Christian

I stole another glance at my wrist watch.

What’s causing the delay?

I spared the guests seated opposite me a glance and without a word from them; I could see the disregard for time was eating them out. I looked Lucas’s side and he was in the same state. Unable to bear the silence anymore, I stood up to my feet and made my way out of the room to find out from Stella Carson what was taking so long.

Right outside, she stood a little agitated, and eyes glued elsewhere. It would seem she was waiting for someone.

“Mrs Carson.” I called to get attention and she turned to me right away.

“Why are you here and not inside?” I asked and her face seemed a little pale, her eyes unable to meet mine directly which was quite unlike her.

“I’m so sorry Mr. Hendrix. It’s my entire fault. I shouldn’t have had her take it home. I just thought... I wanted to give her a sense of responsibility but... but...”

“What are you talking about?” I interrupted, confusion laced in my voice and on my facial expression.

She fell quite for a moment as she stared me in the eyes. Suddenly, a sigh left her lips and she lowered her eyes.

“Harieth. Harieth’s got the flash drive and documents.” Her sentence added to my confusion.

“What are you trying to say?”

“Harieth...”

“I’ve got it!”

We both turn towards the direction of the voice and caught sight of Harieth having stepped right out of the elevator. Without wasting a second more, she began running towards us.

“Here.” She stated quite out of breath as she handed a file to Mrs Carson. We both looked from the file and back to her still trying to catch her breath.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Go on ahead.” She urged Stella as she gave her a light tug towards the door. Eventually, Stella looked away from her and headed into the room.

I couldn’t help looking her from head to toe and that’s when I noticed she didn’t have any shoes on. A light frown surfaced between my brows. That’s strange. Harieth always emphasised on class and took delight in dressing up to show off her wealth. It didn’t make senses for her to forget her shoes.

My eyes went up to her face and our eyes met. She smiled from ear to ear which felt a little odd.

What is she so happy about?

“Your shoes, where are they?” I pointed out and watched as she looked down to her bare feet. Her eyes met mine once more but a surprise expression played on her face.

“My shoes.” She pronounced as she tried recalling whatever happened to them.

“Ah, that’s right. In such a hurry, I must have forgotten them in the car.” She narrated and a smile returned to her face at the end of it.

I looked away from her face. She was really acting strange.

“Do go ahead. I’ll quickly go get my shoes.” She added and before my eyes shifted to her, she was halfway running back to the elevator.

My brows furrowed deeper as I stared at her waiting for the doors to the elevator to open. She looked my side once more and when our eyes met, she displayed another wide smile so much she seemed different. Prettier.

Instantly, I looked away from her and blinked several times to set my thoughts straights.

No matter how I think about it, she’s definitely strange.

Setting the thoughts on her aside, I ventured further into the room to continue the meeting that had probably started without me.

Harieth

There they are!

I stretched my hand and picked up a pair of brown heels that lay on the rug in the car. As I stared at them in my hands, a smile stretched out on my face. Earlier, I had taken them off to enable running back into the house much easier and when I got back to the company, I completely forgot them and ran in such a hurry in other to attempt meeting up with time.

Well, at least I got what I wanted and no harm done. Christian’s work is saved and he gets to walk with head held high.

“Not bad. Not bad Harieth.” She commended herself in a proud manner.

A sigh escaped my lips as I leaned my back on the car.

I did do so much, didn’t I? Not in my wildest dream did I ever imagine putting someone else’s happiness before mine. It’s really strange how life has a funny way of turning things around.

Christian

One more glance at my wrist watch and I looked up the stairs for any sign of her. None.

Good lord. What’s taking her so long? All she really has to do is put on a dress. Really, how hard can that be?

“Sonia.” I called the attention of one of the maids heading for the kitchen.

“Yes sir.” She right away made her way to me.

“I need you to go upstairs and find out what’s taking Harieth so long.” I ordered but her eyes drifted away from me unto elsewhere.

