Chapter 10: 10. I CAN'T DRINK
Chapter 10: 10. I CAN'T DRINK
Terror crept into her eyes and her breathing laboured.
"Turn around "
....the voice commanded in the darkness.
Bella's knees were as heavy as lead, she did not move. Constantly consoling herself that 'he was not talking to me'.
"I will say once more and the last time. Turn around you cleaner aunty."
Swoosh...
like lightning stuck her heart.
She knew that she has to do as he said, there was no running option now. Her teeth chattered and she turned around stiffly, on her knees.
The atmosphere became extremely odd as that man spoke. All the young masters immediately guessed that something was amiss as soon as they heard their elder brother's words.
All the attendants were happy and started whistling and giggling. They knew that now they will be witnessing a great show.
Bella's eyes were flowing with fear. She wanted to run away from here.
She has spent her 1,460 days in the prison. Each day waited a new punishment, a new torture, a new break down.
After she crawled out of that bottomless abyss, she never ever dared to have any feelings for this man.
What she felt now was only bone deep terror and fear. And frankly that was not only by this man but by everyone around.
"Raise your head".
The low voice ordered her and Bella dared not disobey. She did everything as said like a puppet.
Since the beginning, the booth had dim light. When Bella first came in, she didn't even dared to raise her head, actually she never did anyways also, so it not a surprise that she missed seeing him.
Henry Jackson was sitting in a corner most couch like a king, his long slender arms resting on the sides of the couch. His face had showed no signs of any emotion but his eyes starred at her like a hungry wolf, ready to pounce and rip her into shreds in a second.
In these four years of time, Henry Jackson polished himself into more dazzling personality. He just sat there emanating a mesmerising aura.
Even so.., Bella did not dare to raise her head and look at him. Instead she buried her head more into her chest and cleaner uniform.
"Hmmm..."
Henry snorted and thought, 'Why didn't she come running towards me after realizing that it's me sitting here? Doesn't she remember my voice?' Henry was actually upset by this thought of his.
Once Henry had gone to US for 3 months for his business course. The day he returned to A city, his flight of almost 8 hours late.
Bella waited for him for almost 9 hours. As soon as Henry came out, Bella ran upto him, climbed into his arms like a monkey. She entangled her legs on his waist and hands on his neck.
She never cared what others thought about her. For her, Henry was the only one who mattered.
More Henry tried to push her away, more she hugged him tight. Finally he had to give up. He carried her like this upto her car and then finally Bella got down from him.
Though Henry always ignored her, Bella never gave up on her love. And some how Henry always expected her to be around and enjoyed her lingering onto him. He always felt at ease when he could see only his image and love in her eyes.
'But why didn't she come running to him today? Its been , what, just few years. Why?'
With amusement in his eyes, he spoke to her dangerously,
"It's been a while!! What's the matter? Aren't you going to greet me?" Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.
He asked with an angry voice.
'Why was she not coming to me? She didn't even raise her head and looked at me once also.'
Same thoughts were now running in his mind again and again. And more he thought about this indifferent attitude of this girl, more angry he became.
He really wanted to teach her a lesson for ignoring him, for not recognising his voice, for not running towards him, for not hugging him.
Bella was deadly pale,
"Good evening, Mr. Jackson sir."
Bella tried her best to force down the terror in her chest. Her fingers dug deep into her thighs, and she forced herself alot to look calm on the surface.
However, the man on the couch caught her every move. Is it so hard for her to face him?
"Raise your head", he demanded again.
Bella had no choice, she raised her head slowly. As soon as her eyes met his, she withdrew her eyes and started looking down again.
Henry narrowed his eyes and appraised Bella. She was unrecognizable. If that attendant had not called her complete name, 'Bella Evans', for sure he would have not thought it was her at all and that too in LAS DEUX and as a cleaner.
The lighting in the booth was too dim, so he could only vaguely see her.
Even so, Henry could not help but admit that she had changed beyond even his expectations.
"When did you join LAS DEUX? And when did you get out?"
"And who hired you here?"
Bella was too scared even to answer. She raised her eyes again but before she could answer, her eyes were moved down again.
'Why? why couldn't he see any emotion for him in her eyes? Why no longer there was love and desire to conquer him in her eyes?'
He was angry and confused. Now, he really wanted to punish her, he wanted her to beg to him. He wanted to see himself once again in her eyes.
Henry raised a brow. Before anyone else knew what was happening, he pointed a finger at the bottle kept near Kevin.
"So you can't drink vodka, is it? Come on , if you don't want me to reveal your little secret then go ahead, drain that bottle of wine completely."
Bella looked at the bottle of wine. Her face was pale as death.
The man on the couch was like a hunter playing with the toy he was trampling on. His jet black eyes were fixed on Bella tauntingly,
"My patience has it's own limits, Miss Bella Evans"
That familiar way of speaking made Bella turn even paler.
