“Waiter!” Henry called, voice calm now but deadly sharp. “Bring us your best wine. Now.”

The staff, unsure, complied quickly. A tall bottle of deep burgundy was brought over on a tray.

My lips trembled. “I told you… I’m allergic. I can’t drink it. Please don’t do this.”

Henry raised a brow, his voice chilling. “What did you just say?”

“I said..” I coughed hard “I won’t drink it!” My voice cracked.

Wrong answer.

Before I could flinch, his hand seized my arm again. “Fine,” he said through clenched teeth. “Let me help you, then.”

With cold precision, Henry popped the cork, and without hesitation, tilted the bottle over my mouth.

“No!” I gasped, struggling, but he held me like a vice.

All he could see now was red, for he remembered how Casey shivered infront of all those people, becoming a laughing stock in her own party that she so kindly organised for her ‘sister’s reunion with their parents.

He wanted to avenge her at all costs.

The wine surged down my throat in a furious torrent—hot, bitter, and suffocating.

My stomach churned. My chest burned. My hands slapped weakly at his chest, at his wrist, anywhere, trying to stop him.

Laughter echoed around the room as I saw with a hazy vision as swarm of people watching, recording, amused.

The bottle drained.

My knees buckled.

I collapsed onto the polished floor like a broken doll, gasping, retching, one trembling hand pressed to my chest.

Click. Click.

Flash.

Phones caught the scene perfectly as I slumped in humiliation, wine staining my lips, my dress soaked and at that moment my broken eyes met Henry’s- lost, unloved and tainted with sorrow making his heart soften.

And then it all came down

“Oh my god!”

A gasp escaped someone’s mouth as a thin, glistening trail of blood slid down from the corner of my lip.

“God she looks like she will die…” someone murmured.

“Bleeding after just drinking…don’t tell me she was allergic” another said, uncertain now making Henry’s eyes widen as he realised that I was speaking the truth

Casey knelt beside me with the grace of a porcelain angel. Her voice trembled, just enough. “I-I think… maybe Elena is really allergic, Henry. Look at her lips… they’re blue.”

A flicker of regret and disbelief passed through Henry’s eyes as he looked down at me.

“Elena, you..you were not lying? Come I will help-” I flinched hard tears streaming down my face, crawling weakly backward when he stepped closer so as to protect my child from this monster.

Despite so much pain, I kept enduring for my ailing mother, for my child’s future, so that he would not be called an illegitimate child like mine and suffer all his life but now I could’t bear with it anymore.

“Elena” As soon as Henry held my bruised arms which had blue bruises from his hold I snapped in fear.

“Don’t touch me!” I whispered, my voice broken, raw.

Casey stood between us quickly realizing that the eyes were, her eyes filled with gentle tears. “She needs to go to a hospital, Henry. I didn’t want it to go this far…”

Her words dripped with fake concern, but her eyes sparkled beneath her lashes.

Henry turned to the butler and snapped “What the fuck are you watching? Prepare the car. Now.”

“Elena nothing like this would have happened if you didn’t act so viciously, I know you have learned your lesson..just hold on, we will take you to hospital-

“Aghh” Casey screamed, clutching her stomach and doubling at that moment.

“Casey!” Without a moment of delay Henry rushed to her side as my eyes flickered hazily watching the scene unfold.”

“N-No Henry..Y-you should be at Elena’s side..m-my old stomach disease is act-ing..I-I will be alright-” Without waiting for Casey to complete Henry picked her up in his arms and turned to look back at me with some hesitation.

“Butler, hurry up and take Elena to get treatment.” he said after much contemplation, straightening. “I expect her to be back once she is alright. Take care of her”

I didn’t say a word watching him with bloodshot eyes.

“Elena….this is important. Once you are done with the treatment just wait patiently for me at our home.” As soon as he turned away, my eyes were shut and I lapsed.