Cheryl nodded with a smile as she took a sip of the wine. She sighed when she saw Toni look at her without a blink. "What's wrong?" She said with a smile.
"Why did you marry my uncle?" Toni said pleadingly. "Please tell me."
The redhead's smile fell as she began to panic. "It' none of your business,"
"Cheryl, I am begging you, please tell me why did you marry my uncle." The redhead stood up quickly wanting to run, but Toni grabbed her wrist gently. "Cheryl, please." She begged again.
"Let me go Toni." The Redhead pleaded in a low voice as she tried to free herself from Toni's grip.
"Why don't you tell me? What are you afraid of?" Toni asked hopelessly.
"I... I can't." She said as she felt Toni's grip loosen and ran back to the mansion.
Toni sat there, dumbfounded, she doesn't know what happened to the sudden change of atmosphere. She sighed sadly as she sat back on the grass and looked at the sky.
The next morning, The redhead was already dressed and she was putting on makeup as her best friend entered, "Good morning!" Her best friend exclaimed happily.
"Good morning." She replied with a fake smile. She wasn't in the mood to hear about Veronica's night with Toni.
The nurse sighed happily as she sat in the chair beside Cheryl's bed. "Josie asked about you last night. I told her you were tired. She's pretty cool. We came back around ten-thirty, I looked at your room and found the lights were off, I knew you weren't here." She rushed out. "What time did you come back home?"
Cheryl shrugged. "I don't remember." She said as she applied the light pink lipstick.
"What's wrong?" The nurse asked her best friend as she noticed the change in behavior.
The redhead turned and faced her best friend as she was internally panicking. I am scared of her reaction when she knows that I am letting Toni work. She thought as she cleared her throat. "N-Nothing."
"Do you think she went to the factory?" Veronica asked with a sigh.
"Who are you talking about?" Cheryl asked as she went and grabbed her purse. When she heard her best friend say "Toni," Her eyes snapped to where Veronica was sitting and sighed. "I don't know,"
"She isn't in her room, where could she be? It's still early. If she was at the factory you are kicking her out right?" Veronica asked with a raised eyebrow when she didn't receive a reply from the redhead, she started to get angry. "Right?" She asked again as she felt anger began to boil.
"I'll explain everything later Vee." Cheryl rushed out quickly. "I am late and I need to go."
"NO!" The nurse yelled suddenly as she stood up in front of her best friend. "You are going to tell me everything now Cheryl."
The redhead sighed. "I'll let her work at the factory as long as she doesn't bother me."
The redhead looked at her best friend confused. "Why? Why does she need to go to the factory? I don't understand!" She asked in a panic voice.
"I made a deal with her Vee." The widow said in a low voice. She closed her eyes preparing herself for the yelling.
"WHAT?" Veronica all but yelled at the redhead.
"She will tell Sweetpea to buy the house in exchange for her working at the company. Veronica, I didn't have a solution, my father wants to sell the house, he doesn't want to take my money. And the only person my father doesn't know is Sweetpea. Think about it, Vee. And besides, Toni trusts him." She said shrugging.
"But I was with her yesterday, she didn't tell me anything," Veronica said as she narrowed her eyes at her best friend.
"I-uh, i-it happened yesterday," Cheryl said nervously as she looked at the floor.
"When exactly?" The nurse asked in anger.
Cheryl was silent, she didn't know if she should tell her that Toni was with her or not. Oh, God... She thought as she exhaled a breath. "At the forest." She said not daring to look at her best friend.
"Why did she follow you there?"
"She didn't!" Cheryl defended. "How could she know I was there? Think about it!"
"You told her didn't you?" Vee asked in a voice full of jealousy.
"Me!?" The widow yelled as she started to get sick of her best friend's attitude. "I didn't know I was going there myself! After Jason and Betty left, I felt suffocated, I said to myself that I should go and take a walk. I'm going."
"What about me?!" The nurse exclaimed. "I'm supposed to sit here all day and stare at the walls?"
"The both of us can't leave the house, Veronica, for Jacob."
The nurse scoffed. "Jacob? Why? It's not my job to stay here!"
"What's wrong with you?"
"What's wrong? You are selfish Cheryl! You leave me here alone!"
"You have Alex the driver along with different cars! You can choose to do what you want!" The redhead replied back.
"I am bored! I don't want to stay alone!"
"Then come with me to the factory!" The redhead yelled in frustration.
"What do you want me to do with you there! Leave Cheryl, and just for your information, if it wasn't for Toni, I would have left a long time ago. She's the only reason I am still here! I was planning on leaving this house the day that Larry died!" She said with hate and disgust in her voice.
Cheryl looked at her best friend with wide eyes, what Veronica said hurt her badly. She grabbed her purse and left the room not saying another word.
