C13 CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"Ma’am, are you okay? Why are tears on your face?" Bill asked as she stared at her boss who looked frail and weak.

"Is it not worth it to cry?" She asked, breaking into tears as she remembered what happened earlier.

"You shouldn't cry because a nice person like you deserves better". Bill said before lifting her up.

"Thank you— thank you for calling me ‘nice person". With tears rolling down from her pale reddened face, she muttered.

Bill cleaned Ivan's eyes with her handkerchief before muttering out "You are welcome".

They both walked into the mansion after a while outside.

"Why are you late?". Luca asked, standing up the moment he saw her.

"When did I turn your maid or baby who has to take permission from you before leaving or coming into the house?". She asked rudely.

Staring at her, he asked "cause you are my wife! Don't you know staying late out there is risky?" With concern in his deep voice.

"I think you don't have to bother about me since I can take care of myself and am not your wife— just know that". She shot him a dreadful glare before walking out on him.

"Ivan__" he called out but she turned deaf ears.

"Is something wrong with her? Did something go wrong during the audition?" Luca asked, staring at Bill.

"She is okay". She replied before walking into her quartz.

~~~~

"Why did he do that? Why? Just why him?". Ivan asked herself as she roughed her hair.

She has been crying, lamenting and cursing herself ever since she came back from the audition.

"Ivan, why did you reject the meal? Is it not up to your preference?" A faint voice echoed from outside her room.

"How does that concern you? Either I eat or not?" She asked with contempt and anger in her voice.

"Cause i'm your husband and you know what happens if you get hurt right?" The voice asked with a gentle knock on the door.

Unable to bear Luca's behaviour, she yelled. "Luca! Will you just let me be!"

"I have no interest in you—"

"And I did not ask whether you like me or not". She fired before opening the door.

"I think after I eat the damn food you force on me, maybe it will be better due to the condition I am into". She added with low grunts.

She took the stare downstairs and headed directly to the dinning, which is well decorated with flowers which give it a refreshing fragrance and chairs set in groups.

The chairs are a maximum of five each with different brand tags on them and the tables are exceptionally beautiful.

"Eat your food before it gets cold instead of staring and spacing around the dining room." Luca whispered from behind.

This isn't the first feeling for her but her feelings each time he talks to her felt like those feelings from five years ago.

"I lost my appetite, I am sorry". She muttered, staring at him as he crunched the chips.

"Don't eat it that way— bite a little of it and chew gently". She sat beside him and picked chips which she used in making an example for him.

"I guess you do eat properly cause you were allowed to eat freely without hiding". He uttered with a faint smile on his face as he tried eating the way she suggested even if it was hard and new to him.

"Have you always lived your life this way? Have you always sneaked out to eat? Have you always filled your stomach with words of satisfaction instead of food?". She asked with tears clustered in her little eyes as she stared at him with pity.

Placing his hand on her little face, he cleaned the tear droplets on her cheeks."It was like that for me until I was able to walk and stand all by myself".

"I think it was worse and sad for you than I thought. I thought I was the only one suffering from the cruelty of this world. I thought I was the only one whose heart ached from the hard time I had faced but I was wrong. I'm sorry it's been hard for you". She said with her eyes closed as she allowed the heavy tears in her eyes to pour down.

"You don't have to be sorry cause I hate people telling me sorry cause they pity me". He uttered with shivers in him.

"I enjoyed it when people told me sorry cause I know they care about me and wished I had not suffered or went through those hard times". She echoed as she cleaned her wet face with the back of her palm.

"Sorry’ means you are weak and need to be strong enough not to get that. What I want to hear is ‘thank you’ and not ‘sorry’". Chewing his chip, he echoed with a sad expression on his face which seemed cold as ever.

"You must have grown up to be a cold young man blinded by rage".

"And what did you grow up to become? A woman who people see as laughing stock?" He asked.

"Yes". With that from her, she stood up about to go but he dragged her back.

"Why not drink some alcohol and imagine this never happened". With a smile which hid many words on his face, he suggested.

"I don't drink alcohol and can I go now?" She asked, trying to go but he held her tight.

~~~~NORA APARTMENT ~~~

"I warned you but you did not listen, just take a look at the mess you caused and I bet there won't be cleaning for it". Else angry voice echoed.

"I will clean it and just stop being a parasite, will you!?" Nora asked, staring at her mother with contempt.

"What are your schemes?" She ignored her daughter's hurtful words even though she felt like strangling her to death.

"I want her dead but I won't kill her the easiest way. I will kill her by trapping her with her own web, I will kill her by using her venom, I will kill her by using her weakness, I will kill her by using her competitors and supporters— she will be the one to end her life by herself because it is too shameful for her to live".