Chapter 44

44 A Vicious Glare Plus A Warning

When Abigail and Olivia were at an earshot distance, Richard gripped Susan’s arm firmly causing her to wince in pain. “Let’s talk about that video, shall we?” He hastily led her out of the hospital and back to his hotel room.

Susan didn’t mind being rough-handled. On the contrary, it turned her on. She was accustomed to pain and mistreatment from guys. She was a masochist who enjoyed receiving physical punishment.

She had once endured an excruciating anal sex encounter, just to please a guy she had a crush on. Sadly, the guy had no intentions of dating her. It was all fun and experimentation to him. He even blocked her line and avoided her like a plague.

This made her resentful and wiser. Never again would a guy take advantage of her without paying dearly for it.

When they were finally secured in Richard’s room and behind closed door, she turned to face him. But a resounding slap stung her cheek and she gasped for air.

“You bastard! You wanna blackmail me right? I’ll show you what it feels like to be raped.” Richard ferociously tore her clothes from her body and savagely screwed her until her cunt was bruised.

He was horrified and perplexed that instead of Susan grimacing in pain, she was even begging him not to stop. She seemed to be enjoying every bit of his rage.

He became helpless. One unconscious wild sex was a misgiving but a second deliberate sex encounter was an utter betrayal.

Susan lay on the bed nude. She was slightly weak but conscious enough to see the turmoil and defeat in his eyes. She smirked and asked him if he was satisfied or if he wanted more.

.....

“Susan, you are sick! You need help!” Richard scoffed at her as he panted to catch his breath. “You disgust me!” He said in a muffled and guttural voice.

“Yes! I’m sick and only you can cure me.” She stood and walked up to him provocatively. She didn’t mind him hitting her again. She wanted to be tortured to prove her undying love for him. She had read some fictional novels about this type of love and romance. And most of those novels always had happy endings.

“I disgust you?” She chuckled scornfully. “Yet, you were moaning like a dog in heat. You climaxed on me countless times. But I don’t mind. My body now belongs to you.”

Richard was too stunned to respond. He regretted hitting her. The slap mark was like a red tattoo design on her face. And her arms, legs, knees, and butt were covered with sex bruises.

He was also terrified of a possible **** charge. Susan didn’t have to say much to a judge or jury. Just one look at her now, and he would be given Ten to twenty years imprisonment.

He reached out to her and cuddled her in his arms. “I’m so sorry Susan! I don’t know what came over me! I’m a mess right now!” He faked an apology.

Knowing Susan’s weakness, he assisted in cleaning her up. This made Susan feel a bit cheerful. She refrained from smoldering him. Instead, she tried to cheer him up as though she was his official girlfriend.

“Since we’re no longer needed at the hospital, let’s leave town together, today. We can return by Saturday if we must,” she clicked her tongue beguilingly.

“Ariella and her h...husband will be back on Sunday, so you can still confront her.” She stressed the word ‘husband’ scathingly to rile him but he gave a piercing look without speaking.

“My body is in bad shape and I have to heal. You don’t want anyone asking questions, right?” Susan craftily suggested. She was also assuming the role of a formal girlfriend.

Richard was trapped between the devil and the deep blue sea. He would have preferred to drown than be with this devilish Susan. But he had hopes of reconnecting and amending things with Ariella.

Even if Ariella got wind about his involvement with Susan, it wouldn’t be a serious problem. After all, she had lied about Leon and could be sleeping with him.

“Okay!” He responded between gritted teeth. “We will go together on one condition.”

“What condition?” She asked impatiently with a hint of sarcasm.

“Delete that video, now!” His glares were frosty.

“Is that all darling?” She smirked devilishly. “You have such a mordant sense of humor. But I’ll delete it.”

...

Marissa had just managed to finish a very light breakfast at the hotel restaurant when Tom joined her. She slid him an antagonizing look and gestured him to an opposite seat.

“Where is my son?” She asked with a scowling stare.

“Mum, Leon didn’t inform anyone, including me about his vacation destination,” Tom spoke with such sobriety, that a deaf man would agree he was telling the truth.

Due to the bond between Leon and Tom, Marissa treated Tom like her son. In turn, Tom fondly referred to her as his second mum.

“So, this is how you have both decided to treat me? Push me out and leave me in the dark? Like I am nothing but old abandoned furniture?” She stifled a sob.

