The Divorcee's Redemption

29: Bruises

"They tell me think with my head, not that thing in my chest
They got their hands at my neck this time
But you're the one that I want and if that's really so wrong
Then they don't know what this feeling is like"

***

An excruciating pain woke me up and I found it difficult to even crack an eyelid open.

Every inch of my skin was burning like hell.

Clutching the edge of the couch, I slowly pulled myself awake. Groaning in pain, I stood up but I had to hold the wall for support. Even that little exercise had me panting.

I touched my face—there was dried blood in multiple places and I felt slightly dizzy and nauseous. Thankfully, the ringing in my ear had disappeared. My right eye wouldn't open, and I staggered through the hallway with a cracked left eye.

Alvarez was in the kitchen, and he gave a low whistle upon seeing me. "Drink some water, kid." He pushed a glass toward me. "Th-thanks..." I barely managed to mumble and clutch the white marble so that I wouldn't fall.

My hands were shaking from exhaustion as I took the glass and sipped, wincing in pain all the while. My lips were cut, and swallowing was just as difficult since there were blue bruises all along my throat.

"He messed you up really bad," Alvarez chuckled.

I looked around,startled, thinking that Mr.Xander had actually appeared again.

"There's still some time left until Mr.Xander comes down, I think... You should probably leave before that happens."

"O-okay..."

Alvarez watched as I struggled to drink. A smile played on his lips, "You're a brave young man, you know... Falling for the devil's daughter."

"H-he's not a devil..." I whispered, "He's only a father and a good one."

I coughed right after, as my throat dried up really fast and clenched painfully. "Take it easy," he walked over and rubbed my back. "You want me to be honest?" Alvarez smiled at me, "I've worked here for as long as I can remember and I think that if anyone has a chance at marrying Lucy, it's you."

His words made me feel lighthearted, "W-why do you think that?"

"Ah, I've always wanted to talk my heart out to someone about all the things that I've seen in here, even though I'm just a side character," he chuckled, "Mr.Xander was about as old as you when he hired me. It was hell at first, but soon I got the hang of things, as even Lara helped me. She was a good woman—bitchy, but good. I still remember all the sluts he brought home. At a point, I thought that since he had been doing it for so long, he might have slept with the entire female population already." A chuckle escaped me but I immediately winced.

"Anyway, he brought Chelsea home. She was so young, we are all nearly the same age back then. But Mr.Xander being the ruthless, selfish dickhead that he was—past tense—didn't hesitate to use her. It might be because she was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen. The most beautiful girl that I, Lara or let alone anyone else, had ever seen."

His words were very true, Chelsea was stunning especially for someone in their mid-forties.

"Anyway... I never thought that I'd see the day when Mr.Xander would end up married... Having a kid was way off his radar, to be honest. The freeze, as you know, might be the best thing that happened to them because after that... he was much more human towards Chelsea. And of course, he had Lucy with him. Chelsea told us that his metamorphosis over the months was because of Lucy. He had finally learned to love something in his life."