2
The sparrows chirped outside the window of the Cassandra's bedroom. Her head hurt as she tried to open her eyes. She saw a white figure standing in front of her. He wore a white coat and held a thermometer; a stethoscope lay on the stand next to the bed. His identification card that hung from his neck read
Dr. H.G. Keogh, M.S, M.D
Dean, State Cardiac Center,
New York
She could feel on the right side of her temple a Band-Aid. It stung her when she touched it. He let out a short 'ah!'.
A monotonous tune came from behind the scribbling pad, 'You just had a low sugar level due to some kind of shock. Am I right Mrs. Peterson? Your temperature is completely normal. And you hit your heard when you fell unconscious I presume. I have prescribed to you some pain killers which you may cease to take when the bump in your head flattens out. Any questions?'
Cassy slowly sat up and asked, 'Hello doctor, not to be rude. May I know who called for you?'
The doctor lowered his scribbling pad and looked at Cassy. He was a old man in his late sixties, with wise and kind eyes. With a concerned look in his face said, 'Hello Mrs. Cassandra Peterson, I am Dr. H.G. Keogh. I am the family doctor of the Petersons and always on the emergency dial of the Peterson's secretaries. So, it is only natural that I attend to you now that one of those Petersons' starting yesterday.' He went back to his scribbling as he said, 'You little child did cause quite a scene on your wedding day. It was al over the news. It was never in the blood of Petersons' to be that out in public about personal information. To add to the burning fuel, you caused a scene yet again in the meeting today. If only it had not been for Justin I clearly doubt, handling you is more troublesome than that of a naughty 5-year-old.' He peeked from the side of the pad, took one look at Cassy and went back to scribbling again.
Cassy cast an annoyed look back at the doctor and blurted out, 'Well, you can blame me partly being a bad actor by not pretending to be a perfectly lovely couple. The rest I blame it on him because he didn't necessarily make it easy for me breathe my life in freedom. He made my life hard. If by any means I made his life hard, then guess what, He deserves it!'
Dr. Keogh put his scribbling pad down and stared vacantly at Cassy. He tore off a page from the scribbling pad as Sarah walked in. He handed the piece of paper to Sarah and said, 'I would recommend you take care of Mrs. Peterson well. At least that is what Justin wanted. The prescribed tablets…'
Cassy interrupted, 'Dr. Keogh you speak of Justin as though there is more than just a family doctor relation. If only what I say is true then you must also know that he actually betrayed me and this marriage and him being my husband is as fake as earth having two moons.'
'Mrs. Peterson, you…'
'I would prefer you call me by my first name. You can call me Cassy.'
Dr. Keogh silently gazed at her.
'Cassy, I understand your heart is broken. And I know you are angry for which the reasons are oblivious to my knowledge. I wish to tell you only one thing dear, the Justin I know as a kid and even now is not that person who would act with out giving a thought to the emotions that the people around him might go through.'
Cassy with an arrogant tone said, 'Oh, no doctor, I pretty sure you got it all wrong.'
Dr. Keogh took one last look at Cassy before he opened the door and walked out of the room.
Sarah, who had been witnessing the whole scene gave a fuming look at Cassy and said, 'Hey, have your manners drowned in the ocean with the Titanic? You ought to be thanking him for treating you. Why would you say such cold words to that old man? Have you lost your sanity?'
Cassy did not reply. She knew she was rude to a man who was almost the age of her father. He must have respected him at least for his age.
Sarah shoved to Cassy her iPad.
'Look at this article here. Look at the scene you have caused.'
"Mrs. Peterson collapses in the mid of the press conference"
Below the title was a picture of Cassandra in the arms of Justin being carried away from the conference hall.
Cassy shook her head finding it hard to believe. She bewildered looked at Sarah who held her hand supporting her head visibly annoyed.