“I don’t think there’s need for that anymore, sir.”  She added as a simple smile drew on her face. In other words, I followed the direction of her eyes and up the stairs.

Slowly, they widened and every sound shut out as I stared at Harieth adorned in a red sequin detailed fitted dress. Her hair was neatly straightened and dressed so much it resembled a golden waterfall. Her makeup was beautifully done and when she smiled at me as she began her steps down the stairs, I felt my heart beating faster against my ribcage and unusually louder.

Right until she stopped in front of me, my eyes followed her every step. I couldn’t look away. I couldn’t stop staring. I couldn’t utter a word. I had never been this way around her. How is it that I’m seeing her beautiful for the very first time and why is my heart racing so fast and loud?

“I... I’m sorry I took so long.” She apologised as she lowered her eyes for a moment. I, on the other hand, just stared. Slightly, I opened my mouth to let out a word but nothing came through.

What’s happening to me?

It’s just Harieth. I need to snap out of it.

Christian snap out of it!

I looked elsewhere; away from her and blinked several times like that would return me to my senses.

“Christian.” She called and Instantly, I shifted my eyes back to her.

“Are you okay?” She asked as she stretched out a hand towards me but quickly, I retracted a step away from her.

Her hand hung in the air and she stared at me with eyes filled with surprise. My sudden retraction must have startled her. Perhaps, I went too far there but these strange feeling towards her is a bit unusual and sudden for me.

“Shall... shall we leave?” I proposed and she nodded after a moment of hesitation. The smile that played on her face was gone and that tugged a little at my heart. Really strange.

I turned away and began my steps towards the door while she followed behind. I placed a hand on the left side of my chest and I could still feel my heart racing at a certain unusual pace. This definitely doesn’t make any sense.

Perhaps, I’m growing ill.

Harieth

I gulped down the last amount in my glass before leaving it on the tray held by a waiter just as he passed by. I drew in a deep breath as I watched my husband play prim and proper with the rest of the guests.

He neither seemed to care nor realise his wife was left alone. I hated parties such as these one but I dreamt of this day ever since he informed me of our appearance together. I searched for the right dress. I used up hours on my makeup and hoped at least, he would finally notice me but that didn’t happen.

All I got was his step away from me like I was a plague of some sort. It did hurt but I did my best not to let him see that. From the ride and until this moment, he hasn’t said a word to me. If anything, I feel like he’s avoiding me. I’m pretty sure I didn’t say anything awful to him. I’ve been on my best behaviour. Then, what’s the problem?

I picked up another half filled glass of wine off a tray just as another waiter walked by.

Emerson said something and both Lucas and Christian smiled. Sure, he can smile when she says something but barely a touch from me and he runs away. How frustrating.

I gulped down quite a lot from my cup and in that moment, they all spared me a glance.

What? Are they talking about me?

Two men approached them and Emerson walked her way out of their midst and towards me. On drawing closer, she flashed me a warm smile which would have been great only if I was half as smittened as my husband and her husband are with her.

“Great party, right?” She attempted a conversation after standing by my side for a while. Well, I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of having one so I remained silent.

She must have understood that because she said nothing for a while later.

“Um, do you want to get some fresh air.”

“With you? No.” I retorted right away, breaking my decision to ignore her presence. I just couldn’t stand not saying anything to her. My speciality was hurting people with words and not silence.

The grim that replaced the brightness in her eyes gave me a momentary joy.
I gulped the last amount in my cup and returned it to a tray as I picked out another. I gulped down a bit from it.

“I think you should slow down on the wine...”

“And I think you should mind your business.” I cut her off her speech and she’s left staring at me. God, she irritates me.

“We don’t have to speak, hangout or pretend like we care about each other just because we’re sister-in-laws. I don’t like people like you and I never will. I don’t know what your husband sees in you but do me a favour and stay the hell away from mine.” I ended with the gulp of the rest of the wine down my throat before picking out another glass.

I’m definitely burning up with anger and the confusion followed by innocent look in her eyes enraged me further.

