Chapter 2

Ronica had no way of knowing for how long she was out but when she regained consciousness, she was still bleeding on the villa's steps, with the hefty front doors shut in her face. she painfully picked up herself and her dignity. Abandoning the broken shoes drenched in her blood, she grabbed her suitcase and staggered towards the massive gate. Hopefully, she had not been out long enough to disrupt her plans to leave James for good.

Near the gate, there was a suspicious looking black sedan and none of the gatemen were in sight. She quickened her pace and tried to ignore. How far would James really go to hold her back? The gate was locked with a new and bigger padlock. In her own marital home, Ronica realized that she was no longer the mistress. Two able-bodied men whom she recognized as James' cronies pulled her roughly, back into the villa. Her struggles were no match for them as they bound her tightly to a chair in James' study. James glared at her coldly.

"What is the meaning of this?" She demanded. "Haven't you taken enough from me already? My glass shoes are in ruins because you pushed me. What am I going to tell my parents?"

"You don't speak with them anyway. The shoe is as worthless as you are to them. Ugh, you should have just given them when I asked nicely."

With no further ceremony or explanation, the family doctor drove a huge needle into her veins and started drawing copiously large amounts of her blood. Her mind fogged as the doctor carried three pints of her blood out of the room.

"Mona's blood type is rare and you're the only one so far who has it. Before you leave, I need your blood just in case Mona ever needs a transfusion. That reminds me, you don't have to pretend like you're leaving just to get my sympathy. It only makes you pathetic. You aren't a child, so reason like an adult."

James cold eyes flashed as he left Ronica for his mistress. Ronica was truly nothing to him more than a blood bank for Mona.

***

Two days later, Ronica woke up in a hospital room, extremely weak from the massive blood loss. Her feet were bandaged and tk her surprise, James was by her bedside. He was reading a magazine. Ronica could not fathom why he was here instead of being with Mona whom he always desperately clung to even in the face of public scrutiny. There were countless scenarios in the past when he chose Mona over Ronica. Very recently, while she had been suffering from an allergic reaction, James had literally stepped over her because he had a date with Mona. He did not even alert the maids. Ronica's life flashed before her eyes as she grapled in agony, trying to find her EpiPen. When James returned, he acted like nothing happened. Like it wasn't a sheer miracle that she was still alive.

He mechanically handed Ronica a cup of water. She accepted it to soothe her dry throat. James folded his hands and coldly surveyed her. "You must be well enough to be discharged now. Two whole days in the hospital as if money is plucked from trees."

She ignored his jab and calmly requested for her phone. A nurse brought it to her and she powered it on to see several missed calls all from one number. She did not know James was peeping. "Who's been calling you?" he asked like the entitled prick he was. For cheating on her over and over again, he logically had no right to inquire about her affairs. Just like he did not know that she was planning to leave him before he had her body hijacked and her blood stolen.

"None of your business," she flatly quipped, turning the phone screen away from him.

"Are you hiding something from me?"

"You don't have to act like you care. You don't have to force yourself to act like my husband."

"You would be nothing without me Ronica. How long do you plan to behave like a brat? Why can't you just be grateful that you are still my wife? Seriously, I give you an inch and you want to take the whole mile. Aren't you happy that I am here by your side even when I don't have to?"

"You don't have to indeed. If you leave right now, I won't be mad," she murmured.

His words had passed one ear and left through the other. Because Ronica had abandoned her family and career by marrying James, she had nothing else to depend on but his finances. For the whole duration of their marriage, he practically had her in financial bondage. Whenever she displeased him, he would block all her cards and the access to his own cards. James had no idea the situation wasn't like that anymore. James was expecting her to ask for his forgiveness but she kept mute. She was conclusively done with grovelling. His phone began to ring.

"Your mistress is calling," she quipped. It was an accurate guess. James scrambled out of the room like a starved puppy to answer the call.

As if knowing James was gone, Ronica's own phone began to ring. She drew in a steadying breath before answering.

"Why has your phone been switched off? It's been two days and I've been trying to reach you!" An urgent voice broke through on the line. Ronica was so relieved to hear it that she said nothing, hoping the echoes would endure in her mind.

"Ronica?" The owner of the voice called uncertainly. "Are you still there?"

"Yes, yes I am."

"Did you change your mind?"

"No, no, something came up."

The voice swore in Spanish. "Something came up, again? My driver told me you never showed up and he waited for hours. Then there's you with a phone switched off for two days. No, this won't do. I am coming to collect you myself!"