It’s been three days since the night he came drunk and collapsed over me. The next morning, he was in haste and left somewhere. He hasn’t returned since then.
He dared me to try something against his wishes and see the consequences, but that didn’t stop me from searching for ways to escape.
I was so desperate that I even went to the terrace but came back after being sure that I would end up dead if I tried something foolish.
I also tried searching for my phone, but it was nowhere to be found. His cupboards and closets are locked with special locks that need his fingertips to open.
I thought about asking Grace if I could use her phone to make a call, but I was worried that Ansell might find out and cause trouble for her. I don’t want to make things difficult for her because of my problems.
“Shhh” I gasped as my thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a sharp sting as I accidentally cut my finger while chopping the salads for lunch.
“What happened?” Grace came running to me.
Her eyes dropped down on my cut, which was now bleeding.
“Where were you lost?” She scolded me like a mother scolds her child for doing something foolish.
She immediately put my finger under running, cold water. A smile crept into my lips as it reminded me of my mother. She is taking care of me just like my mother, and I am grateful for that. There is at least someone who is sympathetic.
“Wait for me here” she instructed before running out of the kitchen.
Suddenly her phone started buzzing, but before I could reach out to it, she came back with a bandage.
“Your phone” I told her.
“It can wait for a second” she said as she wrapped the bandage around my finger.
When she was almost done the phone again started ringing.
“Pick it up. I think it is urgent” I said.
She nodded and reached out for her phone. She listened to the other side of the person patiently and the next word that came out of her mouth was.
“What?”
My eyes flicked to her, and I could see that colour had drained of her face. Her eyes were wide, and her hands were shaking. The urgency in her expression and the sudden shift in her demeanour caught my attention, and I instinctively reached out to offer my support.
“What happened? Is everything alright?” I asked as I gave her support.
“My grandsons” she managed to say.
“What happened to him?” My heart was thumping loudly in my chest as I asked her.
“The call was from his school. He fell from the stairs and has been badly injured on his head” her eyes brimmed with tears, and her voice quivered.
I rubbed her arm.
“I think you should go there” I said.
I would have gone there to help the little soul, but I myself was helpless and couldn’t step out of this jail.
“But.. but I need to give lunch to ma’am” she shuttered, pain quite evident in her voice.
“Leave that to me. I will take care of it. Just go be with your grandson” I reassured her.
“No! What if sir came to know about it?” Her whole body shook.
“He won’t. Trust me. There is no one here but you and me. I will make sure ma’am gets her lunch, and I will exit quietly” I assured her, hoping to allay her concerns. “Grace, your grandson needs you now. Please, go to him. I will make sure your job is secure”
” He will hurt you” she cried out, her voice Laden with worry and genuine concern.
I reached out and gently touched her arm, offering a reassuring smile.
“I will be fine” there was confidence in my voice but not in my heart. I am not sure how Ansell will react when he comes to know that I entered his sister’s room without permission but right now I wanted her grandson to be safe.
I turned around and picked up her bag.
“Please book a cab and go to his school” she nodded and hugged me once.
Her eyes searched mine for a moment, and then she nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“I will never forget this favour of yours” she whispered as she pulled back. “Please keep the medicine along with the food. They are in the drawer.
I nodded and she walked out of the kitchen.
I hope everything is fine with her grandson. The lady has already gone through a lot.
With the lunch already prepared, I took care to chop the remaining salads and arrange everything neatly on a tray before walking out, and I met with a drop-dead silence as there was no one around.
My eyes started pricking with tears as I missed my brother. The way we used to fight and our screams and shouts resonated in the whole house, making it lively.
Drawing a deep breath, I made my way to her room.
Walking quietly, I opened the door gently. My heart raced as I gently turned the handle and peeked inside. The room was dimly illuminated, casting a soft glow on the scene within. She was sleeping on her bed with her head tossed to one side and her body covered with a duvet. Her leg was no longer tied to the bed, the way Ansell did last time.
As far as I remember, her name is Desy, because this is exactly what Ansell was shouting while consoling her. I felt empathy for her as I remembered that scene.
I was glad that she was soundly sleeping. I decided to keep her food and medicine beside her and set the alarm so that she could have them without knowing that I had come here.
Carefully and silently, I placed tray on the side table, my hands reaching for the drawer where I spotted the medicine box. My fingers delicately opened the box, but to my dismay, a slight noise escaped, causing her to stir.
Panic surged through me, and the first thought that came to my head was to leave the box beside the food and run out of her room, but something in me stilled me at my place, and I couldn’t move even an inch.
Slowly, her eyes opened and she blinked multiple times to clear her vision.
“Who are you?” She asked, her eyebrows drawn together as she was still blinking “Where is Grace?” She asked further.
. I was sure she saw me as a threat, and my tongue felt like it was tied in knots, making it difficult to respond.
“I…” Before I could manage to say anything, she turned on the lights and immediately turned her toward me.
“Leonara?” She became even more confused. Her voice was tinged with bewilderment.
But what a minute!
How does she know my name?
“What are you doing here?” She asked me as she tried to sit up.
Placing the box of medicine aside, I helped her sit back and adjusted the pillow so that she was at ease. She was behaving just the opposite of what I thought. She had behaved erratically that night, but she appeared to be fine now. I could clearly see her wounds from this close. They weren’t as red now, but they were very deep, and I am sure she had been badly and cruelly injured.
“Thanks” she murmured.
I i nodded.
She was still waiting for me to respond to her previous question. At first, I thought Ansell must have told her about me and my name, but then she didn’t know why I was there, which meant she didn’t have any idea what her brother was doing. The reason for knowing my name is something else.
“Damn… Ansell brought me here” forcefully.
I kept the last words to myself because it was pointless to tell her. I have noticed that they both adore each other. I am not going to get anywhere by creating a false image of her brother in her mind, just as Ansell is trying to create one in mine about my brother.
“But why?” Her brow furrowed even more, and I found myself avoiding her gaze, unsure of how to answer.
I kept staring at her instead of replying. How can I tell her with my own mount why he has brought me here?
“Has he given that to you?” She asked, pointing at my neck. The scars have faded, but they are still there.
I looked down. My throat was clogged with emotions as that horrifying night played in my head.
“I need to talk to him” she declared, a sense of determination in her voice that took me by surprise.
Her words snapped my eyes up at her as fear gripped me.
“No, please. He shouldn’t come to know that I came here” I said desperately, requesting her not to make things more complicated for me than they already were.
“Why are you afraid of him so much? I can see that in your eyes. As much as I know you were not like this”
I finally voiced the question that had been echoing in my mind.
“How do you know me?”