Chapter 1: The Bait

DAHLIA'S POV

I wake up, breaking into cold sweats as I hear a scream. I jump out of bed when I notice that Jerome is not in the bed with me. I hurry straight out of our room, following the sound of his voice as I hear him continue to curse loudly.

“Babe, oh my God!” I rush to help him back into his wheelchair as he continues to try to scramble back into it.

“Don't touch me! Damnit.” He pushes me aside, sweeping everything on the kitchen counter to the floor as he tries to sit up without support again.

“Come on, stop this, Jer. Let me…” I try again, this time only managing to push him back to his wheelchair before he shrugs my hands off of him where I hooked my arms to his armpits.

“Get your hands off me, I said! I can take care of myself! My incapacitation hasn't gotten to that point. Excuse me!” He drags the wheelchair past me, making me move aside quickly before the wheel scrapes my toes.

“Oh, I hate this life!” I grunt as I go to help him open the door even though he tries to talk me out of it.

I blame myself for everything that happened. It is my fault. If I had gone to pick the kids from the park that day, he would be okay, and even if it had eventually happened, I'd be the one in that wheelchair and not my husband. He doesn't deserve this.

Before my brain goes bizarre, I start preparing breakfast and cleaning up the kitchen so I don't have time to really get into my head and start feeling sad. It's still very windy and early in the morning, I've to prepare for work.

Last Monday, I resumed my new job as the driver of the delivery van of the biggest company in this City, all thanks to my friend who works there. Sunny is a blessing to me, I'd never ask for a better person in my life. She stuck her neck out for me to get this job since women are rarely given such opportunities and that's why I take it seriously not to disappoint her.

Nobody wants to hire me, at least, not people who know me and definitely not as a female driver. So this job means a lot to me now.

When I am ready to leave for work, I go to Jerome's door and try to talk him into eating breakfast. He helps himself when I am not around, so I make sure to stock enough food in the fridge and keep things ready for him. But I don't feel comfortable leaving the house without bathing him and watching him eat.

“Babe?” I tap on the door. “Can you please open the door?” I try in my softest voice, glancing at the wall clock. I still have some minutes before I leave for work.

“Go away. I am not a baby, I can take care of myself.” I hear him say, then a crash follows and I hold back a grumble.

“Ugh, I know. Look, I am…”

“Leave. Me. Alone.”

And my dumbass got that immediately. I don't try to say anything else as I pick my phone and leave the house. I have to hurry to make it to the bus station before I miss it and the next one is until midday. As I pass by my neighbor, an old gardener, Mr. Pans, I stop to say ‘good morning’ when my phone starts vibrating.

“I can't reach my driver and I'm time pressed. Pick my car from the attached address and bring it to me. I'll share my location.” I read out loud, picking up pace.

It's a text message from Mr. Peter, the company's manager, who had personally hired me through Sunny's recommendation. I run the rest of the way to the bus station and make it to the car wash from the address he forwarded in a matter of twenty minutes.

I drive to the location and stop in front of an exclusive restaurant to wait for him. While I wait, I dial the number of the doctor looking after my daughter. It has been two weeks since I last visited her. Looking for a job, getting busy working, taking care of Jerome, I barely have time for myself, let alone, visiting the hospital.

“Hello, Dahlia. It's been a while there.” I hear doctor Hartley's voice before a knock comes to the car's window. “And I was about to call you…”

“Yeah, sorry, excuse me for a moment. I'll call you back.” I hiss, winding down the glass to frown at a teenage girl.

I hold the phone away from my ear and raise a brow at the girl.

“Come on guys! I said it! She's right here. How brazen!” The girl screams all of a sudden and more teenagers rush towards the car, flashing their phone's cameras on my face.

“What's going on? What's this about?” I ask in confusion, rolling up the car window and starting the car in a hurry to get away as they throw eggs on the windshield.

In my hurry to drive off, I crash into a parked white car behind me and it is too late to avoid driving right into it again and again as the teenagers continue to splash paint and throw eggs all over the car. Angry as things continue to go out of control, I come down from the car and try to talk them out of whatever they think they are doing.

“Yes! She's my father's mistress. She thinks she can replace my mother!” The girl continues to shout, putting her phone on my face.

She's on Livestream and this is a misunderstanding, but does her viewers know? Obviously no, and this isn't good for me.

“Stop it, now!” I yell and reach for the phone, snatching it before she could duck back and I throw it over her head.

“Oh, my goodness!”

I look up as the teenagers suddenly stop yelling over their voices and I see where the phone landed.

On a man's face.

Not just any man, but one that Mr. Peter, my boss, is holding the car door for while another man holds an umbrella for him.

He stands still in front of the bashed car, as shocked as everyone witnessing the scene and turns slowly to look at me.

I have the feeling that I am totally ruined before one of the teenagers shouts;

“Isn’t that Mr. Shane, your father's boss?”

Of course, he's my boss's boss and I already consider myself jobless.