CHAPTER 87: SIDE OF HEARTLESSNESS

Today was the scheduled day where the result of the autopsy on dad's body would be released. Lewis managed to pull up some strings to quicken the said process, so we could finally know the true cause and reason why dad suddenly died.


As I sat patiently but anxiously at the waiting area, while Lewis held my iced-cold hand, utmost nervousness was enveloping my entire system, which caused me to be unsteady on my seat. Several thoughts were bombarding my head as the clock ticked. There was a lot of rationale swirling inside my mind, which made me restless since the night before.


I couldn’t castigate myself from thinking of the negativities that might be possible. Although my heart yearns for the best, that my father died due to natural causes and that there was no foul play that occurred, I couldn’t withhold the fact that I might be wrong. As much as I wanted to calm myself and think positively, To gradually ease the tension that was caking within me, thoughts of what happened to Nicole and I kept on bothering me.


What Lewis suspiciously conveyed to me the other day could be correct, that Nicole’s mind could have been severely clogged that evening, which might have led her to administer something out of the ordinary. But amidst the turmoil my mind was suffering at this point, I am still hoping that none of our speculations were true and there wasn’t such a thing that eventually manifested.


“What’s keeping them long to disclose the result? We’ve been waiting here for hours already! They should have finished everything prior to this morning, right?” My lips frustratedly uttered the words out of exasperation and agitation.


We came here at the hospital as early as the dawn broke with hopes to get to know the results earlier, but it was evident that the staff weren’t prepared yet for it as we are still anxiously waiting for the damn result up to this moment.


“Patience, Baby. The result will be out soon. Calm down and free yourself from worries. Something might happen to you due to excessive anxiety.”


“How can I calm down, Lewis? This result had been consistently bothering me since the night before. It got me restless for the entire evening, thinking of all these negativities that were feeding inside my head. I can’t calm myself, not in this crucial moment.”


“Everything will be alright, Penelope. We will see and hear the result soon. It’s just a matter of time before the truth will be revealed. Let’s hope there’s no anomaly that ever occurred and your father died naturally” He calmingly murmured while caressing my hand to somehow ease my worries away.


“I hope so, Lewis. I would definitely be outraged and severely devastated if a foul play did occur.”


“Try not to think about it first, Baby, and let’s pray for the best” He consolingly uttered as he wrapped his arms around me.


‘Please God, may the result be nothing unconventionally different. Let it be a negative result and don't match our speculations. Please, dear God!’


After less than an hour more, Lewis freed me from his embrace and swiftly stood up as one of the uniformed hospital personnel appeared from behind the closed doors. He walked towards a woman in a laboratory gown and spoke to her in a low voice. My eyes were stickily fixed at them. I could feel my entire body trembling in chills as if I was submerged to a zero degree water and my heart was drumming intently with unfathomable nervousness. I wish to head towards them, but I can't seem to move my lower limbs while I wait for Lewis or the woman to say something to me.


The minute Lewis’ eyes gazed my way, all hopes I was yearning for evaporated into thin air as his eyes bore a certain kind of sadness and disbelief, which even without speaking, made me conclude what the autopsy report was. I already knew what the result was judging solely on the way Lewis looked now. My heart literally sank deep to the bottom of the ocean as my eyes started to water with disheartened and immensely sorrowful beads. Every muscle in me was flexing with extreme wrath for whoever did this grisly and horrendous act against my father.


“Miss Hunt,” The woman hastily called my attention, but I couldn’t willed myself to glance at them. My mind and heart was filled with utmost disgust and indescribable fury that was ragingly scorching every part of me. I am trembling violently now out of extreme savagery, which itched my feet to immediately leave this place and find whoever the culprit was.


“Baby,” Lewis gently whispered, managing to get close to me without me knowing it.


“Don’t tell it to me, I already knew the result was” I firmly remarked with gritted teeth before abruptly standing on my ground and strode away as fast as I could.


“Penelope! Where are you going, Baby?”


