Chapter 40: Chapter 40

She knew she shouldn't be upset or angry. But she couldn't hold it in anymore. It was all because of Beatrice.

The dinner, which she thought, would be fun, suddenly became a nightmare since Beatrice's presence. She wanted to refuse and kick her out for making such an unreasonable request—offering herself to join with no one inviting her. Unfortunately, she wasn't the host. She was the same as her, just a guest who, after permission was granted, was able to become part of the small gathering that night. She was trying her best to keep herself from exploding right away. And after dinner ended, and she was alone with Aaron on the way to their room, she changed her face completely. No smiles or friendliness. There were only groans and annoyance.

"Honey," Aaron called in the softest voice possible. He followed her broad and brisk steps towards their suite room. Needless to say, he knew what his wife felt because he had it, too. It annoyed him to see his secretary appear without notice. It was rude, and Beatrice should have known it well.

Helena stopped right in front of the door but didn't say anything. She stood still, showing her back to him and waiting for him to take the card to open the door. She then took no time as the door opened, hurling herself quickly onto the bed and throwing pillows at him, who was following her.

"I hate you!" She screamed in frustration. She hated her husband because he wouldn't listen to her.

"Honey, calm down," Aaron said, trying to calm her. He took a step closer, but she immediately responded by taking a step back. The sign was clear. She didn't want him to come near her. And so, he stopped but wouldn't give up persuading her.

"I said I hate her, yet you still hold on to her!" Helena exclaimed in desperation. It felt like she wanted to throw everything at him to vent her frustration.

Aaron had difficulty swallowing. It seemed like he was in a big mess because it was the first time he had seen her this angry since the fight before the wedding. It caused him to stand in bewilderment, unsure how to calm her down. "I'm sorry." Yes, that was the only word that came from his lips to surrender and admit his mistakes. He really should have listened to her.

Once again, the pillow hit his face. He purposely didn't dodge it and caught it as it fell down. Then he tried again, taking a step closer to his wife.

"Stop there!" She pointed to where he should be standing.

"Helena," he called in a pitiful voice. He needed to come to her and hug her to calm her down.

"I don't want you near me!" That was the final. She wouldn't take no or whatever he said. She needed time off from him.

--

That night, they didn't sleep in the same bed. Helena was on the bed while Aaron slept on the sofa. Of course, no one said a thing about the division. He only learned it from her reaction when he was about to take on the bed next to her, and his wife immediately stood up to walk away from him. So, he had no choice but to grant it. And he felt the night was very long, making him realize how serious the problem was.

Unfortunately, he couldn't do anything about it. At least, for now. He had a meeting to attend. Otherwise, he would stick to his wife all day to get rid of her anger.

He heaved a sigh, realizing he had to leave her immediately. "I have to go now," he said goodbye before actually leaving the place. But then a heavy sigh escaped his lips, again, when he didn't get any response from her. Helena was like a statue, didn't speak, and turned to him. "Tell me if anything happens," he said again, even though he knew it would end the same. He saw her for the last time before his feet swung towards the door. A second later, the door opened and closed.

Meanwhile, Helena slowly exhaled after realizing she was now alone in their room.

Yeah, there's no need for you to remind her of her mistakes. She realized she shouldn't take her anger out on her husband. Aaron was merely a boss who wanted the professionalism of his employees, which turned out to be not in line with Beatrice's intentions for him.

Still, it was his fault for ignoring the sign. He should have done something as soon as Beatrice's feelings began to cloud her performance. Maybe not fire her right away, but transfer her to another division. There was always a way, and sadly, Aaron didn't take it.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly while giving her brain time to take a breather from the oxygen. She needed something more robust than this. Something fresher to help unravel the complexities in her mind. She needed to get out of the room.

Therefore, the next half hour Helena spent showering and getting ready to go wherever her feet would take her. She didn't have a definite destination. But considering the tightness in her chest, she needed something spacious, and the beach was the best answer.

-Honey, don't forget your breakfast.

She glanced at the message on her phone. It came in half an hour ago, probably coinciding with her just starting the journey from the hotel. Finally, she decided to go to the beach, but not the one she visited yesterday. She went to another beach to get a fresh view.

She put her phone back into her bag without wanting to reply to his message. She was still in a bad mood, and communicating with him would make it worse. But she followed it by not forgetting breakfast, even if it was only bread and milk. No. She would still have it without the message because she needed it to face the day. Oh, holding on to annoyance takes energy, too.

She took a seat on the sand to straighten her legs. Time to enjoy freedom began. She would let the shore and the sea provide relief while the wind caressed her and brought peace. She could ease her mind in this situation. Aaron, Beatrice, and what happened between her and her husband, she would try to forget them all at the moment. There was only her.

Just her.