Indomitable Heart

CHAPTER SEVEN — HIDDEN INTENTIONS

The silence was thick and heavy. An earthquake seemed to commence inside her body, persistently breaking her heart into thousands of pieces. Tears rolled down her cheeks like rocks tumbling down a mountain. Her legs couldn't carry her weight anymore—dizziness and sudden fatigue took over. Wilson sat her down in the hospital's visitors' waiting room, acting as her anchor.

"I'm really sorry, my love. I was out of my mind. How can you say you want to leave me? Do you want me to die?" Humphrey lamented, shedding fake tears. But he knew the dance had turned spiritual when nobody looked his way, let alone uttered a word to him.

"I was under the influence of alcohol—I spoke any nonsense that came to mind. I wasn't in my right senses. Please don't take it to heart." He kept pressing, all to no avail.

"Young man, I've had enough of your nonsense. Leave here before I call the cops. Get your disgusting self out immediately," Wilson yelled, drawing the attention of many visitors. Consequently, a doctor came and warned them about the nuisance they were causing. Everywhere became calm afterward.

"I don't want to see you ever again. You're a curse to our generation. Get out of my sight before I lose myself and deal with you here." Olive threatened, stood up, and started pushing him away.

"Olive, you know I love you with everything in me. Please don't do this..." As he spoke, a young woman interrupted him.

"Humphrey! Aren't you Humphrey, Annabel's husband? It's you. Don't you remember me?" the woman asked, looking intensely at him.

"Who are you? Do I know you? In fact, how do you know me?" Humphrey asked, eyeballs shaking unceasingly.

"It's me—your wife's sister. What are you doing in the hospital?" The woman continued.

Meanwhile, Wilson and Olive were amazed, observing and listening like students.

"Please, I don't know what you're talking about. You've got the wrong person. Leave this..." He couldn't finish before the woman attacked him.

"Are you serious right now? You're saying you don't know me?" she asked, confused.

"You're invading my private life. Security, please escort this mad woman to the emergency room. Babe, don't mind her. She is..." He stated, and Olive cut him off:

"What do you mean you're his wife's sister? Please explain in detail."

"I don't know why he's denying me. Hold on—let me show you a picture of him and his family." The woman took out her phone. The picture confirmed it was truly Humphrey.

"My sister said her husband went to work—not knowing he's in a hospital doing God-knows-what. She's a mother of two and pregnant with a third," the woman explained.

The breath inside Olive ended instantly at this revelation. She turned to Humphrey, draped in sweat. Wilson stood solidly behind her, holding her hands tight—he knew what she was going through.

"Explain yourself." Olive commanded, showing him the picture.

"That's not me. You know people look alike. How can you believe such a thing?" He kept playing along.

"You're still denying it? No problem. I'll call my sister and tell her what's going on," the woman stated, quickly calling Annabel.

"Sis, I came to the hospital to collect drugs for pelvic pain I sustained yesterday—and I found your husband with another girl." She reported.

"What are you talking about?" Annabel asked in disbelief.

"I just caught your husband with another girl in a hospital. I'm dead serious." She stood her ground.

"That's not possible. My husband went to work. Maybe you saw him with a colleague. It can't be my Humphrey. No, it can't." his wife lamented.

Unable to waste more time, Olive collected the phone and instructed Annabel to come to the hospital after giving the address.

Humphrey was still defending himself when a pregnant woman appeared, calling his name.

"Humphrey, is this where you came to work? What are you doing here, darling?" Annabel asked, moving toward him and holding his hands.

Humphrey tried to open his mouth, but his teeth tightened together, and his lips danced to music no one heard. He discovered all was over.

"How will you explain this? Come on—say something." Annabel pressured him.

As Humphrey managed to loosen his teeth and talk, Olive gave him a thunderous slap and walked away after saying: "You'll hear from my lawyer!" Wilson followed her and took her home.

Humphrey couldn't bear losing both Olive and Annabel. So he decided to hold onto the one still partially available.

"Look, honey, I did everything because I wanted us to be happy. I sincerely love you, Annabel. Greed for money made me engage in this dangerous act. Please forgive me," he voiced out.

"You're insane and stupid simultaneously. Don't ever call my name or my children's names again. You're very useless. I don't want to see you near me or my children ever again. Shameless whore." Annabel kept cursing him—it was her only way to express anger.

Annabel went to his house, packed all her things, and returned to her father's house. She sued Humphrey in court, where he was found guilty. The court approved their divorce and ordered him to pay five million dollars in damages to Annabel's family.

"What am I going to do next? Where should I start?" Humphrey asked himself, left hopeless. He started collecting loans from friends and went into gambling.

For days, Olive couldn't recover from the shock and pain. She cried until her eyes swelled, and her face grew pale. Wilson and Sonia consoled her, acting as comforters.

"So he just saw me as a business opportunity—getting money to take care of his family. What did I do to deserve this punishment, God?" Olive cried out, unable to hold it in.

"Stop crying over that senseless human being. He doesn't deserve you in the first place. Please stop, Olive. You might become sick because of that immature guy," Wilson consoled her.

"Mum, stop crying. I know God will punish that wolf in sheep's clothing." Sonia supported her father.

After five days of breaking down, Olive regained herself and returned to normal. They all became alive again, living happily together.

I don't know whether I'll give my heart to another person again. Never in this life! She declared within herself.

Both Wilson and Olive resumed work at the company—everything returned to its usual state. As time passed, Wilson went to Texas for a business collaboration. This made Olive the acting CEO on his behalf. One memorable morning, Wilson's manager called him.

"Sir, please pardon my rudeness, but something breathtaking just happened." His manager spoke urgently.

"What happened?" Wilson asked, trying to control his emotions.

"The thing is that... It's that..." The manager turned into a stammerer due to the message's weight.

"What happened!!!" Wilson shouted, pissed off by the hesitation.

The manager became frightened by Wilson's fierce tone and quickly spoke out: "Madam Olive collapsed and is currently unconscious.”