Chapter 21
Turning Of The Tide (Natalie and Trevon)
Chapter 21 The light streamed through the window, casting its brilliant glow upon Sherriâs eyes, too intense to bear. She winced and squinted. Her head felt as though it were encased in a dense cloud of cotton, causing her great discomfort.
Extending her arms in a languid stretch, she arched her back lazily, emitting a hearty yawn, and opened her eyes, only to be struck with the scene in front of her.
âOh, shit...â she thought. âWhere am I now?â
The surroundings and the furnishings of the room were unfamiliar. It was clearly not her own room.
Her mind reeled in confusion.
âCould it be possible that last night I have been taken away by a strange man, and then...â
Thinking of this, Sherri immediately threw back the covers to inspect the lower half of her body. After ensuring there was nothing wrong and finding her clothes unchanged from the day before, she breathed a sight of relief!
Involuntarily, she instinctively patted her chest.
She attempted to make a sound, but her cheeks were so sore that articulating even a single word proved difficult.
Surveying her surroundings, her gaze collided with an array of vibrant balloons, triggering a fuzzy recollection that played out hazily in her mind. She shook her head and slowly recalled a night of drunken madness. And she even kept blowing balloons all night!
âOh my, this was not true!â Sherri couldnât believe it. She yearned to disappear from this world!
While soothing her aching, swollen cheeks, she contemplated her next move.
Sherri was well aware of her proclivity for drunken madness. To dissuade her from getting drunk outside and being obstreperous at home, Edward had purposely captured her intoxicated state on video as a stern warning (Zapter 2:
Every time she contemplated indulging, she would watch the playback of that video first.
Upon viewing it, any desire to drink dissipated, replaced only by an overpowering sense of shame that made her want to crawl into a hole.
and never come out.
Anyway, the most important thing was to get out of here first.
Swiftly rising from the bed, she tidied her attire and prepared to make her stealthy escape. Just as she tiptoed toward the front door, a voice of deep and low magnetism from the living room halted her in her tracks. âIs this how you conduct yourself, Miss Landor? Sneaking away without uttering a word of gratitude?â
Sherri, who got caught, immediately regained her composure and feigned serenity. Straightening her stiff back, she gracefully turned. around, came back to the living room, and said to Hackett with a smile plastered on her face, âWhat a fortuitous encounter, Mr. Blackwell.â
Hackett possessed a flicker of mischief concealed beneath his gaze. âEncounter? This is my home.â
Sherriâs thoughts raced. âDamn it, how could I get so drunk that I followed this playboy to his residence?â she thought.
Swiftly regaining her composure, Sherri responded with a mischievous. grin, feigning indifference to her embarrassment. âWell, thank you for taking care of me last night, Mr. Blackwell. I must return to work now. See you next time!â She longed to escape from this embarrassing situation.
She was certain that her drunken escapades from the previous night had been witnessed by Hackett.
Her perfect image had been damaged, and she only wanted to make at swift exit now.
Turning abruptly, Sherri made her way toward the door. However, Hackett couldnât let her go that easily. After all, she had caused enough disturbance for him last night, and the lingering ache from last evening was still fresh in his memory.
âItâs 2:30 in the afternoon, Miss Landor. Youâre not scheduled at this time. And last night, Miss Landor, you were quite drunk...â Hackett exposed her without hesitation.
10:22 Chapter 21 Sherri immediately halted, not wanting him to describe her drunken antics. She knew exactly what she looked like when she got drunk since her brother had described that countless times.
âStop, Mr. Blackwell. Letâs discuss something else. What happened last night was my fault... I crossed the line. I was just indulging in a bit of alcohol.
Can we just put it behind us? Just tell me what to do to let you keep it a secret.â
Leaning lazily against the door frame, Hackett scrutinized her with his eyes. âWell, Miss Landor, youâre a smart woman. It appears you are well aware of your drunken antics. Very well, letâs first talk about the cost of the 500 balloons I bought for you. Since Iâve bought those balloons especially for you, I have to increase the price a bit. As for the expenses incurred from taking care of you last night, weâll settle those separately.â
âWait, what did you say? 500 balloons?â Sherriâs voice rose abruptly, and a sharp pain flushed her cheeks, reminding her once again of the foolishness she had exhibited last night.
âYes. You requested 500 of them last night, Miss Landor. Sherri was rendered speechless. No wonder her lips trembled with each word she spoke.
âHow reckless have I been to ask for 500 balloons last night? Could it be that this scoundrel was making a hare of me?â
She was skeptical about what Hackett said, but it was true that she would go crazy after drinking.
He paused for a moment and said, âBut... youâre lucky I stopped your before you blew up 500 balloons. Otherwise, you may have facial paralysis today. But it still surprised me that you actually blew up 250 balloons in total. Thanks to my big house, you were able to get enough room to put them all. Hackettâs face was calm and collected, even though he was lying.
Last night, he wanted to play tricks on Sherri to vent his anger, so he had forced Frank to buy the balloons, but unexpectedly, once Sherri saw the balloons, she would focus on blowing them up and didnât tie them up afterward.
She had pestered him to help her tie up the balloons, and in the end, not only had she blown up 250 balloons, but he also had to tie up 250 balloons.
