Jessica’s Pov
Seated in the hospital chair, my mind wandered from one topic to another. Trying to figure out where my life was heading and which moves I was supposed to make.
Josh was still unconscious but his vitals had improved tremendously. All we were waiting for was for him to fight and open his eyes.
Victor had left to consult with his lawyers, and I hadn’t spoken to him since. I had tried phoning him numerous times to see how far he had progressed with the lawyers, but he had not returned my calls.
I was doing everything I could to remain calm, but I had a strong suspicion that something dreadful had happened or was about to happen.
The doctor walked in and did his morning routine as I stepped outside to get fresh air. A beautiful life that I had planned looked set for another downfall.
I took out my phone and tried calling Victor again but it went unanswered before he switched off. I yelled out in frustration and began sending him long paragraphs of insults.
Whether he liked it or not he was going switch on his phone and read the stup*d messages.
My head was spinning, I was hungry and couldn’t remember the last time that I put food on my mouth or had a decent bath. I had no friends, never believed or trusted in my fellow gender.
I never had a great history with friends and once upon a time, I gave up trying. Most friends were just backstabbing snakes who showed you a different shade of teeth to that which they showed your enemies.
So I gave up or never tried to form such bonds. But there I was regretting that decision, I needed to talk to someone but I had no one. No friends, no family. Josh and Victor, we’re the only friends and family that I had.
I was very much aware that I was alone, to make matters worse we had chosen not to inform Josh’s friends. According to everyone, I and Josh were still having our honeymoon. Enjoying our time alone as newlyweds.
I sighed and took a seat, going through my phone to check if there was any line or anyone that I could talk to because the thoughts in my head were killing me. I was going to burst open if I did not find anyone to talk to.
I walked all the way to the cafeteria, not that I wanted to eat but because I was searching for someone that was going through what I was going through.
I noticed an old lady seated in the corner of the room, her food untouched and putting on a sorrowful face. I decided to join her. Old women always had motivating stories to tell. Most were boring for my liking but I had no choice, anything was going to do for me.
Immediately I took a seat she smiled as if she knew me, I could only guess that she needed company as well. She offered me the nuts she was eating and to my shock, I accepted without second thoughts.
I was always a hygienic person and never took food from commoners or the poor. But maybe because I was hungry or maybe because I was trying to be kind for the first time. People always said sh*t brought kindness out of anyone no matter how awful they were.
I sat with her and talked from one topic to the other, she was also nursing her husband. They were married for forty years and she narrated her life history and how she meant her husband.
It was a beautiful story like some kind of fairytale. I was inspired and wondered if my life with Josh was ever going to have such an ending. We had just married and had a long way to go.
Maybe the accident was some kind of eye-opening I thought to myself, it was not too late for us. The old lady’s marriage was not all rosy but it was very motivating and gave me hope.
The first week of my marriage to Josh I was a stup*d irritating wife. That was the last memory that he had for me. I planned to change once he woke up, I was not going to be a perfect wife but I was going to be a loving wife.
I was going to be so good to him that I would never have to worry about the last impression I gave him. I was going to be the wife that he deserved, I was very sure he was the husband that I deserved.
Before I could thank the woman my phone rang, it was useless Victor. He knew when to spoil my mood, I finally found someone that calmed me down but he chose to spoil it.
On any other given day, I would have blacklisted his old a*s but I needed to find out what was going on the other side or if he was successful in sealing our company from our enemies.
I answered the call, he was in the hospital, and from my assessment of his voice, I could tell everything was wrong. I began panicking, I immediately said my goodbye to the old woman and ran upstairs to meet him.
I found him in the corridor, he was shaking and sweaty, he was yelling on top of his voice at someone on the phone. I noticed he was still wearing the same clothes he came with in this country, they were all wrinkled up and dirty.
My heart sank, I knew whatever he was going to say after he cut the call was worse than what we were experiencing.
He cut the phone and turned not knowing where to begin, I had never seen him in such a condition.
Victor was always a gallant man who cared about his looks and what he presented to the world. He looked all scruffy and dirty and he smelled terrible as he hugged me.
“Jessica things are bad,” he said without beating around the bush.
“What….do you mean…. ?” I stammered. Deep down I did not want to hear any bad news but I had no choice.
“Gentex is getting…” He replied and looked away. He couldn’t find the words to say whatever he wanted.
“Victor what’s going on, please just say what’s going on!” I begged him.
He took me away to a corner and said, “The department of health is suing us?” he said. I stared at him confused, he was not making sense, last time I talked to him it was about changing clauses.
“Are you saying the department of health does not want us to change clauses, is that not our private matter?” I asked confused.
“No no, all our dialysis machines that we supplied to all hospitals malfunctioned yesterday,” he stated.
