"I Was So Dumb"

CHAPTER FIVE

I pulled back from my dad, forcing my breathing to slow down. I turned to the nurse, whose hand was still hovering over the silver tray on the nightstand.

"Nurse Rachel," I said, keeping my voice as smooth and polite as possible. "Could you step out into the hallway with me for a moment? I want to discuss a quick adjustment to my dad's daily care schedule."

The nurse looked slightly annoyed, but she nodded and set the syringe down. "Of course, Miss Celene."

I gave my dad a reassuring smile, kissing his forehead one more time before following her out. The moment the doors shut behind us, the warmth on my face vanished.

I turned to her, my posture locking into the intimidating stance Daniel used whenever he wanted something done a specific way...

I didn't waste any time. I ran back into my room leaving her in the hallway... I pulled my check book and wrote a number I knew she could not refuse...

I sprinted back downstairs, knowing exactly what I had to do. I slapped it into her hand.

"You're fired," I said flatly.

Nurse Vance blinked, looking down at the check, which was worth six months of her salary. "I... excuse me? Miss Celene, I don't understand. Your father's doctor...."

"Your services are no longer required by me or my father," I cut her off, stepping closer until she had to tilt her head up to look at me. The sheer terror I felt just minutes ago when I remembered my father's death had completely turned into a quiet, deadly focus...

Fuck her... I will protect my father now that I had the chance...

"You will pack your things, and you will leave this estate within the next ten minutes."

"But why?" she stammered, her face turning pale. "I haven't done anything wrong."

This bitch...she hadn't done anything wrong...yet...

I leaned in, my voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "Listen to me and listen good... I don't care if you think you've done nothing wrong or not...If I ever see you near my father, or this property again, I will make sure you lose more than just your nursing license. Do you understand me?"

She stared at me, completely terrified.

The sweet, submissive girl who usually spoke to her calmly was entirely gone. She didn't argue. She just nodded quickly, clutching the check, and practically ran down the hall toward the servants' quarters to get her bag.

I let out a shaky breath, I will have to call our family doctor to get a trusted, vetted replacement by the end of the afternoon... Or I might have to give my dad his injections my fucking self.

"Celene! There you are!"

Maya came rushing down the hallway, her clipboard clutched to her chest. "The design team has been waiting in the main parlor for fifteen minutes. They brought the final design for the wedding gown. You need to get properly dressed and get down there right now."

My stomach did a violent fucking flip. The wedding dress... I still had to try on my wedding dress fir a wedding I will rather die than let happen... Fuck...

"Right," I muttered, my voice suddenly sounding hollow and tired "I'm coming."

Ten minutes later, I was standing on a small wooden stool in the center of the fitting room. The heavy, silk-satin fabric of the wedding dress was draped over my body while two tailors knelt at my feet, pinning the hem...and Maya stood near the door, sighing happily.

"Oh, Celene," Maya whispered, her eyes shining. "You look absolutely stunning. Daniel is going to lose his mind when he sees you walking down the aisle in the dress he chose."

Of course...it had to be the dress he chose...

I looked at my reflection in the triple-mirror. All I could see was the white dress...then the white tiles in the bathroom as I choked while he was squeezing the life out of me... Then the white tiles changes to the white ceiling as I laid on the floor, dying...praying for a second chance.

This damned wedding dress...

It felt like the lace was wrapping around my throat were his fingers.

My chest tightened...panic clawed at my throat, and for a second, I couldn't breathe. I wanted to tear the dress off. I wanted to scream, to rip the lace to shreds, to burn it until there was nothing left but ash.

Control it, I told myself, digging my fingernails into the palms of my hands until the pain grounded me. You have to play the part. He can't suspect anything yet.

I forced my lips to curve upward, looking at Maya through the mirror.

"Thank you, Maya. It's... perfect."

Just as the tailor finished pinning the waist, my phone buzzed loudly on the velvet sofa nearby. Maya reached over and picked it up.

"Speak of the devil," she teased, holding it out to me.

The screen flashed with his name. Daniel.

My blood ran cold. The feeling of his fingers tightening around my windpipe returned instantly, making it hard to swallow. My hand shook violently as I took the phone from Maya.

I stared at the screen, my thumb hovering over the red button. I wanted to smash the phone against the wall. But I couldn't...they would think I was crazy...

I slid the bar to answer and pressed the cold glass to my ear. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. My throat was completely locked.

"Celene? Babe, you there?"

His voice. It was the exact same voice that had whisper-confessed to murdering my father. Hearing it through the phone sent a wave of physical nausea straight to my stomach.

"Yeah," I choked out. My voice was raspy, barely a whisper. I had to clear my throat just to sound human. "I'm here."

"You sound a little quiet. Is everything okay?"

I squeezed my eyes shut, gripping the phone so hard my knuckles turned white. "Just... tired. Maya has me standing on this pedestal for hours for the dress. I can barely breathe." Because of you, I added silently.

"Ah, the price of looking perfect for the groom," Daniel said, chuckling...

The sound of his laugh made my skin crawl. "Listen, I have a really busy day at the office. Some late-night emergency client meetings came up, so I won't be able to make it over for dinner tonight like we planned yesterday. Don't wait up for me, okay?"

Emergency client meetings.

I knew exactly what that meant now. He was going to spend the night in a hotel room with his secretary, Elena. Funny how I never saw the signs till the very fucking end... I was so dumb.

"Okay," I said, keeping my tone as flat and empty as possible so I wouldn't scream.

"Go do your work...Have fun."

"Love you, babe."

The words hung in the air... It disgusted me to even hear him say them... My throat clamped shut. I could not respond... I physically could not force my mouth to open or shape the lie. I couldn't say it back to the man who had choked the life out of me.

"I have to go, Daniel. The tailors are waiting," I said coldly.

Before he could reply, I pulled the phone away and ended the call.