The article read,
Mrs. Cassandra Peterson the new bride and daughter-in-law of the Raisun group of Companies owners The Petersons collapsed in the middle of the press conference while answering a question. Sources say that she had been hurried to the emergency of the hospital and from where she had been taken back to the Petersons' mansion. She seems to be in a stable condition now. Justin Peterson the current CEO and Managing Director of both the Raisun group and Snowstar group, who spoke to media after Mrs. Cassandra Peterson's discharge from the hospital stated, 'My wife is out of any danger. She is currently stable and our family doctor Mr. Keogh is attending to her at the moment. It seemed like her blood sugar levels dropped causing a blackout. She is being well attended to right now and in no time will be perfectly fine to help me manage with the work. Thank you every body for your concern.' It is a noted fact that Dr. H.G. Keogh from the State Cardiac Center was the doctor who had attended to former MD of the Raisun group and the father of Justin Peterson while he ailed from a complicated case of heart dysfunction and miraculously made to his recovery 10 years back and had also treated young 7-year-old Justin Peterson to recover from a mysterious heart ailment that nearly killed him. So, it is understood that Mrs. Peterson is in safe hands and the news of recovery will soon to updated.
'This one fat liar. Where is Justin? How dare he say it was because of low sugar. It was partly because of the shock and fear that my company will never be mine.' The words almost brought tears in her eyes.
She wondered if her company would ever come back. She shook her head. My company will always be mine. I will take it back from you Justin!
She snapped from her thought and looked at Sarah. Sarah's eyes looked concerned. She asked, 'Hey, do you realize to whom you had talked back to in a cold tone?'
'I do. I am sorry for that.' Replied Cassy. 'But one thing is for sure. The judgement he had about Justin is a delusion I am sure. I guess even great people can make mistakes when judging other people.'
'Cassy are you bad mouthing the owner of this house sleeping in his own bed?'
Cassy jumped from the bed, 'Hey, no. I did not willingly crawl into his bed. I was brought here by force. I do not wish to stay here anymore. Let us leave back to my apartment.'
'I am sorry dear, I don't think we will be able to do that. The press is lurking in the front of this building waiting for information that can turn into a breaking news. You have become much more of a social figure since yesterday. You have had the cleanest public image of all the others since you never dated anyone. So, when are you planning to reveal the secret to Susan?'
'Sarah, when do you think it is right time for me to reveal it? She is one true innocent soul that believes in love and marriage being made in heaven. How could I ever say that the friend on whose marriage she had been most excited about and had shed tears of happiness for are fake? Did you not see her cry?'
'Oh yeah, she was very emotional.'
'let's tell her when this is over.'
'And, how are you going to end this?'
'Maybe I get a divorce? That will end this.'
'Wait, are serious right now?'
'I thought that is the biggest fear you had in life. Having to get a divorce?'
Cassy looked at Sarah, yes she is right. That is the very nightmare she ever feared. Having to get a divorce. She had a trauma for divorce. But this is different. 'Sarah, going through divorce is much better than the present situation. He has taken over my company. Lets just get used to the fact and let the emotions in. I get a divorce and as alimony I get my company back. How's the plan?'
'Then why get married in the first place, may I ask?'
'It was a trap. It was emotional black mail. You know what happened. I had no choice.'
'You sure are a drama queen. You the media a juicy piece at your weeding. Now divorce. Do you really think this is the only hope? How are you going to get the divorce? What do plan to reason in the court?'
'How about a mutual consent divorce. Maybe he hates getting married to me too. Maybe I can pursue him to get me a divorce. Where is he by the way?'
'Let's see…', Sarah looked into her tablet for the schedule. Her husband Ben worked as a secretory for Justin. 'Ben said Justin had his schedule planned for the entire month with no leisure. And that this marriage that had not been preplanned had pushed all the other import schedules fall behind and having to reschedule the whole plan for the month again. This included everything regarding the future of Snow star group.'
Cassy's heart dropped again. Sarah regretted what she had said immediately.
