THE BILLIONAIRE'S CRYBABY
Chapter 54: PUTRID FEAR

Chapter 54: PUTRID FEAR

Fay shut the door behind her, and slid down to the floor.

With her face buried in her hand, she wailed. Just when she thought things could maybe become a little less complicated between herself and Ace, he did this.

There was really nothing that hurt her more than being assigned a character she would never embody.

A golddigger? Through her tears, she sniffled.

How many men had tried to get her number at the restaurant, even when she thought they were just making a mockery out of her, because she couldn’t possibly be as gorgeous as their wives?

Never for once had the thought to welcome their advances even crossed her mind. She couldn’t fathom what about this entire situation would make her a golddigger.

Did she know the status of Alexander when she met him? What kind of calculators and manipulations would she have woven for Ace to be at the restaurant at the exact same time a woman trying to destroy her over the actions of her man was also present?

It would have had to be a master plan to pull all of those scenarios off. Her Aunt, and everyone’s problem with her was always about how simple-minded she was.

Same Aunt that planted this seed of distrust about her character. Wasn’t she mad when she simply refused to go out with a man old enough to father her twice in exchange for money?

Instead, she doubled her effort at work, and submitted her salary to her untouched. What part of that screamed a golddigger to anyone?

She didn’t expect his words to hurt her as deeply as it did. But sitting with her back against the door, her tears spilling at an inconsolable pace, and her heavy chest, she was completely stung.

A sudden bang sounded on her door, and her heart jumped in her mouth. With a start, she pushed herself up, and dashed to the bed.

He was coming for her. To hit her like her Aunt usually did. Dragging the covers, she pulled it up, covering her body.

It wasn’t going to save her from his intentions, but it would be a little time before the inevitable happened.

Inside the temporal comfort of the covers, she shivered with fear. In no time, she would fill a hit on her back, or would it be her head?

It didn’t really matter. The covers would be drawn away from her body, and she’d be fully exposed to his blows.

She started to reach deep into her heart. The place she found solace everytime her aunt would continuously hit her.

A strange land; she could never really explain it to anyone, but her mind understood it was exactly what she needed.

Shutting her eyes tight, she drew her mind into her safe space, held her breath, and waited for the hit.

"Mrs Fay? Are you there?"

She blinked when she heard the voice. Nothing like the masculine coldness of Ace’s. Every familiar trace of feminine nurture embedded in it.

Could it be— Could it possibly be—No!

She kept her eyes shut. It was her mind playing tricks on her. Even her safe space had turned into a lion’s den. Littered on the ground were the flesh of humans. Hers would be next.

A touch on the covers made her flinch. Her toes curled as she leaped into a sitting position. With the covers over her head, she couldn’t see who it was, but knew it had to be Ace.

She pushed her butt backwards, until she felt her back stuck on the headboard. Trembling, she prayed silently for the nightmare to be over.

Somewhere between the door, and the bed, her wail had turned into silent sobs. But faced with the danger of an enraged husband, the tears were totally gone. The reality of the situation hit her, and for that moment, she was Fay from back home.

Fay who couldn’t do anything right. Fay who was possessed by demons. Fay who killed her parents. All these things she did by the virtue of just being born, made her deserving of a good smack in the face.

"Mrs Fay? Are you okay? Please talk to me."

The hand grazed her legs, and she froze.

"Don’t hurt me please," she found her voice. "Throw me out of your house. Send me into the streets. But my body cannot take one more strike. Pl—ease–" her voice broke.

"Oh my God!"

She felt someone jump on the bed. Before she could flee, the covers were dragged off her body. Her eyes flickered open, and she came face to face with the widened gaze of chef Alice.

"Mrs Fay!"

She dropped to her knees when she saw how scared Fay looked. Her eyes were rolled so behind, only the white showed. Her skin paled, and her nose was a deeper red than her hair.

It was Alice who was brave enough to climb the bed, and pull out the covers, but as she reeled in shock at her discovery, Marilyn went straight to Fay, and pulled her into her body.

"No one’s hurting you, Mrs Fay. It’s me. Remember me? Marilyn."

Fay nodded. How couldn’t she remember the sweet scents of the women who loved her like their own child?

Marilyn who smelled like cleaning agents. Chef Alice who had a more herbal smell.

They were not Ace. These women actually adored her.

"Oh Mar!" She leaned into her, and sobbed.

Beside her, Alice couldn’t contain her tears either. She didn’t think she would ever forget the fear on Fay’s face.

It was like looking in a mirror. Years and years of abuse would do that to you. The untold trauma people spoke about in hushed silence. Poor girl had been through hell, only to meet the devil in the heaven she was supposed to finally find peace.

"Shhhh. Don’t cry anymore. Please Mrs Fay. You’re still so fragile. I’m afraid you’ll fall sick again. Please don’t cry." Marilyn wept, even as her arms comforted Fay.

"I don’t want to. I really don’t want to. But everytime I open my mouth, I can’t help but cry. Teach me how not to cry. Teach me please."

"I can’t, so I’ll just hold you. Right, Alice? I’ll hold her, and she’ll be fine."

She held on to her tightly. Comforting her. Crying with her. Sharing in her ache. Three women, all with their own pains that were interconnected.

*****

"The room is really nice. How were they able to salvage it?" Fay asked after a while.

Marilyn pulled away, a thick line of curiosity etched on her forehead. "Did I hear right?"

She turned, and saw Alice. They were still seated in the same position. But somehow, Fay had stopped crying, and even turned her head around long enough to see her room was back to normal.

"Are you okay, Mrs Fay?" Chef Alice asked.

Fay smiled. Through a face sullen from tears and hurt, she smiled. It was usually how it ended for her. She would cry her heart out, and after a while, would be back to normal.

"I’m fine. I’ve cried it out, and it’s time to move on."

"Just like that?" Marilyn couldn’t hide the surprise in her voice.

"Do I dwell in it? My heart would be the only organ hurting."

"Wow," Alice blurted out.

She had never seen a thing like this in her entire life. She was just crying like she was about to die. And now, just like that, all gone.

"What happened between you, and Mr Ace?" Marilyn asked, unable to bring herself to just let it go.

"Well, he called me a golddigger because doctor Alexander gave me an umbrella when I stepped out of the hospital, and the sun was too hot. But wait," she paused, a thoughtful look crossing her eyes. "Was it because he paid for the things I shopped for? I honestly don’t remember which really set him off. What I do know is that it hurt me to bits when he called me a golddigger, and that’s why I cried a lot," she rambled.

"What do you mean doctor Alexander paid for your shopping? Have you met him before?" Alice asked in a suspicious tone.

"Oh God," Marilyn gasped.

"What?"

"No wonder the boss was that pissed. It’s a long story. I just haven’t had the time to tell you. So he found out?" She directed at Fay.

"He did. Yelled at me a lot, which is really unlike him, right? Or so I thought." She shrugged.

"I don’t know the full story, but any man would be hurt by another man paying his woman’s bill’s."

"But I’m not his wom—" her voice trailed, as two pairs of eyes fixated on her.

"What do you mean by you’re not his woman? You make statements like that all the time, and it reads as if your marriage is not real. Mrs Fay, are you hiding something?" Alice asked.

Oh no Fay! There you go. Look at what your big mouth has done, she thought, pinching herself.