章 4: Welcome Home Brian

"Relax Lola, I mean you no harm," Ian said in the softest voice as though nothing happened between them. Even though he had spent most of the previous night ravishing the beauty before him, something about her feistiness was making him drool all over her again.

"I came here to check on my little niece when I caught sight of you. So I thought I should check on you and apologize for my behaviour last night. Here is a peace offering to show you how..."

Lola angrily slapped the bouquet off Ian's hand, as vengeful tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Get out of my sight, you despicable bastard." Lola pointed towards the door. "You can consider this as my resignation."

Ian smiled as his gaze shifted from Lola to the bouquet on the floor and back to her. He drank in his feisty beauty and said in an even softer tone.

"I know you are hurting and it will take a while for you to get better. So instead of your earlier approved three days casual leave, you can have twenty working days. I'm sure that's enough time to think things through and set your priorities straight. Do not forget, you need your job as much as I value your expertise in my company. Take care of yourself."

"You and your company can go to hell for all I care." Lola spat out between gritted teeth.

"Hmm..." Ian chuckled. He spared Lola one last glance before leaving her presence.

After Ian had left, Lola weakly took her seat. Her body was trembling with so much rage and bitterness that was eating into her soul. She cupped her face into both hands and began to weep.

A few seconds later, Chelsea was back to Lola's side, comforting and encouraging her. She listened as Lola shared her ordeal with Ian and advised her to keep it a secret.

"What if Brian finds out?" Lola expressed her fears to her friend. "Brian would never forgive me and I can't afford to lose him."

"On the contrary, you may lose him if you open up to him," Chelsea warned.

"How?" Lola wiped her streaming tears with the back of her hand.

"Didn't you mention that the doctor said Brian must not be stressed emotionally?" Chelsea asked.

"Yes, I did."

"Good. Now, imagine what would happen to his weak heart when you confess to him that you had sex with your boss."

"No, I didn't have sex with my boss. I thought I was with Brian. Half of the time I didn't know what I was doing. You have to believe me." Lola pleaded.

"I believe you, Lola." Chelsea pulled Lola into her arms and soothed her. "But I don't think any other person will buy that story of yours. It will better if you said he raped you. After all, he did drug you."

"Yeah!"

"So, are you really going to leave your well paying job over this and start from ground zero?" Chelsea asked after a while.

"I don't know..." Lola resumed sobbing.

As she thought about all the bills she had to pay and her monthly responsibilities to Brian's family, her heart began bleeding afresh.

As Brian slowly became aware of himself, he sensed a slight pulse in his neck. His eyelids opened the smallest amount revealing the geometric pattern of the white ceiling tile.

His arms were stretched tautly to his sides and his body felt frigid. He tried moving his fingers when he felt a familiar touch that filled his poor heart with so much warmth.

"Brian..."

In his semiconscious state, Brian's paled lips slowly curled up into a smile when he heard the soft textured voice of his beautiful wife. His smile deepened when he felt her warm lips press on his forehead. He felt as though he had just risen from the dead and everything around him was new. He also felt like a changed man, ready to sacrifice everything for his beautiful wife.

Fluttering his eyelid severally to adjust his vision to the bright light in the room, Brian finally opened his eyes to meet his wife's angelic shimmering gaze. She was smiling amid tears. Her flushed face was so close to his that he could feel her warm breath fanning against his cheeks.

"Baby, can you hear me?" Lola asked, peering into his opened eyes.

When Brian tried to respond, he observed that he couldn't speak due to the breathing tube that was attached to his throat. The tube was attached to a ventilator which made breathing less stressful for him.

"Baby, if you can hear me, just give me any sign." Lola wiped her tears which were falling on her husband's face. "You can blink your eyes or give me a thumbs up."

Brian blinked his eyes twice and also raised his right thumb up.

"Oh my goodness!" Lola raised her thrilled gaze to Chelsea. "Brian can hear me. He just blinked and gave me a thumbs up. Quickly, go get the doctor."

"Okay," Chelsea dashed out of Brian's ward and returned with the doctor on standby duty.

After some thorough checks were carried out on Brian to ascertain his heart stability, he was certified okay but kept under strict supervision.

Soon, the news of Brian's consciousness spread like wildfire. The majority of the Hart family members started trooping to the hospital to register their presence and support.

The antagonistic mother-in-law and sister-in-law suddenly transformed into angels in the presence of Brian. They treated Lola like an egg in Brian's presence for the sake of his weak heart but shredded her like a ragdoll outside his ward.

Although Lola appreciated Rosemary and Clara's effort to ensure that Brian wasn't stressed, she despised their callousness towards her.

