Weak

Anthony was lying on a sofa with wandering thoughts, but before it went further, he heard the doorbell.

By this time? Who could be outside by this time in this heartless rain. Even the servants remained at the quarters.

He listened again to be sure he wasn't mistaken and when he did, he walked to the door cautiously.

His eyes opened wide when he saw Jasmine outside, leaning on the post and looking very tired.

"Ma'...am," he stuttered. He could see a bead of water on her half-closed lashes and that was the only time he realized she was not standing straight. She tried to open her eyes fully, but she felt a thread of darkness over it and she could not even see Anthony anymore.

She swayed, but sure felt she was falling forward and she landed on Anthony.

He picked her up in slight surprise and carried her to a room before calling a servant to help with her clothes.

She had protested a bit about the weather, but in the end, she agreed to come over.

*****

The next time she opened her eyes, she was looking up at a white ceiling before she heard a sound by her side. Her eyes went to the source and she stared icily at Emily.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to knock it down." She bowed deeply. It was then that Jasmine realized that the sound she heard was a glass shattering.

"Get out." She looked up at the ceiling and held her painful head.

"But ma'am, I need to..." Jasmine looked over at her coldly through the triangle her hand had formed and she bowed her head and started walking away.

"Wait," she stopped her and Emily stopped. "Tell Anthony to come up here." She told her and Emily nodded, but the door opened immediately and Anthony stepped in, holding the door for Emily.

"You asked for me?" His voice reached her as her gaze lingered on the ceiling.

"I want you to inform all staff they should be back by tomorrow." His gaze narrowed.

"They can't." He concluded and he seemed to be her Boss.

Her eyes remained fixed on the ceiling, but he could see her teeth clenching. "You amaze me." A corner of her mouth lifted, but it didn't reach her eyes. It never had.

"I'm sorry, but I can't. No one can travel in this weather." Crossing his hands, he maintained his poise.

The sky roared just as she opened her mouth to speak and she shut it, closing her eyes and from Anthony's point of view, she seemed to be struggling with something he couldn't see. But the next moment she opened her eyes, she got up abruptly and tore the at the drip on her wrist. In slight panic, he rushed forward confused at her behaviour.

"What are you doing? Stop it!" He held her hand fiercely trying to stop her from getting injured, he didn't know where the strength came from, she had seemed so weak, but she pushed his hand away forcefully and got up. Before he could process what was happening, he felt a hot sting on his face as her palm landed on it and on the other one before he could get a hold on her. He took steps back as he looked at her in shock and withheld rage, but the feeling in her eyes stopped it in its tracks.

"I would never have believed..." But her eyes were cool and as he looked at her, she looked away and put a hand to her mouth to stop her breath from quivering.

For once in the life he had spent with her, he wished she would scream at him, punch him with those fragile hands, say some hurtful things, but no, she did none of those. She chose to make the guilt linger in his chest like whispering Devils.

"Get out."

It was not like he had a choice anyway. Bowing his head in utter anger at himself, he closed the door behind him, not even daring to look at her. Her eyes haunted him. It was glittering with disappointment.

What had he done? Thinking of it brought back the rage he had felt earlier, but it was for himself this time.

"Did anything happen?" Amelia ran to him, but unusually he shook his head, he couldn't speak, he was afraid it would come out the wrong way.

Nobody needed to tell him to go to the laptop and email all the workers, but it did nothing to lessen the feeling of guilt burning in his heart.

-----

Her eyes were steadily fixed on the ceiling the entire night. She would have believed that would happen, nowadays, no such things surprised her, but it just came at the wrong time. Right then, she needed support, someone to tell her it was Okay. Normally, she would never have thought about it, but the pain of being alone these days had wakened the need to have someone by her side. And also the need to be alone, the confusion was tearing her apart. She really didn't know what she wanted or what she needed. All she knew was being alone soothed her, at other times, she hated it. Detested it. But when she had someone she could trust by her side, the loner seemed to be kicked out of the window. However, she didn't want to bother anyone with her current issues, they would never understand anyway. It was already proven that understanding would not interfere, never would if it continues this way.

She was still staring when the alarm went off. Seven already? How time runs. But it chose not to when she needed it the most. Everything just seemed to be ganging up on her.

-----

"Are you sure you can handle the stress?" Anthony asked her sheepishly, he was still trying to make up for the last time and he just noticed the tiredness written on her face and he couldn't also help but notice that she was putting on black trainers with a white dress that stopped mid-thigh and over it, she had a black little jacket that was unbuttoned.

"Yes." She nodded. It seemed she was being distant and formal.

Instead of leaning back like she always did, she leaned forward and rested her head on the back of his seat. He wasn't very sure how she would manage, she seemed so out of place with the fatigue he could sense around her, but when she got to her floor,

Gemma was almost running beside her, Anthony could see she was trying hard to keep up, but boy, it was as if Jasmine was flying. Gemma was panting heavily beside her as she continued with her reports. "Madam, I was wondering if we should reschedule the meeting for maybe tomorrow, I discovered some people are not back yet, so..." She never got to finish.

"Sack and replace them immediately. The meeting will not be rescheduled." With that, she banged the door close in Gemma's face, it stopped just before it hit her nose.

"What was that?" She whispered to almost herself. Jasmine had a weird kind of energy.

"I think it's BB." He replied and she turned to question him.

"Meaning?" She asked blinking. She had really never heard of it concerning the way he might mean.

His expression turned to one that looked like he was mocking her, but he answered anyway. "Back and better."

"Ohh." She wagged a finger at him in realization.

She seemed to have regained her poise. How interesting.