Daddy’s Little Pet

RENEE

As I repeatedly vomited into the toilet, I battled to keep my breathing under control.

This morning, I woke with a pounding headache and a parched tongue. My throat was like sandpaper, and my skin was clammy. I’d taken a long hot shower, eaten breakfast, and was about to start getting dressed when I realized I was feeling worse than ever. I felt lightheaded, and a wave of nausea came over me like an unexpected storm.

From then on, everything went downhill. I’d run to the bathroom in nothing but a towel, throwing up everything I’d eaten. I retched uncontrollably till my stomach ached. My nostrils were filled with the icy stink of my vomit, my eyes burned with unshed tears, and my vision swirled erratically.

The cold tiles of the bathroom floor dug into my bare knees, leaving behind icy, pinprick sensations that did nothing to relieve my suffering. This was horrible, and I was on the verge of passing out. But my sheer willpower kept me upright-that and Nicole’s presence beside me.

She had followed me into the bathroom and sat silently by me while I puked. When I paused, she would hold my hair, touch my back, and try to provide some comfort. As she always did. Even now, I could feel her warm hands on my neck, her delicate fingers gently stroking my spine. I leaned into the caress, thinking it would briefly ground me. And it did, sort of, help.

My entire body ached, but the dizziness faded, and my muscles no longer twitched. My stomach churned again, but not as violently as before, and I felt relieved.

Nicole murmured gently, “Renee. Are you all right now? Do you feel any better?”

“I…” I started but stopped as another pulse of pain went through my skull, making it ache even harder. “Yes… yes, thank you.” I spat out through clenched teeth, and my voice was raspy from coughing my lungs out.

“You have to go to the hospital. It is evident that…”

I cut her off before she could finish. “I’m not sick. I have an appointment with Mrs. Andrews, and I can’t cancel on her.”

Nicole urged emphatically, “But you have to. You’re sick.”

“I’m not. This is just random motion sickness or something.”‘I said, my words sounding empty and untrue even to my ears, but I persisted. “It probably won’t last long.”

She frowned. “I don’t think so.”

“Well, I think so. Don’t worry yourself.”

“But you’re not in any condition to work, and the restaurant plans can wait,” She said, softly massaging my back. “If you postpone, Mrs. Andrews will understand.”

I coughed. “No. Nicole, the restaurant has been closed for months. I can’t let things go on like this. Today’s meeting with Mrs. Andrews will go as planned, and I will not cancel it.”

“Renee.” She called, but I shook my head. “Nicole, I’m going to the restaurant. There’s nothing you can say to convince me otherwise.”

“You’re so stubborn.” She huffed, annoyed. “I wonder how I even put up with you sometimes.”

“It’s because you love me.” I said, grinning at her even though smiling hurt like hell. My lips twitched reflexively, and I had to fight off another bout of nausea.

Nicole rolled her eyes and stood up, brushing her dark curls over her shoulders. “All right, then. Let’s get you ready.”

She extended her hands to me, but I disregarded them, preferring to stand alone. As the floor rocked beneath my feet, I felt dizzy. I stretched out blindly to grip the edge of the sink.

“Damn it,” I said as my hand slipped off the countertop. Nicole gripped my arm and yanked me up. “Ow, that hurts.”

She said nothing. She just led me out of the bathroom and into our bedroom. We sat on the bed together.

“If only you’d listen to me, Renee. Don’t go anywhere today,” Nicole said again, and I sighed. “But I have to go.”

Her expression remained skeptical. “You don’t have to. You just returned from a trip. You should get some rest.”

“I’ll be fine.” I muttered as I locked my gaze on her. “I’ll come home after talking to Mrs. Andrews, and we’ve taken care of business. I swear.”

Nicole pursued her lips, clearly wanting to dispute but ultimately choosing against it. She offered me a sympathetic smile before releasing my hand and standing up.

“What are you going to wear?” She inquired, strolling to the closet and removing a pair of pants. “Casual attire or a pantsuit? I believe you should wear a suit. After all, you’re now a boss lady.” She teasingly winked at me.

Despite my headache, I managed a short burst of laughter. “All right. Pantsuit, please.”

She also chuckled and tossed me a gray pantsuit from the closet.

“There you go.”

“Thank you, Nicole.” I picked up the clothing. “Thank you so much.”

She gave me a friendly grin before leaving to get ready herself – she had a morning shift to cover at her workplace.

