His Nineteenth Secretary [✔]

Forty-five

Before he returned back, I had packed my things, leaving behind only the things that he got for me during my stay there. I knew very well that if I took them with me, they would only remind me of him.

Also, I had called Alicia earlier to come over with her car to pick me up.

When she arrived, she was in a daze when she saw me bringing out my things from inside the house so that, I had to help myself with the trunk to get my things inside and the remaining in the back seat.

"Alicia," I started, after I was seated beside her in the front seat. "Can you please let me stay at your place for just a few days until I get a new apartment?" I had sold my former apartment after Brian and I had decided to annul the contract, leaving me with only one option, which was to stay at her place for a while.

"Sure, but what exactly is going on?" She finally asked.

"I'll answer your question later. For now, can we just leave here?"

Knowing I wasn't ready to say anything else after that, she didn't insist that I answer her question but proceeded to start the car.

I had my eyes closed throughout the whole drive, and I was grateful that even though it was obvious that I was awake, she let me be.

On getting to her place, I set to getting my things out of the trunk, but her confused face was not hard to notice. She nonetheless joined in helping me take my things inside after some time.

Once we had gotten all of my things inside, I picked up my bag to see my lawyer.

When I got back from my lawyer's place, she was in the living room not watching TV or anything, so I was sure it was me she was waiting for.

"Are you really not going to tell me what happened?"

I didn't answer her question but left for her room. After slipping into more comfortable clothes, the bed was my last resort.

She came after me into the room and sat on the bed beside me. However, knowing that I wasn't ready to say anything about what was going on just yet, she didn't say anything either.

"Don't tell Granny I'm here. I'll tell her myself later." I said after a while. She didn't say anything but left me to be alone knowing fully well that was what I wanted at that moment.

After some hours, I couldn't specify. She told me she would be going out for a while and would be back as soon as possible.

It was a surprise to her when she got back to see me still curled up in bed.

She began to freak out when I didn't accept to eat anything, even when it was already nearing evening.

It was the same thing the following day, and by the evening of that day, it wasn't a surprise that I was beginning to heat up.

She sobbed quietly as she applied a cold compress on my forehead in the middle of the night, scared to death that I was going to die before it would be morning when she would be able to take me to the hospital since I had insisted on her not calling an ambulance.

I survived through the night. The following day, very early in the morning, she had Jake come over to take us to the hospital.

I didn't know for how long I was asleep, but by the time I woke up, IV was being administered to me.

"Ruby, are you awake?" A familiar feminine voice asked. I turned my head to see Alicia, who was seated close to my hospital bed.

"Thank goodness."

"I'm sorry I got you worried." I apologized. She seemed happy to have me now talking to her.

"It's okay. Here," She handed me a folded sheet.