Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Seeing his dead serious answer, Letitia was a bit skeptical. “For real?”

Elgin shot back, “Would I lie?”

Fair point. Why would he lie to her of all people?

Letitia got up, freaking out a little. She’d sleepwalked all the way to Elgin’s bed it was a miracle he hadn’t tossed her

out!

But he hadn’t noticed a thing, had he?

“What are you dawdling for? Get out Elgin barked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She gave a hasty nod and managed to stagger a few steps, but her head was swirling and dizziness washed over her. Her throat was parched and raw as well. She must have caught a cold, probably from getting drenched last night.

But Letitia couldn’t dwell on that she had to swing by the jail first. She needed to ask Elgin for a day off, or else if he couldn’t find her, she’d be in for a storm of temper

The problem was what excuse could she use? As Letitia was squeezing her brain for ideas, Elgin said, “Go see a doctor, don’t you dare get me sick!”

“Okay!” she replied cheerfully

For the first time, Letitia felt this cold couldn’t have come at a better time

After leaving Ivory Towers, she made a beeline for the jail

Preston was a lot more lucid now, but with serious injuries, he was bedridden and needed daily dressing changes.

“Letitia, it’s me that’s dragging you down… Preston said. “If we cut ties, would Elgin let you off the hook?”

“Dad, you’ll always be my dad.”

“I thought about suicide, figuring maybe Elgin would chill out. But then I thought of you and your mom. If I go, he’d just take it out on you two even more.”

Letitia just smiled, ‘I’m okay, don’t worry

She couldn’t stay long, dropped ten grand for medical expenses, and stuffed another ten grand into a envelope.

“Sorry for the trouble, she said ‘Please take good care of my dad from now on.”

It’s crazy these people just stood by and let Shela do her thing, heartless. Yet, she had to suck up to them. One day, she’d rise above all this One day!

After the jail visit, Letitia finally headed to the hospital.

“Letitia Sanders?”

“Yes.”

The doctor asked mechanically. “What’s the problem?”

Tve caught a cold. Coughing, my throat feels like a desert and it’s also sore, and my nose won’t stop running”

“Did you have any fever?”

Letitia touched her forehead, “Nope.”

As the doctor prepared the prescription, he casually asked, “Any other symptoms recently?”

She thought for a moment, “Well.. got sick once after eating soup. I puked”

“Got a boyfriend?”

Lotta whispered, Tm married.”

Elgin never laid a finger on her, except for that one night…

The doctor handed her a bunch of forms and said, “Go on.”

Letitia flipped through them and saw blood tests and gynecological exams.

“Doc,” she asked. “I just have a cold, why do I have to do all the bloodwork and…”

“Am I the doctor, or are you?”

Letitia blurted out, “I don’t have the money.”

“Mr. Ramirez has already paid.”

Well, alright then, might as well get it done since he’s paying!

After the tests, she had to wait half an hour for the results.

But Elgin’s call came through. “What’s taking so long, you died over there?”

Letitia knew she’d spent too much time at the jail and hurriedly replied, “I’m on my way back.”

“Make it quick!

She couldn’t wait for the results, so she rushed back to the Ramirez Group.

Just as she arrived at the Jewelry Department, swamped with work, she stayed late into the night before finishing up. Stepping out of the company, she saw an abandoned plastic water bottle by the roadside.

Letitia hustled over and bent down to pick it up.

A pair of shiny leather shoes appeared next to her hand.

”

“Letitia, I can’t even begin to imagine what you’ve been through these years…” Walden was brimming with sympathy, “I could have been your hero, but I turned out to be a faithless jerk.”

“Excuse me, she said expressionlessly, “Mr. Sullivan, you’re in my way.”

Had this been some time ago, Letitia might have been touched by such sweet words. But now, when twenty grand could crush her, what right did she have to indulge in romantic fantasies?

Tears glittered in Walden’s eyes, “I’ve looked into your past, those two pages of information… It took me ages to muster the courage to read them… Every word was like a knife, torturing me!”

Letitia remained icy. “That’s all in the past. I don’t need your fake concern now.”

“No, I can still make amends!”

“Hah, who do you think you are?” Letitia challenged. “Can you stand up to Elgin? You can’t even defy your own dad!”

At that, Walden stepped forward impulsively, and Letitia immediately retreated, “Don’t touch me!” She sure didn’t want to end up pinned in the bathroom by Elgin again, nearly scrubbed raw. It hurt!

“I know it’s hard, but I’ll try, Walden insisted. “Letitia, do you believe me?”

“I do. But I don’t need it anymore.” In that moment, Letitia let go. She believed Walden – he was sent abroad by his father, not running away. He’d been kept in the dark.

Ignorance isn’t a sin.

Back at Ivory Towers, there was a bowl of soup on the table.

“Madam, Mr. Ramirez asked you to drink it, the butler reminded her.

Letitia’s whole face scrunched up at the thought – Phedra must have been so bored, sending soup every day without

fail!

Today’s dish was a pot of chicken noodle soup, and frankly, it looked less than tempting.

Holding her nose, she gulped it down like it was nasty medicine. Unfortunately, Letitia overestimated her tolerance, the fishy taste lingered in her mouth, leaving a greasy aftertaste.

Off to the washroom she went, throwing up again.

Afterwards, Letitia stared at her pale reflection in the mirror.

What was going on? Was it her stomach? Was she sick?

Or… Was she pregnant?

Suddenly, another face appeared in the mirror.

Elgin, in his black silk pajamas, leaned lazily against the doorframe, “Throwing up again?”

She cleaned her mouth, replying, “Yeah.”

“Is it that bad?”

“Sort of.” Letitia replied, “I don’t like those soups, they’re greasy and not nutritious.”

Elgin snickered, “Phedra only used top-notch ingredients.”

“Pass it on to someone else That kind of luck isn’t in the cards for me.”

She turned on the faucet and washed her face, perking up a bit.

Elgin eyed her, “Who allowed you to get home this late?”

“I worked overtime Letitia glanced back at him, “I was in meetings with Mr. Stewart all afternoon.”

“Letitia, you think you can use Samson as a free card for everything?”

“I was legit working late at the office, then walked home. That’s why I’m back at this godforsaken hour.”

Elgin squinted, Couldn’t you have walked it a bit faster?”

Letitia couldn’t help but retort, I’m dead on my feet after a full day’s work and then trekking over ten kilometers. It’s a miracle I didn’t drop dead halfway. You really think I can walk fast?”

Elgin replied, “Letitia, you’re not gonna drop dead on the road, you’ll drop dead by my hands.”