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33.8% A woman's dilemma / Chapter 24: Chapter 24

Capítulo 24: Chapter 24

Claudia:

 

"What isn't Claudia supposed to know." I focus a hard stare at her. 

"What  are you doing out here?" She says when she nds her voice and I

shake my head. 

"Nah-uh. None of that bullshit Cassandra! What am I not supposed to find out?" I feel Daniel rather than see him behind him and my sister's eyes

move to him. A smirk climbs her face. 

"Oh I see." She brings her eyes to mine and it's her turns to shake her head at what, I don't know . I don't bother to face Daniel. I'm getting to the root of this. 

"You see what?" 

"Don't keep your man waiting sis. We'll talk later. When you finally have time for me." She starts to brush past me but I grab her hand. 

"What do you mean, when I finally have your time?" I grind out. 

"Let go of me." She tries to pry her hand away but I hold on tighter. 

"Claw you--" Daniel starts but I shake my head.

"Stay out of this please." Thankfully he remains passive behind me while my sister glares at me. 

"Start talking." I prod her. 

"About what?! How you think so highly of yourself?! Miss I don't need a man! How's turning it up with an actor working for you huh? Is he big enough for your huge ego?!" She spits in my face and before I can stop myself, my hands comes down across her face in a hard slap, whipping her head to the side. 

"Claudia!" Daniel exclaims. 

"Shit!" I whisper yell as my hand throbs and I feel the back of my eyes sting. 

"I'm so so--" I try to touch Cassandra but she pulls back. This isn't how I wanted this to go. 

"I'm sorry." I say even though she doesn't want my touch. 

"For what exactly? Not always being here when I need you the most?" She

sobs and my heart breaks. 

"That's not true." I say unsteadily. 

"Where were you on my wedding day? Or when two of my kids were born?" She asks, her voice just as shaky. 

"I--I- I" No excuse seems worthy of the pain I see in her eyes right now. I clamp my mouth back shut.

"What happened to us, Cass. We used to be the closest of siblings." I manage to get out. 

"Well you left to build your perfect life." 

"No. I--" 

"Tell father happy birthday for me. I have to go." 

"No. Wait!" I try to grab her but she slips out of my hold and turns on her feet towards the gate.  

"Cassandra!" I yell after her but Daniel's hand on my shoulder stops me in my track. 

"I think you should let her go for now." 

"But--but--" when did I turn into this stuttering mess? Daniel must understand what I need right now because he pulls me into his chest and

holds me up. I take steadying breaths of his scent and it calms me. 

"She's in trouble. I can tell." I say after a while. 

"We'll find out and help her. I promise." He says into my neck. I have never

really thought to rely on anyone but myself for years now but his oering

swells my heart. I pull away from him to watch his face. All I see is sincere

concern. 

"We?" I ask. 

"You and I. That's if you'll have me help you." He brushes the corner of my

eye and that single touch has me nodding unconsciously. 

"You won't regret it." He places a quick peck on my forehead before pulling

me back into his warmth. I shudder at the feeling of his hand rubbing my

back soothingly. 

"I'll help you as well. It's the least I can do." He releases me from his body to stare down at me. 

"Are you saying yes to my proposal?" He bites down on his lips and other than that I can't read the emotion on his face. 

"For Tina." I say with a nod but deep down, I think I just want a feel of this

man, Even for the while we'll be pretending. 

"You're sure?" Daniel asks. Isn't this what he wanted from the start? 

"You sound like you don't want to date me anymore." I say. 

"Of course not. I will just prefer if it's not f---" his eyes suddenly strays from me and his words hang in the air.  

"Prefer if it's not what?" I ask him but then he starts to point behind me. 

"What's going on there?" I turn around to face the gate and notice the security guard trying to hold someone back. Now that I'm not so focused on Daniel, I hear the raised voices coming from the gate. 

"Don't freaking touch me, idiot! I need my wife right now! Do you know who you're touching you wretched thing?" The angry man is saying. I start to walk down the few steps down. That voice is vaguely familiar. 