“What are you talking about?”

“What am I talking about? Okay, where do I begin? First, he awfully stares at you a lot and he only smiles around you. Your husband doesn’t find that disturbing and it’s a little disturbing to me that he doesn’t. Perhaps, you should be the one to tell me what I’m talking about. Tell me Emerson, what exactly is going on?”
She stared at me quite bewildered.

Probably, she hadn’t expected so much but what could I do? I’ve been itching for answers to these strange behaviours from them for a while and now, I’ll accept nothing less than a befitting reply.

I watched her take a look around and I couldn’t help but do the same. Apparently, my voice might have heightened a bit and people were starting to spare us a glance.

“Harieth, I think you’re drunk. Let’s talk outside.” She declared with a hand stretched out towards me.

“Don’t touch me!” I ordered as I backed away from her, refusing her touch.

My heart was pounding so fast and I was unusually myself. I was becoming what I hated the most, making a fool of myself over a man. In one go, I drank down the wine at hand and stopped a waitress about to walk past me. I drank down every wine in every cup on the tray.
Good. Let me drink so much that I forget my pain, feelings. I forget it all.

“Harieth.” Emerson called but I ignored her call and staggered my way out of the hall.

Right outside the door, I took off my heels and held them in one hand while the other held my purse. My vision doubled, I missed my steps but I was determined to find my way out of that building.

Christian

“Christian.” I turned at the sound of Emerson’s voice away from the phone stuck to my ear. She was with Lucas and they hastened their steps right up to me.

“Harieth.” She started a bit out of breath.

“Have you seen her?” She completed in a worry filled voice. My brows narrowed a bit.

“I’ll call you back.” I told the person on the other side of the phone and with that, cut the call.

“No. Why? Is something wrong?” I asked and watched as they both exchanged glances.

“Harieth’s missing but the problem is that she’s drunk.” Lucas explained.

“What?”

“We’ve searched everywhere but we can’t seem to find her...”

I was on my heels before he could finish his sentence.

Why did she have to drink so much? Where could she be? I shouldn’t have left her by herself. Harieth seems to always find a way to make me worry about her.

I searched every part of the building, including the garden and finally decided to head out to the parking lot but she was nowhere to be found. In the end, I stopped barely catching my breath from all the running. My heart was racing so fast and it tore me up from inside that I couldn’t find her.

“Where could she be?” I asked in a whisper as I ran a hand through my hair in despair.

Sniff.

My brows furrowed a bit at the sound and the moment I heard it once more, I looked the direction it came from. My eyes widened a bit at the sight of Harieth seated on the ground, legs folded up till her knees nearly touched her chest while her back leaned on a car behind. She wrapped her arms around her knees and stared at the car right in front of her. Her shoes and purse lay on the ground beside her.

She sniffed once more and I realised she was crying. I turned my whole body to her direction as I took steps up to her. I squatted with one knee down so our eye level was the same. She shifted her eyes to meet mine and I could tell she had been crying for a while. Seeing her this way poked at my heart so much that it hurt.

“Why are you crying?” I had to ask. She stared at me for a while then sniffed.

“Because of you.”

Her reply took me a bit by surprise but I could see the sincerity in her eyes regarding her reply. She looked away from me.

“You’re very bad Christian. You... you always seem to find a way to hurt me but I... I can’t seem to hate you for it.” She shifted her eyes back to me and for the first time, I didn’t want to look away from them.

Just like earlier, my heart raced fast and unusually louder then, I realised what it could possibly mean. Somehow, she had managed to squeeze her way into my heart. How and when this happened? I have no clue but all I desired was to keep her warm and safe.

“How good is your memory when you sober up?”

A light laugh escaped her lips.

“I would say bad.”

“Good.” I leaned closer and gently placed my lips on hers for a warm but yet intense kiss.

I’d never felt this way before. This is different, different from anything in the past.

So, I was a little filled with ideas and decided to update early. I hope you like the the chapter.👌