Chapter 4: Chapter 4

Delilah wasn't feeling a little bit of enthusiasm when she found out about her father's immediate death. In fact she was completely disappointed and sad about the sudden announcement, their legal practitioner told. On the other side, she had this emptiness creeping in her body, her tears almost slide past outside her eyes and her fingers couldn't find a way to settle down. She was continuously tapping the small side table on her bed. Even though it's already 11:00 in the evening, her eyes violated her perception of sleeping early every night and perhaps it was the first time. Delilah was oozing with a vengeful aura all over her body. She even vespers that the man behind this villainous act would be put into verdict as she faced him tomorrow.

Delilah's eyes loiter around the room. It seemed so quiet and empty inside. It seemed so unnatural for the first time of her life. Delilah felt cold, dismal and frigid, she felt so stiff even with the warmer all over her neck down to her toes. If only she had been wedlock years ago, she should have someone beside her, to talk and felt full in times of her lonely nights, cold Christmas and empty Valentine Celebration which is eventually happening every year for her. She even mounted candles in the sepulchral shoreline for three consecutive years, so that her wish of receiving a man via package–if she's been too humorous would come true. But fate was just too playful for her, it shirked on her for countless times and she was tired of waiting for shooting stars to appear on her window and declare a prophecy that she had a chance to be called as a wife, a mother or a babe by the man whom will be sedulous to have a settlement with her, in a simple shanty would be enough.

Delilah wiped a few drops of her tears. She bent her leg and creep herself in the blanket size as her attention draws to the window. It was the worst day. She felt piteous of herself. Choke with problems all over the corner, and plenty of responsibilities that awaits for her and her non-placid mind that scattered all over her plight. No one seemed to have a pittance on her for how many years but yet she cared too much about it, that her mind was going crazy.

She had been too emotional, too pitiful, and weak to handle things without a pillar to support her or maybe a hand to feel and share her emotions.

Delilah continued to stare at the window pane. The glass started to have a few spots of freckled rain outside. The night seemed to accompany Delilah's haunted feelings. The rain became huge that the brick pavement of the road was entirely wet. The drops of water on the roof enticed Delilah's ears making her sob in a rainy night. Delilah smoothly gasped the wedding photo of her parents, she lightly touched the "Mr. Erickson and Luna Grayve" printed words on a 36-year old photograph, that had been displayed on her desk for how many years- ten, seven or three perhaps, she couldn't count it anymore. She really missed everyone, from her humorist mother who always bake empanadas whenever she felt down, to her hot headed yet understanding Papa who always threw corny jokes that made her Mama heckle to it. They had been the epitome of a gallant family that she couldn't stop adoring when she was little, but it wasn't futile as the years gone by, full of frustrations and furor all over the bloodline, a never ending riot and chaos which makes her mother's heart grimaced to death.

Delilah continued to sob before she frowned over the sheen light of her vibrating phone. Delilah didn't vacillate to answer the noise, her lips curve in place as her mouth cracked the vapid words she uttered.

"Hello." A little bit of hesitations was vaguely found on the tone. Unfortunately she had been trying to speak British accents for how many years but she wasn't lucky to continue her three-month tutorial since she's been too tardy to learn it, so she plainly gave it up and focus on ratifying her tourism course and landed a much refine job that she loved.

"Who's this?" Delilah continued to post an enticing portfolio of her voice as she take a step towards the balcony door. The glass slide open and freed herself towards the floral carved balcony fence.

"Is this Delilah Grayve?" the other line embarks a husky yet intoxicating man's voice as it spit the words. Even Delilah couldn't hide the uneasy and kindled feelings she felt as the voice invaded all over her body.

"Y-yes." She barely couldn't answer the man but yet she struggles to be formal by the way she sounded. It was the first time of her to be bewildered just by its mere sound. She waylayed her compassionate and erotic side so that the man cannot be whacked by her presence.

"Harper owes me a price." The man's voice sounded so diligent and flat as it hums through Delilah's eardrums. Her utter silence was completely broken as she recognized the name situated in the man's sentence. Harper? She fumbled something on her mind and critically waited for a word in accompaniment, she cautiously held the phone towards her ears. But the man stopped talking and ended it with an uneven sigh before a brittle sound broke the tense atmosphere.

"And who are you to blemish Harper's image?" she sounded so polite at first but it was clear that Delilah couldn't contain her sarcasm towards the way she answered the brute individual who belie her cousin's memory, so she must take actions on Harper's behalf.

"Did you ever knew about what you are talking?" A sudden declaration.

"Yes, in fact I have a big part of her life." The man answered in accordance without any setbacks. By the way the man talked, it seemed so natural that it was clearly a fine individual, perhaps living in a swivel chair, circles of wines surrounded by each corner, luxurious cars and expensive yacht, and an enormous dwelling where he can hide his butt on- at least that's what she thinks or it may be in the other way around. A beggar who tries to poison her mind and tries to arrange a settlement of lieu between truth and money. Delilah couldn't stop the cringe on her teeth, her throat clears a sound before she prepared her impeccable defense saving Harper's polished individuality.

"And how did you became Harper's acquaintance? I looked after her for how many years but she hadn't told something about someone who became her lieu of friends before." She told him with confusion drawn from her mind. She was too determined that this man was a tourist of their family tree and basically she was trying to convinced herself not to take a bite on the man's trap. But whenever she heard that torrid voice, she was completely driven to it. She was being electrified by the way the man spoke to her, it feels so magical, timely and distinct. The man's voice where sweet, yet violent and sharp enough to make her inner piece go wild and disturbed. The man kept tormenting her by its sudden huskiness, and she will just completely let go of her torpidity and tow herself towards the ticklish feeling that tirades her flesh.

"She must have missed me during her introduction."

"Harper was not a jocular type." She flatly answered.

"She must be in her ease right now."

"Are you trying to make a fool out of me!" Delilah was not a thrall at words in fact she was a complete vanguard to it.

"I am not Ms. Grayve." The man's voice continues to be calm even with the way she sounded and answered.

"And how did you know my name?"

"You sounded so optimistic to know about me Ms. Grayve, I was quite shock." The man chuckles and she believed this was the first time that she adored a man chuckled in her ears. She usually hates men who disrespects her frankly.

"I am not laughing Mr. Who-you-are, I am not an easy person if that's what you think."

"Relax, I just want to tell you about Harper's valuable belonging, I mean a child perhaps that she left in my custody. I bet this information was not as fresh for you, you know what I mean."

"Kristen?" her voice sounded with a little shock but she quickly recovered it and planted a strong pose to trounce the man and claim her triumph.

"She was in my hand right now, she even sleeps like a baby, what a very adoring child." It sounded like a fish bone stuck on his throat.

"Who are you anyway."

"Oh, you sounded to like me, Ms. Grayve."

"Stop fooling around and tell me your name." She blasted her anger. The innocent night turns into a nightmare, the sound of her voice cracks through the corners of the room, she tightened the grip of her phone waiting for the man to proceed.

"You will know me soon, just too soon."

"What!" Her eyes grew larger, nerves started to rampage on her bare skin as she tightly holds the call. She even made a sweat in the middle of the cozy night. It was the first time of her life that she had been disrespected so badly, the man was tempestuous at her and she couldn't afford to lose at all, she was born to be the trophy holder- so she must conjoin herself and prepare for revenge.

"Bye." The man lowered his voice and save his temerity in ending the call, which makes Delilah scream in place. She shambled towards the bed and cleared her wasted dignity for talking to such a nonsensical person. Her pride was tainted with rubbish and she hated it.