For the next couple of days, Brian slowly recuperated. As he showed progressive recovery, the sedation was reduced and the ventilator was removed, allowing him to breathe on his own.

After spending almost seven days of close supervision counseling, and medication, Brian was finally discharged.

Lola's happiness knew no bounds as she wheeled her husband out of the hospital to their awaiting car, chatting and laughing heartily. For a moment, she had forgotten all about her horrid experiences of the past.

The smile on Brian's well defined face enlivened her spirit, feeling her with hopes of a better tomorrow.

"Honey, how come Mum and Clara didn't show up today," Brian's deep voice caught into Lola's thoughts.

"I'm sure they must have very good reasons," Lola replied masking the excitement in her voice with a pretentious cough. She was beyond grateful that her husband was no longer shouting at her like he did before

"Hmmm... Sometimes I don't get that mother and sister of mine." Brian sighed.

"Look on the bright side, baby," Lola said in a soothing tone as she wheeled her husband into the parking lot. At least, Uncle Melvin is here to receive us."

"Yeah..." Brian's lips curled up in a brief smile as he watched his uncle approach them. Then he raised his head up to look at his wife.

"Thanks, honey for standing beside me and loving me this much. I know I haven't been supportive towards your feelings. I know it has not been easy taking care of me and the family. I promise you that from here on now, I will live up to your expectations."

"Aww..." Lola stopped pushing the wheelchair. She gazed down into her husband's bewitching brown eyes, a thousand emotions unspoken. "Thanks, baby. I love you with every breath in me."

Lola lowered her head and planted a passionate kiss on her husband's inviting lips.

"Ahem..." Melvin cleared his throat noisily. "I'm certain you love birds know that you are not in your bedroom. Let's go before every..."

"Uncle Melvin..." Lola shot Brian's uncle a reprimanding stare.

"Ummm..." Melvin's scratched his head. "I'll go open the car." He dashed off before he could ruin the surprise.

"Is something the matter, baby?" Brian arched his browse suspiciously.

"No, my love." Lola smartly dispensed any form of suspicion with her cute smile. "I was just letting your uncle know that he should get the door for us."

"Oh...okay."

With the help of Melvin, Brian was carefully lifted up from the wheelchair and assisted into the car. Then Lola took her seat beside him, moulding herself in his warm embrace.

"Have I told you, you look ravishingly beautiful today, dear wife?" Brian teasingly stroked Lola's loosely bound hair.

"I've lost count." Lola's flushed cheeks glowed crimson red due to her husband's sensual touch.

Brian lifted Lola's chin up and took her cherry-pink lips in an intense kiss.

"If only my heart wasn't weak, I would have made love to you right here in this car," Brian confessed, nuzzling Lola on the side of her neck.

"Ahem..." Melvin cleared his throat loudly. "You spoilt children of this generation. Not even a single regard for an old man."

"Come on Uncle Mel." Brian's brows furrowed.

"Wouldn't you consider me sterile if I were seated beside this beautiful woman and not drool over her? Moreover, this is my wife you're talking about and I've not had the pleasure of being with her for almost eight days."

"Sorry son, I'll mind my business. Carry on." Melvin picked up an ear plug and fixed them in both ears causing Lola to burst out with laughter.

"Where were we? Babe?" Brian took Lola's lips in another ravishing kiss.

A few minutes later, Brian was assisted out of the car and wheeled into his house.

"Surprise!"

Everyone in the living room shouted happily.

"Wh..." Brian placed his hand on his chest beaming euphorically.

"Baby are you all right?" Lola's observant eye flashed with panic.

"Yes, baby... come here..." Brian pulled Lola down to sit on his lap before covering her face with lots of appreciative kisses.

"May I welcome my son home, please..." Rosemary stepped forward, her jealous narrowed eyes shooting flares at Lola.

"Certainly mum." Lola stood up, making way for Rosemary and other members of the family to receive Brian.

"Hello, Lola..."

Lola sharply turned around in the direction of a male voice standing so close to her.

"Mr Richmond... You came!" Lola gaped speechlessly at her husband's boss.

"Why wouldn't I?" Richmond smiled, revealing his perfect set of white teeth. "Aside from being an employee of my company, Brian is my childhood friend."

"Yeah... he mentioned that once." Lola could feel Richmond's scrutinizing gaze all over her making her feel slightly uncomfortable.

"By the way, what happened to you on the fifth of this month," Richmond asked, his eyes brimming with curiosity.

"On the fifth?" Lola gaped while ransacking her brain for the event of that particular day.

"I saw you in front of De Lamo..."

"Don't!" Lola's eyes flashed with horror.