Chapter 23

I'm more late than I've ever been in weeks now. I woke up feeling really tired today, I've never fallen sick for years now, this one came as a shocker.

I had to drag myself up after several hours to come to work. Immediately I got out of my car when I got to the office's premise, I was attacked by that annoying perfume once more.

It's times like these that I regret not employing bodyguards. My head was banging so hard that it increased even more when the bright lights got into my eyes.

“Hi baby." She purred in my ear.
“What do you want, Valerie." Saying those words alone is a struggle on its own.

The next thing I felt was her own lips on mine, then the clicking of a camera. She moved away from me after that.

“I love you, Vincent."
Anger thrummed through me, but I was almost too weak to do anything.

Through my hazy eyes, I saw two people in the distance with cameras. She's doing this for the social media attention she has been begging me for.

“You're going down this time, Valerie. The f*ck do you think you're doing?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, I begged you for this though. Have a nice day, that was just what I needed for my career, thank you.”

I rested on the car's door at first and when I couldn't see anything anymore. I slid back into the car and sat down.

I locked the door with my eyes tightly shut. I groaned as I managed to open my eyes, I found my phone on the console.

I couldn't see anything on the screen at first then I closed my eyes and opened it again. I went to the call logs while constantly sneezing.

I scrolled way down, checking for who I could call. Most of my friends don't live here at all, and the few ones around aren't people I can call.

My hand stopped on that one contact, the same person who ditched me last night. I clicked on the name and the dial tone started coming on, I waited for her to pick but she didn't.

I felt even more weaker than before, my eyes started drooping close against my will. I dialed the number again with half closed eyes.

She picked after a while, “What do you want?”
"I need you.” I said with a strained voice.

"Wh-what do you want?” She asked after not saying anything for a while.

“Just come to the parking lot, please."
The phone dropped from my hand after that, I slumped back into the car, hoping she comes.

I really hate it when I'm this vulnerable. Being this way is a sign of weakness, that's the major reason I do not not any other person to see me this way.

The car's window was knocked upon, making me flinch a little bit. I couldn't even move, just being there as she knocks on the car's window.

She tried opening the door and it opened, “Vincent? Are you okay?" She asked.

I only moaned in pain. "What's wrong? Are you good?” she touched my arm as though to shake me awake.

“You're burning up! Are you sick?” She rasped.
I opened one of my eyes halfway, seeing a panicked look on her face.

“I can't even move you alone. Should I call the security man around, nevermind, I'll do just that." She rushed out the words.

She wanted to move away but I stopped her from moving with my hand weakly. “No. Don't call anyone." I said to her weakly.

"What do you want me to do? I can't move you to the passenger's seat alone. And you're sick, should I take you to the hospital?” She bombarded me with questions.

"Can you drive?"
“Yes.” she replied.

"I can manage to get out.” I groaned. She stepped away from the car so I could get out of the car.

I gathered all the strength in me and get out, I had to rest on the car's hood to steady myself before I could walk over to tbe passenger's seat with so much difficulty.

Michelle got into the car too and started the engine, “Are you okay that way?" She asked, glancing at me before she stated driving.

"Yeah.”
She started driving immediately and drove out of the premises.

“Do you have any hospital you use?" She asked before joining the highway.

I told her the name and the address then she nodded, I rested my head on tbe car's seat rest with my eyes closed.

I dozed off during the ride and only woke up when she tapped me.

“We're here." I heard Michelle say.
She got out of the car and came to open my own side of the car for me.

“Thank you." I said as I got out of the car.
The view around me wasn't clear at first, everything was swaying, including the person before me.

Michelle's hand steadied me before I could meet the car's hood again. “Just put your arms around here." She said, placing my arm on my shoulder.

We got inside the hospital where she placed me gently on a chair. She left and soon came back with a nurse. That was where I zoned out completely and submitted to darkness.

~

I opened my eyes to a completely white room, the pungent smell of disinfectant and drugs. Everything that happened before I passed out came rushing in.

“You're awake."
I looked sideways to see Michelle beside the bed. “What time is it?" I asked her back.

"It's six in the evening.” She replied after checking her phone.

I jolted up on the bed, getting off it immediately. “Sh*t! Sh*t!! Sh*t!!!" I cussed out.

“What's going on?" Michelle asked.
“I have an appointment, I have works to do, why didn't you wake me up?"

"I helped you call in already, you don't need to panic at all, you need to rest.”

"You did what?”