Fatal Alliances: Chapter 22
The next morning when I woke up, Vandermir wasn’t there as usual. Quickly, I got dressed and came out. Maybe I should go downstairs to get something to eat, I wasn’t going to ransack everything in Vandermir’s fridge anyway. It was already too much he let me stay here with him. As I stepped outside, I saw two of the employees of the hotel, they gave me weird looks and walked away whispering to each other.
Huh, how mature.
Even though I tried to ignore how they were probably gossiping about me, I couldn’t. They were probably thinking such classless filthy things about me. Sighing as I got off the elevator, I heard a few employees whispering to each other as I passed. This was too much. I walked up to the receptionist.
“Hi, Julie.”
“Hi, Sasha,” I said a bit tiredly.
“I heard you came last night, is everything okay?”
“You heard huh? What exactly did you hear?” I asked arching an eyebrow.
“Some pretty sleazy stuff but I highly doubt that’s true. You don’t come off like that kind of girl to me.”
I smiled at the young girl, she was probably the most mature out of those employees here.
“If you ask me,” she continued, “I think management should get rid of those new employees, all they do is cause conflict and spread rumours.”
“Seems like they’re firing the wrong people around here,” I muttered.
“What?”
“Nothing,” I sighed, “Actually I want to book a room here for some time.”
“Oh, alright, just one-second madam,” She giggled and typed up something in the computer,
“Okay so standard, deluxe, or suit?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I replied.
Before she could say anything, a new voice interrupted, “Don’t book her in.”
Turning to the side, I saw Adrian. What was he doing? How dare him.
“Sir?” Sasha questioned.
“Didn’t you hear what I just said?” he asked a bit annoyed that he would have to repeat himself.
“Don’t talk to her like that.” I snapped at him. She, out of all people, did not deserve to be
‘bullied’ by Adrian.
He didn’t like that either. As he pulled me to the side with him, the first thing I wanted to do was slap him.
“What is with you?” I asked sharply, trying to keep my anger from tipping over.
“Firstly, let’s get something straight Greene. Don’t, and I mean by any means don’t raise your voice at me like that.”
I rolled my eyes at that, “Yes, mother.”
“What were you doing?” he asked ignoring my comment.
“I was booking a room for myself. You know, I have my own rights too. I don’t need to be dependent on any man. Besides, it isn’t appropriate for me to be staying with you like this…sir.”
“Don’t be a fool. You know it’s nothing like that with us,” he stated.
“I know Adrian, but other people don’t think so.”
“You care what people think about you too much, Greene. You need to stop that because one day
it might ruin you,” he said coldly.
“Well, I’m not like you, I can’t turn off people like that. Not when they’re judging me and my character like that. You’re a man, you wouldn’t understand. Let me get one thing straight Vandermir, I’m a decent girl but I’m not naïve in that sense and I don’t take crap from people.”
He didn’t say anything except smirk at that, walked back to Sasha, and told her something. As he passed me again, he stopped and gave me a sharp glare, “Don’t call me mother.”
I gave a tired sigh and smiled politely, “Okay, daddy.”
Adrian stared harshly at me for a few seconds and frowned. Without another word, he walked off. When I’m around him, there’s always so much drama. I should totally get him in on Real Housewives. Before I walked off, I heard Sasha calling me.
“Here,” she said coming up to me and handing me a room key.
“Huh?”
“Mr. Vandermir said to give you this room.” She smiled and walked back.
That was odd. I realized that it was room number 802. Wasn’t his room 801? The room next to his? Huh, so much freedom. Still, I wasn’t going to complain. Instead, I walked to the outside café to get something to eat. Standing in the line, I heard a strange voice. No, it wasn’t strange, I knew that voice…but…it couldn’t be. He was dead. Swiftly, I turned around and saw the back of the man walking away. He was on the phone with someone. I pushed through the crowd trying to get to him but there were so many people and it didn’t help that he walked that fast. My heart was beating a thousand times per second. It’s probably just my imagination. I was just imagining him. This couldn’t be real. He couldn’t exist. But that man, he sounded just like him. The back of the man looked just as he was before. This wasn’t possible. It was impossible. That man was dead.
I quickly went through the hall following him when I saw him step outside the hotel on the sidewalk of the road, he hadn’t turned around. Keeping his phone glued to his ears, it looked like he was awaiting someone. The sky became so gloomy, a storm was setting up but I couldn’t go inside just yet. Not until I saw this man. Not until I saw his face. The wind seemed ravenous today, throwing the dried leaves all around and beating the trees mercilessly. I wasn’t going to leave until I saw this person. When the man finally turned around, I felt as if time stopped. This wasn’t possible. Was I dreaming? He’s alive? But, it doesn’t make any sense. It’s impossible. Unreal. I’m not imagining him?
Dad?
Everything I knew at that moment seemed like delusion. Was I going mad? Had I finally reached my limit? What was happening? As I took another surreal step forward, I noticed a cab stopped in front of the man. A woman came out and kissed him on the lips almost like a wife would kiss her husband. A little girl came out as well. Wait, I knew those people. Who? And lastly, a girl around my age came out and hugged the man. I couldn’t see her too well because she wore a wide-brimmed sun hat.
“Hi dad,” she said as she squeezed him tightly and took off the hat as I saw her face.
Alexandria?
This wasn’t happening. Dad and those people? Alexandria? He was dead. Wasn’t he? But, he’s alive. He’s right in front of me. No, I…this wasn’t real. What was all this? Am I dead? I must be. Or maybe I’m delusional. Should I be in a mental hospital? I should go. Where? No, I can’t admit myself there. That would be crazy. But wasn’t I? That was the whole point, wasn’t it? I’ve crossed my mental sanity. I’ve reached across that bridge. I’ve lost it.
