Bitter Affection

Lena was relieved that it was graduation day at her dream university in Southern California; after leaving that horrible place for five years, she felt at ease.

"Oh no, Lena, I am going to miss you," Annabel hugged, pouting her lips.

Lena gave her a hug in return, saying, "I will also miss you, Annabel. Where is everyone else? I have to inform them that I will be returning to New York."

"I will call them here," Annabel assured her.

The sight of her parents made Lena happy and excited; she had missed them terribly over the past five years.

She ran over to give them a hug;

"I missed you guys so much," Lena said, giggling.

"Same here, Lena," Chris replied, kissing her cheek.

Her friends approached them, so she grabbed Stephen and introduced him to Chris and Amanda.

"Mom and Dad, meet my boyfriend, Stephen."

"Wow, so you are the lucky guy dating my daughter," Amanda teased Stephen.

Stephen teased her back with a smile and said, "I am very grateful that you had a wonderful daughter specially made for me."

They all laughed together. Lena excused herself and her friends to take a memorable photo that she would never forget.

She was pleased that since Stephen resides in New York, they would be able to maintain their relationship there.

Amanda approached Lena, happy that her daughter was returning to New York after studying in Southern California for five years.

"How is your exhibition coming along? I heard you were among the students chosen for the mural painting competition." 

"I apologize for not being able to ask you how far you have progressed; your father and I have been extremely busy lately," Amanda said, feeling guilty.

"It is fine, Mom; I understand," Lena smiled, assuring Amanda that she was okay.

"Oh, we had to send Adam a message because we forgot to tell him that today was your graduation day. He went on a business trip. I hope you did not miss him too much."

When she heard his name, Lena hissed and fidgeted with her fingers.

Amanda asked if she was okay, and Lena smiled, swallowed hard, and nodded her head, assuring her that she was fine.

Lena excused herself and went to the restroom, where she washed her face and thought back on her times with Adam. She felt guilty for not having forgotten him even though it had been five years.

She thought she would forget him after five years, but his words and his tortures still reverberate in her ears, her soul, and her mind. She was relieved to finally escape his grasp five years ago when she was accepted into her ideal university.

Tears trickled down her face as she remembered his tortures, holding her chest and gasping for breath.

She inhaled and exhaled to bring her breathing back to normal.

"Lena, calm down. How come you are still weak after five years apart? Why are you unable to forget him? WHY?" She screamed and ruffled her hair in annoyance.

She sank to the floor, leaning against the wall and kicking herself for not forgetting him.

"Lena, where are you? Lena?" Annabel called out to her, and when she entered the restroom, she noticed Lena on the floor.

She hurried over to assist her in getting up.

"Lena, are you okay? Tell me what is wrong." Annabel inquired, her voice filled with concern.

Lena faked a smile and took care of her mascara-splattered face, which looked terrible.

"Nothing, I am excited to go home, and I will miss you guys a lot, that is why I cried."

"Okay, let me just believe it. Your parents are waiting outside for you; cheer up, we will see each other again."

"Thank you, Annabel."

Lena went up to her parents and told Stephen good-bye, saying they would see each other in New York.

Lena got in the car, and it drove down to the airport.

They arrived at the airport and stepped into their private jet. Lena kept her bags, and Chris advised her to take it easy because she might be exhausted after such a long day. She accepted his advice and entered the room to relax.

Her heart skipped because she was going back to that house.

She closed her eyes and remembered his tortures and the last words he said to her as she left the mansion to study in Southern California.

"I promise you, Lena, that you will never forget me," his final words rang in her ears.

She broke her reverie when the air hostess interrupted her.

"Sorry to disturb you, ma'am; we are about to land; please fasten your seat belt, ma'am."

"Thank you," Lena smiled and exhaled.

When the plane landed, she was met by a BMW.

"You may go to the mansion, Chris and I have somewhere to be. See you later, sweetie," Amanda said, kissing her cheeks and getting into the car.

She sighed, realizing that her mother had changed since she married Chris and was no longer concerned about her.

"I do not mind as long as she is happy," she said to herself.

She got into the car and drove down to the mansion; as the front gate opened, memories came flooding back.

She exited the car, and the maids greeted her and carried her luggage to her room.

She grinned as she entered the mansion and realized that she had returned to her lonely, tortured life from before, one filled with Adam's mistreatment.

"Lena, you need to straighten up and prove to him that you are not the Lena from before."

Lena made her way to her room and went in.

Her blood drained as she saw Adam, the man who had turned her life into a living hell.

"What is he doing here? I thought they said he went on a business trip," she thought to herself, fidgeting.

Adam stood up from her bed, smirked, strode over to her, and hugged her.

He murmured, "Welcome back, my puppet," into her ears, giving her a chill.