BEAUTIFUL MISTAKE
By vir-ginia As£nath
Episode 2
Alex’s POV
Life has been good for the last two months. Even though she hasn’t gotten her memory back, she is back to her old friendly self. I got home and she was in the kitchen with aunt. They were laughing and she is more beautiful when happy. I helped them set the table for dinner.
‘How was your day?’ She asked when we were at the table.
‘Fine, how about you?’
‘Good,’
I watched her as they were ma-king facial signs with aunt. Like she was telling her to go ahead.
‘I want to start a foundation,’ she said.
‘Which kind of foundation?’
‘To help girls who have suffered as-sault, physical and emotional torture and r@p£. In short those who are depressed and going throu-gh panic attacks,’ she said and I couldn’t help but smile.
All she thinks of is helping others.
‘Do you intend to help only girls?’
‘Not only girls but girls will be more. Men fear talking about their problems. Though I will try to reach out to them to,’
‘How much do you nee-d?’
‘I want to work on the plan first,’
‘Okay, just tell me the amount then I will give it to you,’
‘No, I was telling you so as to help me get a job. I will raise the money,’
‘You can start tomorrow if you want. Then I will give you as a loan,’
‘Okay thank you, I will repay once everything is fine.’
I didn’t know when she stood but she hvgged me from behind.
Karen’s POV
‘But this baby is innocent, I can’t terminate it,’ I pleaded with her.
‘I will try to talk to him, if he doesn’t want the child, you re-move,’ she said with an expressionless face.
She picked the car keys and left. I was left seated on the floor. I miss Cindy, even though I hated her she showed me love and right now I nee-d someone who can hear me out, give me space to scream and let go of the pain am going throu-gh. All mom does is to get money from me, regardless of how I feel.
*
*
I fell asleep on the floor and mom’s voice woke me up.
‘Go and freshen up you are going to meet him and you will go to his house tomorrow. You nee-d to look beautiful,’ she said more like a command.
‘Mum I just left Michael yesterday, I can’t get married that fast,’ I complained.
‘Who are you to tell me what to do yet you couldn’t keep Alex. After all the money I spent for you to have him. Andrew has promised a lot of money and half is alre-ady in my account. Now get up and spare me your drama,’ she said.
‘You only care about money,’ I thought.
I received a h0t sl@p that made me realize I had said audibly.
I stood angrily and went to my room.
The drive to the h0tel was silent as I stared throu-gh the window. The car halted in front of the h0tel and I c@m£ down without being told.
‘Make sure you smile and don’t you dare embarras-s me,’ she whispered with a smile.
If I only I new I will be coming to such a woman, I bet I wouldn’t come on this world.
Karen’s POV cont.
We were led by the receptionist to a pri-vate room upstairs and that Andrew was sifted there busy on his phone. He looked so ugly, with big red eyes and a very cold face.
‘She is here,’ mom said and he looked up.
‘She is beautiful,’ he said after interrogating me with his eyes.
‘How old is the pregnancy?’ He asked directing his gaze to me.
‘One and half months,’ mom said.
‘She can keep it, if she likes,’ he said and stood up.
I felt a little happy. I couldn’t imagine the guilt of killing my own child.
‘I have paid, so order anything you want. I will s£nd someone to pick her up at 10:00 in the morning,’ he said and left.
Mom called the waiter and ordered almost everything, while I ordered a glas-s of pas-sion jui-ce. I wasn’t hungry. I have enough things to deal with and hunger will be my last.
‘This is the benefit of having money. You enjoy life. Don’t loose him to,’ she kept on talking and talking but I didn’t hear everything.
Alex’s POV
This is the second time am going throu-gh the proposal and I can say its quite impressive.
‘It’s perfect and am approving it,’ I said.
‘Thanks,’ she said smiling.
‘I didn’t know you could write something like this,’
‘I lost my memory not my br@in,’ she said faking anger.
I know when she is genuinely angry and when she is faking it.
‘Am sorry,’ I said and she folded her arms on the che-st.
I waited for her to reply but she didn’t.
‘Let me take you for lunch to apologize,’
‘Okay,’ she said with a smile.
‘We have a dinner meeting tomorrow to finalize a contract and you will come with me,’
‘No problem,’ she said and left.
Author’s POV
After working on the pres£ntation she is going to make for her project to be complemented, she finalized her plan and headed to the conference room. She had a determined face and re-ady for all questions.
All the heads of the guiding and counselling of the hospital were pres£nt. She stood next to Alex. They signed her to start and after a big sigh she spoke.
