Chapter 4

Herald alighted from his car and hurried into the mansion. He could hear the happy laughter of Dorca and her friends coming in from the pool area. He shook his head in regret as he headed for the stairs. If what Mr. Eliot said was true then Samantha must still be within the mansion.

Getting into Samantha's room, he knocked on the door but there wasn't any response. He tried to unlock the door, but it was locked.

" Samantha..are you in there?" Herald asked, his voice laced with concern.

" Please let me in, let's talk," Herald pleaded.

" Dad.." Samantha's exhausted voice came through followed by loud sobs.

" Samantha, what's happening to you? Please let me in," Herald said.

" I've been locked inside, dad please get me out of here," Samantha cried. In a long time she hadn't cried before her dad, but she couldn't hold back all the pain burning into her soul.

" What! Hang on in there, I'm getting you out," Herald said before he made long strides along the corridors to the balcony overlooking the pool.

Dorca was still in the company of her friends, wine glasses on their hands as they laughed heartily.

" Dorca, what the hell have you done to my daughter?" Herald forked angrily shocking the women below. They stared up at once and were met by a pair of blazing eyes.

" Honey, I did nothing to her, I just taught her a little lesson. You know how disrespectful and troublesome Samantha is," Dorca said with a fake smile plastered on her face to hide her embarrassment from her friends.

" I've had enough of you woman, I won't let you destroy my daughter's life ever again. Come here an open her room at once," Herald said, his gaze darkened.

" Sorry Dorca, we have to leave now, it seems you have some serious issues to sort out with your husband," Amanda said.

" No Amanda, Herald is just overreacting, let me go up and sort it out, we should continue afterwards. Don't leave just yet " Dorca said with her pleading eyes.

" It's okay Dorca, we understand. Husbands at times do overreact over little issues. Go ahead, we'll just be here when you return," Doreen said.

" Alright guys, that girl is really trying my patience," Dorca said as walked away from them.

" Didn't she say that Samantha was already married to that old fool? How come she is here?" Amanda asked.

" I've no idea, you know how Dorca is," Doreen said as she rolled her eyes glancing at Dorca's disappearing figure.

The two ladies giggled before they picked up their wine glasses, waiting for the eruption that's about to take place.

" Honey, why did you have to talk to me like that in front of my friends? Can't you see how embarrassing it is," Dorca said in her most seductive voice.

" I don't know what's wrong with you Dorca, why do you always bring trouble to me and my daughters. What is it that you really want?" Herald said angrily.

" If you had disciplined your daughter then I wouldn't have to do it myself," Dorca said.

Herald stared hard at her, almost as though he wanted to eat her whole.

" Just open the damn door," Herald said impatiently.

" Wait for me, I'll get the keys," Dorca said before she walked away, rolling her round buttocks as she went.

Herald watched in frustration before he hit hard the wall. He had no idea how to deal with such a troublesome woman.

Herald snatched the key from her before he hurriedly opened the door. He walked into the room and watched in dismay at Samantha's figure hurdled at a corner, her body bruised up with red marks all over.

" Samantha dear, what happened, why..." Herald asked as he trailed his eyes all over her body. He didn't need to ask from Samantha and so he paused his question before he turned around to face Dorca who just walked into the room.

" She insulted me, I had to discipline her," Dorca said defensively.

A heavy slap had immediately resounded in the room.

Dorca held her burning cheeks unable to believe that Herald dared hit her , and worse in the presence of Samantha.

" You dare hit me Herald, just because of her!" Dorca said, her voice laced with anger.

" I should have done that a long time ago. Can't you see how you have destroyed my daughters lives. Where is Camille? And Samantha, what have you done to her now? Who gave you the right to hit my daughter," Herald said before he held Samantha and helped her up on the bed.

" She is now your daughter! I thought you wanted me to be her mother," Dorca said.

" You are not fit to being a mother," Herald said.

Dorca stormed out of the room angrily.

" I'm really sorry Samantha, please forgive me. I've failed to protect you against Dorca," Herald said in a regretful tone as he held her hand.

" I don't know why she hates me so much dad. What have I ever done wrong to her. You know me dad, I can't be everything she says I am," Samantha said as she stared at her dad in her moist eyes.

" I know dear, I should have reacted sooner, please forgive me," Herald said.

" I just want to get out of here, maybe with me gone you guys can enjoy your lives together. I won't bring you any more troubles," Samantha said.

Herald's heart broke into thousand pieces. Just the other day Samantha was a young and jovial child, but in just three years he had taken everything away from her. He had known about the fact that she had to do odd jobs, that she never once complained to him or seek his help. She was still so young but had undergone a lot. Her figure had become frail evident of the hardship she had gone through in her own home.

Samantha stood up at once and picked her back pack lying on the ground.

" I'm leaving now dad?" Samantha said and walked out.