My eyes widened in shock, as I clutched onto his hands, waiting for him to retract what he had said. But he was dead serious and looked as shocked as I was.
“But… but… how,” I cried out.
“I have no idea, I have sent our people to investigate, all dialysis machines made by Gentex in every state began malfunctioning one by one. We are getting sued from all corners,” he clarified.
“Did anyone die? Was there….any loss… of life?” I asked.
“No, just critical conditions, we wouldn’t be operating if that was the case,” he replied.
I leaned against the wall, not sure if I was supposed to cry or yell in frustration. The hell we were in was not over but just began.
“I didn’t even have time to even draft clauses with the lawyers, as soon as we sat down, we received the call,” he added.
“How bad is this?” I asked.
“We can get closed down or lose millions, forcing us into bankruptcy,” he added.
I stared at him, everything was falling apart one by one in front of our eyes. Josh was not going to survive the fact he was never going to father a child and his company going to dust. A company that he worked so hard to obtain and rebrand. He was going to lose it.
I held on to Victor’s hands and pleaded, “Please do something, that company is Josh’s life, please you have to save it,” I cried out.
“Am doing everything, this is just sabotage,” he said.
“Are you saying someone is doing this?” I asked.
“Hundred percent but I will find out and deal with them!” he yelled. “Gentex products have always been the best in this country, we never experienced such. And all equipment faulting at the same time is total sabotage,” he added.
I looked at him in dismay, trying to process what he was saying. But I could not come up with anyone that would such to our company.
Thinking about it critically, I wasn’t surprised that anyone would try to sabotage us. Gentex was a stolen company and some of Thalia’s late father’s old friends would be perfectly behind it.
Or some of Victor’s enemies. My head was spinning trying to come up with names but came up empty-handed.
A nurse approached us with a smile on her face that I wanted to wipe out but the words that she said made me understand. Josh was awake, she said.
I immediately took off and ran to the room to find Josh in a seated position. I quickly ran to the bed in tears and hugged him in excitement. I needed some good news for once. He winced in pain because of the pressure I was exerting on him.
I quickly apologized and moved away, “Love are you alright, do you remember anything,” I asked.
Victor walked in with a fake smile and stood to the opposite side of the bed while Josh pointed to the glass of water on the table. I quickly ran to the table and picked the glass up, I slowly gave him the water and waited for him to recover.
“Son, can you hear us?” Victor asked.
He slowly nodded, with pain evident, and looked in his father’s direction, exchanging a smile.
“You scared us, son,” Josh added and looked in my direction giving me a warning look. I almost rolled my eyes but controlled myself, I wasn’t stup*d I was not going to tell Josh about any sh*t that was happening. The door opened and his doctor walked in, I could see Victor tensing up and folding his arms.
He greeted us before greeting Josh and began assessing him. We stayed glued to our feet, I could see the doctor being careful and not wanting to upset Victor. He asked Josh random questions and went on back with his assessment.
I could see Josh being very eager to know if he was okay but the doctor kept beating around the bush.
Victor cleared his throat and the doctor went straight to the point. Just like he was instructed he removed the part of Josh getting his testicles removed. All he needed to know was that he sustained trauma below his belt that was not fatal.
Josh cleared his throat and asked whether the trauma would affect his ability to have children. We were not surprised by his odd question, we all knew how important children were to him.
The doctor began shivering, forcing Victor to intervene. “Son you are okay, they did several tests,” he stated.
“Dad, when did you become a doctor?” Josh asked.
“Son, I was…”
“Let the doctor finish talking,” Josh stated. The room became quiet, as we all focused our eyes and attention on the poor doctor who was sweating profusely. He was probably a bad liar and had never been put in a situation where he had to lie to his patients.
“Doctor are you okay?” Josh asked.
“Yes. Yes… I’m fine,” he stammered.
“You look worse than me,” Josh joked, sending us into fake laughs. The doctor wiped his brow and smiled. “I’m just having a bad day,” the doctor replied.
“Well my day is worse, I got in a freaking accident during my honeymoon,” he said as he lifted his eyes to me. He was blaming himself, that much I could tell.
“Josh no it was not your fault, it was an accident ” I cried out and held his hand but he ignored me and faced the doctor. He was still waiting for answers from the poor doctor.
The doctor cleared his throat loudly, “Mr. Nelson you are fine and can father ten girls,” he replied.
“That’s great, thank you, doctor,” he said and held my hand. “When am I going to receive my kiss or do I have bad breath?” he said to me.
“Ooh,” I said embarrassed, and gave him a deep kiss, a kiss of betrayal. I could only hope Victor was going to solve everything before disaster struck or Josh found out about everything.
The doctor excused himself, practically running out of the room and not wanting to be with us. I couldn’t blame him, I wanted to run too, I couldn’t face Josh, I was everything except a liar.
