My Wife
940 Words
Chapter 4
The next morning, they set off for Smith's Oil and Gas. Henry’s assistant was seated in the passenger's seat with the driver, while Henry and Clara were seated in the back seat. An uncomfortable silence filled the space, with Alex Warren’s song ‘Ordinary’ playing from the radio at low volume. The driver and assistant frequently glanced at the couple through the rearview mirror, but both of them were facing their side of the window and engrossed with whatever they were doing on their phones.
"My mom's company is along this route," Clara murmured, eyes still fixated on her phone. "I would like to stop by to take care of some things." She spoke without caring if Henry heard or not.
"Do you always have to be so nonchalant?" Henry muttered under his breath with clenched teeth.
She shot him a glare and rolled her eyes.
The driver pulled over in front of her mother's company. Clara exited without a word and walked through the rotating glass doors and into the building.
"What an attitude for such a pretty face," Henry muttered again and shook his head.
The moment Clara stepped inside, she was surprised to find men dressed in black everywhere. She recognized two of them, having seen them with Clarence before, the day he met with her father. Before she could speak, two men rushed forward, seizing her and pulling her roughly in a discreet direction.
"Stop.. Let me go," she yelled. But they would not stop, they kept pulling her, until they pushed her to the floor. She fell hard, landing in front of a man. Looking up, she was shocked by what she saw.
"Clarence? What... what are you doing here?" she asked, confused.
"You think you can cheat me and go scot-free. How dare you?" Clarence bellowed, his face red with anger.
"Clarence please, please it wasn't my fault. I didn't know your assistant in person, I am sorry please and ready to pay the debt we owe." Clara begged.
"Well, as you can see, this company is mine now, and you're trespassing," Clarence responded.
"No, no Clarence please." Clara managed to get up, running after Clarence but the men held her back.
"Get her out of my company," Clarence ordered the men. He stopped and turned abruptly with a serious expression. "For your information, I paid the debt your mother owed, so technically I now own the company. And trust me, I will not give you the company even if you have the money to pay, which I know you don't have. That is the price for making a fool out of me," He mocked, his voice dripping venom. "And if you are in doubt, these are the proof of payment." Clarence extended his hand, and his assistant handed him the documents.
"Please Clarence, this company means a lot to me and my mother." Clara cried out, but it fell on deaf ears.
"I'm an influential businessman, and you must pay dearly for not marrying me and for disgracing me in front of my friends and business associates." He seethed.
They dragged Clara roughly and threw her out in the company's reception area and they stormed out of the company. The company employees simply watched, too scared to interfere so as not to lose their jobs.
Her face was severely bruised and her white dress was stained with blood.
Henry felt Clara was taking too long, and decided to go inside to find out why. He and Clarence passed each other at the door, but they didn't know each other.
Henry stormed inside the company and saw Clara in that state, and a few staff gathered around her. She was unconscious.
"What happened?" Henry asked, trying to find out what happened.
"Mr. Clarence, had her beat up." Mrs. Emilia the accountant explained.
"Who is this Mr. Clarence?" he asked, infuriated at the state Clara was in.
“He’s the new owner of the company and the man she was supposed to get married to.” Mrs. Emilia answered.
“Fuckkk!! I'm going to kill that bastard.” He yelled.
“I'm taking her to the hospital.” He carried Clara up and rushed her to the car.
When Jake, his assistant saw both of them, he was surprised and quickly opened the door.
"To the hospital," he yelled to his driver once they were all in the car.
*************
Henry paced from one end of the room to the other, then he paused, His eyes fixated on the bandage on Clara's head, the bruises on her lips, and her body. He felt bad for not being there to protect her.
"I am sorry, I wasn't there to protect you. But I promise, Clarence will pay for what he did to you," Henry assured the still unconscious Clara.
The ringing of his phone alerted him. It was a call from his company.
"Hello sir, you are supposed to be here. Your father asked me to call you." Ms. Nicky his father's secretary spoke.
"Tell my father that I won't be able to make it. My wife got into an accident and I am currently in the hospital with her. I'll have my assistant reschedule the meeting and inform my dad."
“Your father asked me to inform you that if you don't attend the meeting, you can kiss the company goodbye.” Ms. Nicky replied.
Henry balled his fingers into a fist and clenched his jaw.
Just as he was about to make a sharp retort. “H-henry?” He heard Clara say.
He immediately ended the call and rushed to Clara’s side.
- Writer