I was done changing when she came from the bathroom, wearing a loose red sweater combo and a black pencil skirt.

I also felt a little more human and robust. Not that I wasn’t shaking, but I felt a lot better and less sick.

“Ready?” She approached me as she asked the inquiry, her hands reaching out to smooth my hair.

“Yes.” I said, clearing my throat and picking up my purse. “Let’s go.”

~~

I couldn’t remember how long it took me to get to the restaurant. All I knew was that whenever the car hit a bump, I’d feel slightly dizzy, and my vision would whirl around a few times. I grabbed the door handle hard each time, praying I wouldn’t puke in the back seat.

Harry, the personal bodyguard Robert had hired to keep an eye on me, sat behind the wheel and drove.

I’d met him outside my apartment earlier after Nicole and I had exited the building. He’d been waiting with a shiny black Mercedes.

After exchanging pleasantries and climbing into the backseat, he drove Nicole directly to her workplace, per my instructions, and we continued the journey to the restaurant.

He’d been almost silent the entire ride, but when he noticed my discomfort while throwing glances at me through the rearview mirror, he began to ask worried questions.

‘Is everything okay, Miss? ‘ ‘Are you feeling sick?’ ‘Shall we take a short break?’ ‘Do you want me to park somewhere?’

I told him I was all right and needed to go to work and return home as soon as possible. After that, he stopped questioning my well-being, but I knew he wasn’t thoroughly convinced, and from then onward, the car journey had been unusually quiet. I would’ve enjoyed it given my circumstances, but I broke the silence nevertheless.

I asked him about Robert, who hadn’t returned my calls or texts from the previous night or this morning. But Harry informed me that he had no idea where his boss was. He’d gone on some personal errands the day before, and today, he’d resume his duties as my private security. I tried not to express my displeasure, though I had no idea if it was due to Robert’s strange absence or something else.

Soon, we arrived at the restaurant, and the car eased effortlessly up to the curb. Harry walked out without saying anything and opened the door for me. I got out of the car, still feeling nauseous, but managed to walk over to the restaurant without incident. He trailed close behind.

I came to a complete stop in front of the door and turned to face him.

“Harry.” I paused and smiled weakly. “Do you mind if I call you that?”

Though he didn’t quite meet my gaze, the corner of his eyes wrinkled in amusement. His response was tentative but courteous.

“Of course not, Miss.”

“Alright. You can wait outside for me while I speak with Mrs. Andrews. Okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Harry acknowledged with a slight nod of his head.

“Good. Thanks.”

With that, I walked through the door and into the restaurant, the bell softly tinkling. Except for a familiar feminine figure at the counter, everything was deserted. Her back was turned to me at first, but as she heard my approach, she stood up and turned to face me. It was Sally, and as soon as she saw me, her look changed to one of astonishment and delight.

“Renee!” She yelled as she dashed over to greet me. Her arms were spread wide, and I embraced her warmly.

“Hi, Sally!” I said gently as she deepened her embrace.

I felt heat coming off her skin through the large coat she was wearing, and it made me cough slightly, but I quickly got over it. She let me go a little later, unconcerned about my ragged breathing and discomfort, but her kind grin never faded.

“How are you doing, sweetheart?” She questioned as she pulled away. I responded in kind. “I’m okay. What about you?”

“I’m fine, Renee.”

“And how have you been coping? Did you work anywhere else?” I trailed off, hoping she’d get what I hinted at, and she did.

She shook her head. “Well, I’m all right. I’ve been here, there, and everywhere,” She said dismissively, waving her free hand around. “Aside from working here, I had other part-time jobs.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. When the restaurant briefly closed, I just kept working at the other jobs. That’s what the majority of our colleagues here did as well. I even assisted one of them in obtaining an evening shift at a local bookshop.”

“Wow. That’s kind of you, Sally,” I said sincerely, and she smiled. “I apologize for Robert’s abrupt takeover. I was stunned when he informed me he’d purchased the restaurant…”

“It’s all right, Renee. Seriously. Everyone has been doing well, and no one holds you responsible. Besides, now that you’re our new boss-” She paused and smirked, “You might make it up to us by taking us all to lunch sometime.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

She laughed again before becoming solemn for a little while. “But look at you. Damn girl!” She gawked. “When was the last time I saw you? Was it two, three weeks, or a month ago? And you’ve changed so much.”

“Changed?” I blinked, perplexed.

