Nothing Without Me

Chapter 1 “Is James there?” “Can I speak to Mr. Whitmore?” “Is your husband at home Mrs. Whitmore?” From morning till evening, all Elena had done was to take calls from god knows how many people all asking for her husband. “No, James isn’t here.” “He is in Spain, some business deal….” She had told them all. Truth be told, Elena was starting to doubt James was actually in Spain at all. If he was out there for business what was stopping him from taking all these calls, why was his cell phone continuously busy. Elena didn’t want to pry. James and her relationship was already at a turmoil without adding another layer of argument into this. Plus, he had never liked her interfering with his work. He had always tried to keep his personal and professional life separate. That’s why he had never taken her or their daughter, Lila to any of the functions and parties organized by the company he works at. Sometimes, it hurt Elena very much, she felt cut off and unappreciated. But she had told herself over the years that she was overreacting. He was assistant director at the big company now, earning well over six figures, and they lived in a town house in a respected neighborhood. And while James sometimes seemed to be cut off and not noticing her at all, despite her trying to bring the spark back in their relationship…Elena told herself over and over again, that he was just busy due to his workload. That he still loved her, even though he had forgotten to show it in recent times. “Mummy…” Lila, her and James’s 3 year old daughter, shouted. “Peppa Pig! Pepa pig!” looking at the Tv. And Elena smiled looking at her beautiful, smiling daughter. Yes, she should be thankful for all she had, instead of crying over the small things about James’s recent very busy work schedule and him not taking time out for them. She had a beautiful daughter, a great house and a good loving husband. What more could she want? She asked herself. This was just a phase, she was sure which would pass. But things got much worse that night, when the calls didn’t stop. Even at midnight, someone named, Eros called their house number. “Mrs. Whitmore!” He said seriously. “It is very important that we talk to James now. You understand?” Elena was starting to. But what could she do. “He is not picking up my calls either.” She told the man on the phone. “I see. But if and when he does, let me know instantly, please, it’s very important.” Elena agreed, for the first time her heart beating fast, because she was starting to realize that something was wrong. Very, very wrong and somehow James had got involved in it. Why else would people be trying to reach him in the middle of the night? And for the first time today, she felt a little scared, too. Because why wasn’t he picking up his calls? Has something happened to him? Suddenly, her mind filled with all kind of negative thoughts and her sleep gone, she decided to call her husband’s cell again. It rang for minutes, no one picked up. She called again, the ring tone now hurting her ears as she waited, fully prepared for it to go to voice mail again. But this time, it didn’t. Someone picked up the call. “James! James! Thank god! You were.” But she stopped, her relief short-lived, before it turned into a slow horror. “Ah! AH! AH! AH! James, darling slow down!” Someone moaned into the phone. “ “James, I swear if you go any faster you will tear me apart…AH!” The words were moaned against the speaker. She knew that voice. Charlotte Hays, James’s personal assistant. And Elena stood there listening, shocked and shamed into silence, the moaning continuing into the speaker. The clear sound of flesh hitting flesh at a rhythmic pace in the background made Elena feel like puking. But she stood there, unbroken…until…until she heard her husband’s voice. “I am going to f**k you hard, you will forget your name, Lottie.” Came his breathless voice. She laughed. “Stop teasing me then.” “Come for me, baby. Come on, me, let me feel your tightness…” Elena couldn’t listen anymore. She hardly knew how she was still standing on her feet. She wasn’t even sure why she was even alive. She ran towards the bathroom, dropping the phone where it was, and threw up into the toilet bowl, retching, crying, weeping. For what it was worth, her life was gone. Destroyed.