Toni never went to the office that morning, as soon as the sun rose, she made her way to Sweetpea's, she needed her best friend, she was lost and her feelings for Cheryl are growing day by day. So there she was, waiting for him to come and sit with her so that she can talk.
"Toni? What's wrong? Josie told me you were here." he stated worriedly.
"I'm sorry, but I can't take it anymore. I'm going crazy." Toni rushed out quickly.
"Hey, calm down. What's going on?" The best friend asked with concern laced in his voice. He has never seen Toni this sad or lost.
"When I loved Marry, I loved her with my own will and also because my father wanted me to marry her, and when I left her I also left her with my own will. And I decided that I wouldn't love anyone after her. Sweetpea I don't want to fall in love, I don't want to love anyone."
Since the night Veronica and Toni came over to dinner, he had thought that Toni was falling for the nurse. He smiled as he looked at his best friend. "But you are falling in love with her."
"I'm not only loving her, I am loving everything about her. I am loving her worst characteristics, her good ones, I don't know if she has any good" She said with a chuckle. "But I do know that this isn't me."
"Until now I am not understanding what you mean, you don't want to love but you are falling in love. You are still hurt over what Marry did but at some point, you will need someone to continue your life with."
Toni sighed. "I don't want to love. I don't want to fall in love. I don't want to have a weak point in my life."
"Love isn't a weakness Toni! It's a strong thing to hold onto!" He argued.
"No man, love is a weakness, love humiliates a person, that's my decision and I don't want to change it!"
Sweetpea replied. "But here you are falling in love."
The short brunette sighed. "My life changed, why did I stay here? Why didn't I just go back as soon as I buried my uncle?" She asked as sadness was laced in her voice.
"I don't understand what is your problem Toni. What's bothering you? Veronica is an amazing girl and together you guys might be great."
Toni's eyes widened at what she heard coming out of her best friend's mouth. "Woah! Hold up. What does Veronica have to do with this?"
Her best friend frowned. "Didn't you say you are in love?"
Toni nodded, "Yes, but not with Veronica."
"Then who is it?" The brunette man asked confused.
"With Cheryl," Toni said with a smile.
"W-W-What!?" The man exclaimed in shock.
"Don't look so surprised. I'm in love with Cheryl."
"Toni, are you hearing yourself? Do you know what you are saying?"
The short brunette nodded with a smile. "I am in love with her."
"Besides how she looks, what else did you like in her? Her rudeness or her impoliteness?"
"The both of them."
"What's happening to you?"
"I don't know, I promise you, that I tried to hate her, I tried so hard to hate her but I couldn't."
"Didn't you say you have doubts that she did something to Larry?"
Toni nodded, "I did but now I am starting to have my doubts that it's the other way around. I have a feeling that he did something to her for Cheryl to hate him that much."
"You're assuming anything just to clear her name, you are doubting you uncle Toni."
"That's not true, I am having doubts that my uncle did something because there was more than one incident that proved it."
"What are they?"
"The money for example, can you believe someone who has millions, won't give his wife cash? He only gives her a credit card in which she can't withdraw from it? There is no way a person can treat his wife like this."
Sweetpea shook his head. "We talked about this already, he didn't want her to give her parents money. And what you are thinking doesn't change anything, she married him for the money!" He insisted.
"She didn't! Pea, I lived with her, she doesn't spend money, she doesn't go out, she doesn't buy anything. The last thing she cares about is money!"
"Toni, remember the day you came and she thought you are going to share the inheritance with her? Remember what she did?"
Toni nodded, "I also remember when she offered me the mansion that costs millions in exchange for papers."
"Maybe the papers are more important than the house. Did you forget that she wanted to sell the factory?"
"And she wants to burn the money."
"Did you believe her?"
"Of course I did!"
"Toni, you are only trying to find her excuses because you love her."
"No, but because I lived with her, I got to know her. We had the wrong idea about her. She isn't like that. The other day at the factory, she annoyed me, I raised my voice a little bit on her and she thought I was going to hit her."
"Why would she think that?"
"You tell me because when I thought about it, it had only one reason, she acted that way because she is used to being treated that way."
"Do you mean that Larry used to hit her? That's impossible."
"Do you have another explanation for why she told me 'Please don't hit me'?"
Sweetpea shook his head and sighed. "I don't know what to tell you."
"Forget it, I don't understand myself either. Anyways, I need you to buy the Blossom house."
"W-What are you talking about?"
"I want to help her, her father doesn't want to take money from her and he is insisting on selling it, and who's better than you? I want you to buy it and give it to her, that way her father won't know anything."
"When did you fall for her so that you can ask me to buy the house?"
"I don't know, but I feel like she close to me, we are similar to each other, both of us have been hurt, we were deceived by her looks, by the rudeness and bad attitude. And by the way, Josie was the only one who understood Cheryl,"
Sweetpea sighed. "I know, we'll meet with Cheryl and see what we can do about the house. Okay?"
