CHAPTER THREE — TWICE AS MUCH!

Chapter 03.

TWICE AS MUCH!

Emily's POV.

Exhaling sharply, I stopped walking and gripped the wall for support as my head kept spinning all over the place.

Walking now seemed like a job I was employed to do; I'd barely taken a few steps, but I'd grown exhausted already.

“You are finally awake?” Nigel's voice broke into my thoughts.

I turned, and found him setting the dining.

“Finally?” I asked, barely breathing the words.

“Yes, believe it or not, you've been unconscious for a month, or perhaps even more.” he said, loosening the apron around his waist. “You were only fortunate enough to have survived. If that blade had gone in an inch deeper,”

He pinched his fingers to show.

“I guess we would be standing over your gravestone at the moment.” he added.

My heart's shook at the words. I obviously wasn't thinking when I decided to cut my neck with the blade. But the pain was just too much to bear.

If anything, I wanted to get back at Marcus for betraying me. However, I guess I took things too far. I shouldn't have gambled with my own life.

“Here, drink this; it'll help with the dizziness.” he said, handing me some pills, and a glass of water.

“Thank you.” I said, drinking the pills.

“You are welcome.” he said, receiving the glass from me.

He turned around to return to the dining.

“How is Marcus doing?” I asked, in a curious tone.

He paused, and turned back to face me.

“Did I hear you wrong, or did you just ask of him?” he asked, shaking his ear with a finger. “You just regained consciousness after a month, and the first person you ask of is Marcus? Are you kidding?”

“Nigel…”

“You must be joking right now.” he said, his voice rose to a scream as he pointed a finger at me. “Can you even listen to yourself?”

He scoffed, and pushed his fingers through his hair.

“If I didn't arrive at Marcus's when I did, then you would be dead.” he added, speaking through his teeth with forced restraint. “The same Marcus who you're worried about left you to die on that floor after you cut yourself.”

He pointed a finger to the floor for emphasis.

“He didn't even bother to come check up on you while you were at the hospital.” he continued, giving a slow disbelieving head shake. “And now the first person you ask of after you regain consciousness is him? Really? What about me who's been taking care of you for the past three weeks?”

His voice was cold as Ice.

“You won't ask how it's been for me, huh?” he blinked back tears. “I had to bring you here because your life wasn't safe anymore at the hospital just so that you would get well. If you'd asked for a meal, then it would have been better, but Marcus? You're wrong.”

He squeezed the apron, and tossed it on the floor.

“Nigel.” I called, gripping his arm as he was about to walk out on me. “I am sorry, I had no idea that all these happened.”

“Of course, you don't.” he said, his voice as hard as steel. “Each day, I would prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner, hoping that you would eventually wake up and join me in the dining, but no.”

He shook his head, while looking at me with tears in his eyes.

“Just last night, you moved a finger, and I figured that you'd regain consciousness in the morning, and fortunately you did.” he added, swallowing hard. “But even after what he did to you, it's hard to believe that you're still this naive. You aren't supposed to feel a thing for him.”

“I know that I shouldn't ask about him,” I said, trying to quell the sob rising in my throat. “But let's not forget that he's also the father of my child.”

“I figured you'd say that.” he said, his voice matching the hardness of his gaze. “But don't you get it, Emily? They want you dead, and not alive.”

He put his hands on my shoulder, and looked into my eyes.

“Why exactly do you think I brought you here?” he asked, shaking his head slowly. “Your own sister tried to kill you while you were unconscious at the hospital. I couldn't leave you there all by yourself. And that's why I brought you here to stay with me.”

“Why would she try to kill me?” I asked, my throat tightened with tears. “I don't see any reason for her to kill me.”

“That thing in your stomach is enough reason for her to try to kill you.” he said. “I learnt that she's pregnant for Marcus too. As long as you both are pregnant for him, she'll try to do everything in her power to take you and your child out of the picture, so that she can have all his wealth to herself alone.”

