CHAPTER 3.

CHAPTER 3

 AnniBerry got home and quickly picked up the house phone. She immediately called Merrilyn's home. The phone rang, but no one answered. She called again. And again.

Eleven times.

"Shit," she muttered under her breath.

Without freshening up or changing her clothes, she rushed out of the house. She ran into the street and flagged down a taxi.

"Please, hurry!" she urged the driver.

When she arrived at Merrilyn's house, she paid the driver and hurried toward the gate. To her surprise, it was locked.

 She froze.

 The gate was never locked during the day. Merrilyn's father only locked it at night for security.

 "What is happening?" AnniBerry whispered, running a trembling hand through her hair, she looked completely bewildered. So much had happened already, and somehow she felt the worst was yet to come, a tear slipped down her cheek before she even realized she was crying, she wished she still had her phone.

  Night had already fallen, unable to think of anything else to do, she slowly lowered herself onto the bare ground outside the gate. Pain, confusion, and loneliness overwhelmed her. It felt as though her entire world had collapsed. After sitting there for several minutes, she finally gathered the courage to leave. She wiped her face with both hands, stood up, and began walking slowly down the quiet street. A few minutes later, a shiny black Mercedes-Benz pulled up beside her, she stopped walking and stared at the car as the tinted window rolled down.

"Get in."

She leaned closer to see who was inside.

"Huh?" she exclaimed in surprise. "Mr. Marchen? How did you get here? Do you live around here?"

 Questions poured out of her mouth one after another, Marchen sighed impatiently before turning to look at her.

"Are you getting in or not?"

AnniBerry wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. All she wanted was to be left alone with her sorrow, regret, and self pity, but then she remembered he was the one who had taken her to the hospital. He was the one who had told her Merrilyn had been transferred to a hospital in Ohio, maybe he knew more, without another word, she climbed into the car and shut the door.

 She turned to him, her face filled with curiosity, "I went to check on Merrilyn's parents, but no one was home. Everything is happening so fast today."

The moment she finished speaking, she burst into tears, she was completely broken. She kept wondering where Merrilyn and her family were. To make matters worse, she had lost her phone and had no way of contacting anyone.

She didn't even know where to go next.

 She considered going to Merrilyn's workplace but feared she would be the one to break the terrible news. Merrilyn was her only friend, she had no one else.

 She even wondered if she should visit the bank the next day to see if she had enough money to buy a new phone, too many thoughts raced through her mind.

 "I'm only aware that she was transferred to a hospital in Ohio for immediate treatment," Marchen said, his deep voice pulling her back to reality. "I heard both of her legs were badly injured. Her family must have left in a hurry."

 "I'm sure they must have called me... or they're trying to reach me right now," she said sadly.

 Marchen kept his eyes fixed on the road, it was almost as though he hadn't heard her. A few minutes later, he pulled up in front of AnniBerry's house.

 "Go inside and get some rest," he said calmly.

 Lost in her thoughts, AnniBerry hadn't even noticed they had arrived. She looked out the window in surprise.

 "How do you know where I live?" she asked.

 Marchen gave her a stern look. "AnniBerry... go get some rest."

 She couldn't believe everything that had happened in a single day, a frustrated laugh escaped her lips. She opened the car door, stepped out, and slammed it so hard it echoed through the quiet street. Without looking back, she walked through her gate, forgetting to close it behind her.

Marchen watched her disappear into the compound.

 "Damn you, Mr. Mars," he muttered under his breath before driving away.