I heard Lewis’ ever concerned voice, but my head was spinning in a spiral of deadly thoughts, as my heart was thumping recklessly, for the one who evilly did this gruesomeness to my beloved father. My feet heedlessly walked in a rapid pace towards my car, who my driver scrambled immediately to open the door for me upon beholding my presence. Once inside, angry tears streamed down my face as I loudly wailed, pouring all my frustrations out.


If this was Nicole’s doing, which I am now certain she did, how dare she do this unimaginable thing to daddy! She shouldn’t have averted her fury against me and diverted it to a helpless old man! She should have faced me instead of hurting my father!


‘You will pay dearly for what you have done, Nicole! Better hide yourself well, because by all means, I will find you! I don’t care how much I have to spend just to locate you! I will find you, you criminal! I will make you pay for taking my father away from me! Pray I wouldn’t find you, but that’s next to impossible! If I had to turn the world upside down just to locate you, I would do it to avenge my father’s death! You got no place to hide from me, Nicole, I will make sure you rot in jail for the rest of your life!’


***


Merely gazing at Penelope’s reaction was, after shortly talking with the pathologist, I am fully aware that she already knew what the result was. It saddened me gravely seeing her in this state, but I had to admit that I felt frightened with the way her eyes appeared when my eyes met hers. There was a certain kind of evilness in them, which I had never seen before. I could no longer see the woman I loved in them, there wasn’t a hint of softness nor being humane in her eyes, only extreme fury and chaotic madness, which sent chills to my very core.


I haven’t entered the limousine yet, but I could already hear her agonizing wails and cries of wretchedness. I had to hold myself not to shed my own share of afflictions, since I knew that I had to be strong for her more than I ever did, but my heart was gravely tormenting at the sound of her. If only I could somehow divulge to her the truth in a way she wouldn’t be hurting extremely, but I am certain I was too late to even think about it. She already knew the end result was, evidence of it was now occurring inside the vehicle.


I immediately pulled her close to me the minute I was inside and beside her. She teared endlessly on my chest as I could feel her body trembling with outrage. She kept on uttering staggered spiteful words to Nicole, who I utmost believed as well was the one who was behind this unimaginable occurrence that happened to the old man.


I knew that I can’t converse with Penelope now, not in her worst and distraught state as of the moment, so I did the liberty to order her driver to bring us home. Penelope needs to rest. She needed to somehow mellow down before anyone could speak to her. She was suffering enormously at this point and might even suffer more if her radical emotions wouldn’t subside a bit. She might have a breakdown with her current condition, which I didn’t wish for her to undergo.


She didn’t let me carry her the minute we arrived back at the mansion. Instead, she strode determinedly with infuriated strides towards the staircase and straight to her bedroom. I quickened my pace to catch up with her and followed her inside her room. Without voicing out any words, she slumped her body on the bed as she exaggeratedly breathed and shut her eyes tightly while tears continued to streamed down from them.


“Don’t sedate me!”


I was startled at what she suddenly uttered as it was what I was about to do now. “You have to rest even for a while, Penelope.”


“I said don’t fucking sedate me, Lewis! There’s a lot of things that I must do and face now and the least thing I need at this fucking point is to sleep this all out!”


A deep sigh escaped from my lips before I slowly headed towards her and sat beside her. Her eyes were still shut, but her body’s tumulting reaction didn’t die down. As gentle as I possibly can, my hand softly caresses her hair, hoping that my action could somehow alleviate her adverse emotions.


“You are not alone in this fight, Baby, you know very well that I will not let you be on your own in this hardship you are facing now. I promise to your father that I will protect you from danger and harm, and I intend to do it at all costs. We will deal with this together, Baby, I am here one hundred percent for you and in every step of the way.”


“I will find her, Lewis. She will pay. God help her, but I will avenge my father’s death by one hundred fold.”


The coldness and darkness of her words completely made my body hair raise. Revenge had evidently encompassed her heart and I am in utmost certain that there’s nothing that could stop her from achieving it. She would most definitely defy even hell itself just to avenge her father. I had to admit, this was obviously a side of her, in which I didn’t desire to witness. Her side of heartlessness and savage ruthlessness.