‘Being a victim of physical torture I un-derstand the pain we go throu-gh. Due to that I c@m£ up with this proposal to help those who have gone throu-gh as-sault, physical and emotional torture, r@p£ and humiliation get past it. I grew up with my mom and my aunt. My aunt was well off when I was young and she used to mistreat me. Most of the times when mom was off to work I would spend my time with her and it was hell of a living. When I turned seven my dad c@m£ back and he was rich. I then found out that she was actually dad’s second wife. My dad was killed but all his wealth was in my aunt’s name. We had to go back to our suffering life and I was R@p£d at ten. My mom got hurt in the process of helping me. We ended up in the hospital but I lost my memory afterwards. Though my high target are girls, men aren’t exempted. Most of our girls end up stressed and depressed which lead to death. According to the statistics more people are dying due to stress not only in our country but worldwi-de. I’m planning to have qualified doctors to help the victims and am looking forward to reach a great percentage of people,’ she said and stared at the people around the big table.
They all cl@pped for her as she sat beside Alex.
‘That’s a good Idea and you have our full support,’ Mr Steve said and she couldn’t help but smile.
‘Thank you all,’ she said happily.
Alex’s POV
She was so happy after the approval and she smiled the whole day.
These few weeks have been tiresome. Finally we are throu-gh and tomorrow is the launching of the organization.
Karen’s POV
‘I nee-d all those clothes clean,’ he shouted and threw the dirty clothes on me.
‘Am not feeling fine, I will wash later,’ I pleaded.
‘Your health is none of my business,’ he barked at me.
His voice alone made me shiver.
‘plea-se I nee-d to go to the hospital,’ I said with a cracked voice.
‘Do you know how much I s£nd to your mother daily and you want to add to my budget with your frequent visits to the hospital, huh?’ He asked angrily.
I couldn’t find words to talk.
The doctor said I have a complicated pregnancy and I nee-d rest and care.
‘Get your stupid self out of my be-d and wash my clothes. I will use the white t-shi-ts in three hours,’ he said and opened the door. I was weak, my legs were shaking but I had to do it to avoid beatings.
Is this marriage or mom sold me to be a slave?
There is a washing machine but I can’t use. With all the maids I still do almost everything.
Why is life so unfair? Or maybe am paying for all the bad things we did to Cindy and her mom? I took more time to wash than what I always use and went to get something to eat.
Karen’s POV cont.
After eating I la-id down on the be-d to rest and I drifted to dreamland almost immediately.
I was woken up by the cold I started to feel. I opened my eyes slowly and the mattress was we-t. I looked up to meet Andrew who had an evil grin on his face.
‘That’s what you get for disobeying my orders. I nee-d that mattress dry or you will sleep on the floor tonight,’ he said and left.
I wonder if this man is really human or a monster in human form.
How will it dry and its alre-ady 4:00pm and the sun isn’t that h0t?
With all the energy left in me I pu-ll-ed the mattress throu-gh that back door. It is the shortest way outside. The maids were staring and mumbling at me and I felt embarras-sed.
I sighed relief when I got outside and sat next to it.
I wish I had a dad maybe he could have loved me. I stayed with Cindy’s dad for a few years and he loved us both. Her mom at least had a heart of a mother unlike mine who is heartless.
‘Go to the market and buy those things,’ that familiar shout snapped me from my thoughts.
I didn’t have the strength to shout so I just stood up.
‘One more thing I think its better if you just trek,’ he said and left.
How on earth will I trek when my legs are in pain?
Karen’s POV cont.
Sometimes I wish I should just die and run away from all this. It took almost forever to get to the market even though I used the short cut. I was walking slowly heading home when a car drove past me and st©pped. As the lady got down I recognized her.
‘Karen,’ she called walking towards me and from the look she was surprised of how I looked.
‘Myve,’ I called back.
She is Cindy’s friend.
‘What are you doing here?’ She asked.
‘I had gone to pick some stuffs in the market,’ I said pointing backwards.
‘Aren’t you working?’
‘Long story,’
‘Am going to a p@rty that will be held tonight. But this is my card, give me a call. I know you are still a good person no matter what bad things you have done,’ she said with a smile.
I felt warm tears down my chicks and I wiped them away quic-kly.
‘Thank you, I will get going now,’
‘I can give you a ride. We are going in the same direction.’
I nodded and entered the car.
‘Where do you stay?’ She asked starting the car.
‘Am married and it’s not far from here,’ I said trying ha-rd to fight the tears.
‘To whom?’
‘His name is Andrew. Which p@rty are you going to attend?’ I asked changing the t©pic.
