Chapter 25 & 26 : A Night of Passion
“Bro turn off your alarm” Daphne groaned, and Paul turned off his alarm.
He stretched his arms before getting up from the bed.
“Good morning” He greeted, and her eyes fled open.
Did he just greet her?
“What did you say?” She asked sitting up.
“What you heard” He replied, before going into the bathroom.
“F**k!” She screamed in her head.
GYM ROOM**
“Hubby, breakfast is ready” Daphne informed, and he turned off the machine.
“Here” She handed him a towel.
“Thanks” He took it from her, and swiped off the sweats on his face.
“Go refreshen up, and I’ll set the table” She said.
“Okay” He wrapped the towel around his neck, and walked out of the gym.
She bit her lips remembering how sexy he looked while he exercised. The sweats on the forehead, the way he panted, the way he twitched his arms flexing his muscles and everything.
“Daphne!” She heard her name.
“I’m coming!” She rushed out of the gym.
“What’s up?” She asked, and he looked at her with teary eyes.
“Hubby, Talk to me…” She trailed.
He opened his mouth to speak but no word came out. He was unable to say a thing.
“Hubby?”
“Granny…. she…she” He managed to speak.
“She what?!” She asked impatiently.
“She’s déad!” He burst out in tears.
“What!”
Paul took low strides towards the bed as tears rolled down his cheeks.
“I’ll excuse you guys” The doctor said, and left, leaving them with a nurse.
Daphne couldn’t even move her legs from the door. Her eyes were swollen already with tears ready to rolled out.
The nurse lifted up the cloth used to cover her, and her pale face came to view.
“No!!!!” Paul screamed in horror, and fell on the floor.
Daphne closed her eyes, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
The nurse covered back her face and left.
“Hubby” Daphne walked to him, and squatted beside him as he cried uncontrollably.
“Granny” He weakly pointed at the lifeless body.
“Get a grip of yourself Paul” She sniffles.
“She’s… She’s… She’s gone” He muttered, and shook his head in disagreement and got up.
He walked briskly to the body, threw the cloth on the ground and grabbed her shoulders tightly.
“No no no GF, you can’t leave me. You promised never to leave my side” He cried bitterly, and Daphne ran out of the ward. She couldn’t take it anything.
Their moments together flashed in her head as she headed towards the hospital’s exit.
How they laughed, chuckle and talk about crazy things like a mother and daughter.
She was walking like a living corpse, her brains weren’t working at this point.
She was walking not realizing that she was in the middle of the road.
She almost got hit, but the driver quickly stepped on his brakes.
“Can’t you see?!” He blurted, but she kept on walking like nothing happened.
After everyone left. Daphne and Paul stayed behind.
“GF, are you really gone?… For good?” He sniffles.
“You promised, you promised, you fking promised not to leave me and stay by my side and what happened to that promise? You fking broke your promise. You said promises were debt but you didn’t fulfill yours. Come back! Granny! Come back!” He cried.
The moments they spent together were clear and vivid in his head.
It hurts so bad that she’s no longer here with him.
He began digging up the grave with his hands, and Daphne stopped him.
He was crying on her chest.
“She broke her promise. Now I’m alone Daphne. I have no parents nor relatives except for Granny and now she’s no longer with me. I’m alone… Alone in this wicked and ruthless world” He cried, and she wiped off his tears.
“Look at me Paul”
“Look at me Paul Gael” He looked at her.
“You have me. You have Granny. You have your parents. I’m sure they are up there watching over you. Never say you’re alone cause you are not” She said with a light smile.
“I hate déath Daphne. First my parents and now the reason for my existence. Granny was always praying but no, he took her away. He f**king took her away from me” He cried, and she gave him gentle pats on the back.
Chapter 27 & 28 : The Awkwardness of a New Reality
Paul haven’t eaten or drank water all he does is drink alcohol all day.
Granny’s lawyer which is also the family lawyer came to visit.
“Madam Freya asked me to show you this after her demise” He said, before playing a video the TV.
“HI PAUL, HI DAPHNE, I HOPE YOU GUYS AREN’T MISSING ME THAT MUCH” She chuckled softly.
“Ummm…. Actually I know you’d be devasted by my death but please Paul…be happy for me…for Daphne” She sniffles.
“You deserve all the happiness in the world cause you’re my boy” She chuckled out more tears.
“I’m sure the doctor didn’t tell you the cause of my deàth, I asked him not to. I was diagnosed with brain tumor and I don’t wanna have surgery. You know I’m scared of needles, I can’t imagine any part of my body been stitched. Like gosh, I love my gleaming and spotting skin and by the way, I’m old already so it won’t be bad if I diéd. After all everyone is gonna díe some day sooner or later” She smiled.
