Episode 144 || Maybe I Never Loved You
Christian turned the knob and walked in. Lia glanced at him, her head bandaged and tears flowing from her eyes. She attempts to sit on the bed and Christian supported her. “Are you alright?” He asked, but in return Lia hugged his waist, crying harder.
Christian patted her back, trying to console her, but she cried uncontrollably, burying her head. “I screwed up my life!” She sobbed.
“Everything will be fine. Don’t cry. Easy,” He said and helped her to lie back. “You will hurt your head crying like this. Tommy has got arrested. You don’t have to worry about anything.” Christian assured her as he sat on the stool next to her bed.
“I screwed up everything.” She sobbed again, but Christian just looked at her, wordlessly.
“How did all this happen?” Christian asked.
“I caught him injecting drugs to himself. I tried to stop him, but he…. He raped me,” She stuttered while mentioning the horrific incident and her statement left Christian baffled. “His demeanour changed suddenly, he stopped doing shoots and stayed at home all the time.”
“And you still decided to marry him?” Christian asked.
“I didn’t! He was forcing me. Yesterday, I finally ended up with him, but look what he did to me!” She cried. “I know. This is what I deserve. I left you for him. Karma hits back always,” She said and wiped tears from the corner of her eyes.
“You did nothing wrong with me. I never held you responsible. Our breakup was our mutual decision.” Christian said and put his hand on the back of her hand. “We never meant to be together, and we both realised.” He said and took a glance at his watch. It was breakfast time and Mishka must be up by now.
“Lia, I must leave now. Your friend Lola will be here in a few minutes. The hospital bills are already paid so you need not worry about anything. You’ll be fine soon and I’ll come to see you tomorrow.” Christian smiled and turned to leave.
“Christian?” Lia called and Christian looked at her.
“Yes?” He said.
“You hate me, right?” She asked, and Christian stared at her briefly before answering.
“No, I don’t hate you.” He gave a short and curt reply.
“Why?” She asked as her face dropped.
“Because maybe I never loved you. How can I hate someone I don’t love!” He said and left the ward while Lia cried pursing her lips.
***
Mishka arranged the dining table with the help of servants, and looked at the wall clock, “He said he’ll be here before I wake up and it’s ten now. I hope his friend is doing fine.” She wondered, retrieving her mobile phone from her pocket, and was about to call Christian when an email from Snowdrop Publication popped up on her screen.
Hey, Mishka!
Hope you are doing well! We planned so many times to meet but I caught up with work and you were busy, too. Now I hope you are fit and fine and we can plan to meet. It’s time I fulfil my long-forgotten obligation and since you are here in London. I would personally like to meet you and give it to you myself.
Also, the new book needs editing so we should start early to bring them on the shelves before March-end.
Best Regard,
Warren Thomson
Mishka smiled, reading the message when another news popped up on her screen that caught her attention as she clicked on it.
Lia Smith, a renowned model, is found in a pool of blood inside her apartment. The model recently re-started her career with Star Magazine as they lifted the ban. She started her career again after the major fallout with Star magazine last year that caught all media attention. Rumours were Mishka Knight was going to replace her, but the Star Magazine cast Raven Turner at the last moment because of the unavailability of the former.
“Wow! She is beautiful.” Mishka got interested and tried to search for more about her. The next slide contained her affair and flings that had Christian and Tommy’s names. She clicked on the slide named ‘Personal life’ to read further, but Daniel and Eric started playing around the dining table which momentarily distracted her.
“Careful!” She shouted and the next moment Eric fell flat face on the floor and cried out for her. Mishka left her mobile phone on the dining table and rushed to him, taking him in her arms, and inspecting his hands and legs. While the slide opened up on the mobile and the first picture was of Christian and Lia standing intimately close to each other.
***
Christian walked into their bedroom and saw Eric and Mishka playing on their bed with the Peppa Pig family. But as soon as Eric’s eyes landed on Christian, he started crying dramatically, reaching out for him.
“What happened, baby?” He asked softly as he picked him up, and Eric tried to show him where he got hurt to earn some more sympathy while Mishka observed him.
“Oh, how you got hurt?” Christian asked, kissing the back of his hand.
“It’s all drama. He slipped while running, but alright now.” Mishka said. “He is going to everyone crying out loud, showing where he got hurt so that everyone shower love at him.”
Christian laughed, “You took medicines?” He asked.
“Nope, I was waiting for you. I made your favourite risotto.” Mishka said, her eyes shining.
