And what about the drink she'd given me? Was I really in danger? Should I go to the hospital like she'd suggested, or was that part of their plan too?
I closed my eyes, trying to calm down and think rationally. But all I could see was Claudine's cruel smile and all I could hear was her warning echoing in my head.
This was just the beginning.