CHAPTER 3

He stepped back, holding her by the wrist. They were far enough from the cliff's edge, and the bright sun rays made his dark skin shine. She set herself against him.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you standing in my way now? Is it not enough for you to be the cause of my mother's death?"

She said as her voice was intermittent. She raised her forefinger in his face and approached him; he exchanged her with his reckless smile. She rolled her eyes, she hesitated to say:

"If you do your job perfectly..."

She added but before she could end her speech, he cut her with a loud, strange laugh, followed by a tender doze in her dark, sparkling eyes. He said:

"Slow down, Miss; I didn't stop your foolishness just to listen to your useless speech, come on."

He raised his eyebrow while showing his six bags full of muscles. Erika swallowed her saliva and thought:

"He didn't look this sexy in the hospital."

Erika said, as fast she kicked those thoughts; he whispered:

"We both know that your mother's death was destined, the tumor has reached its final stage, and the probability of the operation's success is weak."

There was silence between the two of them. He spoke:

"Instead of ending your life, while thousands of others struggle with death to live for the next moment, donate it to save another soul."

He uttered that as she held her breath and pushed him back.

"Do you know who you are talking to?"

Erika stated that some of his words woke her up from her ignorance.

"Should I have to know?"

He paused, waving his hands while he joined his friends. He turned towards her, then said loudly: "Hey, Miss, try to move on."

Erika sat on the sand with tearing eyes, looking for that light at the end of her darkness. She was watching the high line separating the sky and the sea.

By the time she drove back home, dozens of high-end cars were parked in front of her house. An enormous number of guards surrounded the gate, moving aside when she arrived. They bowed in respect.

"Do you know what time it is now? You made us wait for you all day it was just a consolation; I don't think it calls for all this delay."

Mr. John sharply said, his nerves were red, and her eyes fell on the twenty-seven- years tall man that was sitting on the sofa. He was gazing at her black dress.

"I'm going up."

She hissed while she was heading to her room; she felt sick enough to speak to them. Mr. John stopped her, saying:

"This is no longer your home."

Mr. John said, so she turned to face him with her large eyes.

"Mr. Rafael will take you to his house; he is now your husband."

Mr. John added looking at Erika who clapped for two minutes, then said: "Waw!" 

Mr. Rafael showed no reaction to her drama; he was watching in silence, as if he were studying her temper.

"Listen to me; I'm not going with him; I'm leaving this house."

She yelled while opening for her a way to go. Mr. John was about to make the servants arrest her, but Mr. Rafael said: "Let her go for now."

Erika drove her car, and as fast as she could, she stopped by a small house near a hospital.

"How does he say it's just a consolation? And that arrogant man, who did not utter a single word, damn them all."

She said then cursed while opening the door. She threw herself on the large soft bed, with lots of pillows. The walls were painted pink.

"I didn't think that I would be back in our first home again after these years."

Erika thought, she watched her mother's pictures, she hugged the album slowly, she fell into a deep sleep, and she woke up trying to catch her nine-o'clock meeting.

"Sorry, Madam, you're not allowed to enter the company any more."

The guard said. 

Erika was rocked in her place; this was the first time to be stopped in such a manner. Mr. John appeared before her and smoked his pipe.

"I am dissatisfied with your services; thanks for your past efforts; you can keep the car as compensation."

He uttered this while closing the gate door in her face. Many of the employees were watching her leave.

"What's going on with him? Why did he kick me out? Now the company's order is destroyed. Oh my God!"

She asked while walking to her car door; she could not hold back her tears; this was the company of her life; she was royal to it.

"I know it's all Mr. Rafael's planning; he wants to see me broken; he wants me to kneel to him and ask for his help to humiliate me."

She mouthed with pain that choked her and made her feel less; she added:

"I won't let him drag me down."

She whispered, then she made some calls, tried to find a new job, and aimed to start from zero, although this idea was the worst of her unexpected nightmares that came true. No one of those helped her; she hoped to find a positive response.

"I'm sure that Mr. John is the one behind their rejection; out of the thousands companies, none of them accepted me as a simple employee; this is a trap."

She stated. 

The birds in her stomach started chirping. In her favorite restaurant, she sat near the window, and in front of her was her usual dish.

"Yummy! Grilled lamb, fresh berry juice, as well as oyster soup—there is nothing better than this to improve my mood."

She uttered, enjoying her meal.

"Sorry, madam, this card is also ineffective."

The account administrator said

"This is unreasonable; try this."

She stated that, then she handed him her fifth credit card, but his response was the same with all of them. She paid him cash for her meal.

"He kicked me from the house, fired me, and now he freezes my bank accounts."

She bitterly said

"You have to go to your husband's house as soon as possible, or else!"

She read his message; she laughed till she cried.