CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
1655 Words
Three days with nathan and his mistress in the same space wasn't doing selena any good, even though he checked on her more often than usual. Daliha also gave her a hard time anytime she caught nathan trying to steal kisses from her whenever he had the chance, selena couldn't stand the disrespect anymore so she went into the bathroom to take a shower, she needed to be at parent's house. Her mother wanted her body cremated, so she could busy herself with that. When she arrived downstairs, she met a pair of silver eyes glaring at her, since she didn't have any business with her, she tried to walk pass daliha but the woman blocked her way.
"Please move out of my way." Selena requested politely.
"He'll never love you, don't try to seduce him any further." Daliha said
Selena scoffed, "I'm his wife, he has no choice. You're only a temporary pleasure thing, don't get use to it." Selena tried walking away but daliha drew her back.
"Don't step on me selena, i could kill you right now and he wouldn't care."
"I'll love to see you try."
Daliha growled and gripped selena's neck, she didn't like being challenged, it made her go crazy for blood. Her eyes turned red and her nails sank into selena's flesh, drawing blood from her tender skin, selena winced as she stood still in shock.
'What the hell is she?' She thought.
In a quick flash, she was in nathan's arm and daliha was on the floor with blood on the side of her mouth, apparently, nathan had hit her.
"How dare you touch her?!"
"She's the enemy, why do you defend her?"
"It's not your place to punish my enemies. Get your things and get lost!"
"Nathan.."
"Get out!" Nathan roared.
Daliha raced upstairs, while nathan carried the freaked out selena up to her bedroom to clean her up, he placed her on the couch and proceeded to get ointment for her wounds.
"Don't come near me!" She yelled when he approached her. "Who are you?!"
Nathan slowly stepped forward but she screamed at him to stop; "Don't you dare come close to me!"
"Take a deep breath selena, it's me."
"Who?"
Nathan held her face and locked eyes with her;
"I'm your husband selena, you had an accident. Stay home and recuperate."
He said something else and she passed out. Nathan cleaned up the blood from her neck, he applied the ointment and changed her bloodstained clothes. He thought Ryan was right, he shouldn't have let daliha in, she had the guts to make his wife bleed.
He stared at the sleeping woman in front of him, he noticed something had changed about her, she was more daring than usual. She never showed any atom of jealousy when he flaunted daliha, neither was she moved by his intentional display of affection to daliha. Maybe he was too hard on her, she just lost her mother and she didn't need all this silly act of his to aggreviate her pain.
Pain? Pain, why will she be pained by my actions? It's not like she feels anything for me, in her eyes i'm just her captor. He thought to himself.
He sat beside her, soothing her hair;
"I'm sorry the money was donated late, i should have stepped in earlier."
Nathan remember ryan telling him about mrs moore's medical condition, at first he was reluctant to help, seeing the origin of her illness. Only if selena knew, it will surely break her, she will definitely hate him for life.
But it's not your fault, why would she hate you?
His subconscious mind asked him, he didn't have any respond to that.
Nathan stood up and left the room, sparing on last glance at her before closing the door slowly.
Selena woke up two hours later with a banging headache that made her eyes teary. Looking around, she found a little container with two pills in it and a covered glass of water, a note read:
"Take this, it will help with the pain."
She took the pills and laid back for a while, trying to understand why she had a band aid on her neck. Then she heard nathan's voice in her head telling her she had an accident and needed to recuperate.
"Must be when i was going home to father." She said.
She laid there until her tummy growled, then she decided to head to the kitchen for food. The cook had already prepared lunch, she sat at the dining table and just when she began to eat, her phone rang.
"Dad."
*Princess, you were supposed to be here three hours ago, i've been calling.*
"I'm sorry dad, i had a little accident on my way...."
*Are you okay?* that was nicholas.
Selena smiled a little, "I'm fine, just a little scratch on my neck, that's all."
*Your neck?*
"Yes dad, i'll be fine. I'll come home tomorrow so we can carry out mom's wish."
