24. Insight
Marc
"You're saying she needs someone to watch over her until she's recovered." The doctor nodded. "It's also impossible to stay in the hospital." Again he nodded. "I see. Give me a few minutes."
I went upstairs to talk to Eric's psychiatrist. I wanted to know if it was okay to take him home. He said it was, but gave me medication that he should take to keep him calm. This was probably a bad idea but it was the only one I could think of. Of course Eric would come home with me, but I'm also thinking of taking Madeline home with me too. That way I could keep an eye on both of them. Having them in the same place after what transpired between us was a risk, but I really could not think of another way.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine. When can I leave here?"
"I'm talking you home today."
"Good."
I opened my mouth and closed it a couple of times wanting to say it but couldn't.
"What?"
"It's Madeline."
"What about that bitch?"
"She's in the hospital. She had her appendix removed."
"Too bad it wasn't her heart," he mumbled.
"I'm thinking of letting her stay with us until she's fully healed."
"Because you think you have feelings for her and want to find out if you really do?"
"Because she has no one else."
"She should have thought about that before going down this road."
"It's in the past now." He looked at me like I was crazy. Obviously it wasn't entirely in the past but I've decided to let it go. "Will you have a problem?"
"It's your house. I don't have a say."
"Don't be like that."
"It's the truth. It is your house. If you want to bring that traitor there I can't stop you."
"Can't you try to forgive her?"
"No."
"Can you at least try to understand her then?"
"I understand she's a crazy bitch. That's what I understand."
I sighed.
"Fine. I'll try to be kind."
"Thank you."
I took them both home that day. They didn't say anything to each other. Maybe it was for the best. I couldn't deal with an argument between the two of them right now. I'm surprised Madeline didn't argue with me. She must have felt really defeated.
For an entire day neither of them said anything to each other. The silence was driving me crazy. At about six in the evening I saw Madeline venturing into the kitchen.
"What are you doing?"
"I should at least prepare the meals if I'm going to stay here."
"You shouldn't even be walking around. You just had surgery."
"I'm fine."
"You're going to rip out your stitches."
"I should at least do the cooking."
"You're not a slave here. You're my guest. You should be resting."
"No, it's okay."
"If she wants to overexert herself and rip out her stitches, let her. Maybe she'll bleed to death and do us a favour."
"You're not helping, Eric. Give us a minute."
He shrugged and left. I looked at Madeline.
"All you need to do is rest. Don't worry about anything else. You need to recover. You don't owe me anything. We all make mistakes. Sometimes all you need to say is sorry and nothing more. Sorry can go a long way sometimes."
She looked at me with those green eyes I've come to be rather fond of.
"I'm," she paused.
"It's okay. You can say it when you're ready. Don't force yourself. Go rest. I'll take care of dinner."
She left without saying anything. I didn't expect her to. She was in a weird place right now.
"Wow. You have totally fallen under her spell. Should I be worried?"
"I'm not going to abandon you for anyone again, Eric. I promise."
"You're a fool."
"Maybe I am. You should rest too."
"Don't make the same mistake twice, Marc. You're too good for someone like her."
"Why do you say that?"
"I know the type of person you are. You have a good heart. She'll break it, just like Aurora did."
"Aurora didn't break my heart, Eric. She broke you. That's what broke my heart, not her. Please just try to get along with her. You might even end up liking her."
"I doubt that, but for you I'll try."
"Thank you."
Madeline
I didn't mean to listen to their conversation. It sort of just happened. I've always been fascinated by their close friendship. I didn't understand it. Marc clearly liked women and men. Eric seemed to prefer men, or maybe he just prefers Marc. I can understand why. He has a good heart. His words from last night were still with me.
"I would be there for her from now on."
Maybe I did want him to be there for me, to take care of me. I was so tired of taking on this world alone. For once I wanted to depend on someone. For once I wanted someone to truly care about me.
"You shouldn't eavesdrop on people's conversation."
"It was an accident."
"Sure it was," he said with blatant sarcasm. "You should be resting. Don't let him worry anymore about you. He's worried enough already."
I couldn't figure him out and I didn't think I wanted to either.
I made my way slowly back to the room I would be staying in and got into bed. I'd used too much energy going into the kitchen and it had finally caught up. I closed my eyes, feeling too tired to go on. It was Marc who woke me up later on with his palm to my forehead.
"I think you have a fever."
"I'm fine."
"You're not fine. You just had surgery. You don't have to pretend to be strong. You can lean on me."
"Even if I make it difficult for you?"
"You let me worry about that."
I broke eye contact with him. Looking into his eyes only made me feel guiltier. I didn't want to feel that way.
"Come and eat when you're ready."
