Sonata of The Shattered | Book I

Fights and So On

14 July 2022

He went home after a long day at work. The house felt so quiet as Christine was away, still at her friend's house for a sleepover party. He won't stop her from doing so, letting the young girl spend some time with her best friends as well as to bid her goodbye before they leave her to study overseas.

The lights were off and it seemed like nobody was there. Fransesca, that's the person he meant currently.

"Do you need anything, Mr Kingsley?" asked the head maid, Ella, who helped to open the door as this was twelve at night— midnight, to be exact.

"Did she come home already?"

"Chr—"

"No, I mean Fransesca."

Ella shook her head. "No, Mr. She's not home yet."

Now, he knew why. The fact that the woman wasn't home yet made him uncomfortable. He knew that her car was currently in repair— and he's trying to get rid of that old car to buy her a proper one, though she rejected the idea. He was the one who drove her to the university earlier and he's guessing that she'll be home by using public transportation such as Grab, as the MRT stopped its operation at ten, the very last schedule.

The man became worried. Super worried, as the news of kidnapping became one of the hottest topic these days. He didn't want her to be one of the victims for sure.

"Where's Mr Liu?"

"He's here, Mr Kingsley."

Then Fransesca must've not asked the driver to pick her up or to at least drive her around if she needed to. The man took his phone out from his pocket and called her as fast he could. But all the calls he made couldn't reach the woman as the number was inactive— either she turned off her phone or her battery died. This made him much more worried.

He had no idea where the woman was.

"I'll make you a cup of tea, Mr Kingsley."

"Coffee please, Bi Ella."

Clayton smiled nervously at the older woman as he sat himself on the living room's couch. He bit his lower lips. His heart went uneasy. "She'll come home soon, Mr Kingsley. Don't worry too much. Miss Fransesca is an independent woman, she could take care of herself well. Trust her a bit."

Ella said as he made him a cup of warm coffee, no sugar. She carefully put the cup down on the table and smiled at Clayton. "I know that she's well and okay. She might be late because of work or several things back at the university."

"I'm worried because of the latest news, Bi."

He took a sip of his coffee and sighed. Ella then bowed and excused herself back to her room, as she knew it would be better for her to stay out from her boss's matters, especially marital, no— romantic problems. His eyes kept on looking at the wall clock and also his phone. Nothing— not even a sign of his woman. It's nearly one in the morning now and Fransesca isn't home yet. He became super worried.

He finished his cup of coffee in only fifteen minutes and had been waiting for her arrival for almost an hour. Clayton was about to find her on his own when he heard a click from the main door's fingerprint system being unlocked. Clayton finally saw his beloved home. Still wearing the same clothes when he dropped her off at NAFA. She looked tired and clumsy, but then his emotions— of being exhausted from his work as well as his worries that mixed as one, took over.

"Fransesca, it's nearly— no, it's one in the morning. Where are you? I can't even contact you or whatsoever! Do you know how much I'm worried because of you? Can't you even send me a text?" he questioned her, sadly, in a tone that sounded like insulting a fight.

As much as she wanted to answer him gently just like how she always has been, the exhaustion and the matters that clouded her mind raised her tone and volume unintentionally. She had enough to take care today and she wished for nothing but a good rest. But now, Clayton greeted her with fury instead of a gentle welcome. The two were exhausted; that's the main reason for the current moment.

The problem.

"It's midnight, Fransesca! Have you ever thought about how I feel back home, waiting and worrying whether you'll be home or not?"

He raised his tone and questioned her as if she's a prisoner instead of his partner. Fransesca took out a plastic bag from her bag and threw it on the table, right in front of the man.

"I went to the hospital and it's super crowded. I need to wait for hours! My phone died! I didn't bring my charger with me, not even a powerbank. I had a meeting with the dean from three in the afternoon to seven. Then I went to the hospital, Clayton."

She explained it to the man with tears in her eyes.

Clayton opened the plastic bag only to find medicines inside as well as her hospital bills. "I tried to call you earlier before my phone died but its your phone which I can't reach. It's turned off." said the woman, for the first time, high-toned. "Stop questioning me as if I'm a prisoner." Fransesca was desperate enough to tell him the truth, in which she didn't know if he would trust her or not. It became clear that she's frustrated.

"I felt pain in my right stomach so I came to check myself in the hospital. Thank God it's nothing but only an infection."

She then left him alone in the living room for the bedroom, locking herself in it. The man was left silent when he found out about the medicines inside the plastic bag she threw at him and those tears in her eyes. Quickly he ran to the door and knocked on her door but she gave no response. He knew now that he made a mistake and their exhaustion became the main reason for this fight.

He shouldn't have raised his tone and changed his way of speaking. He should have been more compassionate and understanding towards the beloved one as she told him everything; from a meeting with the dean to the visit.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry."

"Fransesca, I'll put the medicine on the table next to your door okay?"

He tried to convince her to talk but he failed to do so.

"Tell me if you're in pain as well, okay? I'm going to check on you every hour." he said and so he did. He left and kept on checking on her door, stopping there as it was locked. No answers were given to the man from her lips. Either Fransesca was asleep already or simply tried to ignore the man who investigated as if she's been going somewhere to have fun instead.

Now the man became worried, as she hadn't taken her medicine yet.

But he knew he should put more trust into the woman. His feelings for her were big and sincere, but he realized he needed to stop overreacting and panicking over Fransesca.

"She's okay. She'll be okay." he mumbled, reminding himself— she's okay.

to be continued.