The CEO’ s second choice novel Chapter 64

　　Elena

　　“I believe in you, Elena. Not too long now.” Marcus, my physiotherapist, urges me on while I do my leg exercises. It has been close to four months since the accident and I can walk on crutches, but the biting cold of winter in London has made it difficult. The pain when I wake up in the morning is dull but bearable and nothing anti-inflammatories could not fix, although I tend to not take them as much due to my weak disposition. What else can I do but grin and bear it?

　　I know that this is necessary for me to walk again but damn it.

　　You would think the physio would hurt more, but it’s the sessions with my therapist that do. I have been weaned off my anxiety medication and he’s placed me on a light antidepressant. The reason for this was that I realised I was slowly getting addicted to the anxiety medication. I popped one whenever a wave of anxiety hit and it was happening too often to count. My therapist praised me for recognising my addictive habit and helped me work through the weaning off stage. Gosh, it was difficult, but it was worth it. My head has never felt more clear.

　　Today was a bit easier. Marcus is happy with my progress and I can take a few steps without my crutches now. I think it’s more fear that was holding me back from walking again. Isaac and Sebastian have been my constant support through this, and I swear I was doing a hundred times better than before.

　　Sebastian had a room in our villa constructed into a physio room and Marcus comes here three to four times a week for our sessions. Even my therapist gets paid to come here. My husband wasn’t risking anything after Eliana and Robert’s stunts, and I couldn’t blame him.

　　My session with Marcus ends and he helps me move to my wheelchair where I breathe out a sigh of relief and smile, “Thank you, it was a tad easier today.” I say and take a sip of my water bottle. He returns my smile and nods, “Another month or two and you won’t need to use those crutches anymore,” he says. I think back to the days I took walking for granted and sigh wistfully. I miss my heels and thigh-high boots and WALKING. Gosh. At least it won’t be long now.

　　I see Marcus out and walk out onto our terrace. I never appreciated the quiet and the view around me back when I was a student. In fact, I took a lot of things for granted back then, including my health and my marriage. Things would be a lot different now if I didn’t have this accident, especially my relationship with Aaron. I wouldn’t be holding him closer every day, kissing him more and strengthening our bond, no I would be busy with an assignment for school or submitting a book report here and there. My family would be getting the back burner to my dreams, and I only just realised how selfish that made me.

　　My career could still flourish, but for now, I want to be a mother to my firstborn and a better wife to Sebastian. I think they deserve 100% of my love and attention.

　　***

　　“Are you sure you want to do this, Elena?” Isaac asks me for the tenth time as we enter the gates. “Yes, if I don’t do it now, it will haunt me forever,” I respond with the same line again and stare up at the walls of HMP Bronzefield. One year later and Anabelle still runs through my mind; what did I do to deserve her ire except be her friend? I loved her as a sister, and yet she hated me. I needed to know before I went crazy.

　　We leave our personal belongings at the front desk and get escorted to the room where Anabelle would be waiting. I used my last name to get an open room with her and my bodyguards would be inside with me, along with Isaac. My brother still wanted to strangle her, but I asked him very nicely to behave himself today… Would he though?

　　We come to a stop outside a glass room and I see her. The blonde hair that used to cascade down her back in curls was now tied up in a harsh bun, so her features were even sharper than before. The door opens and I brace myself. “Ana,” I call out and see her entire body stiffen at my voice. She slowly turns her head around and her eyes widen when she sees me standing there. “Elena?” Her voice cracks when she speaks and I nod, walking around and taking a seat opposite her. I had a slight limp to my step now, so I no longer walked with a graceful swagger.