"Claudia, it might be dangerous." Daniel hurries after me but I get to the scene before he can stop me. 

"Francis?! What are you doing here?!" I exclaim when I find Francesca's husband looking livid while the guard tries to restrain him. 

"Thank fuck someone with half a brain is out now. Where the hell are they?" Francis grabs unto my shoulders. I cringe at the alcohol on his breath. Daniel pries his hands off me and pulls me behind him. 

"Do you know this man?" He growls while glaring at Francis like he's

nothing but gum under his boots. 

"Yeah, he's my friend's hus--" 

"Fuck this! Frances! I know you are in there! Frances! Goddammit Frances!"

*****

Francesca:

YOU HAVE GONE FOR CHECK UP HAVEN'T YOU? 

 I continue to stare at Gideon's message even as Amy go on and on about her day at the nursing school. I really want to concentrate on what she's telling me but I just can't stop thinking about how Gideon got my number.

  He sent me the text just as I Claudia and her man toy left the room quite

obviously and I have been distracted by how he got my number. I don't want to dwell on the butteries I got when I saw his name flashing on my screen.

HOW DID YOU GET MY NUMBER? 

I quickly type o when Amy gets busy with one of Claudia's brothers in law.

My nails tap nervously on my screen as I wait for his reply.

I MIGHT HAVE PROGRAMMED MY NUMBER IN YOUR PHONE WHEN YOU

WERE OUT OF IT AT THE HOSPITAL. 

 The cute blushing emoji he sends at the end of the text doesn't help the butteries currently haven't a stampede in my stomach.

"What are you blushing about?" My phone is suddenly swiped out of hand

before I can register what Amy is doing. 

"Give that back!" 

"Nah-uh. Gideon? That doesn't ring a bell. Do I know this Gideon?" 

"No. He's just my-- my doctor." I get my phone and quickly delete both texts. 

"That blush says there's something else here." Amy says as she pulls her chair to face me completely. She's grinning like a Cheshire cat, her innocent eyes shiny with mischief.  

"Nah-uh. You ain't hearing anything from me. He's just my doctor." I laugh

her curiosity off and turn my chair away from her a bit. 

"You're no fun!" She slaps my shoulder with a giggle and I'm about to retaliate when I hear it. 

"Shhh. Did you hear that?" I shush Amy from her giggling and notice the silence in the room. People are staring at me now that I look around.  

"Frances! Frances!" I hear the unmistakable voice yelling and I frown.

It can't be.

"What's wrong? Who's that? Frances you've gone pale! Are you okay?"

Amy follws after me as I jump from my chair and into the sitting room in search of my son. 

"Mommy?! It's daddy! Is he going to hurt you again?" Ola sobs when I find him halfway to the living room. 

"Shhh! Come on!" I grab his hand but Amy blocks my path to the door.  

"Hurt you?" She asks and I try not to panic. I can feel eyes piercing my body from all around. Why is he here? He doesn't usually do this. Why is he back anyways?  

"Get the fuck out Frances!" I hear him again and I have to push past Amy to get to the door. 

"Not now Amy. Don't worry I'll be fine." I scream to her as I hurry to the gate where Claudia and her man are blocking Francis. He doesn't notice

me a few feet away with Amy behind me. I stop in my tracks and watch

him. 

"Get out of my face!" He's screaming at a man in a security uniform. He looks crazy. And drunk, if i'm not mistaken. 

I see the disgust on everyone's face and I feel shame cover me. I feel like running away without anyone noticing but then a lady comes up to the

scene to meet the actor guy but then I watch her freeze up when her eyes

meet Francis. 

"You--you--I didn't--please-" the girl becomes a stuttering mess and I

slowly take myself to the scene. 

"Tina! Are you okay?!" The actor hold the lady who has visibly gone white

while her eyes doesn't stray from Francis. She's shaking. I watch Francis's

awkward expression. 

"Asshole! Do you know my sister?" The actor has Francis in a choke hold in

a split second and chaos ensues.  