“Let’s eat then, come on!” He said and all three of them left the room.
***
Leo appeared sad as he looked at everyone enjoying their breakfast. “Mmmmm…. Damn Mishka, you make amazing risotto. I just love it!!” Christian praised her cooking skills.
“That’s absolutely true. How do you make this? I’m definitely going to add this recipe to our menu.” Rony said.
“It’s a secret recipe. Don’t tell him, Mishka,” Christian said while feeding to Eric. Everyone was laughing and having a good time when Christian turned to Leo. “What happened, grandpa? Why are you so quiet?”
“He wanted to eat sweets, but I said no,” Mishka answered for Leo while the latter looked dejected.
“Are you missing this, grandpa?” Daniel appeared near Leo, showing him Laddu (a sphere-shaped sweet originating from the Indian subcontinent)
“Don’t tease me! I might snatch it from your hand,” Leo said, stretching a hand out to snatch it from him, but Daniel quickly took it in his mouth, smiling sheepishly, and everyone laughed at Leo’s childish behaviour over a piece of Sweet.
Christian’s phone ringed. “It’s Danny. I’ll be back in a minute,” He said and walked out of the dining area, walking towards the garden while Mishka emerged out of the kitchen with Christian’s steaming hot filtered coffee, but he was nowhere in sight.
***
“Christian doesn’t love me anymore?” Lia said to Lola, who appeared to be in deep thought. “He said maybe he never loved me. I lost him in my stupidity, Lola.”
When Lia didn’t get any answer from her, she glared at her, “Earth to Lola. Why are you not saying anything?”
“It’s possible that maybe he is just angry with you and trying to show you he doesn’t care about you anymore,” Lola said. “I mean, it’s possible. You cheated on him, so he has every fucking right to get angry.”
“But he said maybe he never loved me,” Lia countered.
“Maybe he was trying to make you understand you lost a gem like him for a bastard? Maybe there still is a chance for you both?” Lola said in an uncertain voice.
“But he loves his wife now. I don’t know what to do?” Lia said and looked down at her lap.
“Why are you thinking about his wife? They are in a contract marriage, which is about to end in a month. You should talk to him, clearly state your feelings, and let’s see what does he thinks.”
“Do you think he still loves me?” Lia asked.
“Absolutely, otherwise why he’ll come here in the middle of the night, leaving his wife alone, and moreover, pay your mother’s medical bills that is over two million. Do you think Tommy would do that if he was in his place?” Lola said, rolling her eyes, and Lia shook her head.
“He is coming to meet you tomorrow, right? Try knocking some sense into him. He is still in love with you like before.” Lola advised and Lia hoped Christian would accept her back.
***
“So, how is life going on?” Danny asked.
“All good, just Mishka is traumatised after the chemical factory incident. I don’t know how should I help her. We went for a holiday to refresh her mood, but nothing is working.” Christian answered.
“Why don’t you take her to a doctor?” Danny inquired. “She might need some professional help.”
“She is taking everything in a wrong sense, if I attempt to utter a word about a psychiatrist or help, she’ll start calling herself mad. Everything is fine, but nothing seems to be fine. Dan has completely destroyed Mishka’s confidence. She always feels I am going to leave her.” Christian stated, that her behaviour genuinely troubled him. “Just when I think everything is fine, something happens to destroy our peace.”
“Why don’t you think about having a child? Baby will keep Mishka busy and she might recover from the trauma?” Danny suggested. “Poor soul suffered so much because of Knight’s enemies.”
“Danny, Mishka isn’t in the right state to take care of a baby. I don’t want a baby. We are happy together, we have Eric. There is absolutely no need for another….” Christian’s voice stopped as he heard the shattering sound. He turned and looked at the coffee mug that had their wedding picture imprinted on it, and then his eyes travelled to Mishka, who was throwing daggers in his direction.
“I’ll call you back later,” Christian said as he ended the call. “How long have you been eavesdropping?” He asked Mishka.
“Just enough to know that you don’t want a child with me. Looks like you were serious when you mentioned about a new mom to Eric, huh? Someone is soon gonna take my place, and I was stupid to think that you were joking!!” She sneered. Christian opened his mouth to explain, but Mishka cut him off.
“Save it, Christian!” She shrieked and left the garden while Christian stood there and sighed, looking at the coffee mug.
“God, give me strength to handle this.” He rubbed his face and followed Mishka inside.