Was everything in my life even real? I staggered back inside feeling dizzy. Reaching up the stairs felt like forever. I didn’t want to be by myself right now. I was crazy, maybe I would be dangerous if I was alone. I walked into Vandermir’s room when I saw him trying to fix some gadget. Since when did he start playing inventor? Maybe I was dreaming.
“You’re here?” he asked, “Wouldn’t it be inappropriate for you to be here?”
I ignored that. This man wasn’t real. He was too perfect to be real with his intoxicating grey eyes, masculine yet elegant tall self. His odd personality, does cruelty and divinity ever complement each other? He arched an eyebrow at me in a confused manner. He…no…maybe it was me, or maybe both of us? I’ve always wanted to punch him, maybe it’s because he was like a piñata in my dreams, maybe he’s full of treats. I poked him in the stomach.
“What the-” he reacted.
“You’re not real,” I muttered.
“Excuse me?” he said as he held me up with him, I was swaying. My world felt dizzy. My head ached, “Greene, what’s wrong with you?”
He smelt nice, like a rich rare spice kind of scent. Maybe it was that aftershave of his? But last time he smelt so icy and cool. Leaning on his shoulders while he guided me up, I touched his face. I was right. My vision went blurry. Everything went blank.
I felt a sting in my arm but it passed away quite quickly. Forcing myself to open my eyes, I saw a strange old man in front of me with a warm smile and white coat. Where was I? Was I on the sofa?
“She’ll be fine now Mr. Vandermir.” The man said while getting up.
My eyes burned and my whole body felt so numb and heavy. I tried to get up but it was a futile attempt.
“I knew you were a nutcase,” Vandermir chuckled as he sat in the chair in front of me while the old man left.
“What?” I asked a bit scared that I did lose my mental stability.
“Don’t get up, he said to rest.”
“He?”
“The doctor, so don’t be crazy and get up. You got a special vaccine, you need to rest.” He frowned.
No wonder I couldn’t feel my arm.
“You know, if anyone is to be stressed and worried, it’s me. I don’t know why you’re taking all this on. You’ve got the easy part.” He stated looking seriously at me with his deep grey eyes.
“Easy part? I just saw-” I started but stopped abruptly and threw my head back on the pillow.
Why should I tell him anything? He wouldn’t even care.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing, it doesn’t matter.”
With that, he got up and went back to fix whatever he was trying to fix when I came in.
“What’s that?” I asked as I forced myself to get up and sit on the counter stool opposite him. I didn’t like being a sick living corpse the whole day. He walked around trying to get something from inside a drawer.
“It doesn’t matter.” He mirrored back.
Suddenly, I heard his phone began to ring in front of me.
“Damn, just answer it.” he said a bit frustrated that someone decided to call in such a wrong time, when his hands was messed up and he was busy, “Put it on speaker.”
“Uh-Okay,” I replied as I took the phone to my ears, when I heard the voice on the other side, I felt like dropping it. Forcefully, I tried not to and put it on speaker. I couldn’t answer the man on the other side, I didn’t know how to. My voice died that moment. What would I say to him anyway? My father who I believed was dead all these years.
I placed the phone on the counter next to Adrian, when he saw the caller ID he frowned.
‘Mr. Blake,’ Adrian began, ‘Are you ready to pay back that amount you owned me?’
Mr. Blake? He wasn’t a Blake, he was a Greene. Wasn’t he?
‘Mr. Vandermir, I called to negotiate with you. Perhaps we could meet up? I am staying at your hotel anyway.’ The man replied.
‘No, I’m tired of all your fault promises. I know about all your little white-collar crimes, I’m not an idiot. And your illegal drawing transactions. Don’t mistake me for a child Blake, you don’t know what I’m capable of.’
‘Vandermir’ he replied quite coolly, ‘I never underestimate people, and I’m no fool either.’
‘Good, then we’ll settle this like men. I’ll meet you. You’re not afraid to go a little bankrupt now are you?’ Adrian smirked.
‘Of course, that’s just business. And I’m not, I’ve dealt with a problem like that before. I can easily take care of this one the same way as well.’ He chuckled.
Problem? Was he talking about my family? We went bankrupt, but I thought it was after his ‘death’. Was he really thinking about going to leave his current family, fake his death, and find another family? That was crazy. He wouldn’t do that. My dad wouldn’t do such a thing. He loved me. Didn’t he? Or was it all a lie? Why did he leave me anyway? If he really loved me, he wouldn’t. Was everything and everyone in my whole life just a messed-up pretense?
When the call ended, I felt worse than I did before, maybe I really did need some rest.
“I- I’ll go,” I said quickly to Adrian and left the room. I didn’t want him to see me cry, I didn’t want to see myself cry. But it just hurt so much. No, I’m done with crying. I’m not going to cry.
I’m not weak.
Shutting the door to the room, I went into the bathroom and washed my face. Yes, I’m sure I will feel better now. A rest would the best remedy. As I lay on the bed, I thought about Alexandria and her family. They weren’t bad people, how could I be mad at them? She thought her father loved her. I thought ‘mine’ did as well. But what he said over the phone to Adrian, it didn’t sound liked he cared for either of us. I laughed at myself, that ring Alexandria had on that night for the dinner function, it was mine. He- my father cheated us-my family, he even had another family during the time he stayed with us. This was all too crazy. I mean, I saw two bodies when the police brought home my ‘dead’ parents yet my father is alive and healthy at this moment. So whose corpses were those? Is my mom still alive too? All these thoughts needled through me, pricking and puncturing me. Nothing is ‘back to normal’ again. Nothing would ever be.
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