“Be happy Paul. And to my precious daughter in law Daphne Daphne Daphne” She chuckled, and Daphne smiled as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Paul was already crying, his face in his palms.
“I’ll miss you. I wish I could stay longer but Paul is too attached to me. He might not have time for you. Talk more of making me a great grand mother” She chuckled.
“Let me be serious” She cleared her throat.
“Gosh, I feel so alive, free, young and youthful this days probably it’s because déath is knocking on the door, so I gotta be happy during my last days” She sighed dramatically.
“Daphne I wish you all the happiness in the world, and all the good things life has to offer. I have a request for you please look after Paul on my behalf. I get that he can be stupid at times but we can’t abandon him, can we?” She rolled her eyes dramatically, and Daphne slightly chuckled.
“My neck hurts, F**k” She twitched her neck, and Paul dropped his hands down to look at the screen.
“You’re probably surprised that I said a curse word” She chuckled.
“But it’s all your fault” She flipped her hair.
“Stop saying curse word, okay?else I won’t appear in your dreams” She said pointing a finger like he was there.
“I love you Paul. I love you, love you, love you , love you and love you bratty baby boy. I finally said what you’ve been wanting to hear. I didn’t think I was gonna say it this way” She chuckled.
“Don’t feel jealous Daphne. I love you too” She smiled, and there was a brief silence.
“Bye” She waved.
“Bye… Forever” She muttered sadly but with a smile on her face, and video ended.
Paul burst out in tears, and rushed upstairs.
The lawyer and Daphne exchanged glances.
“Paul” She called for the umpteenth time. She’s been knocking on the room’s door, but Paul hasn’t opened up.
“Paul”.
“Honey?”
“Hubby?”
“Sweetheart”.
“My love”.
“Mr Gael Paul… Please open up. Talk to me. Locking yourself up and drinking alcohol all day won’t bring Granny Freya back. You love her, I love her, we both love her but sadly our love can’t bring her back” She sniffles.
“She’s gone Paul. I know it’s a hard reality to accept but sonner or later we’ll accept it. Paul please come out, I wanna talk to you, I wanna wipe off your tears, I wanna give you gentle pats on your back, I wanna listen to your hurts, I wanna stroke your hair while you cry on my chest. You know why I wanna does things? Cause I’m your wife. It’s my responsibility to be there for you… Especially when you need me the most” She smiled talking, but deep down she was crying in her heart.
But she gotta be strong for herself, Paul and Granny.
“Paul” She knocked again.
“I’m hungry” He said from inside, and her face brightened immediately.
“What do you want?” She asked happily.
“You can make anything” He replied.
“I’ll be back in a jiffy” She rushed to the kitchen.
<10 MINUTES LATER>
She knocked on the door happily.
“Paul?”
“Hubby?”
“Darling?”
“Dearest?” There was no response.
She held the door knob and twisted it, to her surprise the door was open.
“Huh?” She rushed inside, but Paul wasn’t there.
His phone and a note were on the bed.
•GOODBYE DAPHNE
Her eyes widened immediately.
What does he mean by goodbye?
She ran out of the room.
A CONVENIENCE STORE**
Paul came out a convenience store with a black nylon in his hand.
He adjusted his black face cap covering his face properly.
It started raining heavily, people rushed to the convenience store for shield while he walked in the rain.
He sat on a bridge with a bottle of alcohol in his hand. He’s currently on the third bottle. He drank everything at a go and brought out a poi$on from the nylon.
He closed his eyes before opening it. He gulped everything and got up ready to jump down.
He looked at the water underneath the bridge.
He felt weak, the poison was starting to take effects on him.
“Paul!!!” He heard his name from afar.
“Don’t!!!” Daphne screamed in horror. She was totally drenched by the rain.
He gave her a faint smile, and faced the water back ready to jump.
She ran to him and held him back.
He tried struggling to push her, and she gave him a slap.
“Get a grip of yourself!” She burst out in tears.
“Goodbye Daphne” He gave a faint smile, and she saw the poißon container on the ground.
He slowly closed his eyes, and her eyes widened.
She quickly held him to prevent him from falling.
“Stay with me Paul” She pleaded.
Chapter 29 & 30 : The Grieving Process
“Paul stay with me” She said holding his hand as they carried him on a stretcher.
His eyelids slowly parted.
“You’ll be fine, okay?” She sniffles.
“Remember you can’t leave me, okay? else you want me to come with me” She said.