Herald held his chin in regret and stared into his daughter's room that had become strange to him. They had once been best of friends, but he had stopped going into her room the moment he brought Dorca and Camille into the house.

Samantha's body arched all through and what she needed was painkillers to drive the pain away. She had no idea where to start from. How would she even explain it to her husband, the man she hadn't even talked to. What would he think of her and her family? That she had forcefully gotten married to him to escape her troubled life.

She walked down the stairs , her mind all jungled up. Her hair was all messed up, her face filled with dried up tears. She knew that she looked like a ghost, with her white dress crumbled up, her hands filled with red marks.

She heard Dorca's voice coming from down prompting her to raise her head and glance down.

She immediately halted her steps as her eyes came face to face with those dark eyes that had a lot of secrets in them. Her heart thumbed hard.

He was the last person she had hoped would see her in that situation. Wasn't he away, probably on a business trip. Samantha had stayed rooted to the ground. She didn't know whether she wanted to face him looking all messed up.

Herald got up and followed after Samantha.

" Samantha wait, let me take you to the hospital," Herald said.

Samantha was standing on the stair as she glanced down. Herald followed her gaze and his eyes landed on the fine gentleman who stood in the middle of the living room, his gaze fixed on Samantha.

" Sir, welcome to our home. You must be Camille's friend. Come, have a seat. Camille isn't home right now but we could get to know each other," Dorca said. She released a perfect smile.

" What a despicable woman. Just moments ago she was crying after being hit, her cheek was still red with the mark, yet she was already smiling to the man she could already tell wielded a lot of power," Samantha inwardly smirked.

Eliot didn't spare her any glance but stared at Samantha's figure up the stairs.

" Mr. Eliot, I'm sorry that you had to find us like this," Herald apologized the moment he arrived at the living room. Samantha stood beside her father.

" What happened to my wife?" Eliot's deep voice resounded in the room.

Dorca's eyes widened in surprise.

" Please sir, it was just a little mistake on the part of my wife. But I assure you, this won't ever happen," Herald said.

" Please have a seat Mr. Eliot, we can talk then," Herald said respectfully.

Eliot's gaze trailed off Samantha's body and glanced at the plump woman beside him for the first time time. His gaze was unreadable, however he had followed after Herald and sat on the couch. He texted something on his mobile before he turned to face Herald.

" Dorca, prepare something for our guest here," Herald said.

Dorca threw a dirty gaze at Samantha before she had turned around with a smile plastered on her face. This didn't escape Eliot's hawk eyes.

" Never mind aunt, I'll prepare something for him," Samantha said and dropped her bag on the couch.

It seemed Eliot just noticed that she had packed a few of her stuff, probably that had been why she had gone back to her house.

"Don't bother Samantha, we are almost leaving," Eliot said and held Samantha by her arm making her sit on the couch beside him. She winced in pain but immediately apologized.

" I had no idea you would join us, you said that you would be sending your driver to pick her up," Herald said. He was embarrassed that he had no idea where to start from.

" I thought it would be better to meet my in-laws in person and pick up my wife," Eliot said.

Dorca on the other end had almost forgotten what had transpired. She trailed her eyes over the refined gentleman. His shoes were definitely expensive, she couldn't even tell how much they cost, and his suit, so elegant and rare, the design unrecognisable. Surely he must be very rich. Dorca could already see herself swimming in millions. Too bad it wasn't Camille who had gotten married to him.

" You did well. Samantha here is my daughter, she is already wedded to you, so what more can I say but bless your union," Herald said. He could feel that the man had power enough to protect her and provide her a better life, only that he wasn't sure of the type of guy he was.

Herald could tell that he had vaguely heard his name, but he didn't have enough information about him.

A text had come through his mobile. Eliot stood up at once.

" I hope we could meet in a different situation Mr. Herald , but we have to leave now. " Eliot said.

Dorca and Herald escorted them out.

Outside a police car had been waiting.

" Is he perhaps a police boss?" Dorca asked in her mind.

Eliot held Samantha's frail hand as he led her inside the car.

" Let's go," Eliot said. His car was driven off at once.

Dorca was surprised to see that the police car had stayed behind.

" Dorca Smith, you are hereby arrested over assault charges. You have the right to remain silent. A lawyer will be provided to you incase you can't afford one." One of the policemen said as he cuffed Dorca.

" What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you arresting me, I didn't do anything. Herald....can't you tell them that they got the wrong person," Dorca said as she tried to break loose.

Herald's eyes trailed at the car disappearing in a distance, surely he would take good care of his daughter. He then walked back into house unbothered by Dorca's pleas.

" You can't do this to me Herald, you can't have them arrest me," Dorca shouted but she was already pushed inside the car. Hiding behind a flower bed, Amanda and Doreen had recorded everything that had transpired, what a juicy way to end the day.