Leave Me If You Dare

At Sky Corporation,

“Sir, here are the documents that Mrs. Sky signed,” George announced putting the envelope on Bill’s working table.

“Okay. You may go now.” Bill ordered without looking at George and his eyes pierced to the white envelope in front of him.

A quick playful grin appeared in his expression as he opened the envelope and got the papers out of it.

As he read it, his grin widened seeing the bashful words written on the contract.

‘FUCK YOU!’ - written in all areas allotted for her signatures.

‘GO BACK TO HELL!’ – written in every corner of the paper with a monster with two horns drawing.

‘JERK! JERK! JERK!’ – written on every page with bold and capital letters overlapping the words in the contract.

‘LEAVE ME ALONE PERVERT!’ – written on top of the paper on every page.

He could imagine the boiling anger she wore while vandalizing the contract.

Bill smiled at the thought of it but one could not easily predict what he’s thinking.

Four days after the accident, her neck and spine braces were removed but she still had her hinged elbow brace hung on her shoulder and one leg brace. The doctors seemed to be very competitive in their commitment plus the pressure they’ve been getting from Bill’s order.

Luckily, Bill didn’t show up anymore. She could feel relief without him around. In the afternoon, she requested to see her mother. The nurse helped her to go to her mom’s room in a wheelchair.

When they arrived, Jaime was lying on the bed helplessly.

“Mom…” Arabella sentimentally whispered holding her mom’s hand tenderly. Though her mom had no memory of her, she still felt calmed touching her hand. Her warmth was still there that only a daughter could understand the comforting connection between mother and daughter.

Sensing her touch, Jaime’s eyes slowly opened. Her eyes looked at Arabella blankly before a spark in her eyes flickered.

“Ar… Arabella? Ma… my daughter?” Jaime’s voice was weak but she managed to say her daughter’s name. Looking at the girl in a wheelchair with an injured leg and arm, she could feel her heart was torn apart. Then slowly, she saw a very familiar face.

Her daughter.

Her daughter was hurt.

Troubled and worried, Jaime struggled to lift her fragile body and sat on the bed to have a good sight of her daughter.

Arabella’s tears automatically came down flowing. She didn’t expect to hear her name again from her mother’s mouth.

She was happy.

Very happy!

She wanted to jump for joy again. Hearing her name was like hearing the melody from the trumpets of the angels. The kind of music that gives serenity and heals one’s soul.

“Mom. I’m here. It’s me your daughter!” She let out freely all her joyful tears and smile at the same time.

“Wha… what happened to you? My daughter! My daughter!” Jaime cried worriedly. She felt very happy but felt very worried about Arabella.

“Mom, Thank God!” She uttered with satisfaction in her heart. Arabella wanted to hug her but still, she had no confidence to stand alone as she could not feel her legs at all. She reached for her mother’s hand and gently kissed it.

A very loving kiss.

How she missed her mother a lot. She waited for this day that finally Jaime could remember her.

That her mother could remember her as her only daughter and not the murderer of her husband.

“Mom. Don’t worry about me. I am okay.” She smiled hugging her mother’s hand with her tears dripping down.

As the air filled with surprises and joy,

“Where… Where is your father?” Her mother suddenly asked. Jaime’s tearful eyes looked at her worriedly.

Arabella was quite at a loss.

Great consternation was traced on her face due to her mother’s words but she managed to let go of a smile to her mom.

Deep inside, she didn’t know how to reply to her mom’s question. She was unable to find accurate words to answer Jaime.

How could she tell her that her husband had died 6 years ago?

The thought of her mom’s crying and screaming in agony was already breaking her heart.

No!

Looking at her mom, her heart was clenched. She knew her mom loved her father so much that even after 6 years in trauma, she was still able to remember him. Sympathy and despair suddenly enveloped her heart with the thought of her father and her mother’s situation. She just thought her mother got back all her memory but it seemed she was still trapped in her trauma for a very long time and still didn’t recover completely.

Getting rid of her dismay, she was still thankful that her mother had already acknowledged her. It’s enough for her to be more than happy. It’s already a blessing.

It takes more time.

Maybe day by day her mother would remember everything.

“Mom… you may be tired. You need to continue your sleep.” She managed to utter some words to appease her mom. Jaime still looked very tired from her intensive daily treatments.

“Okay. Please tell your father to visit me again. I want to see him.” Jaime said and lay down back to bed.

Her mother’s words made her goosebumps appear.

No!

She was there when her father died. Her mother's words were way too impossible but why she feels disturbed inside. There’s something inside her that her mom was telling the truth or could it be just that she was also wishing that her father was still alive?

No.

Maybe it’s just her mother’s hallucination.

She was snapped back to her senses when she saw her mother was still patiently waiting for her reply.

“Please rest now mom. Rest assured I will tell dad.” She didn’t want to lie but she had to. She could not make her mother disappointed at this time.

After hearing her answer, Jaime slowly closed her eyes then whispered, “I am happy to see you again my daughter. Always remember that mommy loves you.” Jaime lovingly expressed with tears dripping in the corner of her eyes.

Arabella moved her wheelchair closer and struggled to get up with her numb body holding tightly the side railings of Jaime’s bed then she kissed her forehead with her wet eyes closed.

She silently prayed that her mom would not feel pain anymore as she gently wiped her mom’s tears.

