Business First

Chapter 43

AMELIA POV

The I looked out the window of the cab, the traffic was heavy probably because it was midday. I fiddled with my fingers and keys patiently waiting to arrive.

"What are you doing at the Mental Rehabilitation Center?" The cab driver asks nicely, it seems as if he was genuinely interested.

"Just visiting...a friend" it sounds more like a question even when I say it.

"Ah, I got a daughter who works there, Dr Louis if you bump into her." He chuckles.

Talking about his daughter brought a new twinkle in his eyes and a wide smile on his face. It made me think about the pregnancy scare I had.

The ride lasted about 15 more minutes and mostly consisted of the cab driver talking about his daughter, which I didn't mind at all.

"That'll be 45 dollars miss," he says as he stops the car outside the building.

I opened my purse to see that I only had 2 $100 bills on me. I gave him one of them.

"I don't have enough change, you got any smaller bills?" The cab driver asks, he looks a little embarrassed.

I wanted to save him the embarrassment of having to get change from a bodega or something so I told him to keep it. He gave me a grateful smile before driving off.

I look at the building. I hated this place, all the memories that traumatised me for years stemmed from here. I took a deep breath and composed myself.

It was intimidating and grey, made of pure cinder blocks. I walked in and walked the receptionist's desk.

"Hi there, how can I help you?" She greets. Most staff at mental hospitals tended to be very kind, from my own personal experiences. Well, the staff that outside visitors would see.

"I would like to visit a friend." I say politely.

"Name please"

"Amelia King." The receptionist looks a little taken aback.

"And who would you like to visit?"

"Eric King."

Her eyebrows raise, and she calls someone on the landline. After a few minutes of quiet discussions she looks back up at me.

"Are you sure you would like to visit Mr King?" She asks concernedly, I nod. She breathes out a sigh and gives me a visitor sticker before leading me to the visitors lounge.

I guess not many people come to visit the person who tried to kill them.

I sit down on an empty table, awaiting Eric's arrival. Soon the buzzer rings and the metal doors open. He's there, in a grey jumpsuit with 2 doctors holding each arm of his.

They bring him all the way to my table and sit him down, before handcuffing each hand to the side of his chair.

"30 minutes max." One of the doctors says to me before leaving. I nod in understanding.

I look in front of me to see Eric's dead, remorseless eyes gaze back at me. He's wearing a dirty smirk on his face as he nastily eyes me up and down.

"Talk." He demands.

"Why do you want to kill me?" I cut straight to the point.

"No beating around the bush? No bullshit?" He asks rather quietly  "my kind of woman." He mutters. I throw him a glance of disgust which only makes him chuckle darkly.

"Just answer my question." I say.

"So Xavier spilled the beans, didn't expect that of him." He says, more to himself.

"He didn't," I blurt out and instantly regret it but now Eric had a look of intrigue "...I found your letters."

"Oh," is all he says at first "well if you really want to know Lia-"

"Don't call me that," I stop him, that name sounded so disgusting in his mouth.

"You think it's all me, ask your dear husband what he did." He says.

"Don't get Xavier involved in this." I slam my fist into the table.

"Poor Amelia, you're blinded by love..." he laughs to himself  "ask yourself what do you really know about Xavier." He leans in as much as he can without hurting his hands.

"He wouldn't hurt a hair on my head," I say confidently.

"Maybe not your head, but your family?" He cocks up an eyebrow.

"I can't believe how different you two are," I say and get up to leave. My questions weren't answered but the way he so blatantly mocked me was so infuriating.

I try to control myself in front of him, but he's detected that he's made me angry.

I snatch off my visitor sticker and crumple it before throwing it into the trash. I glance behind me to see the 2 doctors are taking Eric back to his cell.

"Oh and Amelia," he shouts right before he is escorted out the visitors room "ask Xavier what he knows about your mother for me." He winks before walking out the room.

I roll my eyes and pretend that I don't care about what he just said and I throw a quick smile at the receptionist before leaving.

The cab ride home was much more stressful but shorter as the traffic time had ended.

I close my eyes and lean onto the window, flashbacks of my mother's murder attacking my mind. I never knew why she was killed, or if my uncle did it for any reason other than money.

I was immediately put into custody with Jasmine's parents so I had no means on investigating it myself either.

But that was going to change now. I had the connections and financial ability to find out what really happened to my mother.

All I knew is I needed to talk to Xavier.

i wrote this chapter about 6 different times in like 4 different povs, hope you liked it

there is a link in my bio to find out how you can help in the black lives matter movement

i have somewhat of a platform on wattpad and think I should use it to spread awareness, if anyone can't access the link, message me on wattpad private messages and i will send it to you personally.

stay safe lovelies
-BanditLuva🖤