After Francis left angrily that day, I didn't set my eyes on him. Hours turned into days and days into weeks.
I didn't know why, but everything inside of me longed for him.
I just wanted to hold him one more time in my hands. I wanted to have him within my reach forever. I knew I was sounding quite selfish but a part of me kept telling me that he belonged to me.
I was scared…I didn't want to lose him the same way I lost my mother. I wasn't ready to go through that pain one more time.
As much as I tried to get over him, I found myself standing next to the door waiting for him to come back into the room. My life started to feel so empty when he was away.
We only spent a few days together but when he was away, it felt like I couldn't live without him. Madam Olivia kept telling me that he would come back, but I feared that he wouldn't.
I feared that he already hated me and I didn't even know what I had done.
I sat on the chair in Francis' room as usual. The morning, afternoon and evening would always meet me there. I haven't heard anything from Lord Chris either.
Maybe he had finally chosen to let go of me and focus on his own wife and child.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Loud knocks landed on the door and I rushed to unlock the door like my life depended on it. My heart raced with anticipation as I strongly believed that Francis was back.
I opened the door and the smile on my face dropped when I saw a woman standing in front of the door. She had a light blue gown on and those dark and small eyes of hers gazed at me like she wanted me to vanish.
I took a step back. Looking at the way she was dressed, she must be someone important.
But I couldn't really see her face. She has a veil covering her nose and mouth.
"And …how may I help you, my lady?" I asked and instead of giving me a response, she scoffed and walked into the room.
Why would she come in when I have not asked her to?
"Please who are you and how may I help you? Is there anything you want me to do for you? I do not think that his highness would be happy if he comes back and finds you here," I said, and she stood in front of me.
"You must think that you have the whole world wrapped around your finger, don't you?" She asked and I could sense the hatred in her voice.
"Is there anything that you're not telling me? What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, trying so hard not to raise my voice.
"You have made my life miserable, Mala and I swear I will make you pay till my very last breath," she threatened. With those eyes that I saw, those words didn't seem like empty threats. She meant them.
"What have I done to you? Why did you decide to make my life hell? Why did you decide to ruin my happiness? Why are you doing this to me!" She screamed and she pushed me.
I landed on the ground and her veil fell off. Her face was pale and bruised. I managed to crawl back but my fear didn't let me get a proper hold of myself.
"If…if you think that I am responsible for the way you're hurt then you must be mixing things up. I have never seen you before, I swear," I said.
She dipped her hand under her dress and brought out a knife. She looked into my eyes and she laughed. "Every single pain that I am feeling right now is all because of you, Mala. My son and I are living a very miserable life because you chose to show your ugly face!" She screamed, walking towards me.
"Me? I didn't do anything to you!" I cried.
"Ever since my husband set his eyes on you again, he has hated me. He beats me up and he treats our child like an animal. You must feel like a goddess now. His highness doesn't love anyone but he wants to marry you. And my husband, Chris, is willing to kill me for your sake," she revealed.
So that's what it was all about.
"I swear on my life that I do not want to have anything to do with your husband. He's the one who wants to have an affair with me ..and…. and I have told him. I told him to focus on you and your child," I pleaded.
It's too early in the morning for all of this.
That woman didn't look like she was going to spare me.
"If you die, I wonder how my husband would still run after you," she said and she laughed. She laughed crazily…she wasn't in her right state of mind. "Maybe he would run to your grave and marry your corpse, then I'll kill you over and over and over and over!"
"Please," I cried. "I beg you, spare me. I don't know anything about all of this. I do not want your husband."
"Maybe in your next life, you'll learn to stay away from me," she uttered and she raised the knife. I shut my eyes…and the next thing I heard was a loud thud.
I slowly opened my eyes and I found out that she had hit the wall. She had blood rolling down from her head down to her face.
I rushed backwards and gasped.
I raised my head when I heard footsteps coming from the corridor.
What kind of place is this?
"Francis?" I mouthed, hoping it was him.
But instead, it was the wizard himself. "I am sorry about my wife's stupidity. Please do not mind her. Come with me, I'll make it up to you," Lord Chris said with a smirk and he stretched out his hand.