CAN I ESCAPE?

PART 6

Helena laid down to take a rest after Jake left. Edwin closed the lights of the room and went downstairs for some work. She was lying peacefully but was not sleeping. Edwin came into the room after some time with a bowl of porridge placed on a tray. She sensed his presence but pretended to sleep. He switched on the lights and kept the tray on the nightstand beside her. He sat down next to her, came close to her face, and admired her. Assuming her to have slept, he started to speak.

"Helena, I am sorry for behaving that cold, but I thought that you might have learned the truth. Seeing your situation now, I don't think you know anything, but I will still be checking. I am very sorry but this is essential now", he said as he cupped her warm face in his cold hands. She started to move a bit, and he quickly removed his hand from her face. He woke her up by softly calling her name.

"Helena, wake up cupcake. See what I got", he said as he shook her gently. She woke up in an instant and looked at him while squinting her eyes as the room had a bright light. He pulled her up and made her sit on his lap. She kept looking down. He lifted her chin with his finger making her look at him.

"Now, tell me why did you skip your meals", he asked softly.

"I did not feel like eating", she replied.

"Love, you are not going to skip your meals like that. You should have eaten less. You should not skip them completely", he sweetly explained to her.

"But I can't eat when I don't feel like eating."

"Then just call me once, and I will come and make you eat them, hmm", he said while smiling at her. But she did not show any emotion.

"Look, I got porridge for you. Let's finish this quickly so that you can take your meds", he said as he placed her in her place again and picked up the tray.

"I don't want to eat", she said as she laid down covering herself with the duvet.

"Helena, eat it. It is important", he said as he tried to pull the duvet off her.

"How the hell should I explain to you that I don't want to eat? My head is already hurting", she yelled at him and covered herself with the duvet completely.

Edwin was stunned to see her mood swing. He knew that she was in a bad mood, and if he tried to request her more, she would shout again and that might make him lose his temper.

"Fine, eat it if you feel like eating or wake me up, okay?"

"Hmm", she replied.

At night, she woke up due to hunger and ate the porridge. She started to act like the time she had been depressed. According to her observation, she believed that Edwin knew nothing about Sam and their tragedy. So, she went on with the act. A couple of days passed but she still acted the same. Her eyes lost life. She would lie in her bed the whole day. She would not talk to anyone. She did not eat more than one meal a day. Edwin was helpless. He did not know what to do. Finally, he decided to call Daxton to ask for help.

Daxton: "Hey Brother-in-law! What's up?"

Edwin: "Hi! I am not fine. What about you?"

Daxton: "Oh that's gre- wait, what?"

Edwin: "It's about Helena."

Daxton: "What about her? Is she okay? Speaking of which, she did not contact me for almost two weeks."

Edwin: "Daxton, she is acting very strange. She does not leave her room, she looks very sad and pale. She does not eat. She does not talk to anyone. I don't know what to do. I feel very helpless."

Daxton: "Again?"

Edwin: "What?"

Daxton: "[hesitantly] Oh no nothing. I was talking to a waiter."