#Chapter 12: Caretaker

Tessa’s POV

"I can handle this myself!"

Before I can overthink things, I point towards the doorway.

"I’ve got a first aid kit in my office under my desk," I tell Evander.

He nods, and–still carrying me–takes me out of the classroom and into the office. Once the door closes behind us, Evander pulls out the first aid kit and looks down at me expectantly.

"Show me your hand," Evander instructs firmly.  

I find myself blushing at the sureness of his tone. "It’s really not that bad."

I hiss as Evander presses a wad of gauze against the wound, and his lips twist.

"You’re a bad liar, Tessa," he says.

Oh, you have no idea.

I bite my lip as he carefully cleans the rest of the blood from the wound.

"I’m sure Mira is dreadfully sorry about what happened to you," Evander says coldly, tone distant and detached. "As I’m sure you know, it was nothing more than an accident, and I’m hoping you won’t hold it against her."

So he’s just doing all of this to get a chance to defend Mira.

Lovely.

Even if the outcome of my injury wasn’t what she had in mind, the things she’d said before were particularly vile.

Blood continues to seep through the gauze, but the speed of it is slowing, at least.

And it’s gone from a sharp stinging to more of a dull pain.

"I understand completely," I assure him. I force a smile. "If anyone asks, I’ll tell them that it was my own fault–that Mira had nothing to do with it. To protect her image, of course."

"It’s up to you." Evander’s brow furrows ever so slightly. He secures a bandage over the wound, having fully stopped the bleeding. There’s a care to the way he handles me. After securing the last clip in place, his expression seems to freeze over.

"I won't be home tonight. Let my mom know if you need to call Dr. Terrance over to take care of your wounds."

That night, when I make it home for the evening, the first thing I hear as I step through the threshold is the sound of impassioned arguing.

"I can’t believe you’ve been matching your clothes with his!" Mira shrieks.

I duck just in time to watch a plate go soaring across the kitchen and crash into an opposing wall.

"It didn’t–it doesn’t mean anything!" Carol stammers out, looking back and forth in fear. "It was just a stupid uniform for the event, and–"

"Well, it has no–"

CRASH!

"Place–"

BANG!

"HERE!"

With a final infuriated sound of porcelain and ceramic clattering to the floor, Mira’s tantrum comes to a close. She stands in the middle of the dining room, eyes wild, chest heaving.

I didn’t even know about the matching clothes. I wouldn’t put it past Carol, though.

She seems chock-full of that weird, obsessive flavour of insanity.

"Keep a professional distance from Evander in the future," Mira concludes, straightening her clothes in an attempt to regain some composure. "And don’t come back into this house unless you’ve been explicitly invited."

"Yes–yes, Mira," Carol stammers out. "I’m so sorry again. I… I’ll be leaving, now."

As she rushes out of the house hurriedly, she bumps into me by the stairs, and her eyes widen in horror.      

"Are you… are you okay?" I ask Carol softly, heart twinging with sympathy for her.

Her face flushes an angry, embarrassed red. "What, now you’re mocking me too?" She spits.

My eyes widen. "No, I–"

"Don’t get too smug," she snarls. "Once you and Evander separate, your fate will be so much worse than mine."

My mouth falls open. I was going to comfort her, but now she hardly seems worth it.

Carol storms out of the house, and I’m left alone with a manic Mira.

"And YOU!" She snaps upon seeing me. "You need to hurry up and divorce Evander. You certainly aren’t doing him any favours by staying with him. Pretending to be hurt won’t change his mind."

I look Mira over calmly. Suddenly, I’m not afraid of her.

"I won’t drag this out," I tell Mira cooly. "But for now, I am still the lady of this house. You should at least show some basic courtesy when in someone else’s home."

Mira’s eyes widen at my words. She takes a step back, clearly stunned.

But I’m not explaining anything.

I walk away, leaving Mira alone in all the chaos she created for herself.  

Just like what Evander told me, he did not come home that night.

He must be busy at work as usual and Carol was here to bring some fresh suits for him to change, but got scolded by Mira in the end.

It is still hard to bear another night without Evander, but I guess I just need to get used to that. After our chosen bond is mutually rejected, it should be much easier for me.

The next day, I’m busy at work preparing for the kindergarten’s summer camps. I organize supplies carefully, making sure we have everything we need to lead each activity.

It’s mindless work, but I could use more mindless things these days, I think.

I’ve just made my way back from the campsite in the countryside when I suddenly receive a call from Carol.

"Hey," I say tentatively as I take the call. "Is everything okay?"

"I need you to deliver a tie clip to Evander," Carol says immediately.

I hesitate.

Evander had told me many times before never to come to his place of work.

"Are you sure?" I ask carefully.

"Evander has an important meeting this afternoon!" Carol says impatiently. "And the tie clip was a gift from your father. It’s an important display of wealth and status. The clip should be in his desk at home–pick it up and bring it to him immediately!"

I purse my lips.

Something about this feels off.

But then again, if I’m wrong, and my own lack of trust ends up costing Evander this meeting…

"Fine," I tell Carol.

The line clicks dead a moment later, and I breathe out a heavy sigh, taking stock of the situation.

It’s not a far drive from the kindergarten back to my house, and true to her word, the tie clip is indeed inside Evander’s desk. I clutch the small box tightly as I make my way to Evander’s work–I know the address, even if I’ve never been before.

I linger in the lobby uncertainly, glancing around.

It’s a beautiful building–all glass and steel and concrete, a monument of smooth, flawless architecture. Everything glistens and gleams. There’s something about the place that just radiates wealth.

I call Carol back. The line rings a couple times, but there’s no response.

My heart sinks.

I have absolutely no idea where Evander’s office is, and afternoon is drawing closer and closer.

Just then, as I’m looking around the foyer once more, I bump into Evander–

Who’s at the front of a sizeable crowd of powerful-seeming men in suits.

"Evander!" I call out as soon as I see him, face breaking into a smile. "I have your–"

But once he spots me, his expression changes in an instant.

Cold distaste and irritation overtakes him.

My heart plummets, and cold, heavy shame settles over me.

When he speaks, his voice is confused and loaded with chastisement.

"What are you doing here?"