'According to the old schedule he is supposed to be at the golf course in the elite games atrium of the Raisun Sporting center. If only the schedule is not switched up you can meet him there.'
Cassy looked confuse, 'You said he had no leisure. What is does it make golf then?'
'According to Ben, Justin is to meet with the President of Warren Computing Solutions there. Apparently, the president seems to enjoy Golf.'
'Let's leave to there right away.'
'Haven't I told you about the press at the doorstep. You will have to wait for his return Cassy. That's the only way.'
'There is no 'only way' for Cassy. Let's get though the emergency Exit. No one would expect a ill person to sneak away through an emergency exit.'
Cassy then ran toward the window in the main hall and looked out the apartment. The press 5 floors below were settling in waiting for their prey. She then ran to Justin's bedroom that had large French windows that opened to the backside of the building. To her luck there was huge pile of sand at the ground piled up.
She turned to Sarah and said, 'Here is the plan. Let's just jump from here and…'
'Cassy, I know you are excited. But is it worth a jump from the 5th floor. Why not…'
'Go on… tell me now if you have any other plan. I am all in for a better plan... Go on….'
Sarah stared at Cassy for a while and turned to her right and pointed her finger.
Cassy saw in the direction of Sarah's pointed finger. Next to the doored closet was another door above which read a sign, "Emergency Exit".
'Wow. That's great. What if it does not open. We have no other go. We must jump.'
Sarah walked to the door and turned the handle. The door flung open to reveal staircase that ran down.
'That's great. What are we waiting for then? Lets go.'
As they walked down Sarah could not control her laughter. She burst out laughing and she said, 'When you headed straight to Justin's room I thought you had noticed the emergency exit. I not in my wildest dreams expected you to go, "Come on, let's jump from the window." What would I do with you Cassy… haha…'
Cassy was though roughly embarrassed on what she had said. 'Hey, how did you know Justin had an emergency exit in his room?'
'It's a secretary's job to keep noted on the environment of her boss. While I dropped you off yesterday I went to every room and sketched out a blueprint of the house in my mind. I could not carry you any long so I put you to bed on the couch and left.'
'Wait, I thought mom had carried me here. Why did you bring me here and not my apartment?'
'Well actually when I was about to bring you home, I saw that the driver had left by then. You were totally unconscious to even take a single step. I did not know what to do.'
'So, what did you do? Did you call for a cab?'
'I carried you to near by car that had its head lights on to ask for a lift and that car was that of Justin's. He was about to leave when I asked him for a lift. He gladly accepted only on the condition that you rest in his apartment for the night. From what I see at his house your room looked as though it had been decorated for a woman. That's strange, why would there be a room in a man's apartment that looked so made for a woman? Maybe he got it ready just for your arrival. Oh, that's so sweet.'
Cassy glared at her, 'Also remember he took the lady's company and blackmailed her to keep quiet in front of the press. And what on earth would force you take a man's car for lift. That too his?'
'Hey, how dare you be angry at me? I saved you from the wedding day second mess. You ought to be thanking me for making it home given the fact that you were awfully drunk to the extent of passing out.'
Her angry eyes turned to that of curious ones, 'Where do you say you found me drunk? Was there anyone else where I had passed out?'
'Actually, I had been looking for you for an hour before I found you in the underground bar of the wedding hall. The Afterparty started at around 6 in the evening and you had gone missing soon right after. People were looking forward for a dance from the newly wed couple only to find only Justin standing alone with his new bride missing. Why did you leave and to where?'
'I don't know I felt dizzy and rather nauseous before I left to have some water. And don't remember anything after that.'
They had reached the ground floor where the door opened to the backside of the parking lot. They crossed the parking lot to catch a cab to the Raisun sporting center. Luckily the cab driver was an old person unaware of the current internet and recognized Cassy and Sarah for nothing more than two beautiful ladies riding to go for some sports.
The ride to the sport center was rather too peaceful for the hectic day. It seemed like the calm before the storm that was about to unfold when Cassy met with Justin.