Let Bygones Be Bygones

"Honey, I don't even know the person you are talking about. I will suggest you take a rest. You need to rest your body. Moreover, let bygones be bygones. That's your past. Digging into your past will only refresh your painful wounds. I will suggest you forget about it and focus on the future. I want you to think about what you will love to become and I will establish it for you. But now, you need to sleep." He kissed her forehead.

"Thank you so much. You are such a wonderful gift to my life." She turned herself and lay down with her right side, and Alex pulled the blanket and covered her.

The next day, both Alex and Elisa were at the dining table eating breakfast when Alex received a call from his secretary.

"Sir, you have an executive meeting by 10AM."

"What? Is the meeting scheduled for today?"

"Yes Sir."

"Thanks for reminding me." He ended the call and turned to Elisa.

"I will be leaving home soon. This meeting does not mean we are not going out today. I never thought I had such an important meeting today. It will be a two hour meeting. I will be home by noon. This is our first outing, it's a moment so special to me."

"Me too. But… I have something to tell you." She bent her face and looked at Alex with a smile.

"What's it? What are you hiding?" He asked.

"Nothing. I want to thank you for your patience and your encouraging words yesterday. For that reason, I will try and overcome my fear and sleep in your room tonight."

"Really?" Alex spoke with a renewed joy.

He couldn't hide his excitement then he stood up and kissed her. A few minutes later, he left the dining table and went to his room to dress up. Elisa took the dishes from the table and went to the kitchen. She was still in the kitchen washing the dishes when she heard her name.

"Honey, where are you? I'm about to go."

"I'm at the kitchen," she rushed out and on her body, a white apron and they met in the sitting room.

"You look great," Elisa admired Alex in his navy suit and there was a black suitcase in his right hand. They smiled at each other and they embraced.

"I will be back as soon as possible."

"Before you come back, I will have to do some cleaning. I don't know if it's possible to visit your art gallery?"

"Why not? Everything in this house is yours. You don't need to ask me before accessing anything."

He opened his suitcase and gave her a spare key to his room and he left the house. Elisa went back to the kitchen to finish her washing, then she went back to her room and sat down in front of the mirror.

"This house is so beautiful. I can't wait to tell my mom about what happened to me." She thought and took her phone and called her mum.

"Hi mum, how was your night?"

"It was…" she coughed and continued, "it was fine." She had a rusty voice.

"Sorry mum, hope you are okay?"

"Better each day."

"So mum, I will be coming to your place this weekend. Please stay healthy for me, you know you are the only one I have."

"Did you receive a call from Douglas? He has been asking for your new phone number."

"Mum please, I hope you didn't give him. Please don't. I don't want to hear his name. How many times have I told you I don't want to hear anything from him? I can't really tell you what he did to me on the phone, I will tell you when I get there."

"I didn't give him your number, but let me ask, have you packed out of your house? Douglas told me you no longer stay there."

"Mum, don't worry. I promise to tell you everything. It's a long story. Definitely, I will come this weekend."

"Have you heard the news going on about your dad?"

"Hmm… no, and I don't want to know. He didn't care for you. As for me, I have nothing to do with him, including his money. He abandoned us because of his mistress. Even when he heard that you were sick, he didn't show up. Please, let's not talk about my dad. Whenever I think about him or talk about him, I get angry."

"I just want to tell you that he is getting married soon."

"To hell with him and his wedding, his life and money. We will continue to live well without him. Where is Jackson? Before I forget."

"I left to buy some drugs for me some minutes ago. You and Jack have been so dear to me. I appreciate daily calls. Thank you so much dear. If not for you and Jack, where will I be? Thank you."

"Mum, you are the one we should thank. If you didn't give birth to us, or you took abortion pills. Where will I be," they both laughed." She paused, and blinked her eyes and there were joyous smiles hung on her cheeks.

"Mum, I wanted to tell you in person, but I feel like telling you now. I have broken up with Douglas and I have found someone who loved me with all his heart."

"Are you serious Elisa?"

"Hundred percent serious. Just be patient, I will tell you the horrible thing Douglas did to me when I come. Douglas is heartless. He does not deserve the love of a woman."

"But…" Her mum wanted to say something, but Elisa quickly said.

"Please, please, I don't want to hear anything that will make me sad. I don't want to hear anything about Douglas."

"But he came here.."

"Mum," she interrupted her again. "Can I call you later? I forgot I wanted to do something."

"Are you upset?" Her mum asked.

"No, no. I want to do something. Please, I will call you later." She ended the call.

"How many times will I tell you not to bring Douglas' issue to my ear?" She spoke to herself.

Elisa left her room and went to the bar in the sitting room. She searched for her favorite wine and filled a glass cup. From the look on her face, life was sweet. She looked very relieved and entered the lift. Then she stopped at the last floor and went towards the door of the art gallery. With the key of the door in her left hand, she opened the door and went in. She moved her legs at ease as she fed her eyes and mind with the beautiful artworks on the wall. She sipped from her glass cup at will and stood for a while in front of any art works that drew her interest. At that moment, she experienced peace of mind. She kept admiring the art works, and touched some with her hand.

After admiring the artworks, she came across a door at the extreme end of the fancy hall. The first time she came with Alex, she didn't notice the door. She was carried away by Alex's proposal. Elisa tried to open the door, but it was locked. All she thought was that there were other artworks inside. She looked at the door number and went out of the gallery to check for the key in Alex's room.

She checked the drawers Alex usually keeps keys, but she didn't see the particular key she was looking for. Elisa was about to walk out of Alex's room when her intuition urged her to open Alex's jewelry box. The box was coated with gold and it was very attractive.

"Wow, what a beautiful box of jewelry." She walked closer and opened it. As she looked at the different jewelry in the box, her eyes came in contact with a bracelet. She quickly took the bracelet and placed it closer to her eyes. When she recognized the bracelet, it fell from her fingers.

"What am I seeing?" She took the bracelet again and rushed out of Alex's room and went to her room. She quickly opened her bag and brought out her other bracelet to see if they had the same number.

"My goodness! So it was Alex, on that wild night. No wonder I usually have weird feelings whenever he touches me. I always feel traumatized. I can't live with this beast. Never."

The bracelets fell from her hand again. She picked it and looked at it to be sure and she was convinced it was her bracelet she left at the hotel room that night."

Suddenly she became afraid as she merged Alex and the man in darkness in that hotel room. Her fingers started shivering and she ran to her wardrobe. She opened her two bags and quickly arranged her clothes inside. She looked around to see if she forgot something and she briskly walked out of the room with her bags.

When she got to the sitting room on the first floor, she removed her Sim card from her phone and placed it on the table with the credit card Alex gave to her. As she pulled her bags towards the exit door, she felt she had not satisfied her conscience. She needed to pour out the bitterness of her heart on Alex. Elisa opened her bag and brought out a pen and a sheet of paper and wrote: