Chapter 26
Chad couldn't get any response from Marlie.
The room fell into silence. Turning around, Chad wanted to probe the reason for her silence.
However, Marlie had concealed herself beneath the covers, seething with annoyance. She knew that uttering a single word would result in cursing Chad, which would reveal her real being. The mistrust ensuing was already palpable.
"I would pretend I didn't hear you say that." She whispered in between her gritted teeth.
Nevertheless, in her mind, Marlie cursed him. How dare he bring about her past in front of her?
"Are you already asleep?" Chad inquired, receiving no reply from Marlie. She remained hidden beneath the sheets, eventually drifting off to sleep, shielded by the warmth of the quilt.
Chad waited for a while and when he didn't get any reply, he left the room quietly.
******
Upon awakening from her sleep, Marlie discovered Chad's absence. The empty space on the bed indicated that he hadn't slept there. It was good. She didn't want to sleep by the devil's side anyway.
Glancing at the time, she noted it was around 4:30 am. She wondered where he could have gone to at that unholy hour.
"As if I care!" Marlie muttered to herself before leaving the room and heading towards her own.
Since she hadn't locked the door, there was no need for a key. She entered her room and found Chad sleeping soundly on her bed. Had he slept there?
"Did he have to make it so obvious that he felt nothing for Charlie?!" She exclaimed aloud, frustrated by the situation.
She knew Chad didn't love Charlie, but couldn't he have feigned affection and remained by her side for just one night? "I wasn't feeling well, doesn't he know!"
Marlie moved closer to Chad on the bed and glared at the sleeping man. She made a gesture as if to strike him. However, in that split second, Chad opened his eyes just as her hand was about to make contact with his face.
Their eyes met for a second before Chad's eyes moved to her raised hand in the air.
Caught off guard, Marlie had no choice but to run her hand through her own hair dramatically, trying hard to avoid any confrontation from the man.
"Do you want to take advantage of me?" Chad teased her with a playful smirk on his face.
Ever since his return, Chad found her actions somehow amusing. There was only one person he had always wanted to tease, which was Marlie.
However, for some unknown reason, he feels the urge to tease his wife now, which is strange to him. But he masked his emotions well, not letting them out.
Marlie's eyes pooped out in surprise, "Excuse me?" she questioned, in a perplexed and irritated manner.
" You sneaked up on me like this and for what?" Chad continued and rose from the bed, sitting upright on the bed and adjusting his clothes.
Marlie moved towards the table where Charlie's ashes lay. She lovingly carried the box and bestowed a kiss upon it.
"You are not up to the standard of men I would take advantage of." Marlie taunted.
Her statement struck a nerve in Chad and his anger flared within him instantly.
He grabbed Marlie's hand, spinning her around to face him. Their bodies pressed against each other, causing Marlie to gasp and shiver from the proximity.
Chad backed her up against the table, ensuring she had no choice but to sit and hold onto it firmly.
The anger in Chad's eyes sent a chill down her spine. Positioning his hands on either side of Marlie, with the table behind them, Chad dared her, "Repeat what you said if you dare!" He demanded coldly.
Marlie stammered, fear creeping into her voice, "Ch...Chad, let me go. Let me free."
Attempting to maintain her composure, she requested her freedom, but her body language betrayed her fear.
Chad pulled Marlie closer, firmly holding her waist. He stared intently into her face in anger. Her eyes were brimmed with tears as he gripped her tightly.
Unfortunately for him, Marlie's trembling lip drew his eyes down to her lips. He couldn't help but be drawn by the breath of her.
His anger instantly changed to another emotion. He stared at her lips deeply, as if wanting to devour her.
Marlie also noticed where his attention had been drawn and she shivered... " Face up. What are you thinking Chad?!" She asked softly.
Chad's lips coiled into a smirk. "Your lips are bringing out the devil in me." He said shamelessly.
Marlie tried to turn her head away from him, but Chad used his left hand to keep her face close to his own.
At that moment, for some reason, he couldn't resist the allure of Marlie's soft, pink lips. Deeply gazing into her eyes, he felt an undeniable attraction.
That feeling was not new to him. Being close to Charlie now felt like being close to a different person.
And those lips and those hazelnut eyes.....They resembled that of the woman he ever loved, and he couldn't help but utter her name in a whisper... "Marlie?" Chad said, shocking her.
Marlie struggled to free herself from Chad's embrace, but he refused to let go, holding her firmly. He looked at the face before him, wanting to be sure of something.
"What are you thinking?" His inner beings questioned him. "Stop confusing yourself Chad!" The beings shouted at him. "She's not your Marlie. Marlie is gone!"
Coming back to his normal self, Chad let go of Marlie's head. He can forget what he just felt but he wasn't done with her for her statement.
In their struggle, they accidentally knocked Charlie's ashes onto the floor.
Their eyes widened as they watched the ashes spill onto the ground. "Sis..." Marlie's voice trembled with shock, tears streaming down her cheeks instantly.
Chad released her, realizing that he had just spilled Marlie's (Charlie) ashes.
He became aware of what he had almost done with Marlie and not only that but the consequences of his actions.
Marlie sat on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, unable to accept what almost occurred.
"I'm so sorry, Marlie." Chad rushed out of the room flustered, jit knowing what to do.
He left Marlie alone, sitting next to Charlie's ashes, unable to bring herself to touch her sister's remains. "Sis, sis..."
Marlie's swollen eyes reflected the pain of her tears. Gathering herself, she rushed outside to find Chad only to find him gone, leaving Audrey and Silvia at home.
Of course, she had sat by Charlie's spilled ashes for more than an hour before mastering the courage to gather them back.
"Sister-in-law," Marlie approached Audrey in the hallway, "How was your night?" Marlie continued.
She was growing accustomed to provoking Audrey by asking after her. After all, someone has to take her anger for what Chad did. Who would be better than his sister?
"What about your boyfriend, did you two get back together or did he find a better one?" Marlie asked provokingly.
Her question made Audrey lift her gaze to look at Marlie in rage. "You Bitch!" She won't out enraged.