“Abby wouldn't try to kill me.” I said, shaking my head, while blinking back tears. “She is my sister.”

“Well, too bad, she tried to.” he let out a sigh. “She already stole your husband from you, got pregnant for him, do you think she'll stop now? She's almost accomplished whatever plan she'd in mind when she approached your husband.”

He pushed a tumbling hair back off my brow, and flashed a brief smile across my face.

“She isn't your sister, and he's no longer someone you should care for; they are both your enemies now.” he said. “They have both hurt you. Right now, you should think about hurting them twice as much as they've hurt you.”

He really didn't need to say that, because I'd decided to do so. I'll make them suffer for the betrayal and pain.

“I am hungry.” I said, turning my head to the side. “It looks really delicious.”

“Of course, it is.” he smiled. “Go ahead, I'll just quickly wash my face and join you.”

He took his hand away from my shoulder. I walked towards the dining, pulled out a chair that was tucked into the table, and then settled down. Right in front of me were varieties of dishes, but the golden brown color of the toasted bread caught my attention.

I picked up a slice from the plate, closed my eyes, and drew in the scent.

“You can have as much as you want.” his voice broke in on my thought.

I opened my eyes and found him in front of me. He pulled out a chair from the other side of the table, settled on it and scuffed it forward.

“Thank you.” I said, taking a bite.

“How is it?” he asked, raising a brow.

“It tastes so good.” I said, touching the corner of my lips with a finger.

“Here,” he handed me a tissue. “Use that instead.”

“Thank you.” I received it from him and wiped my mouth.

“It is obviously not the best time to bring this up, but I have to.” he said, elbows on the table and fingers laced beneath his jaw. “I think it's time for you to accept his offer. You want to get back at Marcus and Abby for what they did to you? Then he's the only one that can help you.”

“You don't expect me to get married to him, do you?” I asked, raising a furrowed brow. “I just barely regained consciousness, and you're bringing this up? It doesn't make any sense.”

“Yes, I know.” he said, in a soft voice. “But if you ask me, then I'd tell you that we can't waste any more time. One month is gone already.”

“I was unconscious in that period.” I said, speaking through my teeth. “I don't need to remind you of that, do I?”

“No, you don't.” he said. “But Ash has been the one sorting your medical bills. He's been the one taking care of you the entire time.”

“I didn't ask him to.” I said, shaking my head. “Besides, if I'm going to get my revenge on Marcus, and Abby, then I don't need his help to do that. Why can't he just get someone else? Why does it have to be me.”

“He wants the same thing that you do.” he said, with a meaningful look in his eyes. “Here.”

He pulled out a document from a brown envelope, and handed it to me. It was just a few papers held together by a staple.

“What is this?” I dropped the toast bread on the plate, and received the document from him.

“It is your death certificate.” he said.

“What?” I crinkled my face in shock.

“Yes. When Abby tried to kill you, we made it seem like she succeeded in doing so.” he explained. “However, I asked the doctor to fake your death report. So neither Marcus nor Abby know that you're alive right now.”

“This doesn't make any sense.” I said, shaking my head as I read through the document. “Time of death, 8:15pm?”

I lifted my head to him and cocked a brow. But he said nothing, so I dropped my head and continued reading through. I turned over to the next page.

“Cause of death, internal bleeding?” I raised my head to him.

“Sounds natural, doesn't it?” he asked.

“I am not doing this.” I dropped the document on the table and righted myself from the chair. “I have just lost my appetite, and it's all thanks to you.”

Before I could take a step from where I was standing, he got up and gripped my arm.

“I can understand that this is tough for you right now.” he said, his voice as soft as the toasted bread. “But I'm only trying to help you. They stole your happiness, and you just want to let them be?”

“I didn't say I will.” I sniffled, wiping my face with the back of my hand.

“They need to suffer for what they did to you, Emily.” he said. “Trust me, you won't be alone on this; I'll be with you every step of the day.”

“Alright then, where can I find Ash?”