Toni grinned. "Thank you."
As soon as she entered the office, Cheryl made her way to the office followed by John. "Ms. Cheryl, what would you like to start with this morning?" The manager said as he took a seat in front of the redhead.
The redhead sighed. "I want to know a few things first. Is it necessary for Toni to work here?"
John nodded, "Of course, since our last engineer left."
The redhead eyed the manager for a few seconds before asking. "When did he leave?"
John got nervous, "Uh, about a week ago."
"And why did he leave?" She asked again.
"He got a better offer." He said nervously, the truth was that they gave the engineer a paid leave of absence so that Toni can come in his place and stay beside the redhead.
Cheryl wasn't buying it. "Okay, and you let him leave the company without any Penal Condition?"
John nodded, "Of course Ms. Cheryl, he paid the penalty for breaking the contract before it ended and left."
The widow nodded in understanding. "What was his job here?"
John cleared his throat. "He was making sure that all products are set for the market, every bottle should be approved by him, and everything that comes out of the must be signed by him." The manager explained nervously to the redhead.
Cheryl smirked. "Look, Mr. John, what you said just now, I will forget it." She said as she saw John's face change. "Starting from today, I would like it if you don't lie to my face anymore. I don't believe what you said about Mr. David leaving, but I will let it pass. But it will be the last time you'll lie to me. Am I understood?" She asked with a firm voice.
John swallowed hard. "Y-Y-Yes Ms. Cheryl."
"You informed me the other day that you had an employee you wanted me to meet."
The manager nodded. "Winn, but you said that you don't want to meet him." He said still nervous.
"That the other day, today I changed my mind. Please tell him to pass by my office." She demanded firmly.
About half an hour later, Cheryl was in her office, trying to focus on some paperwork but she was finding its way to confusing. She heard a knock on her door. "Good morning," Toni said with a smile.
"Good morning," The redhead replied quietly.
The brunette took a seat in front of the redhead as she sighed. "First, I want to apologize for last night."
"Nothing happened last night Toni." She said firmly. "And I don't want to hear the second thing."
The short brunette nodded quietly. "And second, I wanted to make sure everything is okay with you here."
"Everything is okay, thank you. You can go now."
Toni smirked. "I'll go after I drink my coffee."
Cheryl sighed. "Toni, I won't order coffee."
"Too bad I already ordered." She said with a shy grin. A few seconds later, the secretary entered with two coffee mugs in hand, she placed them and excused herself. Toni looked at the redhead with a smile. "You look beautiful today."
Cheryl lowered her gaze to hide the blush that was forming. A knock on the door made her look up and see a young man in his thirty's with a look she didn't like at all, she started to feel her chest tighten.
"Hello Ms. Cheryl, I am Winn, I was informed that you asked for me," Winn said sweetly. He took a step further into the office and looked at Toni. "Good morning Ms. Toni."
"Good morning Winn," Toni replied as she took a sip of her coffee.
Cheryl took a deep breath and her face was firm as she spoke. "I asked for someone to send you here for over an hour."
"Welcome to the company Ms. Cheyrl, I had a couple of meetings outside the factory, and as soon as I was informed that you needed to see me, I wrapped everything up and came as fast as I could." He said with a smirk as he kept eyeing the redhead like some type of candy.
Cheryl placed her hand on her chest as she looked at Toni who was standing up. "So I'll leave you to it." The short brunette said standing up.
"Stay," Cheryl said looked at her with wide eyes, she couldn't understand why she wanted her to stay. "Please, stay." She said with a nod, hoping that the brunette would not leave the office.
"Okay," The short brunette said as she didn't break the eye contact with the redhead. "I'll stay."
"Mr. John informed me you had already done the tour yesterday. Would you like me to take you on another tour? That way I can tell you what each stage of the production is called." Win asked again, as his eyes roamed all over Cheryl's body. "I would also like to tell you that we will have long meetings together."
Cheryl didn't look at the guy, she couldn't. She had a bad feeling and she just hoped Toni would interfere. She exhaled a breath as she placed her hands on the desk. "Isn't there anyone else that can tell me these things?" She asked trying to be strong but her voice was betraying her.
Why is Cheryl asking for someone else? What's going on with her? Toni asked herself as she eyed the two.
Winn looked at the redhead confused. "I didn't understand what you meant."
"I don't want anything from you." The redhead said harshly.
Toni quickly stood up seeing that Cheryl was going to yell if Winn didn't leave the office. "Winn, I already told Mr. John and I sat again with Cheryl and explained everything to her." She said lying.
Winn looked at the short brunette with more confusion. "But Mr. John told me -"
"I'm sure he was mistaken." Toni interfered. "Don't worry about it Winn, you can go back to your office."
