Chapter three
1097 Words
Elena's POV
This was about the twentieth tissue box I had finished. I stopped counting when it got tothe eleventh. Why was this misfortune happening to me? Everything was alright and well. What happened? Had they planned this? Thinking about sweet Leo was, I just couldn't believe it. It just can't be! I argued in my head. I had cried so much my head was aching madly.
"You'll make yourself sick. You have to stop crying."
I should be thankful to Dre though. He had saved my life, but I hadn't shown any form of gratitude since waking up.
I broke down again.
"It's okay dear. Let's come up with a plan. Tell me anything you know about the family. I hate seeing ladies cry."
I was sceptical about it. I mean, I had only just met him. It was true that he saved my life but I couldn't tell why.
"Thank you. I really appreciate your concern." I tried dismissing it.
He could have done that to use me for his selfish reasons, although he didn't seem to be that way. I decided to tell him. What was the worst that could happen?
"Okay." Seeing the zeal in his eyes in wanting to help me. “I can. I must warn you though, it's a long story," I said.
"I don't mind," he replied, this time, walking to the sofa where I sat and sitting right next to me. "I'm all ears, El."
"Well, Leo and I were friends from childhood. We went to the same school and it didn't take long for us to become friends. Our friendship blossomed into something very beautiful as we got older and we began to notice that we were attracted to each other. One day, we went to the aquarium together with Daisy, and when we had a moment alone, he proposed to me. I was a beautiful moment. I couldn't believe it because as much as we loved each other, I felt he was never going to want to get married to me in the end."
"Why did you think so?" He asked, with a very concerned look on his face.
"Well, Leo was from a very wealthy family but I wasn't. I was barely able to pay my fees in school. So I felt like in the end, he wouldn't want to marry someone like me. The rich folks always found a way to get with people like them. But Leo was different. After our graduation, he took me to his mom and told her that he wanted to get married to me. My heart kept pounding so hard as he spoke to her, especially because of the disdainful expression on her face."
"And what was her response?"
"Well, she spat on the floor, right in front of me. That was her response. She swore that she would never accept me into her family and called me a gold digger. I was left speechless. I prayed to the goddess that the land should swallow me up. Well, she didn't listen."
"That was so cruel of the woman. It can never be okay to treat someone that way."
"Well, she did and there was nothing I could do about it." I shivered at the memory. "Well, Leo didn't listen to her. He was under a lot of pressure but he insisted on me. We did get married, even though Claudia, his mum wasn't happy about it. She promised to make my life a living hell and she did. I did my best to treat her well but nothing I ever did was good enough for her. She always found a fault or two and I didn't know how to change her mind. Thankfully, Leo was always on my side, defending me against his mother. Surely, you can see why I trust him, can't you?"
He nodded.
"I didn't get pregnant until this year. This is the third year of our marriage. It seemed it somehow made Claudia became a bit more accommodating. Everything seemed fine to me; to everyone else. We were all happy."
"So what could be the problem?" Dre asked.
"Well, I never said there was a problem, did I?"
"No, you didn't. Yet, you must have noticed something unusual, even in the slightest way. Have you?"
"Well, if there was ever anything unusual, it was the arrival of Daisy, my best friend," I explained. "She returned home from studying abroad for three years. She travelled after my wedding with Leo. Her return coincided with a time when my husband's business had some issues and she could help. She asked if she could come to stay with us for a while and I obliged. After the help, everyone loved her, Claudia too, and even when she left the house for a few days, she'd always call her to see if she could return to our place soon. She was nice to everyone; always cheerful, there was no boring moment with Daisy."
"From all you've said, I think I know what the problem is."
"You do?" I asked.
"Sure. I think you must know that…"
He was cut short by a knock on the main door. "That must be my mom, Her name is Stella." he said. I heard footsteps of someone heading toward the door in a hurry so I assumed it was one of the servants.
I was nervous. I didn't have a great experience with mothers. Seeing how it went with Leo's mum. Andre tapped my hand a little, probably so we could continue our talk, but I was more concerned about knowing what was going on with his mom, so I ignored him.
I listened carefully and heard the maid speaking to her. "Master just saved a young lady," she said. "They're inside the house."
"That can't be true," the woman replied. "We both know that my son hasn't felt a thing since his sister died. Don't tell me rubbish anymore or you'll pay for it."
"Yes, ma'am."
I heard footsteps approaching and I knew she was about to come in. I sat up, moved away from Andre a bit, who had sat next to me all this time. I adjusted my dress, waiting patiently for the door to open
Stella pushed the door open, a bit aggressively and I saw a woman, supposedly in her fifties, judging by how she looked facially but was she fit! She had red hair, and she was very beautiful. As soon as she set her eyes on me, she froze and called out a name.
"Ella!"
- Writer
