Serving a Paralyzed Wife
108. Strangulated Flavor

Glacia was pensive, she had just finished chemotherapy when someone suddenly came to open the door.

"Hello, Cousin!" His head poked first, followed by his body until now the man entered and ran small towards Glacia.

Glacia glanced at the half grimacing. In his heart he cursed, for what this chatty woman came again. Maria stood beside Glacia who turned her eyes out the window.

Glacia was lying down with the back of the bed slightly raised. The woman still looked weak until she refused to speak. Mary finally put the fruits on the table, and sat down on the bedside chair.

For a long time they just kept quiet. Maria tried to remember her husband's message so he wouldn't talk carelessly. The feeling of Glacia being in a sensitive state, the slightest sentence that was touching her would definitely cause an uproar.

"What are you here for?" Glacia finally opened her voice. Maria's smile instantly expanded, especially when the woman turned her head towards her.

Maria answered. "Friends you."

A small snort came out from Glacia's mouth, he shifted his gaze again lazily. "I don't need company, there's a lot of bodyguards out there."

"Of course it's different" said Maria. He stared at Glacia long ago. "You didn't cut your hair? It's starting to fall apart, right? Better cut it short."

Glacia glanced at a few strands of her hair stuck to her shoulders, even on the pillow was no less. He took a long breath. "For what? It's over too."

Maria smile. "At least it makes you more comfortable. You take it easy, finish the treatment your hair will grow again."

Glacia did not answer. The woman again silenced, her look seemed to think of many things.

"You remind me of my old self" Mary suddenly said. "And it seems like our destiny is the same, caught in the trap of a man by force." He's pulling his shoulders. "I did, but for a long time I couldn't live without Gibran" he smiled.

Glacia looked slowly. "Don't you and my cousin have been in a relationship for a long time?"

This time Maria's smile was bland. "We got separated, and I found out that I had forgotten about it. When I realized that, it was very painful."

Glacia nodded. He forgot, but a little bit he also knew their love journey. "You're a great woman, able to survive with a bad-tempered husband like Gibran."

Maria laughs. "Hey, your cousin isn't that bad. He's a loving man who knows" he said with a smile. His eyes narrowed with a warm twinkle full of happiness. It was as if the woman was happy just by telling her husband.

Glacia. Unconsciously he muttered. "Warm what? He's a cold-blooded man who doesn't hesitate to eliminate people."

Maria, who heard the whisper, stopped laughing. He smiled slightly, not denying that what Glacia said was not entirely wrong.

"I cannot escape, my husband is indeed sinful, many people are victims. But, at least he had a clear reason to do so," Maria half-whispered.

Glacia stuttered. It really doesn't mean to offend. Why can't his mouth be guarded? Glacia is in the heart.

"That's .. no, I mean ..."

"It's okay. Your words are not wrong. Beyond his annoying attitude to others, but he is a good husband and father to me and my children" said Maria softly. "He's a man who puts the family together."

Glacia. For a moment, he seemed to think long. Then Glacia asked softly. "Is .... a man who likes to hurt people, can be instantly good just because we are his partner?"

"They .. are more like psychopaths. I'm not sure, because psychopaths don't have feelings" Glacia continued.

Glacia did not answer, but from her countenance, Maria knew that her guess was correct.

"You guys got into a fight?"

"Not quarrel. I just ..." Glacia looked puzzled continuing. "D-him ..." Maria waited. "I was just a little shocked and confused. Yesterday, he admitted to something that was either real or not. I still can't believe it and feel like this is all just a dream."

In the end, Glacia could not keep the calamity itself. From yesterday his brain felt dazed, his mind was not lazy to make Glacia repeatedly suffocated.

"How come, the nice guy I've known all along, suddenly confessed to killing someone, and worse that guy was his father." Glacia's breathing panted as she recalled Narendra's confession at the funeral yesterday. He looked at Maria. "That's definitely not true, right? Narendra was very obedient to my father. Though quiet, but all I know is that he never hurt anyone. He was kind and attentive to me. He even wanted to survive despite the many times I hurt. He can't possibly do vile things."

Maria was made speechless to see Glacia's teary eyes. The woman expressed her heart while shaking in disbelief. Actually, he was quite regretful, why did Narendra have to admit everything when Glacia's condition was still like this?

"But ... Lizy also said he was a monster. I-I don't know what to say. I-I, Lizy's t-body is full of wounds. D-He, his face is even so horrible. He not only killed his father, but also injured his former lover." So anxious that Glacia's sentence sounded ambiguous and chaotic. The woman seemed unfocused as if frightened by her own thoughts.

Seeing this state of Glacia, Mary stood up. He took Glacia's hand which was not infused, grasping it gently trying to calm down. "Glacy?"

Glacia's breath puffed. He gulped repeatedly before finally sobbing softly in front of Mary. "I'm afraid, I'm afraid everything I hear isn't a dream."

The woman was crying. The suffocating feeling that had surrounded his heart since yesterday was now overflowing to the surface. Glacia was at war with her own beliefs. His trust in Narendra is at stake right now. He doesn't know who to complain to. I don't know where Glacia should express her concerns.

"Glac." Maria tightened her grip on Glacia's hand. "What you know is not a dream. I know you're shocked, scared, not believing that everything is real. You're surprised, because someone you've known all along has suddenly turned violent."

"I've experienced it. In the past, when I first knew my husband wasn't a good man, I couldn't eat and sleep. Less like you. Fear haunts her every time she meets him. Because of that, too, I almost killed the baby in my womb" Maria said. "I am grateful that the fetus made me aware and remained sane, as my heart began to oscillate and confused to take action. But in the end I stayed in the comfort he gave me. I hate the inhumanity he has, but I don't deny that I feel safe beside him either."

Maria looked at Glacia fixedly. "Glacy, I don't mean to defend Narendra on this. But, it's good that you guys talk about this all right. From there you can understand and know everything. About his true self, about why he was able to do the thing you just knew. Ask all your worries. You guys need a two-way conversation so things don't hang up. Follow your heart. Once you understand, you can make any decision. That's your right."

Glacia had already stopped crying, but a soft sob still came out of her mouth. He was silent with a spinning mind.

"I'm not ready yet. I was still confused what to react to when I met him" Glacia said.

Maria nodded, she patted the back of Glacia's hand slowly. "Then wait until your heart is sure." He then looked at Glacia who was silent again. The woman hesitated to say. And it seemed that Maria understood what Glacia was about to ask.

"I came here purely because I wanted to see you, not at the instigation of anyone else let alone your husband."

Glacia's forehead wrinkled. Maria continued her words. "You're going to accuse me of coming here because your husband deliberately ordered it, right? Hey, while it's true Narendra isn't the one who's gonna seek defense through someone else."

Mary sat back in the chair, she sat down and bit the apple she had just taken from the fruit basket on the nightstand.

"I told you, our fate is pretty much the same. I was also kidnapped by a madman when my husband was in a coma. At least you should still be thankful Rafael didn't hurt you. He's a nice guy, it's just that his obsession makes him a little reckless."

Hearing Rafael's name, Glacia was made silent. Realizing her words just now made the atmosphere turn awkward, Maria cleared her throat swallowing an apple in her mouth. "I'm-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

"But, Glacia, it wasn't your fault at all. Remember that." He looked at Glacia anxiously. He had just violated Gibran's order forbidding him from saying anything, especially discussing sensitive things like yesterday's incident.

Unexpectedly, Glacia just smiled slightly. "I knew. They fell because of the consequences of their own actions."

Maria smile. He was happy that Glacia no longer blamed herself for everything that happened.