“Hi, beautiful, where's my wife?" Kai asked as he walked passed Xara. She had listened to her friend's advice and gotten a makeover. She cut her long boring dark brown hair to shoulder length and had gotten light brown highlights in her hair.

She had also discarded her dull, boring and unattractive clothes to sexier ones.

“ Welcome home, Mr Maximilian," Xara spoke out making his jaw drop.

“X-Xara?" He called shocked as she smiled at him. 

“ You had a makeover?" He asked happily for a while.

“I hope you aren't dressing sexy for any other man, whatever you do, you still remain poor, boring Xara Wilson and nothing more." He stormed off.

“WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU?" She screamed after him as he stopped in his tracks watching her sit on the floor sobbing.

“You agreed to marry me, you could have said no, but you went ahead and married me knowing full well that I don't love you." He softly answered.

“You think I had a choice? " She scoffed.

“Maybe I should have run off like Mabel did, perhaps I won't have been--"

She let out a painful shriek as Kai hit her head across the wall. He was angry, furious.

How dare she mentioned Mabel's name and what she did here in this house? He asked himself.

“Xara, Xara." Amanda and Penny shook her. Amanda held her wrist to check for a pulse, but it was weak.

“Penny, tell the driver we've got to take her to the hospital as soon as possible," Amanda said drawing Kai to reality.

What have I done? He panicked as he dropped his briefcase and carried his wife out of the house. He put her in the car and then drove off to the hospital.

What had come over him?

He wasn't that way, he was never a woman beater.

So why now?

Why today?

These thoughts run through his mind as his knuckles turned white from gripping the steering wheel too tight.

He parked his car and carried his wife out rushing into the hospital screaming "Emergency, emergency!" 

The nurses and paramedics rushed to him as they laid his wife on the stretcher and wheeled her away.

Kai paced up and down the hospital halls uncomfortably.

What if she died?

Mabel won't forgive me. He thought to himself.

“Sir..." A doctor patted him on the shoulder.

“Is she alright?" He asked turning to face the doctor.

“Relax, she's fine. We just wanted her to gain consciousness before informing you. Sorry for the delay." The doctor smiled.

“Thank goodness, she's alright, any complications?" He inquired.

“No, just a slight concussion and a little swelling on the head, she's fine." The doctor answered as they walked to her ward to see her. The doctor left both of them to talk.

“H-hi." Kai managed to say.

“Mr Maximilian, how may I help you?" She asked coldly.

“Xara, I am truly sorry, I don't know what came over me, I just overreacted. Mabel is a sensitive topic for me, I really am sorry." He apologised.

“But it wasn't any of my fault this had to happen, I just a victim of circumstance, I didn't want any of this. I was forced against my wish." She explained herself.

He took her soft hands and looked into her eyes. He saw innocence and unhappiness in them.

“I'm sorry for everything." He said to her as she looked at her hand which got burnt by his mistress. The sort had died but the scar was evident even though she used ointments to make it fade away.

Is he going to change? She voiced out her fears.

“I will change, just forgive me." He answered making her realise she had said that aloud.

She pulled her hands out of his and stared at him as Penny, Alianna, Amanda and Xara's mom entered the ward.

“I would come see you later, get well soon," Kai told as he left the ward.

“Baby, are you okay?" Her mom asked sitting on the bed.

“I am sorry this had to happen, so sorry. How I wish we could turn back the hands of time." Her mom consoled.

“It's fine Ma, the harm has already been done. Let's just move on with our lives, shall we?" She dryly laughed.

“ How's your head?" Alianna changed the topic.

“It's fine, just a mild headache but nothing serious, no need to panic."  She assured them.

“If you say so. Sweetheart, I have to get home before your dad starts suspecting me. I would come to see you, or we could meet up when you're much better." Her mom kissed her on the forehead and left.

“I thought he would like the new me, instead this happened." She sighed as her friends smiled sadly at her.

“Excuse me, I got food for you girls," Kai added setting the food on the table.

“Wow, thanks, Mr Maximilian," Alianna said.

“You welcome, call me Kai. It's only Xara that's allowed to call me Mr Maximilian. I like the way she says it." He teased making her smile.

“Thanks, Mr Maximilian, we're grateful." She blushed. He liked the sound of Xara's voice, even though she was young and innocent, her voice was femininely deep and husky.

“You are welcome. I need to attend to something, I would see you at night." He kissed her pale hand and walked out.

“I pray this lasts forever, this side of him is beautiful." She whined to her friend.

“Enough of Kai, time for food," Penny said setting the food before them.

“How did he know my favourite ice cream?" She questioned shocked.

“He might have asked your mom..." Penny answered as she bit into her juicy burger.

“Do you think he beat her up?" One of the nurses asked her friend.

“It looks like that, or perhaps she slipped and hit her head." Another suggested.

“Nope, if she did, she would have been stitched. I think she was pushed to hit a wall or she was beaten." The bruise on her cheek shows that." The first nurse said.

“It's her problem, she decided to marry a rich man and so she should suffer the consequences." She said to her friend.

“Well, let's get back to work before we get into trouble, see you around." She said as they walked their separate ways to attend to their patients.

These nurses always go round gossiping about others.

They should pray their supervisors don't get to hear about this else, they are doomed.

I better focus on getting better and getting back to my life. A random patient thought to herself limping to her room.