Chapter 18 Worried
Before she could process what she heard, the man was fast to push her back in. The impact caused her to hit on the ground where the pots are lining up by the fence. Her eyes widened in fear. The man walked in and shut the gate. When he turned to face her, a familiar wave of terror began to roll into her gut. She tightly gripped the flowering pot beside her as if her security relied upon it.
It was as though she ran out of voice when he grabbed the neckline of her shirt, ripping it apart. However, Elaine didn't seem to notice. What she could feel was the familiar intense wave of fear growing inside her. It was an indication that the episode will start soon. And she needs to do something before she starts feeling worse. She didn't know what to fear the most; the danger that this man brought or the possible episode attack that was starting to crawl into her system. Nevertheless, Elaine knew both can kill her mercilessly.
"Ah, I was about to head home and forget about the pain in my groin. But I just can't stop thinking about you, you know."
Elaine blinked. Fear was evident in her eyes.
"Are you not going to beg for your life?" he asked while his eyes glued at her slightly exposed skin. The malicious intent in his eyes began to brew even more.
Of course she wanted to beg him to spare her. But as always her stupid mind could not order her body to do it. At that moment, the only thought she had in mind was fear. She feared death. She escaped and fooled death over a hundred times. But this time. . . This time. . . Tears started falling from Elaine's eyes.
"Save yourself, Elaine! No one's going to save you other than yourself!"
With all the strength that was left in her, Elaine hit her attacker's head using the vase she was holding. Jack squealed, losing her from his grip. He collapsed on the ground, his head bloody aching. Elaine trembled next to him but found an opportunity to escape. Teary-eyed, she stood from the ground and rushed towards the gate, catching her breath to carry on.
She looked over her shoulder only to see Jack clutching his bloody head with his hand. At the sight of blood, Elaine's body began to shiver like crazy. All of a sudden everything went spinning. Elaine gasped for air. Her hand tightly clutched her chest, her eyes grew wide. She could not catch her breath. She was slowly drowning.
She's going to die. . . She's going to die. . .
Could it possibly be her last moment?
Elaine shut her eyes tightly before she'd lose her consciousness.
"Just die! Just die!"
At last, Elaine managed to open the gate just in time. She picked up her pace and ran as fast as she could, almost limping forward. She had no idea where her feet could take her. She just ran for her life. She had tripped and fell and crawled on the ground many times over. The only thing that pushed her from moving forward was the adrenaline that was rushing through her veins.
She staggered up. But as soon as she managed to stand up on the ground, her surroundings began to spin around in a spiral motion. Just then, her body fell on the concrete ground once more.
A man's frame coming from the other side of the road caught her eyes. She then saw him rushing towards her dying state. Elaine closed her eyes, untightening her fist as she felt the man’s arms wrapped around her.
"Tan. . .”
Before she could process what she heard, the man was fast to push her back in. The impact caused her to hit on the ground where the pots are lining up by the fence. Her eyes widened in fear. The man walked in and shut the gate. When he turned to face her, a familiar wave of terror began to roll into her gut. She tightly gripped the flowering pot beside her as if her security relied upon it.
It was as though she ran out of voice when he grabbed the neckline of her shirt, ripping it apart. However, Elaine didn't seem to notice. What she could feel was the familiar intense wave of fear growing inside her. It was an indication that the episode will start soon. And she needs to do something before she starts feeling worse. She didn't know what to fear the most; the danger that this man brought or the possible episode attack that was starting to crawl into her system. Nevertheless, Elaine knew both can kill her mercilessly.
"Ah, I was about to head home and forget about the pain in my groin. But I just can't stop thinking about you, you know."
Elaine blinked. Fear was evident in her eyes.
"Are you not going to beg for your life?" he asked while his eyes glued at her slightly exposed skin. The malicious intent in his eyes began to brew even more.
Of course she wanted to beg him to spare her. But as always her stupid mind could not order her body to do it. At that moment, the only thought she had in mind was fear. She feared death. She escaped and fooled death over a hundred times. But this time. . . This time. . . Tears started falling from Elaine's eyes.
"Save yourself, Elaine! No one's going to save you other than yourself!"
With all the strength that was left in her, Elaine hit her attacker's head using the vase she was holding. Jack squealed, losing her from his grip. He collapsed on the ground, his head bloody aching. Elaine trembled next to him but found an opportunity to escape. Teary-eyed, she stood from the ground and rushed towards the gate, catching her breath to carry on.
She looked over her shoulder only to see Jack clutching his bloody head with his hand. At the sight of blood, Elaine's body began to shiver like crazy. All of a sudden everything went spinning. Elaine gasped for air. Her hand tightly clutched her chest, her eyes grew wide. She could not catch her breath. She was slowly drowning.
She's going to die. . . She's going to die. . .
Could it possibly be her last moment?
Elaine shut her eyes tightly before she'd lose her consciousness.
"Just die! Just die!"
At last, Elaine managed to open the gate just in time. She picked up her pace and ran as fast as she could, almost limping forward. She had no idea where her feet could take her. She just ran for her life. She had tripped and fell and crawled on the ground many times over. The only thing that pushed her from moving forward was the adrenaline that was rushing through her veins.
She staggered up. But as soon as she managed to stand up on the ground, her surroundings began to spin around in a spiral motion. Just then, her body fell on the concrete ground once more.
A man's frame coming from the other side of the road caught her eyes. She then saw him rushing towards her dying state. Elaine closed her eyes, untightening her fist as she felt the man’s arms wrapped around her.
"Tan. . .”
“SEE you at the inauguration, Mr. De Marco.”
Smiling slightly, Tan shook hands with Mr. Davis. Mr. Davis was one of the foreign investors of DM Textile who a few months ago because of his grandfather’s issue threatens to pull out his investment.
The meeting lasted longer than he expected. It was past eleven in the evening and they were just about to leave the in-house restaurant of De Marco Hotel in Makati. The hotel was owned by his Uncle Theo James or TJ.
Soon as Mr. Davis’ car left, Tan walked towards his own car driven by the valet. The hotel was just half an hour drive from the house he was renting in Guadalupe.
Tan was quick to notice the serving bowl on the table when he entered the house. But instead of walking towards it, he went directly to his bedroom. He was untying his tie when his phone rang. It was his mother who was calling. They can not make it to the inauguration and he understands. His father was still too weak to travel.
When the call ended, he was about to throw his phone on top of his bed when he noticed the two missed calls and text messages sent by Elaine. He planned to delete it but he unluckily opened the text message instead.
Let’s eat one meal together once a week, please?
Elaine was trying so hard. Tan scoffed, and threw his phone on top of the bed. He took one bath towel from the cabinet and walked outside his room to bathe. He stopped in his tracks, swung around when he saw that Elaine’s door was opened.
He took a deep sigh. He walked towards the room, held the doorknob and was about to pull it closed when he noticed that the lights were left on but there was no one inside. He also noticed that the walls were now painted. Light pink. That was odd, Elaine loved black. But then again, it would be weird if she’d paint the room black.
Tan closed the door and turned the lights off. Where did she go? He saw her car in the garage. Elaine used to come home late and he’d worry and he’d patiently wait for her all night to arrive.
Tan walked towards the bathroom. After the hot bath and changing into his pyjamas, he opened his laptop and started checking his e-mails. He went outside the room when he felt thirsty.
The house was still quiet. There was still no sign that Elaine was back. He went back to his room after getting a bottle of mineral water from the fridge. His eyes darted from the clock to his phone lying on his bed. He shook his, took the phone and flipped it upside down.
