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"Joy, is that you?" Juliet said when she immediately recognised her voice. Her heart started to race as she waited for joy to say something else, but the call just ended up getting disconnected like always... Juliet didn't waste a single second and called the number right back... she started to pace back and forth in her room as she waited for the call to be answered, but it kept ringing and ringing, and she didn't get an answer. She called the number once again, and the same thing happened, no answer... Juliet started to get worried now. She didn't have Daniel's number and couldn't call him to ask if everything was alright, so she left her room and headed straight downstairs to Alex's study to look for him... Juliet didn't bother to knock on the door like she always did and simply just let herself in... Alex's eyes immediately travelled to the door when she walked in... he dropped the file in his hand and stood up when he saw the worried look she had in her eyes... Alex immediately walked over to her and held her hand. "Is something wrong?" He asked, and Juliet nodded. "I should have told you this sooner, but I didn't think much of it because it happened over a month ago and then a few days ago, but now I think something is wrong..." She started... "A while back when I was out with Gina, I got a call from an unknown number, and when I answered the call, I didn't get a response. I didn't think much of it because the number didn't call back, but a few days ago, the same number called me again and the same thing happened, no one said anything, until today, the caller finally spoke and I'm sure it was joy, but she didn't say anything else and hung up" Juliet explained, the worry never leaving her eyes... Alex walked back to his table to get his phone... he immediately called up his uncle, but the phone kept ringing and ringing like what had happened to Juliet, and he started to become worried too... did something happen at their house... he called the number once again, and this time, the, finally went through, and he put the phone on speaker so Juliet could hear too... "Good evening, Dan," Alex said, "Hi, Alex... how have you been? " his uncle said, and the couple exchanged looks... "I've been fine. I just called to ask how you and Joy are, " Alex said, and there was a short pause for a few seconds before his uncle responded... "Oh, we are fine... joy is asleep right now... I will let her know you called tomorrow, " Daniel said, and it only made Juliet and Alex more confused... "Okay, I hope all is well," Alex said, hoping his uncle would tell him if anything was wrong. "Sure, all is well; me and Joy will visit you soon. I have to go now... send my regards to Juliet, " Daniel said and ended the call before Alex could respond... "Are you sure it was joy?" Alex asked, and Juliet nodded, but now she was doubting if the person and joy only had a similar voice, but her mind kept telling her that it was joy and not someone else... it had to be. "Let's wait till tomorrow then, I will call her then," Alex said, and Juliet nodded, even though she still had that unsettling feeling that something was wrong. She couldn't stop thinking about the time she and Alex were leaving their house in the countryside. The look joy had in her eyes. She had asked for Juliet's number when both of them were alone once, and instead of dialling it into her phone, she had written it down. Juliet hadn't thought much of it back then, but now she found it odd that Joy did that even though she had her phone in her hand back then... ________________ ________________ "What the hell do you think you are doing?" Daniel said in a low voice. The look he had in his eyes made Joy immediately regret her actions because she was afraid of the consequences. "Oh... I just wanted to ask... how... how she was. It would be weird if I didn't call to ask about their wellbeing after they left. " Joy stuttered and swallowed when Daniel took a step closer to her. "I'm sorry, I should have told you before I called,", Joy said and started to take multiple steps back, her eyes glancing behind her, her heart pounding in her chest as the look in his eyes became meaner. "What are you trying to achieve? Do you think the both of you can become friends" Daniel scoffed mockingly and shook his head, his eyes filled with displeasure for his wife. "You must be dreaming then because that is never going to be happy... you are all mine, you f*cking b*tch, " he said and charged towards her. Joy immediately sprang into action and ran up the stairs faster. She could hear his frantic footsteps behind her, and she knew if she slowed down for even a second, he was going to catch up to her. Thankfully, she got into the room in time and was able to make her way in and slam the door shut before he could... she locked herself and rested her back on the door, and Daniel slammed his hand on the door loudly. "Let me in right now!" he yelled out in pure rage, but Joy shook her head as tears streamed down her heart eyes... her entire body trembled uncontrollably as she stood there, hoping he would go away but he kept slamming his hand on the door and cursing at her, but Joy couldn't bring herself to open the door, she was too terrified of what he was going to do to her... Everything suddenly became silent a few minutes later, and joy swallowed as she placed her ear against the door, trying to hear if he was still out there waiting for her... a minute passed, and she still couldn't hear a thing and a bit of relief washed over her. Maybe he had gone back to his study... she hoped, her hand slowly, to the lock of the door, her heart racing in fear... she was about to turn the lock to unlock the door to check if he was still there by cracking the door open, but before she could, she heard his voice... it was no longer loud and terrifying, time, he was soft as he spoke. "I'm sorry darling... I love you so much, and sometimes I fear that you might leave me. " He started, and Joy almost scoffed, but she said nothing. "I can't live without you, Joy, and you know that I'm nothing without you," He continued, Joy's hand slowly left the knob of the door, and she sighed deeply. Her eyes lifeless as she stood there and stared at the closed door... "Have you ever loved me..." She started in a low voice... "Yes, of course, and I still do... please forgive me. " He pleaded, joy sank to her knees and closed her eyes... her heart felt as if an arrow had been run through it over and over again till she couldn't take it anymore... "I really loved you... I love you so much and was willing to do anything to make you happy, " she muttered under her breath, her mind already decided on what she wanted to do... Joy knew for a fact that if she stayed any longer with Daniel, she wouldn't be able to live like this anymore, and one of them might end up dead... she wanted out of everything... she wanted to be able to breathe well again...