‘Alex invited me to a p@rty that’s why I c@m£ back to the country,’
‘That’s good,’
‘What happened to your job?’
‘I resigned before I got married to Alex,’
‘Congratulations you are pregnant,’
‘I don’t think its actually good news,’
‘It is, a lot of women de-sire to carry their own kids but can’t,’
‘It’s father rejected us,’
‘But you are still married to him?’
‘The one am married to is not the father,’
‘Were you married three times within six months?’
I nodded facing down actually it is not something am proud of.
Two days later.
Karen’s POV
????Let’s meet in the next one hour,’ Myve said before hanging up.
I hid the phone and went back to the house. I nee-d to sneak out but I still don’t know how. The monster we was pla-ying a video game and didn’t realise when I got in, so I ti-ptoed upstairs.
I picked a trou-ser from the closest and wore it. I went throu-gh the other door, I just hope it gets me outside. I opened the first door and it led to another. After a while I was almost out but something caught my attention. A secret door on the wall. I really wanted to go but curiosity made me check. After trying all the digits I could think of it finally opened. The room was dark so I made use of my torchlight. What I saw scared the hell out of me. The room was filled with dangerous weapons. I was about going out when I heard movements coming towards the door. I quic-kly closed the door and his behind the cu-pboard.
????s£nd her the remaining money.
Andrew said over the phone.
????Don’t worry, everything is un-der control. Her daughter will pay for all the money.
He said and laughed devilish. He picked something from the be-d and left. I didn’t see what was it due to the darkness in the room.
He is a thvg. That’s why he has a lot of money.
I want to go out but the door wasn’t closed and I guessed he was coming back.
My guess was right and after a few minutes he c@m£ back with another person. From his voice, I didn’t nee-d a prophet to tell me he was a man.
‘I nee-d a clean job and the money to me soon,’ he said more like a command.
‘Okay boss,’ he said and left.
‘I haven’t seen Karen since morning, let me see what she is up to this time round,’ Andrew said to himself and left. Luckily he didn’t lock the door and I got out as fast as possible. I know the door is locked from inside so by the time he opens I will be out of this place. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me and luckily I got a cab. I gave him the address and drove to the meeting place. Myve was alre-ady waiting for me.
‘Am sorry, I kept you waiting,’ I apologized.
‘I just got here.’
I nodded and smiled.
‘Did you tell him where you were going?’ She asked.
‘No I didn’t, I sneaked out,’
‘Good, let’s go. I alre-ady booked an appointment for you for a counselling session,’
‘Thank you,’
‘Thank Cindy not me,’ she said and walked to the car.
I followed behind silently and she drove off.
‘Where is Cindy?’
‘She is the owner if the organization am taking you to. It helps in counselling those who have throu-gh bad moments in life and feel like giving up. They support until you stand up on your feet again,’
‘Will she forgive me?’
‘She lost her memory and she forgave the first bad things you did to her. Don’t worry everything will be fine,’ she said confidently
Andrew’s POV
So where is this idiot?
I have gone throu-gh the whole house but she is not here. Even the maids haven’t seen her. If I l@ymy hands on her, she will regret being born.
Karen’s POV
My time with Cindy was the best and after talking to her I felt so light. It was like a heavy burden lifted down.
‘You can’t go home, I guess you wouldn’t have peace,’ Cindy said.
‘I was thinking I go back with her. This country isn’t safe for her again,’ Myve said.
‘When are you travelling?’ Cindy asked.
‘Tonight,’
‘Are you okay, you go with her?’ Cindy asked facing me.
‘It’s okay with me,’ I said.
We drove to Cindy’s home, to get some clothes. As we got down the car in her house I saw Alex. He gave me an angry stare as he walked towards us.
‘What is she doing here?’ He asked angrily.
I un-derstand him; after all I did to him I don’t, depriving him of his happiness, I don’t deserve his forgiveness.
‘Relax baby boy, she’s my sister,’ Cindy said with a smile.
‘I don’t care what you lied to her, but it won’t work with me,’ he said and left.
‘Don’t mind him. He is just overprotective,’ Cindy said.
I nodded and we walked inside.
*
*
*
As the aeroplane was taking of, I closed my eyes and thanked God. I saw a glimpse of light in my dark life. After all the pain and frustrations I had gone throu-gh, I was leaving everything behind. After a long trip we got to New York.
‘Good bye to all my problems and welcome to another world, a chance to start over again,’ I thought to myself. A car was alre-ady waiting for us. We got in as the driver handled the bags. I looked throu-gh the window and admired the beautiful town. It has been long I felt some peace, to admire the good things around me.
Tbc…