HOUSE OF THORNS : EPISODE 1 – 10
HOUSE OF THORNS
Episode 5
“You’re not leaving yet?” came a voice as Leonard entered the canteen to request for food.
It was the CEO’s voice, no doubt, and Leonard didn’t know how to react to the question. How could he explain his presence at the canteen when he should actually have been on his way home?
“Oh, I’m about to set out. I just needed to see if I left my car key here, I’ve searched for it everywhere” he lied. “I see! I was wondering why you hadn’t left already when virtually everyone else must have reached their houses by now” she said, getting closer to him and placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Mmmmm” Leonard mumbled inaudibly. “Are you okay Mr. Leonard? You’ve been acting really weird for a couple of days now” she asked him concerned.
“I’m fine ma’am” Leonard lied again, forcing a smile and moving away from her scrutinizing gaze.
He knew what he was going through in the hands of his wife, but he also knew better than discussing it with a third party.
The past few days has been he11 for him. His wife had virtually turned into a m0nster.
“Ok then. Please do take care of yourself” she told him calmly and moved on to tell the food vendor what she wanted, before setting out.
Leonard was happy that he’d been able to escape her prying eyes from seeing through his misery, but another prying eye was clicking away on the record button, sending live feeds of the moments he spent in the canteen with the CEO, specially highlighting the time she put a hand on his shoulder, and how he smiled so brightly afterwards to his wife.
Tricia was working late that day. She had some stuffs she needed to clear from her table before heading home, plus her mother and kid sister were meant to come pick her up on their way from the Spa.
That cr@zy sister of hers had insisted that she needed to go to that Spa with Tricia’s Bentley, so she was stuck in the office until her after returned.
She had gone to the canteen earlier to get something for herself because her secretary and every other person had closed. Why she found Leonard going into the canteen a time was a big shock to her.
Something about the way he stuttered while he talked about the car key made her feel that couldn’t be the reason he stayed back so late at the office.
“He had been acting really strangely, for some days now. I hope whatever is eating him up is sorted out on time. He’s a key players in this organization” she soliloquized. She was still gazing out the window, looking at nothing in particular when her sister breezed into her office.
“Hey sis. See I’m back! I didn’t make you have to wait after all” she chattered as she swayed into the office, her mother on her trail.
“Good evening mum. How did it go? Have you seen why I keep wondering why Valerie is glued to that Spa?” Tricia asked her mother beaming with smiles, intentionally not responding to her sister’s sarcasm.
“You know your sister, once she likes a thing, she doesn’t change her mind about it. So I let them be, but I’m sure not going to leave my spa for them anytime again” their mother replied good-naturedly.
And they all laughed heartily as Tricia began to tidy up to leave. “Oh goodness! How you manage to remain pretty after being through all these book works keeps giving me the bumps.
Thank God dad knew better than compel me to have a thing to do with this office” Valerie chuckled as her sister meticulously put each folder where it should be.
The trio stepped out and were almost getting into the car when Tricia stopped in her tracks. She had seen Leonard standing and gazing into space yet again. Something is definitely wrong somewhere.
“You didn’t find your car key?” Tricia asked Leonard who was just standing by his car and looking so lost. “Yes please” he responded quite faster than he should have. He was so lost in thought he hadn’t noticed the ladies approach.
“Oh that’s sad. What are you going to do now?” Tricia asked as she walked closer to him. Why did he give off the vibe of someone that was afraid each time she got close to him? It almost seemed as if her presence caused him some sort of discomfort lately.
“There’s nothing to be done now. It’s late already and I’m sure he must have a spare key at home. So a simple proposition would be, ride with us and get the key issue sorted out tomorrow.
The security should be able to take care of the car just this night” Valerie quipped enthusiastically.
“You think you can ride with us?” Tricia asked with her brows arched questioningly. Leonard didn’t have a thing to say, so he nodded dumbly and walked behind the CEO.
Their mother was already seating quietly at the back, so Leonard walked up to the front passenger’s seat and sat down. Tricia had just circled to take her seat behind the wheels, when she found her sister just at the door.
“I’ll drive sis. You’ve been working since morning. So just sit with mum and allow me chauffeur you tonight.” She winked at her sister and got behind the wheels.
The drive was predominantly quiet. While Tricia was looking at something that appeared very intriguing to her on her phone, her mother was making a call.
Leonard sat still like a statue, not knowing why he was feeling very uncomfortable sitting besides Tricia’s sister. She was looking at him all the while, as if there was something wrong with his face.
They soon arrived at his house and he stepped out of the car. Quickly said his thanks to the CEO who had stepped out of the car, to take the seat he had been occupying. “Whatever it is that has been affecting you this badly Mr. Leonard, work on it! You’re too valuable to Mcmorrit Holdings to be ignored. I’m concerned about you.
Please bounce back to your usual self soon” Tricia told him, patting him on the shoulder with all the care in the world, before getting into the car.
“Oh sis, did our presence make you as uncomfortable as it made him? Why do I think I’m the reason you didn’t give him a goodbye kss?” Valerie asked her sister as soon as their car pulled out.
“Don’t be naughty Valerie. What goodbye kss can I possibly be giving any man who’s clearly not Vince? Valerie, if I have to remind you, you suggested giving that poor dude a ride because he had misplaced his car key” Tricia told her sister.
“Oh please sis, that man was obviously waiting for you. What car key are we talking about? The one he had dangling on his breast pocket while he sat looking very uncomfortable that mum and I spoilt his plan for the day?” Valeria asked, laughing mischievously.
“Mum…” Tricia began, but she cleared her throat to remind them that she was still on the phone.
She was talking to their father who had travelled for medical examinations.
And as was their culture, the couple spent most of the day, talking about this and that.
And in those times, the woman literally shut herself out from whatever was going on around her. She paid her full attention to the man she loves.
HOUSE OF THORNS : EPISODE 1 – 10
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