005

Elvira’s POV

I watched as he turned on the TV,

“The world mourns as the eldest daughter-in-law of the president was found dead and burnt in her car,” A newscaster announced following the scene of the accident.

I watched the scene in horror— how did I survive that?—then the man holding a cigarette flashed through my mind, “Did.. did….. that… man save me?”

“The truck driver?” The man scoffed, “You don’t get it yet? Do you really think it was an accident?”

Come to think of it, he did hit me on purpose because there was no way he didn’t see my car, and I can’t remember him helping me; he just stood there with the cigarette and was making a phone call.

The more I watched the news the more my heart shattered. The family I grew up with had accused me of embezzlement of company funds, fraudulent activity in the company, tax evasion, insider trading, data violations and bribery, and corruption.

“My late wife was mentally unstable,” Casper cried, and I numbly watched, “She is the reason why our daughter is unconscious, she wanted to kill her, she almost killed me too, she was heavily into drugs, and that’s why she caused an accident.”

I didn’t understand why so many lies were being cooked up against me, “That’s a lie… I…. I… I didn’t do any of it,” I said hoping one person in this room would believe me.”

“Even if she was bad, she is still our family, and we must hold a funeral for her,” Mother said, her eyes were red, and I could tell she was pretending.

Mother never cared about me, even as a child when I was hurt, she didn’t even tend to my wound. She always regretted the fact that she adopted me.

“May my baby girl’s soul rest in peace,” My grandmother’s voice and teary eyes were the only things that were real. She was the third person I trusted, could I still trust her?

All the news channels carried different lies against me and all I could do was watch them. I watched the people I called family destroy me in front of the world.

“Turn it off!” I yelled when I couldn’t take it anymore, and the man turned it off. “Why did you show this to me? Who are you and what do you want from me?”

“I just wanted to show you that you have no home to return,” The man said, “But if you insist then the door is wide open for you, excuse me,” He said then left the room.

I tightened my fist and began to hit my chest aggressively. I couldn’t breathe, I screamed in my head as I allowed the tears to roll down my face.

I was filled with so much anger and I didn’t know how to get rid of it. I have been crying for God knows how long. I was already numb, but my heart was still heavy.

“Breakfast is ready,” The manager said as she entered the room and she dropped the tray on the bed. Only then did I look at the window and see it was already bright outside.

“Who was that man?” I asked, “What is your name? Why are you here instead of the hotel?” I had so many questions to ask.

“My name is Becky, and I work for that man, and that man is Mr Calix Kyrell. I believe you know him,” Becky said as she pushed the tray closer to me.

Calix Kyrell? The owner of the Kyrell group, one of the biggest empires in the world. Everyone knew his name but had never seen his face. Why did he save me? What does he want from me?

“You haven’t left?” Mr Calix said as he entered the room, his tone straight and his face stern.

“What do you want from me?” I asked again.

“I want to help you,” Mr Calix said with a straight face.

“Why?” I questioned.

“That shouldn’t be your concern. If someone is willing to extend a hand, then you should take it,” He said as he walked to stand in front of me.

Nothing made any sense to me, why would someone like him want to help me? We don’t even know each other, nor have we crossed paths. What was his motive?

“I cannot accept your help,” I replied.

He nodded his head, his face emotionless, “Your sister and your husband are having an affair, they are expecting a child and they will soon get married.

Your daughter is in a coma, you might never see her again and who is the cause? Your sister! Who gave your sister the audacity to do that? Your husband!

You were attacked. If Becky hadn’t asked for my help, then you would have died in that fire, and again, you lost your baby before he even saw the day of light, and who did all those? Your family you trusted more than yourself.

You are being painted as a bad person. You are either dead or wanted by the prosecutors for crimes you know nothing about and who did all that? Your family! If you walk out of here then you won’t walk out of there. Do you understand?”

The harsh reality I had been trying to avoid came running back to me. The anger I felt in my body was worse than earlier, “What do you want me to do?” I yelled out of frustration, “I’m helpless!”

“I want you to remember how they treated you, I want you to think of the child you lost and I also want you to remember the child in a coma!

Always remember that you lost one child and the other is slipping away from you.

No family hates the woman and loves the child of that woman, think of the life you want for her,” My head spun as Mr Calix spoke.

What would really become of my Akira when she wakes up? That family hates me, would they really love my daughter? They purposely took my kids away from me, they used me and rendered me useless.

“I will give you until tomorrow to make a decision, since you are already dead to the world you might as well jump from the top floor and end it or you can use me to make them beg and protect your daughter,” Mr Calix said, “I have a meeting to be at.”