*****************************
Days later, selena returned to work, against nathan's approval of course. He wanted her to quit her job and stay home, but selena refused to be a trophy wife. As soon as she arrived the office, flowers and cards from her boss and colleagues were all over her office, she bit her lips to hold back the tears threatening to spill.
"I wanted to deliver mine personally." A voice came from the door, making selena jump.
"Duke, you scared me." She said
"I didn't mean to. My condolence lena." Duke said, he approached her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "If you ever need someone to talk to, you know i'll be right here."
Selena smiled, this was something, all she needed to hear from her "supposed husband", who on the night her mother died, he decided to bring home his w***e. Well, it was the decision she made and she has to live with it, nathan is not the idea of the kind of husband she wished for. She turned around and smiled;
"Thank you Duke, i'll keep that in mind."
Duke left her office and she sat to prepare herself for the day's work, she had a ton on her table due to her absence. This was what she needed as a distracted from her thoughts, she wasn't feeling so good, it was as if something was missing. She couldn't remember the accident and it made her worried;
Why can't i remember what happened to me?
She thought.
Selena had finished half the work on her table when Duke returned.
"It's lunch time lena, what are you still doing?"
"There's a lot i have to do."
"You need strength for that. Let's go out for lunch."
Selena sighed, she honestly didn't want to step out but her stomach chose that time to growl. "Fine, let me grab my purse."
Soon, they were out of the office and into duke's car, he drove to their usual restaurant. They got in and ordered lunch, Duke started up a conversation while they wait for their orders.
"So tell me, how have you been?"
"I'm fine, thanks for your concern."
"Are you sure, it's really hard losing.... I'm sorry, i shouldn't pry."
"It's okay, i'll be fine i promise."
Duke had always admired selena for how well she handled tough situations, the woman was a strong one. Their orders arrived and they ate quietly until a voice called out;
"Lena? Selena Moore, is that you?"
Selena raised her head to see her friend staring at her; "So..sofie."
"It's you!"
"Wh..when did you return from Greece?"
"Two days ago, i've been trying to track you down."
"Oh my God, sofie i've missed you."
Selena said and hugged her friend, Sofie Carloway was her only friend from college. They did everything together until her only friend decided to study further at Greece, selena couldn't be more happy. Sofie's parents could afford to pay for any institution in mars if they wanted to, her's couldn't and so she study right there in seattle.
"Umm, sofie this is Duke Allen, my assistant. Duke, meet sofie carloway, my best friend."
Selena made the introduction, they shook each other smiling. Selena's attention was on sofie's face, something was different about her.
"Duke, if you don't mind, I....."
"Like to catch up with your friend, it's fine lena. I'll see you at the office." Duke said standing up, he nodded to the ladies once again and walked away.
The ladies took a seat after hugging yet again. "Lena? He calls you that too?"
Selena chuckled, "Everyone calls me that now."
"Oh no, that was mine to call alone."
"You've been gone for five years sofie."
"I know. I'm sorry, i tried reaching you several times after we lost contact three years ago."
"I also got a new cell number."
"So tell me, what's being happening with you? Got a boyfriend yet?"
"I'm married sofie."
"What?!"
"Shushhhh."
"How? When? To who? Him?"
"Easy girl."
"I'm itching to know who finally swept you off your feet."
"I'll tell you everything, but promise you won't say a word to anyone about it."
"Is everything okay?"
"Yes, just promise me."
"Okay fine, i promise."
Selena filled her friend in on all that transpired between her and nathan, the agreement and her mother's passing too.
"Oh lena, i'm so sorry about your mother. She was the sweetest soul i know."
"Yeah, she was." Sofie gently squeezed her hand and gave her a half smile. Selena noticed the faint look on sofie's face, something had definitely changed in her. "Are you okay sof, you look pale."
"I do?"
"Yes, do you need to see a doctor?"
"No, no, no. I'm alright, i just need to rest okay." Sofie stood up abruptly, she took out a card and handed it to selena.
"Call me, we'll continue this conversation again." She said and hurried out.
- Writer