“Don’t worry mom. I will not leave you. Please stay alive. I love you.” Remembering the suffering of her mom, she could not help but shed tears too.

She stayed there for a while then went back to her room for her medications.

The doctor hung her foot again in front of her.

“Few more days, you will be okay.” The doctor said that made her so happy. She could not wait to go home and see Adam. Though she called him from time to time, she still missed her loving son. She wanted to hug him the whole day after being discharged from the hospital.

What a great day!

From her mother to her fast recovery, she felt a quick relief until her door opened.

Arabella was wearing her smile but when the man entered the room her smile stiffened.

Bill entered the room with his business attire. Very handsome and his demeanor was screaming of excessive authority and power. He was the most influential figure in the business indeed. The man’s exquisite feature was God’s best masterpiece. A striking sexy figure and face that was carved perfectly. The dream man of every woman except her.

“What are you doing here?” Arabella’s smile faded away instantly. Her tone was full of irritation as her anger started to surge up. She thought he would not come back after she signed the contract with words that he deserves. She was screaming scorching anger when she wrote the words on the paper.

Bill just looked at her with cold eyes. He strode past by her and went directly to the bathroom. In just a split second, she could hear the rushing water on the floor. He took a shower.

Arabella was boiling with anger again. How could this man not know that she didn’t like his presence?

How could he not know that she’s disgusted with him?

Does he didn’t know that she hates him to death?

Why he keeps on appearing?

The answer?

To see how much you suffered every day.

Arabella inhaled a deep breath then exhaled heavily trying to pacify herself. She could not let his presence ruin the end of her beautiful day.

She kept on exercising her breathing when someone knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Arabella said expecting to see another doctor behind the door.

Just when the person showed up in front of her, her breathing automatically paused.

“Da… Damien?” She was stunned seeing Damien with a white bouquet of roses.

“Are you okay?” Damien’s expression was very worried as he strode closer to her and put the flowers on the bedside table.

“Wha...What are you doing here? Where’s Adam?” She panicked by Damien’s sudden presence.

“Adam is okay. I found Lira. She’s taking care of Adam in the house.” Damien answered quickly assuring her that Adam was safe and with a reliable guardian.

Arabella felt relieved and happy about Adam and Lira but she was very troubled at the same time.

‘Gosh. Damien. Why are you here? The monster is in the bathroom.’ She didn’t know what to do. It seemed all her wits were gone at this moment. Damien should not saw Bill. She had to make him leave immediately.

But how?

“Now. You tell me what happened to you.” Damien looked at her in the eyes with a stern expression. He held her hand and she let it.

“I… I met an accident. Sorry for not telling the truth. I just don’t want you and Adam to get worried.” She was feeling guilty out of a sudden. Her guilt was pressing her heart.

Looking at Damien, he looked like he recovered from that call. She could not afford to hurt him again. She was in a very big dilemma. She needed to do something.

“How did you know that I am here?” She asked curiously.

“I went to check you in your mom’s room but her attendant said that you are admitted here,” Damien replied not leaving her hand.

“Damien, I want to have some fresh air. Could you please help me go outside?” She cooed. Though she wanted to rest already, she asked him out to avoid him meeting Bill.

“But it’s cold outside, would it be okay for you?” With a very sincere voice, Damien uttered stroking her hair.

“I’m okay. Cold is good.” She knew how lame her answer was.

“Okay. Let’s go.” Damien lifted her in a bridal style and put her in her wheelchair.

Arabella felt a wave of relief when they successfully reached outside. They went to the garden of the hospital.

“How’s Lira? How did you find her?” She was excited to see Lira again.

“Just by accident,” Damien answered plainly.

“What a small world.” She remarked with a smile.

Silence past and only their breathing could be heard.

“Where’s the ring?” Damien’s eyes were pierced to her finger.

Arabella was stunned by his sudden question.

“Ah… I need to take it off for my treatments.” Looking at Damien’s upset expression, she knew how much he valued the ring. She should get it from Bill by hook or by crook.

After hearing her answer, Damien regained her calm.

“Do you want us to take a tour on the ground?” He asked sweetly.

“Well, that’s a good idea.” She replied with a sweet smile.

Damien gently pushed her wheelchair around a big garden following a pathway. The pathway was surrounded by different flowers and bushes trimmed perfectly with warm cozy lights from lamp posts standing still tracing directions. It was quiet and the air was fresh. This was the only hospital in Capital Z that has a grand luxurious garden.

They stopped in front of a water fountain. Damien sat on a bench beside her.

“When are you going to be discharged?” Damien held her hand and pressed it bit by bit.

“Hmmm… In a few days. I will be home. Hopefully, everything will be fine.” She knew Damien wanted to ask the reason for her accident but he suppressed it to himself.

“Damien, about that call…” Arabella wanted to explain and apologize to him but she was cut.

“Let’s not mention it,” Damien said avoiding the issue.

Arabella heaved a sigh. She just wished Damien didn’t take it to heart.

Just when they were about to take another stroll, a man out of nowhere suddenly grabbed the handgrip of Arabella’s wheelchair.

Arabella was stunned by the man's presence in the garden and he was now pushing her wheelchair away from Damien.

Suddenly the air became very frosty by him around.

“Visiting hour for my wife is now close..” With an overbearing tone, Bill announced to Damien.