Ruby
Today was the day I was going to find the secret exit to escape. I was really nervous. I sauntered through the hallway, forgetting the way towards the room. I swear I had it in my mind, but I forgot.
God! Show me the way towards the bedroom at least. Let alone to the exit!
That was when I noticed one of the maids walking by with a tray full of food. "Hey, listen," I called her.
She turned with a bright smile on her lips. "Yes, boss lady?" She bowed a little, showing respect. I saw her name tag, her name was Sienna.
"Ah Sienna, can you tell me the way towards Vexon's room? I forgot." I pouted, feeling slightly embarrassed.
How could I ever forget? I remembered a few minutes ago. Vexon was right. Maybe I had Alzheimer's.
Stop dragging him into this.
Sienna said, "It's okay. Come, I'll show you."
"Thanks," I mumbled, starting to walk next to her. "Whom were you taking this tray for?" I asked Sienna as she looked at it before speaking.
"I wasn't taking it. Rather I brought this tray from Ma'am Newana's room."
We stopped in front of the room. I arched an eyebrow in confusion. "Newana?"
She nodded. I remember she was only there for breakfast and dinner. She never had lunch with us and I thought she was in her office.
"Doesn't she usually stay in her office and have lunch there?" I asked her.
Sienna shook her head. "Ma'am always comes during the break. She never eats her food in the office. And even after coming home for lunch, she orders us to bring lunch to her room. But all we take back is the cold food, which was served hot."
"You mean, she never eats lunch?"
"She doesn't, boss lady. Plus, no one remains in the house during lunch except Ma'am Newana. And��" Sienna was interrupted by a harsh voice.
"One more word Sienna and I swear, I'll throw you out."
We both turned around, only to find Newana in business attire. She walked towards us. Her blonde hair was tied into a bun and she did a little makeup on her face, but she had put too much concealer. Her black pencil skirt perfectly matched her white blouse.
"Stop staring at me, now will you?" Newana's voice snapped at me. I instantly looked at her caramel eyes, which were practically shooting daggers at me.
"Sorry," I mumbled.
She rolled her eyes and glanced at Sienna. "If I see you uttering shit, I'll make you eat some. Now, dismissed."
Sienna bowed and immediately walked away.
I fake coughed and opened the room's door. As I was about to step in, Newana mumbled, "Erase everything she said to you. I better not hear anything about this."
I nodded and closed the door.
Why was she so weird and grumpy? Anyways, her eating or not eating was not my headache.
Deciding to find the emergency door, I scanned around the room for no particular reason before I started to look in the jacuzzi room.
I was dabbing at the white walls, with hope for anything like a door would open up, but nothing appeared. So I went towards the washroom where the sink was. I dabbed all the blurry mirrors, and one mirror did open.
I was so excited, though it was a tiny one. But much to my dismay, it was where all the extra toiletries were stored. And instead of a door, what did I get? A toilet paper on my hand.
I went towards the dressing room even though I knew I wouldn't find anything. But there was no harm in trying, right?
I opened his closet and put my hands inside. As if a door would pop out of nowhere. That was when I felt something on my hand. A cloth.
I pulled it out.
"Hell no," I muttered and instantly shoved that thing back in the closet. That cloth was a freaking boxer.
I got out of the dressing room as well. It was hopeless searching here and there.
In a few movies, I had noticed there were secret doors under the bed. Should I try looking there?
I thought for a second, before giving it a go. But looking for a space to put my face under the bed, gave me second thoughts.
After I pulled the mattress, I shoved my head under the bed. I dabbed on the floor, but it just responded with an annoying sound.
That was when I heard the bedroom door click. Oh, God! I tried to get out, but my head got stuck under the bed. Damn you, bed!
"I don't care. Those drugs were supposed to reach the United States yesterday. How can you say we lost the boxes? I, myself exported those boxes from the warehouse." Vexon was conversing on his phone.
Dear Lord! Was he smuggling drugs? He was in the Mafia! What else did I expect him to smuggle? Licorice?
Once again, I tried to get out, but my head was being pulled deeper. That was when I started to feel suffocated. I tried to take deep breaths, but it was futile. I couldn't breathe.
