Weeks turn into months. Mornings. Noons. And nights. Henrick ensured he had her favorite flowers delivered to her. Dresses she glances at when she’s out with her friends. Whatever it was that she looked and smiled at, that gave him the impression that she likes it or wants it. He would ensure someone else didn’t get it first.
But what they didn’t know was that Henrick has not shown himself since that evening. Tiania couldn’t face her family after they knew that it took that long before she gave herself to her husband. Her mother didn’t know how to visit her in-laws anymore. Her father closed the farmacy given to him from Henrick. Her brother and his wife closed their restaurant and clothes stored.
They feared he would soon send someone to take it all back. A spa that her mother is not capable of running was still running because although she was the owner but is unable to run it herself, she allowed someone else to be in charge of running it. Because she doesn’t know how to run it. With each end of year gifts they’d received and gifts they’d received on birthdays and special days was enough to keep them going.
The year has almost ended and his side of the family received their gift as well, but no notice of the year end party he would throw at a different location each time. Therefore this time they know for sure something was wrong. They had no idea that the company was suffering long enough and losing clients from the very next day because without him they would not know what to do, to always please the clients.
He somehow use to be the one to comfort the clients. He was always in everything they do for the company. But also for each and every clients they have and had. His phone is not reachable. The Freeman’s contacted the Vessels and questioned the last they spoke with their daughter.
“My son spoke with Tiania yesterday. But why do you pray?” Natherine spoke of when her son spoke with her daughter then asked.
“Then if your daughter was spoken to. I pray you tell what has happened to Henrick for the company is falling apart. Our stocks are being affected. No one can reach him. His phone is unable to trace. The house now looks like it has been abandoned.” She explained and Natherine went into shock. She just sat there staring at the television. Her eyes would not blink. Finally she glances at her husband who has the TV remote and takes it from a skip through to another channel. until there was a display on the news. ‘The disappearance of Henrick freeman’
“D-Di-Dis –appearance?” Her father asked in shock! Suddenly their phones were going crazy with incoming calls.
“Dad it’s me, Leo. We have a big problem.” Leo said over the phone to his father who took the call but was too shocked to say anything at all.
“Call Leo and tell him to call that murderer of a sister of his and meet us and her husband's home.” Natherine said to her husband and luckily Leo was on the phone. He heard his mother but even then her husband just sat there with the phone to his ears even after Leo hung up.
Leo called his sister who was sitting at a coffee shop. Her hair caught up messily. Lipglass. Wearing a light blue coloured dress. She sat waiting when her phone rings. While everyone else was on their way to Henrick’s house including her friend.
Rinaea’s husband had become a lawyer of the Freeman family. She has been ignoring their call from the moment she arrived at the coffee shop. She decided to ignore the fewer calls coming in. From her friend. Her lawyer. Her father. Her mother. Her brother. His side of the family has been calling her as well but no one is getting through to her. She went to the bathroom when her brother called again.
“What? What is it? Can’t I breathe? Why is everyone calling me like I'm missing?” She answered the phone angrily at her brother questioning him.
“You could go missing for all everyone would care at the moment but for sure regardless your husband would come find you. He who is missing and everyone is calling you and this is how you respond and to me, your only brother. Who is also of more age than you. Get-”
“I don’t care. I do not care. Did you hear me? I’m on a date and I would like for it to go well!” Tiania cut her brother off and said to him twice so he is sure of what she is trying to tell him.
She ended the call and went back to her seat. Soon after her date arrived when she heard small talks became loud and people sounded like they heard someone died. She turned around looking at everyone then at the TV, since that’s where everyone is looking.
“We are now assuming that Mr. Henrick Freeman is dead due to his lack of socialization and has not shown up to his company from the beginning of this year. He was seen leaving the company with his mother in-law. We spoke with Mrs. Vessel, who explained after he left her home that evening she had tried speaking to him but she only received a message asking to give him space. Well, he took more space than what Mrs. Vessel expected as his family and in-laws haven’t heard from him since. People are now saying the blame should push to his heartless wife who is leaving him for a past sweetheart.-”
Tiania got up immediately and stormed off, losing balance and spraining her ankle. After falling she just removed her shoes and continued to run. She got into a taxi and told the driver her address. Time went by slowly as she thought of him actually dying and because of her. She knew she would be blamed for his death not to mention she decided to leave at the time of the Gray’s family heir return home to take over their business.
She began to cry not for the pain of herself but for him. Even though she was mistreated in her point of view. She never meant for anything to happen to him and even worse, him doing something to himself. She stepped off the car when it stopped and stood at the gate for a moment. She inhales and exhales before she steps on the compound.
“Has it always been this warm here?” She asked herself after stepping on the compound the wind was rather warm than cold like she had expected it to be.
She walked all the way up the house knowing not how badly she was hurt nor the swollenness of her feet. She walked past everyone and walked up to the door. She tried to open the door by sending off the alarm.
She knew the camera would recognize her and turned it off. After it was done the door would automatically open. Just after this was recognized by the camera and the alarms turned off. The known mother of Henrick Freeman, turn grabs her shoulder turning her around and slapped her across the face.
“If you want to marry someone else you should have told them from the beginning. He wound has not invested so much into your family. Ha! Do you think all that your family now owns is their hard work? Huh? No, no. It was given to them by him and this is how you repay him by leaving for Gray's boy huh?” She went off on her and told things Tiania was not aware of. The truth is all her family own wealth. The look on their face when she looked at them was not shame but worries. Tiania was slapped again and the door was open. And stood at the door was a man. A bearded man. Henrick looked as if he was living in the mountains.
“Apologize to her.” He said looking at his mother.
“I will not repeat myself. There is no need for them to feel ashamed. I willingly give them what they have. How dare you bring it up?” He claims before defending his in-laws to not be put to shame. But it made him angry that she had to remind them and make Tiania know these was of her husband's gift. They all stood shocked by his appearance.
“Apologize to her.” He repeated it but now he is saying it. The tone of voice send his mother to her knees in second. Surprising everyone. Tiania know of this tone as he would time to time use it on Claire. She didn’t even blink until she heard her mother in-law saying sorry.
“Do you see why I needed to leave? How can you love like this? She who is your mother, you have on her knees to pelting flooring. Just for apologising to me.” She said looking him dead in the eyes. She asked him but he didn’t care. She then said to him and that made him angry.
“She is being punished for what she has done.” He glanced down at her. His stare went deep down to her soul. How dare you, was the last look he gave her.
“She is your mother.”