Part 6

 

"You gotta see a doctor," Adam urged.

 

His arm was already looped around my wrist. From his expression, I knew he was really worried. Maybe the gash on my hand from Gavin's belt was looking pretty bad.

 

"Wait a sec—"

 

"Wait for what, Mahira? Your face is already pale. I'm sure you're dehydrated," he said again. 

 

I tried to refuse, of course, because Gavin was glaring hatefully at me and Adam. Adam insisted on taking me to get treated, maybe in his eyes my condition looked really pitiful. How could it not, I could barely even stand from losing so much energy.

 

"Come on, Mahira. I don't want anything bad to happen."

 

As soon as Adam had won my trust, my mother-in-law showed up. Though until then it had just been the three of us in this house. Her footsteps sounded hurried as she approached me.

 

"Where are you going, Mahira?" she asked. Then her eyes shifted to Adam, who was holding my hand. "What are you doing?"

 

Adam cleared his throat, he let go of my hand and was about to answer my mother-in-law's question.

 

"Mahira's condition is really bad. Just look at her face, she must have lost a lot of fluids," Adam answered.

 

My mother-in-law took a deep breath. Her face soured when she heard Adam state his intention. My mother-in-law looked disapproving as she shook her head, a sign she was rejecting the idea.

 

"No, Mahira has to stay in this house," she stated firmly to Adam.

 

"But look at her condition. Something bad could happen to Mahira if she stays home. She needs help."  

 

My mother-in-law refused. "This family also has a private doctor. Mahira can stay home and wait for that doctor to come."

 

The woman stated it firmly again. It seemed there would be no opening for Adam to help me. Seeing my stubborn mother-in-law, it was surely going to be hard to argue with her.

 

"But—"

 

"Enough, don't argue. Let me call the family doctor. You don't need to worry."

 

I could see Adam's shoulders slump from the rejection. It seemed he was disappointed to have to resign himself to my mother-in-law's decision.

 

"But what if that doctor doesn't come quickly? Mahira might not be able to wait much longer," Adam said. Apparently he still wanted to fight for me. "Right, Mahira?"

 

When his eyes met mine, I just stayed silent. My whole body was already in pain, my head was pounding too. Maybe because nothing had entered my body for three days. Plus, it turned out Gavin had been playing dirty behind my back.

 

"That's exactly why if Mahira moves around a lot, she'll just lose more energy."

 

Adam shook his head, his obvious concern making him want to firmly object. But then Catherine - his wife and my sister-in-law - showed up.

 

"Don't exaggerate. She's just weak, not dying of some disease," Catherine chimed in. She stood right beside my mother-in-law with disdainful eyes looking towards me. She even folded her arms, her body language challenging anyone who opposed her.

 

"Please don't butt in, Catherine," Adam scolded.

 

Catherine immediately responded just as snidely to her husband Adam. "I should be the one saying that. You're nobody, so why are you so concerned about Mahira? It's becoming clear that—"

 

"Don't talk nonsense," Adam cut her off as quickly as he could.

 

But Catherine didn't want to lose. She kept attacking me with demeaning words that hurt my feelings. Did my body really look healthy? It was obvious my face was deathly pale and I couldn't even support myself properly.

 

"Stay far away from her. Mahira's not that weak."

 

Adam turned his face away, like he was disgusted with Catherine's attitude of constantly cornering everyone. I felt the same way - I was even angry because Catherine always wanted to be prioritized, as if the world only revolved around her.

 

"Enough, Adam just wants to help me get treatment," I said in the middle of their argument.

 

Catherine scoffed derisively. With eyes glancing at me, she replied, "You really are a skilled seductress. Wasn't it enough when you got to sleep with my husband? Now you want his attention too."

 

My head was pounding even more from Catherine's ranting. I gripped my hair with my eyes squeezed shut, trying to endure the pain like being struck by a huge rock. I didn't know why Catherine's accusations were so vile.

 

"Enough, Catherine. I just need to go to the hospital, not argue here. I can't take it anymore," I said, trying to get some compassion from her.

 

But instead, my mother-in-law spoke up again. "Mahira, just go back to your room. The family doctor is already on his way to the house."  

 

In the end, after the argument expanded to encompass all our issues, I still had to give in. My life was so miserable, I was living with a family devoid of sympathy. Even when my condition was shattered, they still insulted me, especially Catherine.

 

"Please take me to my room," I asked Adam.

 

Of course Adam did that. He was the only human with a heart among those making me suffer. Until my body was lying weakly on the bed, Adam even waited by the edge.  

 

"Are you sure you can wait a little while until the doctor comes?" Adam asked me.

 

With eyes I could barely open all the way, I just nodded in response to Adam's question. My body was then covered up to my chest with a blanket. It seemed Adam knew I was cold.

 

"I'll get you some rice. You probably haven't eaten."  

 

Adam was so attentive. Catherine should be grateful to have a husband like Adam. His heart was like an angel's. It's just that Catherine tended to be the kind of wife who constantly broke Adam's heart.

 

As for me, I really pitied my own life. My husband Gavin was so abusive. He often tortured me if I didn't do exactly as he wanted. Gavin was even cruel enough to start beating me mercilessly. It was like there was a demon possessing him.

 

Not long after, Adam returned. I had been lost in thought but finally looked at Adam again. He came carrying a plate of rice and side dishes, while in his other hand he held a fresh glass of water.

 

My throat was parched - for three days I had only drunk a little water and not eaten. So when I saw the food, I was more interested in that. I even sat up myself and was about to feed myself.

 

But Adam stopped me. He said, "Let me feed you. You don't have enough energy yet to even hold a plate."  

 

I resigned myself and let Adam help me. He prepared the rice, meat, and veggies on one spoon. And carefully fed me.

 

"Take it slow. I can get you more if you finish this," Adam reminded me.  

 

I just nodded - right now I only wanted to eat and fill my stomach. Though my head kept dwelling on Gavin and his secretary at the office, which gradually made my appetite disappear again.

 

"What's wrong?" Adam asked when I refused his third bite.

 

I looked up and met Adam's eyes with a sad gaze. I felt like I was going to die. I was already suffering physically, but now my mind was starting to unravel from thinking about my husband. The more time passed, the more I blamed myself again. Seeing myself as the trash Gavin had picked up, so it was understandable he treated me however he wanted.

 

"You're thinking about that again?" Adam guessed.

 

I nodded but couldn't speak. Now I even bowed my head to hide the tears starting to well up.  

 

"I'm sorry, Mahira. You shouldn't have heard that, I'm sure it feels so painful."

 

This wasn't his fault. Maybe this was fate's way of showing that Gavin really was a bastard. He was hurting my body and heart together now.

 

"What should I do going forward? Gavin won't even let me go," I lamented to Adam.  

 

Adam rubbed my shoulder, that was his way of providing solace to others. But then Catherine barged through the door without permission. Her eyes glared right at Adam's hand that had just left my shoulder. She marched quickly over, and without a word immediately threw the plate from Adam's grasp.

 

CRASH!  

 

I covered my ears as Catherine acted so dramatically. She moved so fast that Adam couldn't dodge and I couldn't stop her actions.

 

"Oh my god." Adam murmured. Of course he was shocked by his wife's behavior.

 

"You cheap slut!"