"Get o me! Why would be know her?!" Francis tries to break free but he's

too unsteady on his feet and the actor doesn't let up. Claudia doesn't even

try to stop him. Francis throws a pathetic punch before anyone can

register his move and it just gets out of hand as Claudia manages to pull

Daniel obi off my drunk husband. 

"Stop it!" I yell at the top of my voice and the commotion stops. 

"Frances! . He's crazy." Claudia tries to come between us but I touch her hand to stop her with a shake of my head. 

"He just panicked when he didn't find us home. He gets like that sometimes." I say as way of explanation. 

"Panicked?! You call this panic? He's drunk!" Claudia yells at me. 

"Stop, okay?! I don't need this right now. I'll call you when I get home." I drop her hand and push past Francis with my son plastered to my side. 

"Let's go Francis." I throw over my shoulder without looking back at the

eyes watching me tonight. I can't bear to let Francis spoil everyone's night.

  He's my cross to bear and no one else's.


next chapter

Capítulo 25: Chapter 25

 

Frances:

 

 I am boiling mad right now but keep a leach on it while my son hug the side of my body till we reach the house. He falls asleep sometime before we arrive and I have to carry him upstairs to avoid waking him.

 Francis is quiet and walks past us without a word. If he thinks I'm going to let the embarrassment he caused at Claudia's party tonight go, he has something else coming. 

 Ola doesn't move a muscle even after I drop him off on his bed and cover him up with a blanket . Just as I pat the blanket down, his live in nanny comes in. I motion for her to be quiet and she nods.  

"Put this in my room for me, okay?" I hand her my scarf, shoes and bag but

on second thought, I retrieve my phone from my bag and slip it into my dress's pocket before handing the bag back to her. She nods without saying a thing and leaves me with Ola. 

"Goodnight baby." I place a quick peck against his forehead before slipping out silently. I need him asleep for what I plan for his father tonight. As soon as I'm out of my son's room, my simmering anger comes back to boiling point. I make my way down the hall towards Francis's room. I need a divorce and he needs to know tonight. He can't treat me like this anymore. I don't care if elections are less than a month away. He has messed up enough. 

"Goddammit!" I stop in my tracks at the sound of glass hitting the ground close by. It's clearly Francis, swearing. I listen closely from my spot, few steps away from his door but hear nothing more. I tiptoe closer and press my ear to the door. 

"You can't do your job right?" I hear him whisper. I wonder if there is anyone in there with him but considering the time, I doubt it. He must be on the phone but with who and why is he whispering. My ears has to be firmly pressed into the door to hear him clearly, meaning he doesn't want to be heard.  

"She's alive!" He yells suddenly from inside and I freeze up at how cold he

sounds. Should I be listening to this?  

"You were supposed to kill them. How did this one tiny woman escape?"

He's whispering again but I hear the words loud and clear. I gasp in horror

and nearly let out an audible sound. I clamp my hand over my mouth. Kill

them?! Tiny woman? Tears sting my eyes at the realization my mind is

drawing. The woman at the party is supposed to be dead along with other

women. What kind of monster did I marry? I should get out of here. I take a

shaky step back.  

"If anything goes wrong with our operation and I don't win this election, I'm gutting your two kids and sending you their genitals as presents." I whimper at the words as they slam into my retreating back. I hear the

sound of something hitting the wall and conclude that his call is done. I need to get out of here. He can't know I know. 

"Sh*t!" i whisper yell when the tunes of Anne Marie's 2002 blares out from my dress pocket. I slip the stupid phone out of my pocket and slam my fingers into the end button as I take to my heels. 

"End call!" I cry out but my shaky and sweaty fingers do nothing to end the

call. I hear Francis's door open behind me but I don't stop. I race down the

stairs.

"Frances!" Francis growls from behind me, nearly stopping my heart. I run

faster. 

"Hello, Frances? Are you there? Hello?" I look down at my phone as I go down to see that I connected the call instead of ending it. Gideon's name flashes on the screen. I need to have him get me and Ola out of here. I push the phone to my ear once I get down the stairs. 

"Please help I--" The phone is flung out of my hand and my hair grabbed in an unrelenting fist. I cry out in pain.  

