COMPLETED Nellie Lovett (The Virgin Widow of Fleet Street) #Wattys2016 Sweenett

Healing A Broken Heart

Chapter XI

"Nellie dear?" Nellie's mind was floating again. She was just gazing outside her window, the sun is shining in London now, the typhoon is over, but her state is still yet to be repaired. She can feel everything in her veins now, the trauma, fear, anger and sorrow. Life was so much better before Benjamin...'Sweeney Todd' she corrected herself, came back. She was alone before but she wasn't hurting like this. When Mr. Todd came back, she thought that finally, she'll have her friend back, at least she'll have someone who would not make her feel alone, and somehow, she hoped that she can help him. She knows very well how devastated he was because of what happened to him and his family in the past. All of these never came into her mind, she never thought that all he can ever give her was pain. He isn't Benjamin, he's an all new man with nothing but a revengeful heart. Ready to hurt or even kill anybody who would stand on his way.

A tear dropped from her eyes again. She is so exhausted, she doesn't even know if she can last another day because of all of these she's going through. That was the only time she can actually feel sorry for herself. She feels sorry because deep down in her, there was that hope that Sweeney would be healed and...perhaps, they can be together...but that was before he pointed his razor at her. Before she realized that the family oriented man she admired when she was young was gone.

Now all she can ever feel towards him is fear and anger. No, she can never trust the man again, especially after the rape last night. She sobbed, the physical pain he'd given her is nothing compared to the ache of her broken heart.

"Dear..." the old woman touched her face and wiped her tears, that was only then Nellie realized that she wasn't alone in her room.
"I brought you your breakfast Nellie." she looks at her with sadness in her eyes. "Come..." Mrs. Park opened her arms and embraced her. Nellie finally gave in and put her heartache to her cries.
"Everything will be alright dear... You will be fine..." she didn't know how long Mrs. Park embraced her and allowed her to cry inside her embrace. Nellie misses everything, she misses her loving parents, her bestfriend con husband Albert, she misses her life before, no matter how imperfect it may be, at least it wasn't as miserable as it is now.

"You have to regain your health Nellie... You have to live and survive. You're a strong woman, I've seen you since you were a baby. No matter how much pain and sadness you are going through right now," the old woman looked at the sun shining outside before she continued: "Look at the day, just last night it was raining real hard, yet here we are. Facing a wonderful day with the sun shining bright. Spring will come to your life again Nellie, you just have to be strong." the old woman held her cheeks and smiled.
"Now, eat... Mr. Todd made this for you. He's as worried as I am for you dear. It's a good thing he is always here to protect you." the old woman looked at Nellie with a frown when she noticed that she began trembling as she spoke about Mr. Todd.
"Nellie, are you alright?"
She swallowed the lump on her throat and nodded.
"He's a good man after all, no matter how dark he may seem. He saved you from more serious condition, it was him who rushed to me for help and brought that trash to the court. I know he'd almost killed him, but he was thinking of you... I would've killed that trash myself, but Mr. Todd knows better... He's always been here for you Nellie... Don't be afraid of him... He won't hurt you." the old woman smiled again. If she only knew how much he is hurting her. How much she is dying inside because of him... If only, Nellie thought.

(Will there ever be a chance for Nellie's heart to heal? What can Sweeney do to for Nellie now that she's totally frightened by him? How would you heal a broken heart when it feels like it will never beat again?)