CHAPTER 78

I ARRIVED AT LAUREN'S HOUSE IN THE NICK OF TIME BEFORE I COULD GET ATTACKED BY ANGRY FANS. I paid off the taxi driver and ran back inside.

"What's the matter???" Lauren asked and I walked past her without replying.

I went to the guest room and packed all my stuff.

"Eleanor....why do you always act drunk when am taking to you? What's the matter???" she asked after she saw me packing my bag. I proceeded with what I was doing and did not give her any attention.

I packed my cloths and didn't care if they'll have wrinkles at the end. I would send them to the laundry later and am sure they would do a good job.

I zipped my bag and dragged it down to the carpark where I was keeping my car. I raced back to the room and brought the remaining belongings with me not forgetting the gift bag I received earlier with three mice corpses.

Eeww.

"Eleanor..." Lauren sounded more desperate and I knew I couldn't talk to her now. I grabbed my phone but it suddenly fell accompanied with a cracking sound as if an egg had been broken. Instantly, a stinging sensation with heat raided my cheek along with my ear making them both burn.

"Ouch!!!!" I screamed, my eyes red with anger. I had been slapped. Who had the audacity to slap me. I touched my cheek and tried to caress it to ease the pain as I raised my eyes to look at this hideous human being.

"Lauren?? How dare you??"

"Of course I dare...I have so nerve...." she replied and I regretted ever coming to her house in that moment.

"I have given you shelter when you asked for it. A happy family along with a good place to stay and this is how you repay me?"

"Wha-what are you talking about??" I stammered standing up straight and looking around for clues.

Did that person come here again?

But Aaron was chasing him off from the mall. Did they lose him? That wasn't a good idea.

"There you go again....dreaming..." she thrust her hands on her sides in anger and I focused back on her. Her face was a glowering mask of rage and her eyes confirmed the fury within her.

What had made her so angry with me?

"You know what you're so selfish. Very selfish! I cannot believe you...." she dumped her body on the couch and bounced a number of times before springing back up.

"What is it....?" I asked and bent down to have a look at her.

She looked back at me and I could see tears streaming down her face.

"What's going on Eleanor? I was in your room cleaning and I found a disgusting bag of dead mice which you hid from me and then you ran off to the mall... but now you come back without Adam but a taxi. Do you know how dangerous that is????"

"Please listen to me...."

"That's why you have Aaron...where is he??" she cut me midsentence and I shut my eyes in riot.

"And then, I get notifications saying Eleanor cooked a scandal with Milady's that the shop had to shut down. Now...it's been sued and suspended for a month because of their down to earth security for a whole month!"

My eyes widened in wonder. I didn't do that. That only means that....Adam must've done it.

"Lauren...."

"Am not finished...." she cut me again and I swallowed my pride looking at her patiently.

"You come home and start to pack your things as if we are driving you out of the house. What is this???? Can you please explain because I don't understand...." she looked at me and all I could manage to do was to give her a hug.

I couldn't explain what was happening in words that she would comprehend.

I was out of explanations as things were getting complicated. I didn't know what to think or not to anymore.

My life was a huge mess and I had nowhere to go.

Reduced by my situation, I could let innocent people like Lauren suffer because of me.

She had her family going on great and I didn't want to come in the way of their happiness.

She was kind enough to let me stay for a day but I didn't want to bring my trouble along with me. I couldn't understand how this person knew where I would be at a particular time and attacked me precisely whenever I was alone. This was too accurate for a person unless he was a ghost.

"Eleanor.....enough hugging...." Lauren pushed me away and interrupted my interpersonal communication.

"Please....trust me.....I can't explain it now but I promise, I will....let me go...See you at the briefing on Monday....." I pecked her cheek and got up to leave.

I opened the front door, stepped onto the veranda and breathed the fresh air coming from the garden outside.

Her kids were still playing and I admired just how bonded to one another they were. Looking at them reminded me of my mother and I missed her more. I didn't want anyone to ever live without their mother and I wasn't going to let them suffer my fate. My mother left out of her own will to atone for her sins but I didn't want my sins to cost them their mother's life.

I would never forgive myself if that were to happen.

I walked past them and towards the garage where I took out my car and drove off all the way to my apartment.

*******

I found a lot of missed calls from Adam but I shoved my phone away and dragged my stuff into the elevator. The security guard was kind enough to help me and unloaded them too right outside my apartment.

I shivered right before entering my password to open the house. Who knew what lied beneath all these walls inside?

My last experience was a good reference justifying my fear. I didn't want to die of another fright and I stood there wondering whether to actually go in or not.

"Madam....is there a problem?" he asked and I remembered he was still here.

"Oh...Uh..no..." I faked a laugh and came him a smile that occupied my entire face. "Nothing at all....I just haven't been to my house in a very long time...."

"Oh....I see...." he smiled and nodded, standing aside, waiting for me to leave before he leaves. Hotel protocol.

"Uh....excuse me ...?" I asked. This was my only chance to prove my doubt.

"Yes?"

"Well....uh...asking out of curiosity...Uh...is it possible for someone to break in and out of my house unnoticed???"

"Oh...? Did something happen? Are you missing a few things??"

"No..Am asking out of curiosity...." I repeated myself, a bit annoyed. Didn't he hear me?

"Oh...right...To answer your question, it's impossible! Our hotel has the best sophisticated securities in the world. The doors have a built in automated lockdown system which runs after a week of door lock's deactivation making it impossible for someone to break in. And even if someone did, our security cameras are always on, 24-7 and we have people shifting into their working hours all day....nothing can go unnoticed....." he explained.

If he was telling the truth, how was that possible?

If someone did break into my room then they would've known in a second and obviously have him arrested and alert me already by now. But why didn't they??

"Are you sure everything's okay?? You look...rather disturbed...." he asked and I brushed off the anxious look.

"Oh please...am great...am fine. Thank you for you help..."

"My pleasure...."