“Come on mum! You know how Leon operates better than I do. When he sets his mind on something, he tenaciously accomplishes it. Nothing and no one can stop him. He hates meddling. And so far, I have only supported him.” Tom paused and took Marissa’s hand gently.

“Concerning the marriage, Leon swore me to secrecy. You of all people understand the value of loyalty to the Treshvire family. My hands were tied. I am truly sorry about the pain and anguish Leon’s decision had cost you.” Tom’s eyes beamed with genuine concern.

Marissa sighed deeply. She could tell that Tom was telling the truth right now. Tom had always been a benevolent family friend and was solicitous about Leon’s welfare. He wasn’t the womanizing type. On some occasions, she had wished that Tom was her second biological son.

Leon was the best son any mother could wish for. But like all children, no one was perfect. Leon’s flaws were his catastrophic temper and his tomcatting. The temper was hereditary, Marissa had always concluded. But the other was something Marissa never understood.

“Does Leon love her?” She immobilized Tom with her glares.

Tom almost chuckled but dreaded the repercussion. Marissa wasn’t in the mood for jokes. He coughed slightly to smother the laughter that almost escaped.

“Love!” His hilariously beaming eyes betrayed him before he could finish his statement. “I can’t say for sure. You Know Leon is...”

“Do I look like a funny cartoon character from your childhood animated series?” Marissa’s eyes shot fiery darts at him.

“I am sorry mum. The gospel truth is that I don’t have a valid answer to that question.”

“Give me an invalid answer then!” Marissa clicked her tongue in annoyance.

Tom thought of a crafty reply. He didn’t want Marissa to quote him in the future.

“In my inaccurate and invalid idea...” He tilted his head to the side as though hypnotized by Marissa’s pearl earrings. “I think Leon is infatuated by Ella, albeit I may be wrong.”

“What a convenient response!” Marissa hissed. “Why did he turn off his cell phone?” She quizzed, even when she knew the reason.

“He doesn’t want to be bothered by...” Tom didn’t think his response through before answering which cost him a kick on his shin.

He let out a muffled wince and quickly apologized.

“Are you aware that Ariella’s family and boyfriend are in town? Even her mum is currently hospitalized due to her lies and craptastic decision. She narrowly escaped a mild heart attack.”

This time, it was Tom’s turn to be dazed and speechless. The earlier humor varnished from his eyes and was replaced by an astonished stare.

“Who invited them over!” He interrogated Marissa in an irked tone.

“Don’t ask me that stupid question! And don’t talk to me in that manner. I am the infuriated one, remember?” She sneered at him and hit her curled-up fist on the table.

“I’m sorry mum, I didn’t mean to offend you.” His rage dwindled at her chilly scowling. “But I must warn you, Leon seems to care a lot about Ella. If anything and I repeat anything scars her happiness, there will be blood to pay.”

Tom stood up, “have a nice day mum.” He kissed Marissa gently but politely on the cheek and walked out of the hotel restaurant.

Marissa sat back for a while looking distraught at Tom’s warning. She remembered how Leon almost hit his elder sister because of Ariella. Now she was sixty percent convinced that her son may be in love with Ariella.

“Oh, this is not good,” she sighed loudly, attracting the attention of the waiter.

“Ma’am, are you okay?” The young male waiter; whose face was covered with freckles, asked politely.

“I’ll be fine son,” she half smiled.

“Maggie! How is Maggie feeling now?” She questioned herself in a hushed voice. “I better go check on her.” She stood and left.

...

Beep!

Beep!

Beep!

The heart rate patient monitor kept beeping. The parameters showed a regular and steady heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration rate.

“Try not to indulge in anything that would stress you.” The doctor standing beside Maggie’s bed advised. “With the record in my hands, you seem to be doing just fine. Keep up with this, and you will be discharged by tomorrow morning.”

Maggie nodded in reply.

“Doctor, don’t worry about my mum. I will see to it that she stays stress-free.” Olivia smiled. She thanked the doctor before returning her loving gaze to her mum.

“How do you feel mum?” She tucked Maggie’s loose hair to the back of her ears.

“Like my whole world is about to crumble before my eyes,” Maggie responded weakly. “Have you been able to get in touch with your sister,” she queried with a ray of hope in her shimmering eyes.

“We will talk about that later. You focus on getting better. Matthew is already missing me and he wants his grandma to come visit.” She kissed her mum tenderly on the cheek.

At that moment, Uncle Moses walked in with Marissa.

“Mag, Mrs. Treshvire is here to check on you.”

Olivia raised her face and scowled viciously at Marissa.