Chapter 79

79 Maggie’s Dramatic Phase Two Scheme

Maggie sat on her bed analyzing her next plan to get Ella’s attention. She knew that Ella was avoiding her like a plague.

The previous night, she waited patiently for Ella to arrive from work. However, to her shock, Ella didn’t return, and neither did Leon. Even when she called Ella severally, the line never connected. It became obvious that they both slept out because of her.

Before arriving at Amzone city, Maggie had factored in this sort of behavior from Ella. She knew that Ella would avoid her rather than confront her. Hence, she acquired some NSAIDs from a drugstore at Springchad. These drugs when taken at a high dosage were capable of causing dizziness, blurred vision, seizures, and coma.

Maggie planned on initiating a dramatic phase two scheme to drive a wedge between Leon and Ella. Although she had no intention of initiating this phase of her mission, Ella’s stubbornness had given her limited choice.

After careful thought, Maggie took a slight overdose of the pills and went down to the sitting room. Due to her weak heart, the drugs took effect earlier than she had anticipated. Within seconds, she started convulsing.

Thankfully, Paul was close by when the whole drama unfolded. With the help of some house staff, he quickly rushed Maggie to Leon’s private hospital, where she was swiftly attended to.

The doctor, sensing Maggie’s condition, quickly flushed the drugs from her system, while stabilizing her heart rate. When they had ensured that she was no longer in a danger zone, they gave her some seductive to lessen her anxiety. The sedative took effect and Maggie slept off immediately.

When Paul was certain that Maggie was doing perfectly well, he quickly informed Leon of the drama that took place at the villa.

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At about 7: 30 PM, Leon and Ella walked into Maggie’s VIP ward at the hospital. Ella glared at her mum, who was already awake and staring back at her.

Instead of remorse for what she had done, Maggie’s eyes were filled with deep hatred. The presence of Leon in her room irked her so much. She wished she had magical powers to separate Ella from him.

“So you wanted me to die before you planned on coming to see me?” Maggie fumed even in her weak state.

Ella kept glaring at her mum, unable to form words due to the turmoil in her heart. She had been so furious when Leon informed her of her mother’s state. According to the report of the doctor, it confirmed that Maggie had taken those drugs intending to harm herself.

Ella couldn’t understand why her mum would go this far just to tear her marriage apart. This was getting out of hand and she had to do something. She couldn’t stand and watch her mum kill herself just to prove that Leon wasn’t the right man for her.

Before arriving at the hospital, Ella placed a call to Olivia informing her of her mother’s horrendous theatrics. She pleaded with Olivia to intervene because she was afraid of what Maggie would do next.

Olivia then suggested that she will come up with a plan to make their mother come over to her place. She assured Ella that her husband would come around to take Maggie away, the next day. She warned Ella that Maggie’s continuous stay at Leon’s villa would only worsen her situation.

“Ella!” Maggie cut into Ella’s thoughts, “do you want me to die before you listen to my pleas? Why are you bent on hurting me this way? This family you claim to be married to does not love you. I can’t stand and watch them hurt you! Please come back to me, my girl! I promise I would refrain from all this if you will only come back to me. You’re still my daughter, and I love you so much.”

Ella couldn’t stand her mum’s words. It was breaking her heart in two. There were many things she wished she could vent out. She wanted to tell Maggie that she was disappointed to be called her daughter. She wanted to tell Maggie how she wished Maggie wasn’t her mother. She wanted to tell Maggie to leave and never come near her ever again. Most importantly, she wanted to tell Maggie that she wished that Maggie died in her father’s place.

Unfortunately, Ella knew she couldn’t say all this. She knew the consequences will be fatal for Maggie. She knew she would break the promise she made to Nana Esther. All Ella could do was let her accumulated tears flow freely from her eyes. She was tired of Maggie’s hatred towards her.