“You can’t go with us ma’am” A nurse said, and went inside the ICU.
“You can’t leave me Paul” She cried.
“I failed mom. I failed Granny. I failed Paul. I failed him as a wife. He’s in there fighting for his life cause I didn’t look after him like Granny asked me to” She cried.
“Mom I won’t be able to forgive myself, if something bad happens to him” She cried.
“Paul will be fine” Mrs Millie said, and she looked at her dad.
“Your mom is right Daphne” Mr Miles said, and she hugged him tightly.
Doctors and nurses have been passing by not saying a word to her or her parents.
“Doctor” She blocked one of the doctors.
“How’s my husband? Is he fine? Did something happen? Is he okay? F**king say something!” She blurted out in anger.
“I can’t say anything for now. Just pray for him. That’s all I can say” He walked away, and she slowly fell on floor, crying.
“Daphne” Her dad held her hand helping her get up.
10 MINUTES**
The family doctor came out the ICU with a sad face.
“How’s my husband?” She asked.
“Actually… He’s… Mr Paul…
She pushed him out of the way, and ran into the ICU.
Her mom wanted to go in, but her dad her hand stopping her.
A nurse made to cover him.
“Don’t you dare!” She walked briskly to the nurse and pushed her away from him.
“Don’t you dare come close to him! Don’t you have families? You just cover someone like they are some sort of table!” She blurted.
“Get the f**k out of here!” She blurted, and they left.
“Hubby…” She sat beside him.
“I know you love and miss your GF a lot but you shouldn’t go with her cause of that, you know” She held his hand.
“I know for sure Granny won’t be happy to see you” She sniffles.
“So come back Paul. Come stay with me. Let’s live and enjoy the rest of our lives together” She chuckled out more tears.
“You told me that you wanna go back to sweden and spend more time with your mom’s relatives, do you remember?” She smiled.
“Paul, I’d like to go with you. I’d like to meet them, I’d like to go Sweden with you. I wanna see the beautiful islands in Sweden with you”
“Paul life is meaningless without you, I’m incomplete with you, what’s happiness without you?” She burst out in tears.
“You told me you wanted to win the best CEO award. I also want that for you. I wanna be there with you… by your side when you’ll be announced the best CEO of the year. I’ll be there Paul. Just please come back… to me. I can’t live without you” She sniffles.
“Paul!” She yelled.
“Talk to me!!”
“Come back to me!! Don’t you dare leave me alone!!”
“Paul” She called calmly.
“Remember we share one soul, there’s no me without you so come back” She caressed his face fondly with a smile.
He didn’t move an inch.
“Paul!!!” She hit his chest repeatedly.
“Paul!!!”
“Come back!!!” She cried hitting his chest.
He still didn’t move an inch. She placed her head on his chest weeping bitterly.
She felt his hot breath on her neck and she quickly looked up.
His eyelids moved, and he started moving his head from side to side. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead.
“Babe” She called calmly.
“Daphne” He called subconsciously.
Her parents were watching from outside, they quickly rushed to go get the doctor.
“Paul, I’m here” She said, and his eyelids slowly parted.
“Daphne” He tried to sit up.
“Don’t” She stopped him.
“What am I doing here?” He mumbled looking around.
The doctor rushed into with two nurses.
“Please excuse us ma’am” A nurse requested, and she gave a nod.
“Don’t close your eyes,okay?” Daphne said,and he nodded twice like a kid.
She pecked his forehead before leaving the ward.
10 PM**
They ran a general test on him, and he was perfectly fine. He only needed some rest cause of the injections, drips and medications he took.
Her parents left not too long ago.
She was sitting beside him on the bed.
“Are you fine?” She asked in concern, checking his temperature with her hands.
“Yeah” He chuckled.
“Don’t do that again” She held his hand.
“I won’t. I promise” He placed the other hand on hers.
“I was so scared” She sniffles.
“I’m sorry” He pecked her cheek.
“Are you hungry?”
“I ate not too long ago. I don’t wanna get chubby” He said.
“Let’s go to sleep then” She said getting up from the bed.
“Where are you going to?”
“The couch. I’ll sleep on the couch” She replied.
“Nah I don’t want that. Sleep beside me” He pouted at her looking cute as a pufferfish.
“Have you always being this cute?” She chuckled, and they burst out in laughter.
“Come here” He spread out his arms, and she laid on the bed beside him in his arms.
“I wish we could be like this forever” She said.
“I don’t want to wear a maternity gown forever” He shook his head, and they burst out in laughter before resting her head on his chest.
“Goodnight” He stroked her hair.
“Night” She smiled wrapping her arms around him.