“Yeah.” She chirped.”You look robust and even more lovely. The happiness is radiating off you. You have even added some weight, and your skin is shining. Your partner must be spoiling you rotten, and I approve!” She cooed as my lips tightened into a faint scowl.

Fat? I added some weight?! To double-check, I looked at my wrists. They weren’t round or swollen, nor were they flabby, so what was she on about?

Sally’s compliments were genuine and came from a nice place, but for some inexplicable reason, I found them annoying. No doubt the “weight” remark irritated me. But I decided not to let that upset me.

“Where is Mrs. Andrews?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

Sally gestured with her finger. “Just perfect timing. She’s arrived.”

We turned around when we heard a voice from behind us. Mrs. Andrews had just walked in through the front door. Dressed in a sharp, exquisite suit, her lengthy hair curled neatly, she stood tall with a smile pasted as she approached us.Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

She came to a halt and gave me a slight nod.

“Miss Micheal.” She murmured, her tone official. I returned the greeting.

“Please accept my apologies for my tardiness. The traffic was terrible.” She grumbled.

“It’s all right, Mrs. Andrew.” I reassured her. “I appreciate you meeting me on such short notice. I sincerely regret if our meeting interfered with any of your scheduled appointments for the day.”

“No, it didn’t. However, I’m quite surprised that you never called to cancel. Because of the issue with Mr. Clarke, I expected you to reschedule.”

Her statement caught me off guard, and I stiffened. My heart skipped a beat as a strange sensation swept over me like a wave. “What do you mean?” I asked, despite sounding a little unsteady.

Mrs. Andrews was confused, and her gaze searched mine for something. It was as if she expected me to understand what she was saying. But I didn’t. “I apologize, Miss Micheal. I figured-”

“What happened to Mr. Clarke?” I asked firmly.

I looked over at Sally, who was also looking confused. She, too, had no idea what was going on.

Mrs. Andrews’ brow furrowed for a second. Her frown became more apparent as she realized that, indeed, I had no idea of what she was talking about. Uncomfortably, she cleared her throat. “You have no idea, do you?” She murmured, more to herself than anyone else.

“No, I don’t.”

I gulped uneasily as a troubled expression passed across her face. She still kept mute.

“Mrs. Andrews, what are you talking about? What is the issue with Mr. Clarke? What are you on about? Or are you talking about someone else?” The questions poured out of my mouth in quick succession.

“Miss Micheal, please have a seat. I’ll do my best to explain everything.” She took a step toward me, her hands held up placatingly.

No, no. Whatever this was, it couldn’t be good. What the hell was wrong with today? First, there was my sick bouts and now this?

I lashed out. “What the fuck do you want to explain to me?”

“Miss Michael, you have to calm down.” Mrs Andrews reached for me again, but I recoiled, denying her contact.

“Call me Renee, please. Not Miss Micheal. Now, will you please tell me what’s going on?”

“Renee. You have to calm down. You don’t look good, and your skin is botched up.” Sally said, but I ignored her.

My breathing became even more rapid, and the pressure inside me increased. “What has become of Robert?”

My voice was harsh and broken. I could feel my lips and whole body shivering. Sally reached out again and rested her palm on my shoulder, but I backed away from her touch.

Mrs. Andrews eventually spoke after what seemed like an eternity. “He was arrested, Renee.”

My lungs suddenly shut down, and I couldn’t breathe for seconds.

“Arrested? Why?” I spoke in hushed tones.

Mrs. Andrew continued speaking, and she went on and on about how he was accosted by the police yesterday afternoon. She described how his arrest had produced a great outcry in the corporate world and how people were frightened. The media was already speculating wildly about his charges. Some said he was guilty of murder, while others suspected bribery. Still, there was no conclusive evidence to support their accusations.

She kept talking, but I was no longer paying attention.

How the hell did I miss this? Then, another realization hit me. Robert’s temperament had shifted the moment we touched down in Orlando. He didn’t answer my calls or texts from last night, and Harry had previously stated that he didn’t know where he was.

My thoughts went blank, and my body violently shook as everything hit me at once like a ton of bricks. The room began to swirl, and everything became hazy. A dreadful sense of vertigo seized me, causing my knees to buckle under my weight, driving me to collapse on the floor in a heap.

I heard Sally calling my name repeatedly, and I felt someone gently grab hold of my arms, attempting to lift me onto my feet, but the efforts were futile.

My vision dimmed, and suddenly, darkness enveloped me like a stifling blanket.