RICHARD'S POV
Without thinking twice or thinking about what the outcome will be, I stood up from my seat and ran outside to meet up with Vanessa. Taking hold of her hand, I turned her to me to see the surprise on her face and the next thing I knew was her hand meeting my face: she slapped me.
I didn't flinch because I know I’ll still get kicked too and I don't care, all I want right now is to clear all this between us.
“I don't care if you hit me or slap me or even get me arrested Vanessa, all I want is for us to talk about this. Please, I need to know what happened that night, I want to hear it all from you, please”
She looked at me furiously for some seconds before replying.
“I need to be somewhere right now, maybe another time, I'll explain to you” she said and looked at her wristwatch. “I'll go with you anywhere you're going and after you're done, we'll talk about us”
“What if I don't want you to go there? What if it's my boyfriend's apartment I'm going to?” She asked
“Then I'll wait in the car and behave as if I don't even exist and when you're done, we'll find someplace to talk about it”
“Your new attitude amazes me, did you just change within few minutes or what happened exactly?” She said
“I've just realized none of my tricks will work on you and it's better we both talk things through before taking any drastic steps. I'm sorry for everything Essa, even till now, I'm sorry”
“Keep the sermon till Sunday, Richard. Let's go” She started walking away towards the parking lot.
“Are we taking your car or mine?” I asked
“I don't have a car so obviously we'll take yours”
Ten minutes into the ride, we were both silent and this was very awkward. The previous Vanessa will definitely have something to say but I guess this new Vanessa is more damaged than the old one and the worst part of it is that I caused it.
“What address did you enter into the GPS?” I asked trying to bring up a conversation
“Airport” she replied curtly.
“Are you seeing someone off?”
“No, someone is coming in”
“Who is the person, your friend?” She turned to give me a weird look before positioning her head back facing the road.
“No, the person who saved me the night you and your family abandoned me on the street to die” I suddenly stopped the car by the side of the road.
“Why do you keep talking about this, Vanessa? Call the person you're going to see at the airport that you're not coming anymore, because we're talking about this right here and right now” I shouted
“Richard, you need to be in your right senses, I'm not explaining what you already know. So just keep driving or I'll make sure I get out of this car and never talk to you again”
“Let me watch you do that” I locked the car and relaxed into my seat trying to ignore her angry stares
“Richard, open the door or I'll scream right now”
“We're surrounded by bushes and only 2 to 3 cars pass this lane in every thirty minutes. So, let me watch you scream for help and how the bushes will end up saving you” the hard stares she was sending me was enough to transform to daggers and kill me in my seat.
“The day you travelled to the city for a business and left me in the palace” she started talking after remaining silent for ten minutes.
“Thank you” I whispered, loud enough for her to hear. “I'm just doing this so you'll take me away from this place” I nodded smiling to myself
“Your mom came up to the room to call me down for breakfast, and asked about your where about, i followed her and I was so engrossed in my conversation with Dae that I didn't get to see what happened or how she fell. Then I started walking down the stairs to take a look at her when the maid had rushed in to look at her, then she looked up and saw me at the edge of the stairs, so she thought it was me who pushed her” she turned to look at me trying to decipher the emotions in my eye
“We got to the hospital and before I knew it, I was in the police station and before I could blink, we were already back at home, and I met your family outside excluding your father, telling me to leave the palace, and they were acting on your instructions”
“Wait! What did you just say? My instructions?, That's is not possible even if you killed my father, I would never throw you out of the house in that condition. I swear to God” She looked at me with surprise and shock.
“Let me finish with my story first before you start yours. After I had left the house with no phone and no roof over my head, I was hit by a car, hit and run case. I was lying in my own pull of blood at the middle of the street when Michael found me, one of his sisters who was present at the palace that day had called him to inform him about what happened. Luckily enough for me, he was nearby, so he saw me on the road, took me to the hospital and watched over me and my baby while I was in coma for three weeks. I was operated on immediately I got to the hospital and only one baby survived, when I woke up, he already left because your family won't let him live in peace for helping me. He left me with a letter though telling me about what had happened”
She was already crying and my emotions were mixed up already.
“So, tell me why I shouldn't hate you Richard”
“I'm sorry Vanessa, for everything. I don't even have any explanation or anything but I swear they'll pay” I looked over at her and cleaned up her tears with my hands while I tried keeping my calm.
“Where do you want me to drop you off? I need to be somewhere right now”
“You need to calm down Richard, you're shaking and that's not a good sign”
“Don't worry Vanessa, just tell me where to drop you off” I turned back the car into the city.
“Manager, this is Amaan, get the private jet ready, I'm going home right now and don't make me repeat myself” I dropped the call and stopped the car in front of Vanessa's home.
“Go home to our daughter” I said
“Promise me you won't do anything stupid” I opened the door for her while she stepped out of the car.
“Promise you'll visit me in the prison when I'm done with them”