 AnniBerry's mind refused to rest, before she realized it, tears were streaming down her face once again, she was exhausted. Merrilyn had been in a terrible accident, and she had no idea where she was. Then a complete stranger had appeared out of nowhere, taken her home, and somehow knew where she lived without her ever telling him. She sat on the small chair beside her window and pulled the curtain aside, staring into the dark street. It was only a few minutes before midnight, yet she couldn't sleep, she couldn't even bring herself to eat. Her clothes were wrinkled and dirty, and there was no one she could talk to. She remembered how she always called Merrilyn around 8 p.m. after she returned from her pancake shop, telling her everything that had happened during the day, a faint smile appeared through her tears. She remembered how Merrilyn's family had taken her in for several months after her parents died. They had treated her like family and they had stood by her during the darkest period of her life. Now they were facing one of the hardest moments of theirs, and she couldn't even be there for them.The thought shattered her heart into pieces.

 ---

 The next morning, AnniBerry woke up on the sofa, she blinked and looked around before realizing sunlight was pouring into the sitting room.

She sighed.

She had fallen asleep there. As always, the four bedroom house felt painfully empty. Ever since her parents passed away, she had been living there alone. Most of their belongings were gone. She had given away many of them, especially the things that reminded her too much of the painful memories she was trying to leave behind. She got up, walked into her bedroom, changed out of her clothes, and took a quick shower. Even after freshening up, she couldn't stop thinking about Merrilyn. She put on a pair of black jeans, a black top, and a face cap. Just as she reached for her handbag, she suddenly froze.

 "Oh my God..."

 She had forgotten her bag was missing. She let out a frustrated sigh and walked out of the house without it. The moment she stepped outside, she saw him again.

 The same man from yesterday.

 The man who claimed he had taken her to the hospital. The same man who had somehow driven her home without ever asking for her address. He leaned casually against his car with both hands tucked into his pockets. Today he wasn't wearing a suit. Instead, he had on blue jeans, a white T-shirt, and a pair of sneakers. His slightly damp dark hair was neatly styled, and his well-trimmed beard perfectly framed his handsome face. The moment he saw her, he flashed a forced but bright smile.

 "You've got to be kidding me," she thought. "What is he doing here? Is he stalking me?"

 She marched toward him angrily.

 "Are you stalking me now?" she demanded.

 "Good morning to you too," he replied with a teasing smile.

 "Are you going to your cousin's house?" he asked casually.

 "And why are you asking?" AnniBerry shot back rudely.

 "Just so you know..." he answered calmly. "They're not back yet."

 AnniBerry stared at him in complete shock and confusion.

 “And you know that because...?” she asked.

 Marchen looked at her and wondered how she would react if she knew everything that was going on. He questioned whether she had the strength to handle the truth. The thought unsettled him. He looked up at the sky and couldn't believe it had even crossed his mind. Never, he told himself.

 “When do you plan to pay for my windscreen? You see, I had to borrow a car today,” he asked in a mocking tone, deliberately steering the conversation away from the real issue.

 AnniBerry looked at him and frowned in disbelief.

 “What do you mean, pay? Didn't all this just begin yesterday?” she asked, shocked.

 She couldn't understand why he was acting so carelessly. She barely knew him, yet there was something strange about him that made her feel deeply uncomfortable.

 “Leave,” AnniBerry said firmly, her eyes filled with determination. “I don't want you around me. Whatever I owe you, I'll pay you. Just give me your number so I can reach you when I'm ready.”

 Marchen forced a bright smile. He looked at AnniBerry, then walked to the driver's side of his car. He opened the door and picked up something from the passenger seat. It was a pink gift bag tied with elegant ribbons. He walked back and handed it to her. She hesitated before accepting it.

 “What is this?” she asked, looking straight into his eyes.

 “It belongs to you. Take it.”

 AnniBerry accepted the gift and examined it curiously.

 “AnniBerry, stay away from Merrilyn's house for now. She'll call you as soon as she's stable. Please... and go eat something. You look starved.”

 The moment he said those words, AnniBerry realized she hadn't eaten since she and Merrilyn had shared a pizza at the restaurant. Then another thought crossed her mind.

 Why did he tell me not to visit Merrilyn's house?

 The whole thing felt strange.

 “Why?” she asked.

 “Please, just do as I say,” he replied.

 Without another word, he walked back to his car, got in, and drove away.