Chapter1:Escape
1169 Words
Kenneth paced up and down the hospital hallway, his chest rising and falling from his heavy breathing. He was so infuriated. He moved closer to the doctor, pulling him by his collar. “What do you mean she is nowhere to be found?” He yelled, spewing droplets of spit that landed on the doctor's face.
“Mr. Ken..Kenneth,” the doctor stammered, trying to free himself from Kenneth’s clutch. “You have to calm down…”
“Don’t tell me to calm down!” Kenneth said as he shoved the doctor with such force, causing him to stagger straight to the ground. “Go ahead and tell the security guards to search for her. I’m sure she wouldn’t have gone far.”
In the wake of Kenneth’s outburst, the hospital erupted into chaos as different security guards began searching every corner of the hospital for Faith.
Faith, on the other hand, was seated in the passenger seat of the moving vehicle with her child in her arms. She glanced over at Mark, whose face remained focused on the road. Suddenly, he looked over at her and their eyes met.
“Are you sure you are okay?” He asked, his voice filled with concern.
She nodded.
“And the baby?” He asked again, now struggling to keep his eyes on the road as he looked down at the child on Faith’s lap. While one hand was on the steering wheel, he stretched the other and placed it on the child. “I see she is asleep.”
“Yes” Faith answered softly. “She is still sleeping.” She said, looking at the child and adjusting her clothes.
Surprisingly, the almost two-day-old child was still deep asleep, unmoved by the chaos and tension from a few minutes ago, back at the hospital.
As they drove, Faith knew there was still a lot ahead waiting for her, but she couldn’t have been happier that she was able to escape from the hospital with her child. She couldn’t imagine herself leaving her child with that monster.
“How did he expect me to stay away from my newborn child,” she thought to herself. “My child will never be with a monster!” She muttered under her breath.
“Did you say something?” Mark asked curiously as he heard Faith’s murmurs.
She shook her head. “Not at all,” and he continued with his driving. She looked at him as he drove, wondering what could be going through his mind.
Mark obviously knew he wasn’t the father of the child, but that didn’t stop him from helping Faith escape from the hospital. Faith shook her head in guilt, but at the same time, she was so happy and couldn’t have been more grateful to Mark. He has only repeatedly continued to prove his love for her.
Mark slammed on the car brakes and brought the vehicle to a stop. “We are here,” he said, reaching over to help her with the door.
Faith carefully opened it, her movements deliberate as she gently got down from the car. “I really hope she stays asleep,” she murmured softly, her face a picture of concentration on the child in her arms.
Mark got down from the car and Faith walked slowly behind him, her eyes darting nervously around her surroundings.
He pulled out a bunch of keys from his back pocket and unlocked the door. He led the way and Faith followed him inside.
Mark gestured toward the seat. “Please, take a seat,” he said, his tone firm but caring. “You’ll be staying here for a while until we are able to figure things out.”
Faith nodded, before moving her eyes to scan the quiet house. It wasn’t as big as Kenneth’s mansion where she stayed, but it was a beautiful and decent house.
“I’ll get the remaining stuff from the car,” Mark broke in, turning his heel to leave, but Faith stopped him. He turned around to look at her. “Mark, thank you… so much!” She said softly.
His heart softened at her gratitude, but he struggled to find the right words, as he was still grappling with the stress of their escape. Hoping that she would understand, he managed to respond with a nod and a soft smile before going off again.
As Mark departed, Faith sank into the chair, her gaze on her child. She couldn’t wrap her head around how she ended up on the run, punished for a crime she hadn’t committed.
She cursed the day she came across Kenneth. It has only been trouble ever since!
***
On this day, the typically sore billionaire couldn’t help but feel a little sense of happiness. Why not? It was the birthday of the one who is the most precious to him in the world, his daughter, Crystal.
While his driver sat in front, Kenneth sat in the back seat of the car with Crystal leaning on his lap. They were on their way to her favorite place.
He looked at his daughter, who kept herself busy with her tab. He forced a smile, trying to hide the grief that crept into his heart as he thought of his late wife who shared the same birthday date as his child.
Suddenly, their car jolted to an abrupt stop, bringing him back to reality. Kenneth’s heart jerked as he clutched his child tightly. “What the hell was that?” He muttered, trying to peer out the window.
The driver, visibly shaken, quickly got down from the car and hurried over to the lady on the ground.
As he watched them, Kenneth was becoming impatient when he saw the driver begin to exchange words with the lady.
He decided to intervene. He opened the door and got out of the car, leaving Crystal by herself.
“What’s going on here?” He asked, his voice sharp and clear.
Faith ignored him completely and continued to attack the driver. “You!” She said, pointing her finger at him. “You are so lucky I am late for work already, I would have made you pay dearly for ruining my dress.”
“Well, can you speak to me?!” Kenneth yelled, clearly pissed at the lady already.
“Boss, she is only causing a scene, the car didn’t even hit her.” The driver responded, his voice shaky.
Faith turned over to face Kenneth. She looked at him from head to toe before responding, “I see you are his boss. Well, tell your driver to always keep an eye on the road and always watch out for the traffic signs!” She snapped at him, darting her hand towards the traffic light which clearly showed red.
Kenneth was stunned by her tone.
But without another word, and before he could respond, Faith picked up her bicycle, hissing as she rode off in annoyance.
- Writer
