The following morning Ash and Kylie visited the hospital. Everyone seemed to have gone back to their normal lives except for Tinashe. Ash and Jin walked out of the room to discuss some business while Tinashe remained in the room with Kylie. "So how do you feel?" asked Kylie.
Tinashe shrugged, "Bored."
The other woman smiled, "I mean your health."
"I have two holes in my chest, it hurts." She said emotionlessly, "You don't have to keep me company. Jin is the one who is your friend not me."
Kylie shrugged, "Our husbands are best friends." She said, "Jin looked down, what happened?"
The woman on the bed smirked, "Gossipmonger much?"
Kylie laughed and shook her head, "I can't believe you used to be so nice. You have changed."
"You looked down on me when I was nice." She shrugged, "What do you want me to do?"
"I'm sorry, we were just looking out for our friend." She said and Tinashe shrugged but didn't say anything. Kylie looked at the woman and sighed. She really had completely changed. Didn't kiss up to her or anyone anymore. "Jin was really worried. He was full of nerves. He barely rested... well all of us barely rested until we got help from a small village. He was injured, your parents were already waiting and your dad hit him for neglecting you. He somehow found out the nature of your relationship." She looked up to see her reaction and only saw Tinashe smiling smugly, "Jin let him."
"As he should." She chuckled. "Now we can end the marriage without regrets. Daddy took revenge on my behalf."
"You are still ending the marriage?"
She shrugged, "Why not? One word to my dad and..."
"Jin promised your dad that he would take care of you because he loves you. Are you sure you want to leave him?" Kylie asked, "Do you know what he went through to get help for you? I had never seen him in tears all my life but he was crying for you. You really can't forgive him? Your dad beat him up with a stick and he was just kneeling in front of him waiting for you at the emergency room door. It was as if he couldn't even feel the pain." He sighed, "Do you know that he hasn't allowed the doctors to take a look at his wounds? Do you know why? He has completely lost his pride for you."
Tinashe looked away and didn't say anything. It wasn't as if she completely hated him, in fact she didn't even hate the man. She was just angry. She thought that maybe he deserved the beating.
"It's not the beating that hurt him." Said Kylie as is she read her mind, "It was the fear of losing you. What he went through those two days before we were able to get help was hell. I'm not lying to you. He carried you himself and didn't allow anyone close. I'm sure he has never cared about any woman the way he cares about you."
"Why are you telling me this?" she scoffed, "Looking out for your friend again?"
"I'm also looking out for you." She said, "You may never find anyone who loves you the way he does. He may have been late in realising his feelings but it's not too late is it?" she slipped a flash drive into her hand, "He told Ash to delete the security footage but I copied it before he did. I thought you might want to see it."
Tinashe was about to say something when the door opened again and Jin and Ash walked back inside. She had a contemplative look when he watched Jin walk in. Now that she knew her father hit him she could now see that he was walking a little differently even though he was doing his best to hide his pain.
"Are you well, sister-in-law?" asked Ash walking to stand behind his wife and naturally placed his hands on her shoulders, "Aren't you just bored here?"
The woman smiled cordially, "I'll call my dad and tell him to pick me up tomorrow." She said, "I'm sure your friend has a lot of business to take care of."
Ash widened his eyes slightly looking a bit horrified, "Your dad?" he cleared his throat then turned to Jin, "Good luck, bro." He took Kylie's hand, "Let's go, baby."
Kylie looked at Tinashe meaningfully then followed her husband. When they were at the door Tinashe called, "Kylie?" she smiled, "Even after we annul the marriage we will keep it under wraps for as long as he wants. His company won't be affected."
Kylie was about to say something but Ash pulled her outside before she did. Tinashe looked at the flash drive in her hand but she really didn't think her mind would change even after seeing whatever was on it so she placed it under her pillow. When she looked up again Jin was no longer in the spot he was standing and now stood at the floor to ceiling window looking outside. Seeing him like that she had a complicated feeling seeing his lonely back. She shook the feeling off and laid down on the bed falling asleep in no time.
*
Jin stood at the window staring outside for a long time but he really wasn't seeing anything in particular. The thought of Tinashe calling her father to take her made him uneasy. He wasn't that afraid of being beaten by him again but when he begged them to leave, the older man told him that the moment his daughter said she was tired of him he would take her and make them divorce and it was only for one reason. He most feared losing her at the moment.
It was already dark outside when Tinashe opened her eyes lazily but was still so sleepy. The room was already dark yet the lights still weren't on. She turned her head looking for Jin and found him still standing in the same spot looking outside the window as if oblivious of his surroundings. She felt a little sad seeing him like that as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. She wondered if it was because he was stressed about what she said about the annulment but she really didn't want to believe him and then get hurt again. She closed her eyes again hoping to fall back asleep but she had a nagging feeling that chased her sleepiness away.
She peeked at the clock and was shocked to see she had slept for hours and Jin looked like he had stood there for more than four hours already. Was he really in love with her? Was he really stressed because of her?
The woman was finally curious about the content on the flash drive and she slowly sat up. Jin still seemed to be deep in thought and didn't even hear her wake up. "Jin Nan?" she called and the man turned around.
"You are up?" his lips lifted into a faint smile, "Sorry, I didn't notice it was dark already." With one hand in his pocket, he walked to the switch and turned the lights on then walked to the bed. "What do you want to eat?"
"Chicken and..."
"Lasagne..." He finished for her and when he saw her surprised face he smiled even more, "Sorry for asking. You can only have light foods with mild spices."
Tinashe groaned in disapproval, "For how long?"
"Until you your wounds heal." He sat on the bed looking at her, "How do you feel?"
She shrugged, "Same."
The man nodded and was about to take her hand when she placed them inside the blankets leaving his hands hanging awkwardly in the air. "I'll place the order." He got up and walked to the coffee table then picked his phone.
"Can I have your laptop?" she asked and he looked at her then nodded before picking the laptop and handing it to her. "Thanks." The man hummed and walked out.
After he left, Tinashe inserted the flash drive then played the video that was on. The first thing that appeared on video was an old truck that drove to the front of the hospital and Jin jumped out the car before it even stopped and jogged after it before it stopped. He looked agitated and it looked like he was panicking. He gently pulled her outside the car and carried her before running inside to the emergency room.
The video jumped and she was being wheeled onto the emergency room and Jin was stopped when he was about to follow inside when her parents showed up in a hurry. Jin immediately walked to them but her father punched him in the face and said something looking angry. Ash, Gavriel and Kylie rushed to the scene wanting to help him but he stopped them humbling himself and knelt in front of the middle aged man.
Her father snatched a stick from the security guard close to him and started hitting Jin. He didn't even try to dodge and kept his head down letting the middle aged man hit him. After some time her mother held her father and he finally stopped hitting him. Ash helped Jin up and tried to talk to him but he seemed to be against whatever he said and went to stand near the emergency room door. She thought he might have suggested he see a doctor.
Tinashe's heart beat faster seeing how sad and uncomfortable he looked yet it seemed he refused to get the doctor to see him. Her eyes filled with tears when the video jumped to when the doctors came out of the emergency room and he rushed to him and held his arms seemingly panicking then broke out into a smile and hugged her father. The middle aged man seemed to just let him even though he didn't even seem to like it.
She laughed as tears fell down her cheeks seeing him hugging her father who had beaten him as if he didn't hold a grudge. He must have really let got of his pride completely to behave like that. He hugged her mother as if he had gone crazy then went back to the doctor and wanted to rush into the emergency room but he was stopped. When she looked closer she saw that he was bleeding yet all he seemed to think about was going to see her in the emergency room.