“Mum, you went too far this time! Ella spoke between gritted teeth. Even when Leon tried to console her, she stopped him. ‘Why can’t you see that I am happy? Why can’t you let me be? I am a grown woman capable of making her own decisions. Why can’t you allow me to enjoy my marriage? Is this what you call love?” Ella gestured at her mum’s weak state. “I can’t remember the last time I felt love from you. You only pretend to love me in other to control me. When would you give up that illusion of control? This has to stop, now!” Ella’s broken voice was slightly elevated. “Do you hear me? This has to stop! Do not live for me! Instead, live for Olivia, Matthew, and your second grandchild that is on the way. Olivia’s pregnancy is due in less than two months. She needs her mother.”

Ella turned away and left the room without sparing her mum a second glance. Her mum’s words kept reverberating in her mind. She couldn’t believe that her mum claimed to love her. Love was something she had been yearning for, from her mother for as long as she could remember. Her mum had always showered her love on only Olivia.

Even at one point growing up, Ella had once been jealous of her sister. Maggie’s biased love was enough to create sibling rivalry. However, due to her peaceful and loving nature, she loved Olivia instead of hating her. In turn, Olivia cherished her like a second mother and best friend.

Leon stood on a spot, looking into Maggie’s hateful eyes. He wanted to say so many things to her. If only she knew how much Ella loved her. He was baffled by the amount of hatred Maggie bore against Ella.

Leon’s unsettled thoughts took him back to Carlpole. He remembered how Marissa had been broken and remorseful after his one-week silence treatment. Marissa even pledged never to interfere in his marriage. ‘Why couldn’t Maggie do the same?’ Leon questioned his thoughts. ‘Maggie was nothing compared to Marissa,’ Leon concluded. Marissa would never hate her children to this extent, no matter their wrong decisions.

“Can you leave my room?” Maggie broke into Leon’s reverie. “You are a heartless and cunning man! You have turned my daughter against me and you will suffer for this.” Maggie’s glares were vengeful.

Leon chuckled bitterly. He was about to say something but changed his mind. “Have a nice life,” he simply said and walked out of Maggie’s room.

Leon stepped into the doctor’s office and thanked him for his quick response to Maggie’s condition. He instructed the doctor to keep Maggie in his custody and under twenty-four hours of surveillance. He further told the doctor to keep him updated on Maggie’s progress.

After chatting with the doctor on other matters concerning Richard’s health improvement, Leon left the hospital.

When Leon joined Ella in the car, he was deeply hurt to see her eyes swollen from all her crying. She refuse to look at him as she stared into oblivion.

“Ella, you are hurting me!” Leon’s tone had a potent undertone of pain and mild anger. “For the first time since our honeymoon, you pushed me away. It hurts!” Leon was about to start the car engine when Ella threw her hands around his neck and started sobbing.

“I’m sorry, Leon! I’m so sorry!” Her tears poured out even more socking his tee-shirt collar.

Leon felt a million acupuncture needles pierce his heart. Ella’s tears were shredding him into pieces. He couldn’t stand her being this hurt. He subconsciously cursed Maggie for bringing so much pain into his precious wife’s life.

Leon tried his best to soothe his crying wife. He stroked her hair tenderly and showered it with kisses. “Ella, please stop crying! You’re hurting me so much! You know I can’t stand your tears! Please!” He pulled her head away from his shoulders, cupped her face with both hands, and started kissing her.

In response to the kiss, Ella parted her lips and kissed him back greedily. She climbed over to his seat and sat on his thigh while locked in a heart-consuming kiss with him. She moved from lips to his ears and started nibbling on it while her hands roved his body like a treasure hunter, searching for clues to a treasure chest.

Leon’s entire system couldn’t take the fireworks Ella had ignited. He grabbed her waist and tried to steady her on him but the space was just too tight to do much. Moreover, he had hurriedly parked his car in a conspicuous location due to Ella’s eagerness to see her mother.

“Ella! Ah! Ella, not here.” Leon gently arrested her touring hands. “We are parked in the open. You wouldn’t want us to create a scene. If you keep going on me, I wouldn’t be able to control myself.”

Ella stopped kissing him while breathing heavily. “Have you forgiven me?” She gave him a short kiss on his wet lips.

“You know I can’t hold a grudge against you.” Leon returned the kiss and gently placed her back on her seat. “However, what you have started, we would finish it back at the villa, or better still on the open sea.”