Chapter 540 - Five Hundred And Forty-one: A Caged Bird
The third point of view:
Maggie was high, really, really, high in the sky, and then she crashed. Badly. Plummeted Iike sixty feet from the sky. However, she still had her bones intact.
The woman woke up with a start, her eyes immediately connecting with honey-brown eyes. For a while, none of them said a word, just staring at each other until he spoke, "Are you done hugging my body?" Andrew spoke icily as usual, but beneath that arctic layer, she could sense a hint of amusement. Her being stupid entertained him.
She looked down, "Oh," realizing indeed that she was hugging his body as if she was sleeping with her teddy.
"Sorry," She apologized, blushing scarlet red and as well, wondering what in the world happened here. This was not her room - probably his from the look of things - and how had she gotten here. The only thing she remembered was cleaning up her wound and eating... It hit her.
Her eyes widened, "You put cannabis in my food?"
"Didn't you ask for it?" he gave her a blank stare.
"I was joking! Can't you take a little joke?" no wonder her food tasted extra good last night. It was the best rice dish she had ever tasted.
"Unfortunately, we don't joke with shit around here. Perhaps the next time, you make yourself explicitly clear," He said, standing up to his feet and began to take off his shirt.
"What are you doing?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"I smell like shit because I couldn't take a bath last night thanks to you hoarding my body and refusing to let go. Now, I finally have to take my bath, hallelujah! And you should do the same, we'd be leaving in an hour,"
Maggie smiled, "This is the longest you've talked to me since we knew each other. I never knew you were talkative," She said, trying not to linger on the sight of his bare body.
Andrew winced, "If that's the case, that means you don't remember last night, and do I have to seek your permission before I undress in my own privacy?" he asked her.
"No, you don't…." she stopped dead at the scars on his back. What in the name of God!
"What happened to you? Who did this to you?" She tried to touch the scar on his back but he swatted her hand away.
"My ex-girlfriend's father, your patron," He confessed, watching as her jaw dropped. He smirked knowingly, "I bet you don't want to see him anymore,"
"Oh no," her face was red and determined, "I want to meet him so I can give him a piece of my mind!" She was furious, "Why would he do this to you?"
Andrew was dumbfounded. He had intentionally told her that to see her reaction and this wasn't what he expected.
"You don't have to give him a piece of your mind or anything, I deserved that,"
"Why would you say so?" Maggie couldn't understand him. He was abused physically for God's sake.
"I broke his daughter's heart in the most humiliating way possible. I cheated on her," Andrew confessed.
Bang!
There was silence as she tried to digest the information he just fed.
"Then you deserve it," Her once cheerful tone was gone, "Sorry, but I'm not a fan of cheating spouses," Maggie didn't sugarcoat her words.
What brought on the sudden change in her attitude towards him? Andrew wondered until he recalled, Fernandez. Yep, that man did a number on her. Such a fine lady.
"The scars serve as a reminder to the man I once was and I'm grateful for that - it saved me," Andrew walked over to her till they were standing face to face, he muttered, "You're a beautiful lady and I hope you never fall for jerks ever again,"
Maggie looked up at him in surprise and was just about to tell him that she would remain single forever when he cut her off.
"Go and prepare to leave. Once I'm done, you're done else you're on your own,"
Jerk! He was giving her time limits now, huh. She had an inkling this was vengeance for what he claimed she did to him last night. What in the world even happened? What did she do to him?
At once, she left the room in a rush just as he announced, "You are never touching cannabis, ever again,"
"We'd see!" She left.
She was beginning to get comfortable with this stranger, Maggie realized during the drive to go meet her patron. He made her comfortable, nor was his stare accusing, even though she killed someone. She was afraid to say he understood her.
Perhaps, it was because he was no righteous than she made her relax, like he could relate with her or something. But beyond that, he treated her well to the point of being caring - something Fernandez never did for her.
Maggie's face turned sour when she remembered that name. She wished she could turn back the hands of the clock to that time when they never met. With that kind of power, she would make sure they never cross paths in their second encounter. Fernandez was her nemesis; the nemesis that ruined her. She fell from the top to the bottom, Crashing with a thud. No, she doesn't regret killing him one bit. Perhaps, he can ask for forgiveness from her daughter he sent to the land of no return. The only problem was that he would be in hell and her daughter in heaven.
"That doesn't look like the face of a woman who just regained her freedom,"
Maggie smiled bitterly, "This isn't freedom. Like a caged bird, I might be out, but my soul isn't..." she touched her chest, "It's embedded deep inside. The scars. These ones never fade away,"
Andrew didn't say anything after that confession but one could see how tight he held the wheel. He wished he had been the one to end that asshole that night but he couldn't go against Sakuzi's order. Not unless he wanted a death sentence. He just hoped she healed one day. She doesn't deserve the torments.