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Victoria's death
Sebastian came back home not long after his uncle left. He was surprised to see Carol sitting in the living room and putting finishing touches to the drawing that she had been making. He sat down beside her and proceeded to look her all over as though by just doing that, he would be able to tell whether she was exerting herself or not.
“You’re drawing? Are you not supposed to be resting?” He asked finally after he was satisfied with what he saw.“I’m back to myself, Sebastian. I can assure you that I feel very fine now. Thanks for your concern though.”“I’m glad to hear that. Wow! This is really good. You’re so talented. You should make a living off your drawings.”“Um, thanks,” Carol said, suddenly feeling shy. It was not as though she was insecure about her work, but she was glad that Sebastian liked it.“It’s for you.” She informed him.“Really?”“Sure…if you want it that is.”“What are you talking about? Of course, I want it. Thank you.”“You’ve done mRelated chapters
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The next few minutes were a blur to Carol. She was vaguely aware of hearing a loud keening sound, and it was only when Sebastian took the phone from her hands to speak with her father that she realized that the sound was coming from her mouth. Victoria was dead? It sounded so surreal and unbelievable that her sister, who was so full of life and zest, was dead, and worse still, she had been murdered. Sebastian finished talking on the phone and gathered her into his arms, where she sobbed her heart out until she was spent. “It’s all my fault. I should have called her more often.” She muttered at last, unable to even summon the strength to speak properly. “No, my dear. It’s not your fault at all. Remember that Victoria always seemed to be pissed at you and rarely ever took your calls.” “I know that, but I should have tried harder. Oh, God! Poor
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“So what do you propose that we do now?” Charlotte asked her remaining bodyguard, who was sitting in front of her and glaring at her with barely concealed hatred, but there was nothing he could do to her and he knew it as well as she did. “I don’t have a clue, ma’am.” “Well, you should. After all what exactly am I paying you for if you can’t even give me solid advice?” “You’re paying me to guard you, not provide advice, ma’am. But then, of recent, you’ve not even been paying me for the service of guarding you, so I don’t know why you’re bugging me for more.” He replied, his voice tight. Charlotte eyed him slowly. This guy was becoming a big nuisance and she was at the end of her patience with him. Ever since that fateful day when his partner had been killed while shooting at that bitch Jessica and Sebastian, he had developed this streak of rebelliousness. Charlotte would have preferred it a lot if he was the one who had been killed in place of the other man, but one could not alway
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The next day, Carol woke up feeling slightly better but looking like a hot mess. Her eyes were swollen with shed and unshed tears, and her appetite was non-existent. To her utter surprise, Sebastian was still at home, even though it was almost eight when she woke up.“I wanted to make sure that you were fine before leaving.” He informed her when she asked him why he was still around, watching her force down the breakfast that he had brought for her despite her steadfast proclamations that she was not hungry. Carol tried to take one more bit of the food, but it just wouldn’t go down.“I can’t eat anymore, Sebastian.” She informed him, her eyes pleading with him to let her be.“You know that you’re just recuperating from an illness. You should eat so that you can get your strength back. It’s okay, though. I did not know that you would even be able to eat this much. What do you want to do today?” He asked, taking away the tray of food and keeping it aside.“I don’t even kno
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The flight to the hospital in Sacramento was a short one, considering that it was not that far from Napa. Throughout the flight and even on the drive to the hospital in which Jessica was admitted, Sebastian’s mind was preoccupied, as it had recently been, with thoughts of Jessica, his uncle, and even Carol. Never in his life had he been so unsure of how he felt, what the future held, or where it was leading.He did not know why, but he found it difficult to stay away from Jessica, especially as she was so vulnerable at the moment. He lived in daily fear of what would happen to her, and each time his phone rang, his mind always started beating, thinking that he was about to get the horrible news that she had died. This irrational fear that somehow, the people who had kidnapped her would get to her refused to leave him, no matter how many times he assured himself that she was well guarded. He had given the police, both here and over there where she was shot the last name she had sa
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Mr. James did not speak for a long time after Sebastian said this, but remained in the same position. Then he let go of Jessica’s hand gently and walked slowly and stiffly to stand by the window, looking out of it as though there, he would find the answer to all the secrets of the universe.“How did you come by such a theory?” He asked, at last, the pain in his voice too much for Sebastian to bear, but he couldn’t feel sorry for him, or rather, he tried really hard not to feel sorry for him. His uncle had brought this upon himself.“Jessica told me.”“Hmm. Is that why you’ve been acting so strangely?”“Can you listen to yourself? You’re not even showing remorse for what you did.”“That’s because I did not do anything. How do you expect me to show remorse for something I did not do? Why will Jessica tell you that I did such a thing? How can you even stand there and accuse me of such a thing?” Mr. James asked, his voice trembling with barely concealed fury and disappoin
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As soon as Sebastian’s aunt heard the news that her husband had been admitted to the hospital because of a heart attack, she burst into tears and rushed down to the hospital in no time to lay an accusing glance at Sebastian who was still sitting in tense silence with Frank as they waited for the doctors to come and give them an update on his uncle’s condition. Sebastian looked up at her, feeling so guilty for causing so much pain to this woman, who had loved and raised him as dearly as though she had birthed him herself.“You know you did this to him, don’t you?” she accused, sitting beside him heavily. He had been focused only on his uncle in recent times, but now that he looked at her, he could see the huge impact that her husband’s sickness was having on her, and resolved not to add to it. He would do as his uncle had asked and would not inform his wife, although he had not planned to tell her before anyway.“I’m sorry, aunty.” He said, giving her a side hug.“What are the doctors s
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The funeral was a somber, quiet, and quick affair. In all, there were not more than twenty people present as they stood under the scorching sun that late afternoon at the burial ground to bury Victoria. Carol stood beside her father and Belinda, who had not acknowledged her presence since she arrived at the house this morning. She had also not acknowledged the money that Carol had sent to her, not that Carol cared one bit. She had done her part and that was that. There was a tension between the three of them, Carol, her father, and Belinda that kept mounting until it threatened to burst. Her father was supporting Belinda, who did not look like she needed any support at all. She stood stoically beside Donald, her face impassive, all but looking like a dam about ready to burst. Carol stole glances at her warily, wondering if she was mentally fit to be attending the burial.A few paparazzi were lurking around the graveyard while the ceremony was going on. Carol glanced at them and s
The Substitute Bride Saga Going back home
Later that night, it began to rain very heavily. Donald came into Carol’s room, where she was just laying down, and doing nothing in particular. He sat heavily on the bed, grief lining his weathered features, and shook his head.“I’m so sorry about Belinda, Carol. I’ll like to think that she’s just grieving, but we both know that that is not the case. She’s just an evil person. Don’t let her get to you. I don’t let her get to me anymore.”“It’s okay, dad. I’m already used to it. You’re the only one who would have to cope with her craziness from now on, I’m afraid.” Carol said smiling at him. He did not smile back.“She served me divorce papers this evening.”“What? Wow. Anyway … um, I don’t know what to say. Is that good or bad? For you, I mean.”“I don’t know. It’s good, I guess. We’re practically strangers. She blames me for everything single thing that goes wrong in her life. I’m fed up with the marriage and I guess that she is too.”“Well, that’s good then. Are
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