His hands were now still a little shaky, and he had to hide his shaking hands in his pocket.
Chapter 21 Hackett still could hardly believe that he had actually stayed up all night with her, tying up balloons until his hands went numb.
Sherri closed her eyes and took a bite of her lip before saying, âAlright, how much? Cash or PayPal?â
âYouâre so generous, Miss Landor. Could I text you on WhatsApp? Itâll be easier for us to communicate and handle follow-up questions.â
Sherri ignored his words. Hackett was a typical playboy, and she didnât want to have any further contact with him and planned to blacklist him. after the transaction was complete.
âAlright.â She opened WhatsApp and saved Hackettâs number.
After Sherri added Hackett as a friend on WhatsApp, Hackett didnât tell her the price. Instead, he said with a smile, âActually, thereâs another way to let me keep it a secret. Do you want to hear it?â
âIf you have something to say, say it. Donât beat around the bush.â Sherriâs cheeks were so sour that she didnât want to talk anymore.
Hackett laughed. âGive me Natalieâs WhatsApp number, and Iâll keep it a secret. I guarantee that what happened last night will only be a secret between you and me, and I will never tell anyone else about that.â
As soon as Sherri heard what Hackett said, she refused without hesitation. âNo, donât even think of that. Change the terms, or you can state a price, Mr. Blackwell.â
âDo I look like someone who is short on money to you?â
It was true that the money she gave to Hackett was not even enough for him, the son of the real estate tycoon in Athana, to play around with girls.
People like him always spent money like water. Even a million dollars were nothing to them. She shouldnât underestimate him.
Hackett continued to threaten, âI recorded everything that happened last night, Miss Landor. That was really a horrible scene...â
Sherri opened her eyes wide, having an impulse to pounce on him and tear him apart like a wolf, but Hackett had got something on her, and she could only manage to hold back her anger. âCalm down!â she said to herself.
Chapter 21 âNatalie, Iâm so sorry,â Sherri thought with guilt while giving Natalieâs. WhatsApp number to Hackett.
âNow that Iâve given you her contact information, whether she adds you as a friend on WhatsApp or not, itâs not my responsibility. But you must keep your word.â
Hackett, however, said, âI canât trust you. What if you deliberately do not let her pass my friend request on WhatsApp?â
âShit! How would this asshole know what Iâm thinking?â Sherri thought.
Hackett noticed Sherriâs subtle expression and knew that she was not so obedient and had to be threatened.
âOkay, Iâll let her pass your friend request on WhatsApp, and I wonât blacklist you. Can I go now?â
âIâll give you a ride,â Hackett said, in a good mood.
âThatâs not necessary. Thank you, but I donât need your ride,â Sherri refused unceremoniously.
Hackett looked at her back as she walked away and showed a smile.
At the Athana Hospital registration window, Sherri took a taxi and registered herself for an examination of the oral cavity.
She wasnât worried that she didnât take time off from work, as she had an agreement with Natalie that if any of them didnât come to work at a specific time, another would first take time off for the other party, no matter what the reason was.
Therefore, Natalie must have already taken time off for her at this time.
As Sherri headed to the outpatient department after the registration and passed by the front desk, she was stopped by the nurse who was always.
chatting with her. She just slightly nodded her head in response.
âDr. Landor, whatâs wrong with you?â the nurse asked with concern.
Sherri just smiled slightly and said she was fine.
When her turn came, she walked into the outpatient department, and the doctor in the outpatient department officially asked her, âWhatâs wrong?â
The Athana Hospital was very large, and not all the doctors knew each other. The doctor in front of her didnât recognize Sherri as his colleague.
Chapter 21 Sherri didnât want to reveal her identity either. She was now just a patient.
âI have a pain in my cheeks, even in my temple,â she told the truth about her condition.
The doctor asked, âTell me what happened?â while entering the condition. on the computer.
Sherri embarrassingly explained, âI was helping blow up balloons for a friendâs wedding, and there were too many balloons.â
The doctor looked up at her. âWhy did you have to do that? Didnât you have an automatic pump?â
âI preferred doing that in person since it was my best friendâs wedding. Could you please help me see if there was an injury, Doctor?â Sherri didnât want to continue the topic.
The doctor then asked her to open her mouth, and after a detailed examination, he said, âItâs a little swollen. It should be a muscle or soft tissue strain. Go home and use cold towels or ice packs to relieve the pain. It should improve in a few days. Avoid opening your mouth wide to talk or Turning Of The Tide (Natalie and Trevon)
ï¤Chapter 20 My Ex-Wife Is A Big Shot In Disguise ï¤Chapter 227 Defying Fate: The Unstoppable Eileen ï¤Chapter 340 laughing, so as not to aggravate the condition again. Iâll prescribe you some medicine. Take them when you have pain. Iâve also prescribed five cold packs for you. Go pay for the medication.â
When the doctor handed her the payment slip, he looked at her with sympathy before adding a warm instruction, âDonât blow balloons so hard in the future.â
Sherri couldnât have been more embarrassed. If the doctor knew that she had been blowing up balloons when she got drunk, Sherri was sure that the doctor would consider her as an idiot.