"Please don't kill me. I didn't eavesdrop. I heard nothing." I sob. 

"You heard nothing huh? What do you take me for!" A disorienting slap slams into the side of my face and he let my body hit the ground. I try to crawl away from him but my abdomen feels like it's on fire along with my shoulder. 

"Please. I didn't hear anything, I promise." Tears blind me as I taste the fear of losing my life on my tongue. Why did I follow this monster home and with my child? My eyes goes upstairs where my son is sleeping peaceful and I break out into a broken wail. Francis stoops to the floor and grab my face to bring me eye to eye with the devil.

"You should have thought about our little boy before you went about

eavesdropping on things that weren't for your ears." He tsk like he pities me but the leer on his lips frighten me to no end.  

"Hear what? I only went up to apologize to you but when my phone started

ringing, I hurried away so as not to disturb you." He lets go of my face and

I drop my gaze to the ground. Where's my phone? Just as I think about it, I

see the shattered pieces of what used to be a phone on the ground. 

"No one is going to save you tonight my love." I feel sick to my stomach when he brings his hand down to caress my cheek. 

"Please Francis. Don't hurt me, please. I didn't hear anything. Our son is just

upstairs. He needs his mother." I touch his hand lightly and try to force my

features to show something akin to affection for Francis. 

"We can make this better. I love you." I continue. His eyes soften a little at my words but then he grimaces. 

"Why did you have to eavesdrop honey? No ones outside the inner circle learns about this and live." He shakes his head like he pities me while he starts to remove his belt. Is he going to whip me to death? He must see the look I'm giving the belt because he eyes the belt too. 

"I won't whip you don't worry. I just have to bind you for now. Till I figure

out what to do with you. I can't have you blabbing before the elections."

He pulls both my hands together while I try to ght him o me. He's stronger and binds them easily. The belt dig into my skin but the throbbing in my abdomen and shoulders are the pain I'm beginning to only feel. I shake my head at the light headed feeling coming over me. 

"I just have to keep you locked up till after the elections in few weeks. That

or they'll kill you. They know you were eavesdropping too." He tells me and

I wonder who they are. 

"You can't lock me up for a month! Ola needs his mother! My parents will look for me. They won't let you get away with this." I try to reason with him. 

"You mean your father? He's in on this too. You think I alone killed those girls?" No, he's messing with me. My father is not a beast like him. I shake my head profusely.  

"Oh, I feel sorry for you. You think he climbed the ladder of politics without

making some sacrifices? We are in the same political party. Blood must be shed before every win." 

"No!!!! Liar!" I clamp my hands against both my ears to shut out his words. 

"Maybe you'll get to ask your father when and if you get out of this. Come on. " he heaves me up at this but my legs refuse to stay steady under me. 

"Get a grip!" Francis gets annoyed when I do nothing to help myself up. I don't know if it's because of fear or horror but my legs are rubber under me. 

"Frances? Frances!" Why is he yelling my name? The world tilt on it's axis in

a matter of seconds and I feel the food I consumed at Claudia's come up to my mouth. Everything appear to double in my vision as Francis's words swim in my head. I feel something wet drizzle down my legs but my hanging head refuse to go down to check what's happening to me.  

"Oh my God!" My body gives way and slip out of Francis's hold to hit my head against the floor. I don't feel anything  but woozy. 

"Frances! Frances! " even Francis's voice sounds distant. 

"Boss! There's a fire! We have to get out of here, ASAP! Come on! Boss!" I hear rather than see my husband's bodyguard come up to drag Francis

off me. He fights the hold I think, but then the huge man lifts him off me. 

"Fran-- Ola?" I croak out as I fight unconsciousness. I need to get my son

out. I start to smell the smoke but can't seem to get my limbs moving.

Plus the belt digging into my wrist makes it hard to stand without help.  

"Help! Ola!" I stretch my hand out for Francis to help but his guard holds

him back. 

"The boss said to abandon her. She's a liability." I hear them say before I lose and let the darkness take me.


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