Veronica's POV
Jonathan had gone back to his mansion and as always would call if he had the time. But lately he was calling me daily. At work also he would find ways to eat with me. But as they say, you eventually have to wake up from dreams as you can't live in dreams.
Reality is the only life you can live in.
After a few days, Jonathan called me to come to Club Aura Gardens. I thought it must be to serve at a party. But when I arrived, I was surprised to see Jonathan waiting for me.
"Jonathan?" I said surprised.
"Take the lady to change her dress." Jonathan said. "Today I want to treat my wife with the best."
I walked along with the servers and kept looking at him as I could not figure out what was going on. Was he really going to treat me to dinner at the very place he made me serve his guests or was this another trick.
"Jonathan." I said as I entered the room.
"Nicky!" He said getting up. "You look beautiful. But then you always do. Come."
I was about to sit on the chair beside him, but he stopped me.
"Nicky," he said. "Sit in front of me so I can keep watching you."
At first I thought it sounded odd that he didn't let me sit beside him, but then I agreed and sat in the chair in front of him.
He ordered my favorite food and made me feel like a princess. I hadn't laughed with him in ages. For that matter, I couldn't even remember the last time I laughed with him. But my laughter didn't last long.
The door opened and Imelda walked in with Sanders behind her. Imelda sat beside Jonathan while Sanders sat beside me.
As he sat beside me, Sanders placed his hand on mine, making me jolt in fear. I pulled my hand away and in trying to take my hand away from him, my chair fell, making me fall on the chair.
"Oh," Sanders said, holding me by my arms. "Get up."
"Leave me! Leave me!" I screamed.
"Oh, I'm only helping.."
Jonathan came over and yanked me up.
"Stop making things hard for yourself." he said, making me sit again. "Just apologize for your behavior, and let's get going."
"What??" I was shocked.
"I knew she would not listen to you so easily," Imelda said. "So I arranged to make her."
Imelda clapped her hands as two of her men came in and grabbed Jonathan, and one of them held a knife at his neck.
"Now?" Imelda said, looking at me with pleased eyes.
"Stop!" I said seeing the knife had made a small cut on his neck.
"I'm sorry for my behavior." I said looking at Sanders.
"That's it," he said. "Only an apology?"
"Mr Sanders," Imelda said. "As long as he's in their grip, she won't retaliate."
Sanders walked over and held my face with force. Then he kissed me on the lips for a full long minute before he pushed me onto the ground.
"Leave." Imelda told her men as they let go of Jonathan.
Jonathan came over and punched Sanders, then made me get up.
"Imelda!" Jonathan said, yelling. "I told you she would apologize and she did. Why—"
"Okay," Imelda said. "It's just one kiss. What's the fuss about?"
"Imelda!!" Jonathan said again.
"Okay," Imelda said. "I'm sorry Veronica, okay (She said to Jonathan."
"No," I said in a tear filled steady voice. "I want your son to apologize to my daughter. Then it's okay."
"Nicky??!" Jonathan said, tightening his grip on my arms.
"You're hurting me Jonathan!" I said as he let go.
I removed my phone from my purse, and showed him a video.
The video was of the party in which Janet was blamed for stealing a pastry and Jonathan made me pay for it.
In the video:
"Janet, here eat this pastry." Adrian is seen telling her.
"No, I can't eat mango. I'm allergic to it, and I can die if I eat it." Janet is seen replying.
Then Adrian is seen holding a bottle of wine in his hand.
"If I throw this, your mother will have to pay for this." Claire said. "It costs one thousand dollars. Eat or.."
Janet ate the pastry and began to cough and itch.
But the video didn't just end as there was more than just force feeding. It was Adrian's reaction.
Adrian stood there….watching as she was suffering with a smile.
Not guilt. Not scared. Not surprised. No panic in eyes. No hesitation.
He was actually calm and looked like he was seeing what he expected.
Jonathan's fingers gripped tightly around my phone as his gaze remained fixed on the screen longer than expected.
For a moment it looked like he didn't recognize Adrian at all.
"For this." I said in a steady voice.
"Imelda??!" Jonathan said in an angry voice. "Even your son knows Janet is allergic to mangoes, and he still made her eat it. And..by threatening her? How could a seven year old act like that?"
Though Jonathan's voice carried anger…there was something else I couldn't put my finger on.
More like…confusion.
His brows furrowed as if something wasn't settling inside of him. For a brief moment he seemed to be lost in thought. Like he was trying to remember something.
"Even as a child…how could he?" he muttered under his breath.
I couldn't understand why he was reacting like this, but I was sure it was more than just anger.
"Jonathan," Imelda said. "I'm honestly out of words. I really didn't know about this. Veronica, no matter what, I won't have my son grow up as a wrong child. Janet is at school, right?
For the first time Jonathan didn't reply immediately and was actually quiet. His eyes were still distant as if he was comparing something.
Even though he didn't say anything, I knew deep down inside of him a thought had already begun. A thought he didn't want.
In the meanwhile…
Imelda first called Adrian's school, and spoke to him, then she called Janet's school and got her on line via a conference call.
"Janet," Adrian said on the phone. "I'm sorry for making you eat the mango pastry. I won't again."
"It's alright," Janet said. "Mommy says, 'If someone repents from the heart, you should give them a chance."
Then as the call disconnected, Imelda got up and came over to me.
"That's it?" His voice was low.
Imelda looked confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Adrian," he said. "Threatens a child. Forces her to eat something she is deadly allergic to ... .and all he can say is 'sorry?"
Now his tone was sharp.
For a brief moment, it looked like he would do the right thing, once in his life.
"Veronica," she said. "Please forgive me. (She looked towards Sanders) Mr Sanders, please respect Veronica, she is Jonathan's wife. No wife likes physical touch other than that of her husband's."
"Okay." Sanders said. "I'll take care."
"Jonathan," Imelda said softly in his ear, but her eyes were anything but soft. "Think carefully before you say or do anything."
He went completely silent.
Like a button was turned off.
Again he chose–silence.
"We'll take our leave then." Imelda said she left with Sanders.
As they left I removed my handkerchief and placed it on the cut on his neck.
"Are you okay?"
Jonathan pushed me away.
His push didn't hurt me outside, but it did inside of me, as I broke once again.
It was a bitter realization for me.
No matter what happened to me or how far things went with me.
Jonathan would step back, never towards me.
Seeing my shocked eyes. "Your lips, they're swollen."
"What do you think when he kissed me for so long?" I said tears rolling down my cheeks."
"Sorry, I have to go…I need to freshen up my mind." with that he left me alone in the room.
"You need to leave? You need to freshen up your mind? What about me? What about the abuse I faced and for who? You were the one with the knife at your neck, the reason I apologized. And, I'm not the one who kissed, he did."
I said to myself as I stood there all alone in the room.
Back home, I went to the bathroom and washed my face three times before going to the kitchen.
I picked the marker and crossed another day.
"Day two gone." I said with a tight jaw.
This was the first time I didn't cry, and that scared me more than anything.