Chapter Four

I was glad to be out of the hospital after a year, but was also down in the dumps to start a new life without someone I would love to be with.

I thought I would be free when I left the hospital. But, no. I would never be free. There was no way out of this miserable world of mine.

See for yourself.

--

Early in the morning, I called my secretary to make breakfast for me.

My secretary had been working for me since I turned 18. My father asked her to help me whenever I need her. My family has a company, and they wanted me to take over when I reach 25. Before that, they planned on giving me training, workshop, and management courses with my secretary because the course I took in college was General Education, and it was obviously far from managerial courses.

Unfortunately, everything was ruined because of the accident. I wasn't able to graduate in college or to get training.

Good thing, my secretary had things under control. Our company keeps going. She must have under too much pressure.

I answered my phone ringing. It was my secretary.

“Yes?”

“Your doctors called me. The private nurse was on its way minutes ago. I have his number. I'll send it to you.”

“Sure. Wait… They sent me a guy?”

“Ah. Yes. I talked to them about it. There was no one who wanted to… you know… to stay in with you because of the issues and everything, but this nurse volunteered.”

I sighed.

“Also, I won't be coming. I need to accommodate new investors. I'll go there when I need you to sign papers.”

“Yeah, sure.”

The phone call ended.

Not long after that, the doorbell rang.

I was still on the bed so, I was having a hard time getting up and sit in my wheelchair.

Before I even got out of the bed, I heard a 'ding' sound, which means my door got opened. Then, I heard it being shut. My secretary must have told him the passcode.

Tsk. I clicked my tongue in disbelief. 

Gosh.

“How rude!” I shouted.

I heard the person's steps getting nearer to my bedroom.

“Quickly, come! I'll teach you a lesson! How dare--”

I stopped when I realized who it was.

“Our meetings are always like this. Is that how you miss me?”

It was a bolt from the blue to see him, who kept me annoyed and disturbed all night.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, pissed off.

“Guess.”

“What? Do you think I am kidding right now?”

“Come. Get up. I'll make you breakfast.”

I didn't listen and stayed hard-nosed.

I heard him giggled. “Here are your crutches.”

That was the first time they gave me crutches.

“What are those for?”

“You don't expect me to bathe you, or put down your pajamas when you have to pee, do you?”

I blushed.

He chuckled. “Let's go now. Here, let me help you.”

He started talking about OUR schedule for today. He looked more excited than me.

When we finished eating, he helped me enter the bathroom to neaten up myself. He even waited for me outside until I was done.

“So, private nurse, where are we going first?”

“Austin. Call me Austin.”

“Why would I call you by your first name, Dr. Biermann?”

“Would you be pleased if I call you Novak?”

I fell in silence.

How did he even learn my surname?

“You are in our patient's list so, I have known your surname since you got into our hospital.” He suddenly uttered.

“Did I ask?”

“No, but you wanted to. How did you know I'm a doctor?”

“When did you start to care?”

He didn't answer.

We made our way to the car and started our TRIP.

Our first stop was… Novak's Building… Yes, my family's building.

“What are you thinking?! Why are we here?”

“Relax. Okay? You keep on picking a fight with me.” He chuckled. “Do you like me?”

“What?!”

He didn't pay attention to my reaction. He just prepared my damn wheelchair and carried me into it.

“Your secretary asked me to send you here.”

“Why didn't she call me?”

He just kept on chuckling.

What's wrong with him?

When we reached an office and entered it…

“Surprise!”

Gosh, that scared me, but it touched me after.

I saw our employees gathered around the long table with their gifts in their hands. My secretary came to me. “They wanted to see you. They were happy when I told them about your discharge.”

I almost cried, but stopped myself because I didn't want to look weak. I cleared my throat and faced them. “Thank you for your hard work. You had been working under pressure for more than a year since my parent's death. And now that I am here, please expect that… you'll be working under TOO MUCH pressure.”

Everyone responded nervously.

Only my secretary got that I was just joking.

“Come on. That was a joke.” My secretary proclaimed.

Everyone was like, “Ahhh. He-he.”

After the mini-party they prepared for me, Austin brought me to a supermarket to buy supplies.

“Tell me if you need to buy personal stuff, okay?”

I just nodded.

He kept on asking me if we should buy this or that, and I found it cute.

It was like we're newlyweds…

Wait-- What was I thinking? Gosh. Was I out of my mind?

Six in the evening when we went back home.

“Why are you cold?” He suddenly asked.

“Have I ever been warm to you?”

He fell silent, then helped me get into the house.

After that, he didn't talk anymore. Was I harsh?

“Novak, we forgot to buy soy sauce. I'll go and buy.” He said while opening the door.

“Just buy tomo--”

The door closed.

He didn't even let me finish my sentence first.

I steered my wheelchair to the living room to watch TV.

Not long after that, I heard the doorbell rang. Did Austin forget the passcode? I went to the door when the doorbell rang hastily.

“Couldn't you wait--”

I gasped when I saw who it was…

“Rex?”

He just smirked and pushed my wheelchair in. He slammed the door then walked towards me with a frightening look.

“How have you been, Blair? Did you miss me?”

The only feeling I remembered was … fear.

I couldn't go anywhere. I couldn't budge. I didn't have a choice but to wait for a thing to finally happen.

“She broke up with me.” He suddenly said in a shaky voice.

“She broke up with me!” This time… in a loud and spine-chilling voice that it almost sounded like a roar.

He looked at me as if I were a criminal. 

“What did I do wrong? Why did you do this to me?”

“Did you even ask yourself before going here?”

The look in his eyes changed from scary to exasperate.

In an instant, he swung a knife with his hand.

I couldn't explain the level of fear I was feeling.

“You did that to yourself. I just did what I thought she deserved.” I said in a trembling voice.

“She lost her job. She feared me because she was worried you'd hit her again. Was that what she deserved?”

“Was everything my fault?”

“Yes, everything!”

With that, he tried to stroke the knife through my abdomen, but I was able to cover it with my arms.

I cried out as I felt the knife thrust through the flesh in my left arm.

Right after, I saw a glimpse of Rex getting something… then…

…thud…

Hit it on my head…

As everything started to become blurry, I realized many things…

It hadn't changed… My life had been still the same even when I discharged…

I was the same Blair who got into a miserable accident…got into a miserable condition…miserable relationship...

I was still the 'miserable' me.

“Rex? B-Blair! Blair!”

Nothing would change.

I should have given up…

“Hang in there, Blair!”

I shouldn't have believed

“Blair…”

that everything would change just because I met someone

“Blair!”

who was caring for me.