"No, Beckham. How come Carter got the news before the boxes even reached the port? Whatever. Try to solve it. I have a gut feeling, he's planning something else," with that, he stopped talking.
Whereas, I was dying in here. Should I call for him?
"Now, where's Ruby? I hope she is not doing anything stupid. If she does, I swear to God, I don't know what I'll do."
Shit! Someone is very pissed off now.
I didn't want to call him. He would help me, but I would get tons of scolding in return. I was feeling more suffocated than before now.
What matters to you more? His scolding or death? poked my subconscious.
Closing my eyes, I called out, "Vexon."
"Did someone call me?" Vexon's voice echoed through the room.
"Vexon." This time my voice got a little bit higher so that he could hear me clearly.
"That is Ruby's voice. But how can I hear her voice when she is not even here in this room? Am I so crazy for her that I'm hearing her voices in my head too? Wasn't thinking and dreaming about her enough?" I could hear the confusion in his voice.
Did he indirectly say he keeps thinking and dreaming about me?
Nonetheless, I hollered this time, "Vexon, I am here!"
"Fuck! Where? Are you really in this room, Ruby?" he spoke a little bit higher.
"Yes, here. I'm stuck!"
"Where? In the washroom?" he asked again and I could feel his footsteps near the dressing room.
"No. Here!" I answered.
"Here has a name, you know?" he let out, slightly annoyed.
"Under the bed."
"Under the bed? What are you��fucking hell!" His footsteps stopped near the bed. I could feel him sitting on his knees on the floor. At last, he noticed me! Phew!
"What the hell are you doing there?" he asked, and that was what I was afraid of. The anger. "Are you mute?" he hollered.
"At first help me get out." I was gasping for breath.
"Wait." He tried to pull me. "How did you even get in here?" He removed the mattress and pulled me again.
That was when I could get out of bed. I sat on the mattress, panting.
"You're nuts. Here, have this." Vexon handed me a glass of water, which I gulped in a go. He was patting my shoulder.
I closed my eyes and opened it after a few seconds, only to find Vexon glaring at me.
Rest in peace, Ruby Geru��Bevi��but I didn't accept the marriage!
"What the hell are you, woman? How the fuck did you get there and what the heck where you doing under the bed? What if I didn't come on time or didn't listen to you?" he shouted in anger.
"I��" he cut me off.
"Don't you dare utter a damn word! You aren't allowed to talk. Look at you. You know you have breathing issues. Then why would you do something like that?" I zipped my mouth and looked at him. "Lay down," he ordered and I followed instantly as I didn't want to make him angrier.
He pulled the blanket on me and handed me my emoticon pillow. I took it hesitantly.
"Are you still having trouble?" he asked, rubbing my temples.
Geez, I wasn't dying. Wait... How did he know I had breathing problems?
"Of course, Pearl told me," he answered, still in a pissed off tone. I did ask that question aloud. "Care to tell me what you were doing there?"
"I was just, I��" I tried to find an excuse. "I thought maybe you kept my phone under the bed?" It came out more like a question.
He narrowed his eyes at me with suspicion. "Does it look like I will believe this excuse of yours?"
"Maybe?"
"Just be careful next time. Today you got lucky that I was there. What if I wasn't?" As he spoke, it felt like he was imagining the worst scenarios and he closed his eyes after a few seconds repeatedly. He ran a hand through his hair.
"Look, Ruby. I care for you. I��I love you. I don't want you to get hurt by any means. You hurting yourself, means you are hurting me. So don't do anything foolish. Please." Vexon leaned towards me, as his now soft voice hit melted my heart. "Take some rest." He kissed my forehead and left the room, leaving me dumbstruck.
Did he just kiss my forehead?
Unable to digest that fact, I went to the balcony and used those stairs. I needed fresh air.
I was strolling through the personal garden. All of a sudden, my leg hit a basketball. I took it on my hand and threw it nowhere before heading back to the room.
But the creaking sound made me stop dead in tracks. I looked at the border in the garden. The whole border was of black color, but I could see a thin silver line outlining a door shape, on the middle part of the border.
I had found it. I found the emergency exit.