When Winn nodded and left, the short brunette looked at Cheryl with confusion. "What just happened?"
The redhead sighed. "I don't feel comfortable, I don't want him to be near me," She said as she stood up and turned her back to the brunette and gazed out of the window.
"You weren't comfortable around him?" Toni asked again. "In what way?" She asked for clarification.
"In all ways, I don't want him to enter my office anymore." The redhead stated
"Okay, he won't, I'll make sure he won't. I will warn him myself that if he see's you around the company not to come near you."
"Toni don't!, I'm not a kid. I can defend myself very well. Stop interfering with something that doesn't concern you."
Toni walked closer to the redhead and took a sip of her coffee, she then placed her hand on Cheryl's back and got closer. "You know, it's time for you to change." She said as her eyes roamed on Cheryl's neck.
The redhead turned and was brought closer to Toni, their faces were inches apart from each other. "Change what?" She asked in a low voice as her eyes flicked between the brunette's eyes and lips.
Toni leaned in closer as their forehead's rested against each other. "The mask you have on, the mask that is full of rudeness and impoliteness. It's not working anymore, it's not hiding your pain nor your tears Cheryl."She said in a whisper as her lips gazed over the redhead's forehead. "By now, I know the real you. I saw the real you Cheryl. Don't hide it anymore." She said as she dropped her head and walked out of the office.
At two PM, Toni entered Cheryl's office to find that Cheryl had her head resting on the desk, she stood by the door a few more seconds until she decided to speak. "Cheryl? Are you alright?" She asked softly.
The redhead's head shot up in the sudden voice. "What are you doing here Toni?" She asked for confusion.
"I came to tell you that I am leaving." The short brunette said shrugging.
"Then leave, I am not holding you," The redhead argued back.
Toni looked at her confused. "Oh, you are not riding back with me?"
Cheryl shook her head. "Of course not! Alex is waiting for me outside."
Toni smiled internally. She will hate me. "Yikes," She said as she face-palmed herself.
"What? What did you do?" She asked scared of the answer.
"I told Alex to leave," Toni said faking the shock in her voice.
"Told who!?" Cheryl shot back in confusion.
"Alex," Toni stated. "I thought you'll go back with me."
"Why would you do that Toni?" Cheryl whined. "Who told you that I will go back with you? How could you tell Alex to leave without my permission!?"
"Are you going to sit there and fight or will you go back home with me?" Toni asked the redhead with a smirk.
The redhead crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged her shoulders like a kid who is refusing to eat. "I won't go back with you! I prefer walking back home than driving back home with you!"
After a few minutes, Toni and Cheryl were driving back home. "I want to invite you to lunch, maybe you'll calm down," Toni said as she kept her focus on the road. "And there is no need to refuse because if you declined we are still going." She said with a laugh.
The redhead just looked at the brunette with an annoyed look. She sighed and kept her gaze out of the window.
The car ride was continued in comfortable silence, Toni parked her car and smiled when she saw that Cheryl didn't throw another tantrum like a kid. They sat at the first table they saw empty and ordered food and wine. And as soon as the redhead held the glass of wine, she took a big gulp.
"Woah, slow down. You're drinking wine not water." Toni said with wide eyes.
"I know, that's why I am drinking."
"But you haven't touched your plate," t he brunette said with concern.
Cheryl looked at her plate. "I'm not hungry." She said in a low voice.
"How's work today?"
"Amazing, I didn't understand anything." She said with a giggle.
Toni smiled. "Do you want me to help you with anything?"
Cheryl shrugged. "There's no use. I won't always go, it's just for passing some time, besides I don't know why I am going."
"Stop drinking Cheryl," ... "Why don't you go back to your studies?"
"Now? After eight years?"
"Why not? There are people in their sixties or seventies going to study."
"Those people have a goal."
"And you don't?"
"I don't have anything, not a goal or a dream. I'm empty Toni."
"Why are you so negative? You know a lot of people would kill to be in your place?"
"Because they don't know what it's like to be in my place." She said softly. "I want to go back home."
"Okay, we'll go. But before we do, I want you calm down and relax."
"I am calm and relaxed."
Toni's phone rang and frowned when she saw that Liam was on the phone. "Hello?"
"Toni, sorry to call you at this time of day, but the other lawyer called me and informed me that he wants to give you the papers," Liam said on the other line.
The short brunette looked at the redhead who was looking at the glass of wine in her hand."Tomorrow." She said hoping that Liam won't ask anything more.
"I will text you to inform you of the time and place."
"That's great, thank you." She said as she hung up and looked at Cheryl. Will this mystery be solved once and for all? She thought to herself as her eyes were still on the redhead.
A/N; tell me what you guys think!