Chapter 45 Aftermath Of The Accident
The next day, Nina was minding her own business in her room when out of nowhere, Mason's grandmother barged in. Nina had always respected her mother-in-law, but at that moment, she couldn't help but feel annoyed by her sudden appearance.
Confused, Nina asked, "Mom, do you need anything?" But the grandmother didn't reply right away. Instead, she sat down beside Nina and observed her for a while. It was an uncomfortable silence that lingered in the air.
Eventually, the grandmother broke the silence and said, "You're totally against this marriage, aren't you? I'm also sure that you began to hate me as well." Nina was taken aback by her words and couldn't find the energy to argue.
Mason's grandmother released a heavy sigh, hurt that Nina didn't prove her wrong. "Do you even realize how that Ugly girl made you hate me when you always adored and respected me?", she began blaming Isabel for everything.
Nina couldn't help but raise her voice in defense of Isabel, "Mom! Why are you bringing Isabel into this matter?" It was a bold move for Nina, who had never raised her voice at her mother-in-law before. But at that moment, she wasn't ready to hear a single bad thing about Isabel.
The grandmother's response was unexpected - she began laughing uncontrollably, as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world. Nina was left confused, not understanding what had just happened.
"Ah, finally you admit that the girl is ugly," the grandmother quipped with a mischievous grin. Nina knew exactly who her grandmother was referring to and felt a pang of discomfort in her chest.
Rather than brushing off her mother-in-law remark, Nina decided to confront her. "That's not funny, Mom. How can you speak so harshly about someone and make fun of them for something that wasn't their fault?" Nina felt a wave of pity for the girl her mother-in-law was belittling.
Mason's grandmother didn't seem to understand Nina's perspective. "I may not be as educated as you, Nina, but I care about the well-being of my loved ones. You forced Mason to marry that trash, and now his life is full of difficulties. I'm simply trying to make things right," her grandmother declared with pride.
Nina couldn't help but laugh inwardly. She knew there was no reasoning with her stubborn mother-in-law.
Undeterred, Mason's grandmother continued, "Well, I came here to tell you that you need to come out of your shell. Join us and enjoy this wedding like everyone else."
Nina knew she couldn't pretend to be happy and celebrate something that she didn't believe in. "I'm sorry, but that's never going to happen," she stated resolutely.
Her mother-in-law response left Nina shocked and unsettled. "Well, in that case, I'll just stop taking my medicine and meals to ruin my health. I'll lock myself in my room like you did so that my health deteriorates, and you'll be responsible if anything happens to me," her grandmother threatened.
Nina couldn't believe her ears. "Mom, have you lost your mind?" she exclaimed in disbelief, realizing that her mother-in-law was capable of such evil intentions.
"Choice is yours, Nina. Are you going to attend the wedding? Yes or no?" Grandmother's question hung in the air like a dark cloud, casting a shadow over Nina's thoughts. She was at a loss for words, unsure of what to say to her mother-in-law's demand.
As she hesitated, Grandmother seemed to have taken Nina's silence as a "No" and turned to leave. But then, a sudden surge of emotion welled up within Nina, and she spoke up from behind, "Wait, I will."
Grandmother paused and turned to face Nina with a smile on her face. Nina's eyes welled up with tears as she thought of Isabel. She felt like she was betraying her daughter-in-law.
Grandmother seemed satisfied, having accomplished her mission. "I knew you would, Nina," she said, as if it were a foregone conclusion.
As if that were not enough, Grandmother had already planned the next torture for Nina - the gift for the new daughter-in-law. "Anyway, you have to give a gift to your new daughter-in-law. I think a diamond necklace would be better to gift her. What do you think?" Grandmother's excited voice sounded like a curse to Nina, but she nodded in agreement, knowing that there was no going back.
To add insult to injury, Grandmother innocently offered to take Nina shopping that afternoon with her and Mason. Despite knowing that Nina had no choice but to agree, Grandmother's offer seemed almost cruel. "Sure, I will," Nina replied, her voice devoid of any emotion. It was going to be torture, but she knew there was no escaping it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The clock struck 11, but Mason remained fast asleep. Isabel sent a maid twice to check on him and to deliver his breakfast, but the maid returned with the news that he was still sound asleep. Worried, Isabel headed to his room to check on him herself. She had a nagging feeling that something was not right.
As she approached his bed, she placed her palm on his forehead, expecting to feel a fever. But to her surprise, Mason's eyes flew open, and he sat up abruptly with an annoyed expression. He rubbed his forehead furiously as if to get rid of some dirt.
Isabel felt caught red-handed and couldn't hide her fear. She hadn't really thought much about her actions before touching him, but now she was terrified. She knew that Mason might think that she was taking advantage of his sleep to touch him, which wasn't true.
"I...I...thought you were sick. I didn't mean to touch you like that," Isabel stuttered, her fear palpable.
"Do you really expect me to believe that?" Mason snapped as he got out of bed and stood in front of her, fuming with anger.
He demanded an honest answer, but Isabel knew there was nothing to say that would make the situation better. She didn't want to lie and make things worse, so she stuck to the truth.
"I was checking your temperature. Why would I...?" Isabel was cut off by a tight slap on her left cheek. The sudden action left her speechless, and she could feel the sting of Mason's slap on her skin. He had slapped her with all his strength, erasing all the frustration he was feeling towards her.
Isabel's mouth was instantly flooded with a metallic taste and she knew right away that it was blood. Tears blurred her vision as she gingerly touched the corner of her mouth and saw the red stain on her fingertips. Mason, on the other hand, showed no signs of remorse as he tightened his grip on her hair, causing Isabel to cry out in pain.
"Why won't you just leave me alone? Why are you still in my house?" Mason growled, his voice laced with anger. He pulled her hair even tighter, causing Isabel to wince in pain. "You ruined my life. My parents don't talk to me anymore because of you. My own mother won't even look at me."
Isabel tried to struggle free, but she was no match for Mason's strength. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as he continued to hold her captive. "Please, Mason, it's not what you think. It's all just a misunderstanding," she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper.
In a fit of rage, Mason dragged Isabel out of the room and shoved her to the ground. She landed hard on her wrist, feeling a sharp pain shoot up her arm. Mason went to kick her, but he hesitated when he saw a maid standing nearby, frozen in shock at the scene unfolding before her.
"What do you want?", Mason's question sliced through the air like a knife, sharp and harsh. Isabel took the chance to get up and run away from there with nothing but pain, humiliation and embarrassment.
In the midst of the tense atmosphere, the timid maid spoke up, her voice quivering like a scared kitten. "Grandmother asked you to get ready to go to the Jewelry shop with her and Madam Nina."
Mason was taken aback by the sudden change in Nina's plans. "What did you say? Mom will also join us?" The maid nodded and scurried away, leaving Mason to process the news.
Despite his initial harshness, Mason managed to calm himself down and prepare to leave with his grandmother and mother. His mood lightened considerably at the thought of finally spending some time with his mom. Maybe, just maybe, she was starting to accept Addison.
As they set out for the jewelry shop that afternoon, Nina's reluctance was palpable. Mason tried to engage her in conversation, but she remained distant, lost in her own thoughts.
The excitement of spending time with his mother and grandmother was short-lived, however. A sudden jolt caused Mason's car to spin out of control, his grandmother and mother screaming in terror. Mason felt a sharp pain in his head as his body was flung around the car, the sound of screeching metal filling his ears.
The aftermath of the accident left one of their lives hanging in the balance.