Chapter 113

Chapter 113
Athena drove me straight to the clinic. The ride was quiet, except for the sound of the tires humming on the road and my soft groans of pain. I leaned my head against the window, breathing slowly, trying not to cry. My ankle was on fire, and every bump in the road made it worse.
She finally pulled into the clinic compound and parked the car gently. Then she got out quickly and rushed over to my side. I saw her open the door, and for a second, I wanted to tell her I could manage on my own. But the pain shut that thought down immediately.
"Easy," she said softly, helping me out of the car. Her hand went around my waist as I limped slowly beside her. My entire body felt weak and sore.
Inside, Athena spoke to the nurse, explained everything, and got me to see the doctor immediately.
I sat on the hospital bed, my hands clenched tight. I couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened. Something didn't sit right with me. That puddle... her timing... it all felt too strange.
But I pushed the thought aside. I had more urgent things to worry about. My leg.
The doctor came in and examined my ankle. He touched around the swollen area, and I flinched in pain.
"Hmm, we need to take an X-ray," he said. "Just to make sure there are no fractures. Please take her to Radiology."
Athena helped me once again. Her expression was calm, focused. She held my hand as we made our way slowly to the X-ray room.
I kept looking at her from the corner of my eye. I didn't know whether to trust her. One moment she looked sincere, and the next... she made me uneasy.
After a few minutes, the X-ray was done. I sat there holding my breath until the doctor called us back in.
"Good news," he smiled. "No fractures. It's just a bad sprain. You'll need to rest it, take some pain relievers, and avoid putting too much pressure on it for a few days."
I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God."
The doctor scribbled some prescriptions and handed them to Athena. We thanked him and left the office.
Outside, she helped me back into the car with patience, opened the passenger door, and buckled me in before walking around to her side. She started the engine and drove off to the nearest pharmacy.
She parked outside, got down, and disappeared into the building.
I sat in the car, staring blankly at the dashboard. My mind was swirling. About everything. About Jayden. About Athena. About how my life had flipped upside down in the blink of an eye.
Within minutes, Athena came back, holding a white pharmacy bag.
She got into the car and placed the bag gently into my purse.
"There," she smiled. "All set."
I nodded slowly. "Thank you."
"You can enter your home address," she said, turning slightly toward me. "I'll drop you off and then hurry back to the gym before Jayden finds out I'm gone. I don't want to be gone too long."
"Sure, I will. Thank you... I don't even know what I would have done without you today."
"A lot of people say that," she smiled. "But I'm just a simple girl."
There was a small pause.
Then her voice dropped, quieter. "Ma'am... I really missed you. I mean it."
I turned to her, surprised.
"When I found out that you and Sir Jayden separated... I couldn't believe it. I was so shocked. I was really heartbroken by that news," she confessed, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. "I prayed so hard you two would make it through. But... it looks like destiny had other plans."
"Hmmm..." I breathed, staring out the window.
"Actually," she continued, "at the event... Sir Jayden forced me to attend. I swear I had no idea it was your event. I didn't want to be there like that."
I slowly turned to face her again.
"Well... I made sure he paid me for dragging me along. I mean, if I was going to attend as his P.A., I should've been dressed in a suit. Not some fancy gown."
I raised an eyebrow, still silent.
"But he said no. He took me shopping and chose that dress himself," she continued, laughing bitterly. "He said he didn't want a mad woman standing beside him. He even compared me to Cynthia, said she always got dolled up for events like this back when she was his secretary."
The mention of Cynthia made something tighten in my chest.
"Cynthia... where is she now?" I asked quietly.
"She's still around," Athena rolled her eyes. "Still annoying as ever. Ugh! I hate that girl. She still throws herself at Sir Jayden like she's some irresistible goddess. But you know what's funny? Sir Jayden doesn't even give her a glance. He doesn't like her one bit."
"Jayden wouldn't look her way?" I asked, my voice soft.
"I swear, he won't. I don't even know why, but he's never been interested in her. She knows it, but she won't give up. She's super excited that you're gone. She thinks this is her chance to finally get him all to herself."
I felt my throat tighten at those words.
"She's done the unthinkable," Athena added, lowering her voice. "She's even spent some weekends at his house. He doesn't throw her out, but... the way he treats her, his silence... it drives her away. Sometimes, he gives her this look so..
so cold, so cold, it could freeze hell."
A tiny, reluctant smile formed on my lips.
Athena noticed and smiled too.
"Is that the turn?" she asked.
"Yes," I nodded. "That's the turn."
She drove in slowly, looking around.
"Wow... this estate is beautiful. Who owns it?"
"Donald's company. He owns the whole estate."
Athena raised her eyebrows. "Impressive. But Sir Jayden has lots of estates. Bigger than this. Massive ones. That man is ridiculously rich... but sometimes, he acts like a complete fool."
"What?" I asked, half-laughing.
"He really can be a pain in the ass," she muttered. "What's your house number?"
"Just drive a little further. Ah! right there," I pointed. "The one up front. That's my house."
"The one with the sports car parked outside?" she asked, her eyes wide. "Wow! That's so cool."
"Yeah," I said softly.
Athena pulled up gently and parked the car. She got down and walked over to help me again. I let her assist me out of the car, my arm over her shoulder. My leg still ached terribly, but I tried not to show it.
As we stepped into the house, Tricia appeared in the living room. Her eyes widened in shock.
She wasn't just surprised to see Athena. She was even more stunned to see me limping, half-holding onto the girl who once stood by Jayden's side.
Tricia hurried over and helped me settle on the couch.
"Where's your bedroom?" Athena asked, glancing around. "I'd love to drop your things and also use the restroom... please."
"Over there," Tricia pointed toward the hallway, still staring.
"Thank you," Athena said sweetly. She smiled, no, grinned, as she turned and walked toward my room, carrying my bag in one hand.