Chapter Sixty-Eight

Chapter Sixty-Eight
I tried to look away and focus on the ongoing conversation but my eyes wandered again to where he sat, and this time, he looked more furious than he did the last time.

Instantly, I knew something was not right with him. He had probably lost a business deal or a contract and I began to feel more uneasy. 

I tried to communicate with him using my eyes, but he quickly looked away from me and started adjusting the collar of his dark brown t-shirt.

Despite the tension that occurred in the room, Ken was oblivious to all of it. Somehow, he seemed to enjoy the conversation even more, elongating it and introducing more topics.

I was fed up but I had to find a way to round up the long talk so that I could attend to Nelson, whose face looked like it could force down rain from the clouds. 

“You've got a real gift, May,” he said, appreciating my crafting on the cake, even though he’d mentioned that like ten times since he walked in.

“Thank you, Ken” I responded, forcing a smile, and just then his chair scraped. 

I looked at him and this time he had gotten off the chair and was walking towards us. I froze.

His walk looked rather aggressive as opposed to that of someone impatient or just frustrated, as I'd expected.

I feared for what his next action might be as I uncomfortably moved my legs from the spot where they were stationed, but it was far from what I'd ever imagined. The least I'd suspected.

As soon as he reached us, he carelessly pushed Ken to the side to gain access to me. I was beyond shocked and Ken was visibly angered.

“Oh my God! Who released this mad dog?” Ken questioned, irritated.

“Let go of her right now!” he commanded Nelson, and then he tried to push him away so that I could be safe, but Nelson quickly brushed him off his feet. 

“What is the meaning of this Nelson?” I asked, surprised. My mouth was open and I was short of words to speak.

I tried to bypass him and help pull Ken up but as if what he’d done to him was not enough, Nelson grabbed my wrist, pressing against it forcefully, and pulled me towards the back room.

I could not believe my eyes anymore. This was not the man whom I knew, this person right here acted very differently, way too differently from my boyfriend, but it was he, the same Nelson I knew.

He had the same face, same body, same skin tone, same eyes, same gait. Everything about this guy was the same with him and that made me more confused.

I tried to struggle with him, but his grip was very firm and painful, with his long sharp fingers already digging into my skin. I groaned in pain, greatly devastated.

“What is wrong with you, Nelson?” I asked in anger as he pulled me along with him. 

“You will find out soon,” he muttered and then let out a mocking laughter. 

“I don't like this Nelson. Please let go of me!” I pleaded calmly but firmly but he increased the firmness of his grip and my wrist began to feel a burning sensation. 

I tried to push him away with my legs but that seemed to really get on his nerves and this time, he hit me on the side with his other hand. 

When we got to the door of the room, he pushed me in and shut the door angrily behind us. 

I stumbled, and losing control of my steps, I tripped and fell flat to the ground. 

I closed my eyes in pain, refusing to get off the floor, but he pulled me up, forcing me on my feet.

The room was slightly dark as it had no windows, and his image made it even darker. 

I looked at his face but I couldn't recognize him anymore. He was red with rage and stood angrily, ready to pounce on me at the slightest provocation. 

I kept my cool and looked down at the ground. 

What the hell was that?” he demanded, hitting the wall by his side. I shivered in fear.

Are you deaf? I just asked you a question and I demand an answer!” he enforced, pulling at my hand, and I writhed in pain.

“I was attending to my old client, Ken when you walked in. Wasn't it obvious enough?” I replied, looking away from him. 

“May! He roared. Don't play with me like that! You are cheating on me with that guy, aren't you?” 

I was surprised at the question. What exactly about my conversation with Ken suggested that I was having an affair with him? I wasn't even flirting with him. 

“Nelson, how could you say such a thing? We were only having a good conversation and that's how you met us. Why are you making a mountain out of a molehill?”

“You liar! You weren't just having a conversation as you claim. I know when something is going on between a man and a woman and I saw it!” 

“Oh my God! Nelson, you're unbelievable. Are you being serious right now?” 

“Look, I'm not going to let you gaslight me. I know what I saw. You know what you're doing! May! I work my ass off to give you a good life, far better than what you've ever known and you turn around to treat me like this?”

“May! I gave you my heart and my unreserved love and you dare turn around and stab me in the back? Wow! You know I've always known you had wandering eyes but I kept doubting until today. I'm so disappointed in you!” 

Nelson went on and on, raising his voice at me and almost screaming down the roof of my pastry shop, that at some point I began to feel embarrassed for what Ken would think of me. My employees had left while Ken came in and I no longer heard Ken’s voice which only meant that he'd taken his cake and left in peace.

I felt pity for him and I knew that I owed him a lot of apologies for the humiliation he faced all because he tried to rescue me from Nelson.

I stared at Nelson as he moved about, hitting the walls in an angry display as he went on with his rant, but all I could think about was how he'd managed to hide this part of him from me these three months of knowing him.

We’d laughed together, cried together, got on each other’s nerves and settled, hung out publicly and in private, and never for once had he attempted to raise his voice at me, not to mention his hands.

When he was done screaming at me, he stormed out of the room and out of the shop, leaving me alone in it.

I listened closely for his footsteps and when I was sure that he had gone, I walked out of the backroom into the public area and there I was met with immense silence. 

I looked at the table on which the birthday cake for Ken’s mom was stationed and it was empty. He'd gone with it while I was dragged in by my boyfriend disgracefully.

I leaned on the counter, tears dripping from the side of my eyes.

I could not understand why he had to treat me like that or what I did to him to deserve this. 

Did he stop loving me all of a sudden or did the sight of Ken and me just trigger him? Had he been searching for the opportunity to bring me down or was he just being protective?

Yet another cheating slander, for the second time in a row, from the same men whom I gave my love and undying devotion.

My wrist and body hurt from the maltreatment from Nelson but my heart hurt more, it hurt so much that I felt the pain in my chest.

Should I call my aunt? I needed someone to talk to right now or at least someone to whisper calm to my troubled soul, I thought.

My daughter. I'd not picked her up from daycare. I panicked, clutching my chest. 

I checked the wall clock for the time and it read 5:30 pm. I was two hours late for her pick up.

Quickly I reached for my bag which was behind the counter and I got my phone out of it. 

25 missed calls from the daycare centre! With the speed of light, I ran to shut the windows and next, I was out of the building.

I shut the doors behind me, securing them properly with the key, and then I walked towards the road where I would get a taxi.

“Hello Miss,” I heard someone call out to me. I turned back to see who it was and it was the old lady who lived in the neighbourhood.

“Are you okay?” She asked, pointing to the arm. I looked in the direction of my arm where she pointed and I saw blood dripping. 

I looked at my sky blue dress and it had large stains of blood on it.