I had to make sure he didn't hurt my Shailene.

Hard-headed, self centered fool.

What did I get myself into. In fact, I knew what I was got myself out of. And I knew, life would be better away from there. Which is why I never went back. I didn't want all this to happen.

I didn't want Shailene to know anything at yet, she asks too many questions at once, it bombards my thinking capacity. I had so many things to explain, from my punishment marks, to finding my phone, to my bruised face, to my...my life.

I glanced down at my phone and wondered if I should talk to Shay now or tomorrow, she's probably asleep, which isn't really possible because she doesn't sleep much, an overthinker.

Just caught myself staring into nothing again when, something hit my thoughts harder than it should have. My phone. Kendall had my phone. Which could possibly mean that there may be a tracking chip in my phone. Gosh, I should have thought of this earlier. I am so stupid.

I went into my bedroom and pulled my gear kit from under the bed, ready to strip this phone for a mini tracker chip.

*THE NEXT MORNING*

*Shailene's POV*

I woke up on the same couch where I had seen my father earlier. Was it all a dream? I figured it was not when I felt the sharp pain in my now bandaged left hand. I saw my father lean over me and rest his hand on my forehead.

'Shay, you fell really hard on those tiles, are you okay?'

The lights were too bright, my eyes were still adjusting. Then I remembered that I had seen a white cloth wrap around my left hand a few seconds ago. 'This hurts so much daddy, what's wrong with my hand?'

I was clearly talking to my father when I asked that and the woman answered. 'Honey you sprained your wrist.' I looked up at where her voice came from and saw her brown shoulder length 'Dora-cut' hair, falling calmly around her face. Her eyes wore no welcoming whatsoever, they were just bland, black and icy.

I fought the urge to tell her that nobody was talking to her, as I remembered what I witnessed last night. Were they like....a thing? I couldn't just be blunt and ask.

I swallowed back my rhetorical sting of a statement and managed a 'oh' expression.

It's not that I minded my father having another woman in his life, not that I had a say in it anyway, but I just didn't ever want him to be so torn apart and heartbroken again...ever...like when mother left.

I quickly looked away from the lady, and back at my dad.

'Shay,' he spoke, looking at me carefully with a quite amused expression. 'This is Marsha, an employee at the company where I secure at, also my friend. I invited her over for dinner last night when you...what..did you tumble from the top of the staircase?'

'Nope, I skipped the last one and fell a few inches to my death.' He shook his head and laughed at me sarcastic joke and made his way over to the door, because the doorbell was currently chiming off.

Then, I took a moment to remind myself that I shouldn't be bothered by any affair, if there was one in the first place, between them. So I looked at her and smiled, ignoring the pain in my hand for a bit. 'So, uh...nice to meet you?'

'Pleasure to meet you too darling. Your father is a very charming man I must say.' There was a stretch to her words that made her sound a bit annoying.

'Indeed he is.' I agreed.

I looked behind her head to see my dad extend his hand, out to door to greet someone, and he was clearly elated to see the person. While he chatted at the doorfront, I was distracted from them when Marsha turned her head back and looked at them too, then turned to me.

'Nice place y'all got here,' she said.

'Yeah, it's quite nice.' I was just locked with her steel eyes.

Then she asked the off-topic question that probed my mind. 'So, what would you do if your dad got married again?' It was quite weird to ask me that on the first meeting, barely knowing each other.

I smiled, trying not to show how much I wanted to know myself, then it came to me. 'Nothing, I would not do anything, it's not my life.'

'Great, because I don't want you in my way.'

I was completely taken aback now. 'Excuse me?'

'You heard me. I could see it, I can see your soul despises my presence.' She stressed on her words even more. I was starting to think her nasal cavity was housing her voicebox.

I was a bit exasperated at this point. 'Are you into black magic or something? In that case I'll go live somewhere else.'

'No honey, I'll just work a love spell on your father and you'll be done for. My financial needs would be overdosed.' She chuckled.

I laughed too because not only was she rude, but quite humorous, considering that I won't let that happen.

Who did she think she was. I'll make her life a living nightmare if she ever has to stay here. In fact, she might not even last that long.

Hopefully daddy would see through her demon coating.

Hopefully.

See? There's a reason to not like her now.

Just thinking of it made me automatically clench my hands, causing great distress to the left, as the pain shot through, not only the lower, but the entire arm.

When I saw her glaring at me as if I was a germ and she had OCD, I tried to annoy her more than her voice was annoying me.

'You know, I always wondered how it would be like to have a maid...you know, you could be ours if he never loves you back.' I expressed to her innocently.

Before she could snap at me, she swiped that disgusted look off her face when she turned around when she heard the door shut.

She was so fake.

She smiled as my father made his way toward us again and I noticed someone, the person who he had been speaking to at the door, followed behind him.

At once, when I saw who it was, all my emotions from wanting to know what was going on with Andrew and his explaining, came back. I remembered the events of the previous day, as Kendall sat across from me, next to my father, smiling as we made eye contact.

I smiled back instantly, I couldn't help it.

I broke our intense stare to glance over to the other sofa, where I saw that witch staring at my dad, with the money lust in her gaze.

I needed to get rid of her...fast.

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