#Chapter 66 – Flowers
Stella
Inputting data files one by one is such tedious work. With every file, I have to carefully type in the Information and then triple check each line to make for sure that everything is correctly entered. If even one thing is wrong, Adrian’s project will not be able to function properly and it will all be my fault.
So no pressure, right?
What I appreciate about the tedious work, though, is the fact that it helps distract me when I am resting in the
用
hospital or at home when there is nothing else to do. The sounds from the clicking keyboard help fill in the silence
and it keeps my mind distracted from thoughts about Adrian and what he said to me yesterday.
My bed is comfortable, all thanks to my brothers who bought me the fluffiest pillows imaginable, and it is making me want to fall asleep while slowly typing in the new data. yawn, covering my mouth, ready to take a small nap, when there is a knock at my door.
I raise an eyebrow but I do not leave the safety of my bed, unsure who is on the other side of the door. I look through the doorway and wait, hoping that the person leaves on their own.
They do not. Another knock sounds through my apartment. let out a quiet sigh and weakly leave my bed, my legs still feeling like jelly but at least all of the aches have left my body.
I slowly cross my apartment, aiming for the front door. There is another knock and I try to respond but my voice is replaced by a cough. As soon as I approach, I lean against the door for support before opening it up.
A deliveryman waits outside. He looks down at his phone, mask covering his face. He looks like he is about to walk away when he turns around, his eyes creasing as if he is smiling underneath his mask.
I stand behind the door and poke my head out, unsure if this is someone here to hurt me or if he truly is delivering something.
“Miss Stella?” he asks. I nod. “These are for you!”
The deliveryman pulls out a bouquet of white orchids from behind his back. My eyes widen at the sight and I step around the door, taking the large arrangement into my arms. I look between the man and the flowers, shocked by the sudden gift.
“May I ask who this is from?” I ask, stopping the man before he can walk away.
“These are from your husband, Adrian, ma’am,” the man answers me.
Taking a glance at the orchids, a sense of unease runs through me. Adrian sent me these?
“Can you take these back-” I look back up and notice that the deliveryman has already left and has disappeared down the hallway.
I look down at the white orchids, the petals smelling like a garden come to life. I love the scent, making me feel more at ease inside my apartment after the slight scare with the deliveryman. However, the lingering feeling of suspicion remains in the back of my mind.
Why would Adrian send me flowers, though? Did he not just tell me to die and disappear yesterday? What is with the sudden switch up?
Well, whatever it is, I am in no mood to deal with the constant whiplash of his mood swings and how he feels towards me. If he is going to constantly be indecisive, then I will be the one to make the decision for him.
I approach my trashcan and dump the flowers inside. A small white card catches my attention. I pluck it from the
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$25 BONUS
#Chapter 66–Flave
petals and read Adrian’s essage.
Dear Stella,
Will you please call me? There is something I would like to discuss with you. I hop you enjoy the flowers. They remind me of our wedding.
Sincerely, Adrian
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I roll my eyes at his message, unable to take it seriously. Is this the same man who wants me to die? Or is this a new clone of Adrian that suddenly cares for me? Some kind of clone that he made to handle all of the troubles in his life?
I flick the note into the trashcan and walk back to my bedroom, getting comfortable in the bed once again. Sliding my laptop onto my lap, I move back to my website, clicking to the messaging board I set up for my clients.
My new company has been thriving. Dominic and Sebastian have recommended me to their colleagues and fellow business people, which has led to an influx of new jobs. All of the new jobs has provided me the distraction and steady income that I need to start to feel the fresh air of independence that I desperately crave.
A lot of them are revolved around smaller companies, companies that are the size of ants compared to Adrian’s pharmaceutical powerhouse. Small yet powerful as I like to think, seeing how they’re fronts for some mafia activities.
My health has improved since yesterday, though. A mix of dehydration and overexertion pushed my body to its limit and now I am on bed rest lazily typing in codes and demands as the minutes pass me by.
Nobody knows who I am through the website. My identity is hidden behind my Tracer persona and it helps keep some of my anxieties at bay while working, especially with how close some jobs are to underground criminal organizations.
My eyes flicker to Adrian’s name on the screen. His status is active and yet I receive no messages. He’s probably idle on the screen while working on something else. He usually does that to pass the time while he is at work.
It’s not like I’m keeping tabs on him, though. I just so happen to cross paths with him every now and then on my website. Adrian is usually the one who messages me first, which is something new to experience seeing how I was the one to message first and get no response during our marriage.
I wonder how he’s doing, though. I know he wishes nothing but the worst for me after our phone call, but I hope he isn’t overworking or stressing out too much over his new project.
So far, it has been perfect, so I don’t see what he needs to worry about all the time. My security wall is impenetrable, a force to be reckoned with, so he truly should not worry over things that I am handling.
I shouldn’t be thinking of him. He has distracted me from my work for too long and I cannot allow myself to make the mistake by falling into his trap that is filled with white orchids and wishes of death.
Besides, I am doing so well on my own. Why would I waste my time on somebody who does not even care or love me? We’re in the middle of a divorce after five years of being stuck in a loveless marriage, isn’t it time for me to let go of the past and move on?
I know it is going to be hard, but I know that this is the best thing for me and my future.
