Chloe darted her eyes towards Vernon instantly and shook her head.
She found it unnecessary for a busy man like Vernon to take care of an unassuming woman by doing the chores and stuff, but Vernon didn't allow her to speak any of her rejection. Instead, he discussed with the Doctor about what to do to make her hands heal faster.
Thus, Chloe could only lower her head as she felt guilty for making Vernon take care of her.
**
It took almost half a day until Chloe came out of the ER with her right hand covered in a cast. Vernon asked her if she wanted to be carried again, but she vehemently refused. She was already embarrassed when everyone was looking at her being carried like a baby.
Mackie jumped from the chair and approached her Mommy. She looked so worried when she saw her Mommy's right hand, "Mommy, does it hurt so much?"
Chloe smiled at Mackie, "A little, but Mommy is alright now."
Vernon scoffed. He wanted to refute that. The Doctor said that Chloe must have extreme pain tolerance because her swelling should've been so painful.
Mackie should've realized how much her mother endured the pain after her father beat the shit out of her.
But before he could say a thing, Chloe quickly elbowed his hip, giving him a sharp glance to make sure that Vernon didn't say anything to Mackie.
So he zipped his mouth, he sighed and grumpily walked faster towards Diamond's car.
"Go drive them home, Diamond," Vernon ordered. "I'll take an Uber to the office." He shifted his gaze at Chloe and added, "Don't worry about yours and Mackie's stuff. I'll bring them home in the evening. Your car will stay in the office since you won't need it for a while."
"But Mackie-"
"Me or Diamond will be the one driving her to school," Vernon said decisively, giving no space for Chloe to deny his plans.
Chloe sighed and muttered thank you before she entered Diamond's car with Mackie and closed the door.
Vernon gave Diamond a stern look as she passed him, "Diamond-"
"Yes, Boss?"
"Keep them safe until I finish today's work. You don't need to accompany me for the rest of the day."
"Sure thing, Boss," Diamond smiled. "So anxious and for what? Don't worry, I'll keep your future wife safe."
"You—!"
Diamond ignored her boss and went inside her car. She drove off, letting Vernon eat dust while cursing at her.
**
Chloe and Mackie sat in the backseat while Diamond drove in the front. The situation was a little awkward for Chloe, especially since her daughter kept asking dangerous questions.
"Mommy, did Daddy hit you that hard?"
"Mommy, why are you not crying? It looks so painful…."
"Mommy, why did you say that getting hit by Daddy is not painful back then? I got hurt by my bullies before I fought them back, but still, getting bruises is painful!"
Chloe chewed her lower lip, ignoring her daughter's difficult questions. She looked straight, and her eyes connected with Diamond via the rearview mirror.
Diamond sighed when she saw how Chloe's eyes were pleading for help.
She thought that Chloe would finally tell her daughter all the abuse she experienced under Vincent's oppression, but it seemed it'd need a while.
'Well, baby step at a time,' Diamond thought. 'To retaliate against Vincent took a lot of courage, and I heard most abuse victims would return to their abusers in the end, so fighting back is already a miracle in itself.'
"Mackie, how about we grab an ice cream before we go home?" Diamond offered, shifting the little girl's attention from her Mommy's cast.
Mackie looked up, waiting for her mother's approval.
Chloe smiled at her and nodded, "You can have three scoops today, if you want."
"Whoo! Let's go for ice cream! I want four scoops!"
**
Vernon returned to his office with Uber.
He sat on his executive chair in silence, staring emptily, and took a deep breath, letting everything sink in.
He could still vividly remember all the visible bruises on Chloe's body and how her hands were swollen so bad— it had now become a new nightmare for him.
Because it was proof that he failed as a man.
He failed to protect his beloved woman from her abuser.
No matter how many times he slammed the table, kicked the chair, or punched the wall to channel his rage, he still couldn't shake off this excruciating hot pain in his heart.
When he saw Chloe's injuries, his mind snapped, and all the careful plans he had prepared to take down his Big brother vanished instantly.
All he wanted to do was just find Vincent Gray and crush his head to avenge what he did to Chloe.
Vernon had no regard for his own well-being when it came to his beloved. He lived and grew up to be a normal human after experience such a horrible childhood because Chloe came into his life and became his guardian.
So he wanted to do the same and became her guardian as well. He didn't care if he'd become a fugitive or be in jail. As long as he could get the revenge he wanted.
"But I can't…." Vernon muttered. "Chloe said she doesn't want to lose me…."
Vernon's eyes quickly pooled with tears. He wiped the tears at the edge of his eyes, blaming Chloe for softening his heart, "Now, I have to continue with my original plan. If only she would be a bit more ruthless and ask me to kill Vincent, I would do it in a heartbeat."
"But then again, I don't think I'd ever fall in love with a ruthless woman…."
Vernon sighed. He tried to keep himself busy by contacting his bodyguards. The ones who got subdued by Vincent's.
He went to the basement after finishing some of the reports he had to check to carry out his next plan to usurp Vincent's business circle.
He sat in his car for a while until two people- a man and a woman- knocked on the window. He gave them a quick glance and rolled the windows down.
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