CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE:
Hostages
--
There is one thing that Althea hates the most ever since she was young. And it was: unnecessary
attention.
In her younger years, she was constantly inside their home or their backyard, tending the garden. She
sometimes helps with their shop and do deliveries but talking and interacting with other more than that?
No, she cannot remember doing that.
But for the past two years, she learned how to socialize and talk with others. It was good for her, said
her doctor. It was good talking with older people and strangers, but people from the past? She has to
think twice before even making eye contact with them.
Standing in front of a room that is full of familiar faces, Althea can feel her chest tightening and her
breathing become ragged. Feeling their stares and gazes directed to her, she can feel herself drowning
with hatred and disgust.
It was like as if she traveled back through time, 7 years ago.
Although this is a high school reunion and 7 years ago was their college days, most of them also went
to the college she was in. Their high school and college were connected, so most students go there
after graduating high school. So, basically, most of the people here were the same in their college.
The people who showered her with stares of disgust and mockery. What is worst, the two who was the
very reason why she came back home was also here, inside the room, together with the other people
who mocked her from the past.
If only it did not happen, she would not go home and experience that shit.
‘No,’ Althea let out a bitter laugh inside her mind. She stared at the shock and awkward faces of the
people. ‘Even if I did not get home because of it, that would still happen one way or another.’
“What are you doing here?” Sheryl stood up from her seat and asked her. The party seems to have
already came into a stop. The music and the slides already stopped playing, even the lights went still.
“Did someone invite you here? Did someone tell you about this?”
She asked that in great disbelief. Her eyes were wide in shock as she looked around, trying to find who
the hell invited the ‘uninvited’ person. None of them tried to clash wit her gaze, they looked away
except from the very girl who really invited her, April. Sheryl looked shock before furry made its way to
her pretty face. “April?”
April just shrugged and looked away, not caring a little bit about her. This made her even more mad,
she stepped out from the table and began to advance towards where the five are standing. Althea
raised her eyebrows and said, “I apologize for going her without an invite. I did not know parties such
as these needs one.”
Everyone, except Tyler and Sheryl, looked at her in shock. She finally spoke! And it was really her!
They thought they were hallucinating!
Althea sighed and shook her head before staring at Sheryl- who has her face red in anger- again in the
eye. “ But I guess you are not the one to talk about dropping uninvited either. Since you just suddenly
came to my shop, issued a heart-to-heart talk, but who disappeared after without even the talk? Is this
perhaps the topic you want to have a hearty talk with?” Althea raised a brow. “You’ll give me ‘hearty’
talk about not going here but changed your mind since you thought no one will invite me either way and
bailed?”
Sheryl gritted her teeth, not wanting to say that she was right but wrong about why she left earlier than
she expected. She thought that she must speak to her about not going here before Tyler or anyone say
it to her. She cannot afford to see the two again in the same room. It was enough on the incident on the
amusement park, also, he is going to an important business trip the next day, so she thought that she
can keep the two away until then.
But she thought exactly what Althea said. She thought no one will. But April really had to ruin it all. Now
the three of them is in the same room once again.
It is absolutely mortifying for her.
Tyler, who was just silently looking at the two and listening, furrowed his brows and glared at Sheryl.
“You came to her shop? Did I already told you not to bother them anymore? Is the ruckus you made
that day not enough for you? You’re not ashamed about what you did to Kai and even went to where
they are?”
Sheryl reddens from embarrassment and she glared at him. “Tyler!”
“Oh,” Althea went to check the time on her wristwatch before looking at the two again. “I have to get
going since this is not really the place I should be in right now, also about that, you have nothing to
worry about. She had already…” Althea hesitated, trying to find the right word about it. “Sincerely
apologize about yelling on my son.”
This shock those people who never knew she has one, even April and Aaron have a visible shock on
their faces.
She has a son?
Then, like a key that perfectly matched the lock inside their minds, they remembered the rumors that
Sheryl spreads about Althea faking pregnancy just to get Tyler back, this earned a lot of criticism and
mockery, but the subject of the rumors was gone. The other one did not even confirm or denied it, so
after some time, the rumor died out.
Could it be?
“Bye.” After such short phrase- no, it is not even a phrase- it’s just a single word, she turned her back
and walked away. Before anyone can react, none of them can see her anymore.
“Shit,” April cursed under her breath. “She’s gone.”
That was when they retrieve back their souls and small murmurs begun to circulate between circles.
Tyler looked at where she went and without a single word, he stepped outside, trying to run after her,
but he was pulled back inside by someone.
“Tyler!” Sheryl shouted after grabbing his arm and pulling him back. “Where are you going?”
Tyler stepped back cautiously to not step on her before looking at her coldly. “Do I have to tell you such
trivial matter like that?”
Sheryl was furiously red, she shouted again, silencing the others. “Of course, you have to! I am your
fiancé! I have at least the right to know! What? Don’t tell me you’re going after her?”
Tyler inhaled, trying to calm his nerves from her shouting. “Let go of me, Sheryl. Let go of me before
my patience run out.”
“What’s with you Tyler?” Asked Sheryl, her eyes were tearing up. “Why are you like this? She just came
back, and you are already treating me like this?”
Tyler only stared at her for awhile and she did not back down either. The silence continued between the
two and It was like as if they completely forgot where they were at the moment.
None of them dared to talk and Tyler’s sigh broke the silence, he looked at her deep in her eyes and
dropped a cold bomb. “Sheryl, I don’t know what’s going on about in your head, but I always treated
you like this. I can’t remember changing my treatment to you even for a bit.”
His words broke her, the tears she desperately holds back fell and she glared at him. “You are cruel
Tyler.”
Her words made him flinched because he remembered Althea saying the same to him 7 years ago. It
was funny, he thought he has changed, but he did not even just a bit. He even agreed to be her fiancé
knowing he cannot reciprocate her feeling for him. Knowing that he is not ready to love anyone.
He thought because he was busy and has no time to think about anything.
But deep inside, he also knew it’s not that.
He was not ready to love anyone yet, unless it was her.
Who knows love can stay long inside a human being? What is more- a man that is known to think with
their dicks.
Tyler held her hands that were clutching him tightly and attempted to remove them. “Let go.”
“No-“
“Ma’am, sir.” An anxious voice sounded from behind of Tyler. They all turned to see a pale looking
attendant. “I apologize, but you have to stop your party and come with me immediately and evacuate to
the safe room.”
This made everyone jump up and create a ruckus.
“Something happened?” April asked with furrow brows. She was the owner of the hotel; they could
have at least informed her first.
The attendant looked at her. “I am sorry ma’am, but the event escalated quickly, and we had no time to
inform you. A group of thieves that was on the run went inside this hotel, killing our guards in the
process, and…” He hesitated. April knew why, he does not want to agitate and cause panic to the
others, but she urged him to speak. “And… And they hold all of us In the building hostage.”
“What?” She asked. “How? They are just bunch of thieves. They can only have guns and knives with
them at least.”
The attendant gulped. “No, ma’am. They have bombs.”
62fb1bb41dcb31934bd49bda