He turned to leave but I grabbed his arm.
"Wait." I got out of bed. "I'm sorry. I was too hurt and driven by my own selfish need to realize just how bad I hurt you and your reputation. I'm sorry." I let him go and looked down. "I wanted you to know that. I'm truly sorry."
"I know. Don't worry about it. Your job right now is to get better. Come down when you're ready."
*****
We ate in silence. I couldn't eat much. My diet would be only soup for the next few days. I didn't mind. I wasn't that hungry anyway. I kept my eyes on my soup and nothing else. I was too ashamed to look at either of them. What do I do? I brought chaos into this man's life. It was something he didn't deserve. I'd also made it so that a secret he'd been holding on to for so long was now known to the world. How could I sit here with him? I didn't deserve to be in his presence.
I got to my feet quickly. I couldn't pretend to sit here like I hadn't just ruined their lives.
"Excuse me."
I escaped to the safety of the bedroom. I needed to figure out what to do next. Being here was an insult.
After about an hour there was knocking at the door.
"Are you going to hide out here after what you've done? You seem to have forgotten our conversation from earlier. Don't let him worry. If he worries, I worry. I'm already going crazy. Don't give me another reason to go off the deep end. If you're going to stay here, then stay. Make up your mind. Don't be hot this minute and cold the next."
He was right. Of course he was. I don't know what to do or how to move forward now. I'd made a mess of things. After deliberating for five full minutes I opened the door and stepped out.
"It took you long enough. Although you're not my favourite person there is someone I despise more than you. That witch is downstairs now."
He walked off leaving me to follow him. I heard their voices before I saw them.
"What are you doing here, Safiare?"
"Da da, juice!"
I couldn't help the smile that came to my face. Zayden had gotten so big. He was even talking more now.
"I wasn't aware you had company," she said.
"Why are you here?"
"Regardless of what you might think of me, I care about you and your well-being. A few days ago I was approached by someone claiming they're from the Le Marteleur organization."
"I don't see what that has to do with me."
"You should listen before commenting. They wanted to buy my twenty percent of Paxton Corp. shares. The board members area trying to kick you out. With their combined fifty percent and my twenty they could get rid of you for good."
"It wouldn't be the first time in history a board has tried to get rid of the CEO."
"Our shares amount to fifty. The board combined also has fifty. It's even. They can still vote you out."
This was none of my business. I shouldn't even be here, but I couldn't leave, not now.
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
"I'm thinking. Saf, I only own twenty-five percent of Paxton Corp. Zayden's share, or rather your share is twenty percent. That's forty-five."
"What are you saying?"
"Excuse me for a minute. I need to speak with Madeline."
I followed him wondering what he could possibly have to talk to me about.
"Please tell me you didn't sell those shares."
"What are you talking about?"
"The five percent of my shares I transferred to you last year."
I had no idea what he was talking about and he must have realized that.
"You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"
"I don't."
"Last year after the incident happened I transfered five percent of my shares to you."
"Pardon me?"
"You should have been notified. Your lawyer should have notified you."
"I don't have a lawyer."
"You must have a legal counsel."
"When exactly did you make the transfer? Was it before or after I went to New Zealand?"
"After."
"Oh. I left Niko as my proxy that entire time. He should have been notified, but he didn't say anything to me. I'll get in contact with him and have them returned. I don't need shares in Paxton Corp. You need them."
"Even with fifty percent it's still possible for them to vote me out."
"I think I can help there."
Eric handed him a sheet of paper. We didn't even hear him come in.
"What's this," Marc asked.
"It's the ten percent of Paxton Corp. that I own."
"Excuse me?"
"You don't need to worry about being kicked out of your birthright. Your twenty-five plus the witch's twenty, plus her five and my ten adds up to sixty percent. I'm always looking out for you, even when you aren't looking out for yourself. So since that's cleared up you can go tell the witch so she can leave."
I watch Marc leave to go do exactly that.
"Why do you hate her so much?"
"You mean besides the obvious?"
I don't know what the obvious was but I didn't tell him that.
"He married her."
"Okay."
I didn't get it. So what if he did?
"It's okay. You don't get it. It's understandable. You don't know enough to understand just yet."
I guess I didn't. I took the opportunity to make up for things I'd done wrong these past weeks.
"I'm sorry if I caused you trouble. Although it was my intent to get revenge I see now that I was wrong and neither you or Marc were responsible for what happened back then."
"At least you realize that you did something wrong."
That's all he said. I didn't expect him to say more than that anyway. He was not Marc. Their personalities were different. I didn't bother returning to that room. It was Marc's family business. It wasn't my place to get involved. I would try my best to not cause anymore trouble while I was here.