Chapter 3

The Past

*******

I ran out of the cab after paying, glancing everywhere, hoping I wasn’t followed. My clothes were drenched from having to run down the street to get a cab.  I wasn’t supposed to be out, I was locked up and guarded, but I sneaked out through the housekeeper.

God knows what will happen to her when Father wakes up. I needed to deliver the letter no matter what. I knew my fate already, but maybe, just maybe, something will happen. Arthur´s family was also as powerful as mine, he could help. Any choice was better than the one I've always been in.

I have asked the cab to drop me off some distance away from school. Though it was getting darker each minute, I could see my school gate from afar as I waited for Liam. He must have been finding it hard to leave the classroom. We were in our senior year, and the school had organised night study for us, and misconduct wasn’t allowed.

I grew restless each minute I waited. Panic setting in every second,  I see cars approaching.

I held tightly my little bag, which contained the envelope I had written before leaving home.

I was starting to regret choosing this place as it was too open, but it was the only place I could think of, as I didn’t have another choice of time.

“Carly!”

I turned, looking across the street as I heard Liam yell.

 He ran down, umbrella in his right hand, as he crossed the road. He pushed the umbrella towards me upon reaching me, but I moved it back to him as his body was now vulnerable.

“Why didn’t you come with an umbrella, you badly want to get cold!” He scolded. This time, he gave me the umbrella, then proceeded to clean my hair, before dusting off water from my clothes.

This moment would have felt warm to me, but that wasn’t the reason I was here. I handed the umbrella to him and held his hands.

“Liam, you have to help me deliver this to Arthur,” I rushed to open my bag, taking out the letter, I handed it over to him.

He looked confused as he took it. “I've been trying to reach him, but it isn’t going.” I spoke.

A car beeped from behind, and I turned, checking if it was one from the mansions, but it wasn’t. I sighed in relief.

“Hey, hey,” Liam held my face. “What is going on here? I thought you said you were on a family vacation. But it doesn’t look like it.” He stared at me, his gaze searching for something. He was concerned.

 I wish I could tell him what was wrong, but I couldn’t.

“I will tell you everything later, but now. Promise me you will hand this to Arthur. You will keep it safe and hand it over to only him.” I spoke, pleading.

“Oh, oh, what could be inside? I thought both of you were breaking up, but I doubt with your little love letters.” He teased, wanting to open the envelope.

My eyes opened, and I held his hands.

“The letter can't be seen by anyone except Arthur, Liam.” I pushed back my hair. Maybe it was the heavy rain that wet the earth, because I felt my facade breaking as I stared at him.

“Please just hand it over to Arthur, that's all I asked of you. I will tell you everything later, I promise you, but for now I needed to go.”

I turned to leave, but Liam held me.

“I don't know what is going on, but you must stay safe to tell me everything that is happening.”

I nodded, forcing a smile, to ease him of his worry. He released my hands, and I walked to the road. Stopping a cab, I entered.

****

I walked shakily through the rain after the cab dropped me. Our huge gate opened as I slid my card across it. The cab couldn’t go further for security purposes. I could only run, praying Father wasn’t awake. Praying housekeeper Jane was waiting at the back door.

I opened the back door, but she wasn’t there. The agreement was for her to wait for me at the door.

Something was wrong, yet I took a step inside, hoping luck would be on my side just for the night, luck that she went inside to pick something. 

But when has there ever been such luck for me?

 Father sat on the couch, keeper Jane knelt on the cold floor, her face bruised, and I knew Father must have hit her. She looked at me, her eyes pleading as if telling me to leave, but where could I go?

Father just had to make a call, and I would be back here again.

I walked towards them and bent down to help keeper Jane up.

“You shouldn’t harm others for my sake, Father. Keeper Jane did nothing wrong.” I gathered the courage to speak.

 “You should leave,” I said to her, but she shook her head.

“Everything will be fine,” I whispered to her, not only for her but for me also.  She nodded and left.

Father paid us no glance, his eyes focused on his phone.

“Where have you been?”  He asked, standing up suddenly. I took a step back as he stepped closer to me.

“I went to school,” I said, my heart beating loudly.

“School this late? Didn't I ask you not to set foot there anymore!” He yelled, his step quicker towards me.

 Knowing what was next, I ran for my room. That was the only place I could escape from the monster. But once again, luck failed me as I'm jerked backward.

********

Present.

***

I swallowed, clenching my chest as I tried to breathe, but I was finding it difficult. The rain suddenly started pouring, as if it wanted to comfort me, but it wasn’t.

Pain jolted my stomach as I held it. I gasped, my heart tightening as memories unfolded slowly with tears streaming down my face.

“Shhhh, calm down. It's fine, everything is going to be fine.” I muttered in between tears like a mantra again and again.

I laughed, the rain taking in my voice. It was amusing how seeing him again could take me back to the state I had worked so hard to leave behind. 

Why was everything coming back, after all I've done to be this way? Why was I still stupidly affected only by seeing him?

“Why?” I asked, looking up at the sky as the rain dropped on my face.