Chapter 3 03

03

I V Y

My mom gave me a small smile. It was all she could muster as she managed to squeeze my hand. I had moved her to a private hospital two days after the marriage.

Dr. Nathan had recommended it but then he asked how I got the money. Shame rolled in my tummy at the question and I looked away instead. I couldn't tell him. The worry in his eyes only twisted my gut, and when he saw my bruised wrist and shook his head in disappointment and sorrow, I began to cry.

He held me as I sobbed, promising that things would get better but that I didn't have to go through with 'this'. How long would I have to wait for things to get better? I'd waited four months, and nothing happened.

If the five million came with an absent husband and one who gave me a bruise the first day, then this was the best it could get. I didn't dare hope for anything to get better.

A cough pulled me out of my thoughts and I hurriedly grabbed my mom a glass of water. She looked stronger today. "I really want to see the woman that helped us. I want to thank her for her generosity," my mom said after the coughing fit had died down.

My smile didn't reach my eyes when I replied, "I'll make sure she comes around when she's back."

Sue me. I'd lied to my mom. When she asked how I was able to afford this hospital, I told her that a lady just took pity on us and helped out. It wasn't much of a lie, and it was closer to the truth. I didn't want to make her worry. Not in this state.

For that reason too, I'd worn a long sleeved shirt to cover my wrist. The ring in my pocket felt like a thorn at my side, almost like it was digging a hole through my skin.

We caught up on everything. We talked, and we laughed too. I assured her that Dr. Nathan would visit while she made me promise to go out more instead of making my home beside her. And for the first time in months, I felt a sense of relief. If nothing got better, my mom would. I could feel it.

The doors to the room opened softly and a female doctor stepped in. Diane was her name. She was the doctor assigned to my mom and she did great. Not much of a talker, but she did her job.

She gave me a small smile then turned to my mom. "How are we feeling today?" She asked. I paid attention to the questions she asked and the answers my mom gave.

"Everything looks improved so far. I'll come back later," Diane said and we waved a smiley goodbye to her. My mom and I shared a smile before she began to drift off to sleep.

When she was settled and peacefully asleep, I kissed her forehead and left the room. I promised to come back the next day, even if she didn't hear me. And I began my journey back to Elliot's penthouse.

Marianne said that was where I had to stay. There were a lot of dos and don'ts as a 'Grayson' wife. I'd even signed a contract.

Elliot hadn't come home since the marriage. And sometimes at night, I felt the loneliness seep into my bones, chilling me. It was now my home, though I couldn't help but feel like a stranger.

Just as I reached the lobby of the hotel, the receptionist, Lydia, held her nose as I walked past. I didn't know her but her dislike for me was evident. When I first moved in with Marianne helping me, she had taken one look at me and giggled to herself.

Oftentimes she said horrible things that were aimed at me, but never directly said to me. Like today, she said; "Wretchedness is like skin. No matter where you go, you cannot shed it off."

It was obvious that even though I had millions of dollars still sitting in my account, I was still the same. No matter how I looked, or how I dressed.

Her words always stuck to me. It made me feel less than, and unworthy. Like a 'nobody'. Why were people so cruel? I hadn't done anything to her except to offer a kind smile... but she took one look at me and declared I was not worthy.

I was too exhausted, and too drained to ask her why she thought it was okay to treat people like that. She didn't have to like me, but she also didn't have to be rude.

By passing her, I stepped into the elevator and went up to the penthouse. As I stepped in, I stopped in my tracks. There was a man waiting for me, and he didn't look pleased.

My pulse thrummed frantically as his eyes bore holes into my skin. He looked like he would rip me apart until I was just pieces of blood, shredded skin and crushed bones.

I gulped.