Episode 34
<> Val’s side of the story continues from the previous episode
‘’how do we see?, can I come over to the house?’’ I eagerly asked Clara.
‘’no don’t, I don’t think the security guys will let you in. just go to a less crowded restaurant and send me the address. I will be there within few minutes’’ she quickly replied.
‘’okay then, that’s cool by me’’ I breathed with a quick smile and hung up.
Few minutes later I left the house in search of a less crowded restaurant. Luckily due to the time of the day it was very easy to find a less crowded cozy restaurant. I got a table near the window, ordered a fruit juice, relaxed and sent the address to Clara. Yes I was equally nervous like someone on a first date. I couldn’t help but remember the things I shared with her in the past. I just wished I had the power to turn back the hands of time, to correct my mistakes.
Exactly thirty minutes later, Clara slowly walked into the restaurant. My heart pounded very fast as soon as I spotted her. She looked more beautiful and radiant than she used to be. There wasn’t any doubt she was living well. I quickly waved at her, gaining her attention. She smiled and walked up to my table.
‘’good day val. You really don’t look like someone who just escaped death. You are one lucky guy’’ she said with a smile. I blushed, fighting hard to calm down my feelings.
Seeing her that moment gave me a kind of funny urge. I felt like kissing her right there and then.
Yes I really missed her very much but due to the situation of our relationship I held back my feelings. Moreover she never cared to look for me.
‘’what will you take?’’ I asked as I waved at the waiter. ‘’I will take the same thing you are taking’’ she replied quickly.
‘’did you leave the mansion all alone?’’ I asked curiously. ‘’no I was assigned new security team after the kidnap thing Charles pulled off. My security team is outside waiting for me’’ she replied quickly.
‘’I’m not really happy with you but anyway firstly I’m here to talk to you about Charles’’ I quickly breathed while she frowned.
‘’I didn’t come all the way here to listen to any crap you have on Charles. I came to confirm some things from you as well. Yes the issue has been bugging my mind for the past few weeks. It’s all about your relationship with my sister Vivian which you very much hid from me the way you hid your identity. Vivian was with you the night you were attacked. What was she doing in your apartment?’’ she quickly asked, leaving her furious eyes on me. To be candid I was expecting such questions from her but I never expected the energy and manner she threw them at me. I was totally disoriented.
‘’she brought me food and was about leaving when Charles showed up and attacked us’’ I answered innocently but she never believed me. She scoffed and shook her head.
‘’Charles attacked you huh?. Come on Val you and I know that Charles isn’t that strong or silly to attack you on his own’’ she hissed.
‘’I can tolerate every other thing apart from being taken for a fool. Come to think of it, When did Vivian turn to your cook?, to bring food for you by that hour. You can’t deny you guys were having an affair. Tell me Val, what else am I yet to know about you? What did I do to deserve this deception and lies?’’ she softly asked with a deeply colored face.
There wasn’t any doubt she was totally pained. There wasn’t any doubt she never believed any word I said. There wasn’t any doubt she was disappointed in me. I felt like grabbing her and forcing her to believe in me but we were in a public place and there wasn’t much I could do.
‘’from day one you lied to me. The only good memory about you I now have is the memory of how you risked everything to save me when I was kidnapped but still I know you did it just to save your job and not really to save my life. After I learnt what happened to you and Vivian, a lot of questions popped into my head. It’s all good. You said Charles stabbed a trained agent like you and equally stabbed Vivian at the same time?, what else do you have on him because I’m going to marry him?’’ she asked with a mockery voice as she stood up. I swallowed hard as I watched her stand up to leave. She already made a bad judgment and I totally was at lost on how to convince her. She was very much blinded with rage and merely showed up to conclude things she had in mind for me.
‘’I don’t have to tell you that Charles is a master planner. He planned your kidnap and still got away with it after turning the whole town upside down. I know I no longer have a stake in your life but please marry anyone but Charles. You don’t know what he’s capable of doing. He came to see me today’’ I managed to chip in. she simply shook her head, sighed and left the restaurant without bothering to listen to me anymore.
Deep down I felt sorry for her. She had every reason not to trust me.
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<>Clara’s side of the story continues
Yes at first I was very much excited to meet Val but then he gave no remorse, no regrets, or apology over the things I confronted him with which were definitely the truth. Instead he only came up with more lies, he only tried to bring in Charles to the picture. Yes of course I knew Charles was no saint but he wasn’t the kind of guy who would get his hands dirty in such a way. Charles was a bit scared of Val and the last thing I knew he would do was going to his place to stab both Val and Vivian on his own. Definitely it was a badly concocted fairly tale from Val to probably make me stay away from Charles but unfortunately he only got me angrier.
On getting back to the house, I was told mum was looking for me. I quickly headed to her room.
‘’where went you my dear, you don’t look okay’’ mum asked curiously.
‘’I’m okay mum. I just went out to see a friend’’ I answered
quickly.
‘’your cousin Vivian is fast recovering. I just spoke with her doctor’’ she informed me softly while I shrugged.
‘’good for her, but you guys are not showing any interest to investigate what actually happened in that guy’s house’’ I added thoughtfully. She breathed deeply.
‘’for now we can do nothing till Vivian returns, but I’m also confused over the whole story. When Mr. Val was your security guy Charles had this fear that he was having an affair with you but it now appears like the guy was really having an affair with Vivian instead. Is there anything else I need to know?’’ she asked while I kept quiet, saying nothing. Of course supposing she was very close and attentive as a mother perhaps she wouldn’t have asked the question and I would have confided in her with a whole lot of things but she was so busy playing the governor’s wife that she knew little about what was going on under her nose. Though everything that happened back then was fully not her fault. ‘’Charles really wants to wed you as soon as possible and you have a decision to make. If we allow you have your way you could take forever to give your consent. So I beg of you if there is anything I need to know?, you better talk now and if you have nothing to say I will then ask Charles to start up with the traditional marriage rites as soon as he can’’ she pushed on seriously while I looked at her with great disbelief, too stunned to say a word. To be continued
Clara the state governor’s daughter