'I will make you pay 100 times more pain then Cindy suffered'.
How can she forget his this threatening tone.
"S-s-sir... I really can't drink"
she said as softly as she could.
One of the doctor has already warned her regarding her alcohol consumption in the past. Her kidney is not in a good shape. A drop of alcohol is also life threatening to her.
It's not like that, that she wants to live long but she has to live because she need to pay debt to someone. However, the debtor is not Cindy Anderson.
"Mr. Jackson sir, p-please spare me..."
Bella could throw away her dignity, which she anyway was not left with, if it meant surviving.
Seeing this, Tiffany and Sheela both got angry and walked upto Bella.
"How dare you fucking bitch... you have so much of guts that you are refusing to him."
They were fuming with anger , now they wanted to beat her into pieces. Before Tiffany could slap Bella...
a sharp voice came loud which actually made Tiffany's hand freeze in the air,
"Get out.. you, you and you all girls... GET OUT NOW".. Henry almost roared.
Bella , who was already on her knees, started pleading again,
"I 'm begging you sir, have mercy for me just this once. I'll do anything as long as I don't have to drink anytype of alcohol."
Bella's throat was hurting now. She was having difficulty in speaking.
Carson Taylor, physician by profession, and only heir to Taylor family. Who owned one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world.
He was a born rebellion. Even though he had brains to run the family business but he still choose to go on his own selected way.
Now he was the most renowned doctor in City A and also Dean and Head of one of the biggest hospitals, The Hope.
Very second when he heard Bella, he kind of guessed that something was wrong with her. He guessed that something has gone wrong with her voice box and she is having trouble speaking.
As soon as Henry repeated the name 'Bella Evans', both Kevin and Carson were shocked abd with great surprise they looked at 'the cleaner aunty'. And now they were sure that this night is going to be a long night. Their elder brother will not let Bella go.
But for sure seeing Bella's present condition, they actually felt pity on her and wanted their elder brother to leave her alone. She looked humble, weak, pale and most importantly ugly beyond imagination.
Hidden in the dim lightening, the man's profile was dyed by a flash of surprise, but it was gone in an instant. After that, Henry said expressionlessly, "Its just a bottle of wine, but you're groveling on the floor just because you don't want to drink it?"
"Bella Evans , what happened to your famous pride? What about your that dignity you held on until the very end?"
Dignity???
Bella's face was pressed against the floor, coloured with hint of cynicism and bitterness.
What dignity? Was it edible? Would it allow her to live?
She was kneeling not because she felt her voice was bad nor that she was scared to drink but only because she has no choice, she has to earn lots of money and live!
As she lay prostrated on the floor, she reached one hand towards her lower left back. It was completely empty there , she had one organ less than most normal people.
"Bella don't protest... it's useless.. you know it very well.."
"Noooooo.. leave me... I will do everything you say... please don't do this.... "
"I beg you please.... ahhhhhh"
"begging won't work Bella" said the leader amd the warden of the prison.
"Mr. Jackson told us to take good care of you. And you see carrying two organs must be heavy for you na so please let us help you by reducing your wait."
" nooo... pleaseeeee... nooo"
As Bella continued to beg, her hands and legs were tied tightly to the operation table. There was a huge bright light over her head.
Bella was scared to death. She was already weak but still used all her force to get free from this.
"You people are not humans.... you are monsters... you all will go to hell" "ahhhhhhhhhhh"
Warden pulled Bella's hair. "We will go to hell??? Then where do you think you will go to missy?? "
There was a tight slap on her face. Leader continued, "You forced an innocent girl to die. You must think this as a way to pay her your debt. Your one kidney can save someone else's life."
Saying that they all laughed. They burried a piece of dirty cloth in her mouth.
Without speaking any further and without giving her any kind of anaesthesia or sedation, someone cut open her lower left waist.
There was so much of pain. Bella's entire body was trembling. Her mind was not stable and soon she passed out in this pain.
The warden took the phone from one of the convicts, who was asked to record this entire operation from the starting till Bella was thrown back to her cell.
She then forwarded it to the number stored by the name Mr. Jackson.
Bella was living with one kidney from last 2 years. Her present kidney was also not in a good shape because of over dosage of alcohol on routine basis. That was the reason why she couldn't take
alcohol, atleast not willingly.
She had to live. She owned a debt that she had not paid yet!!
She had a sin she has not attoned for!!
No!!
She could not die yet!!
Bella again requested, "Mr. Jackson sir, as long as it's not drinking , I can do anything."
Anything.... was it???
The man's hawk eyes narrowed, and his lips curved slowly. " Anything at all.. is it??".. there was a hint of danger in his tone.
Had the young heiress of Evan family thrown away all her pride and dignity? This thought was not only in Henry's mind but also in Kevin's and Carson's.