My Husband's Boss

Final Straw

“Hey, Molly. I just landed. Can you tell me what hospital? I mean is this the same clinic where…” She didn’t let Molly answer and asked having known to what clinic their neighbourhood rushes to most.

“Sarah…” The voice on the other hand only dropped. “…Carol is no more,” Molly said making Sarah’s feet come to a halt.

Everyone at home was in shock. No one could grasp the reality. Carol was one good neighbour and she had a lot of friends coming. Sarah didn’t leave Karen’s side until her boyfriend Jeff came for her rescue. Everyone was trying for Adam but he was nowhere to be seen. And, whenever someone would look at her they only had one thing to ask.

“Sarah? Where is Adam?” Sarah's friend Gloria asked this time and she gulped.

“I…I really don’t know. I…” And, before she could say further Karen came out of her room.

“What do you mean you don’t know? Why he didn’t come with you when he get to know she isn’t alright.” Carol’s body was still in the casket and Sarah didn’t want anyone to overhear and could only whisper.

“He…he will be here any moment.” Of course, she knew this much. She had already called George to convey the news.

Karen gave her disappointing looks. And, Sarah knew it was because in her eyes Adam and she were still a thing. With her heavy shoulders, Sarah turned around only to notice a Porsche car getting pulled in front of their home. Adam got out with dishevelled hair and ran to his home. He did look at her but it was as if he looked right through her before his eyes located the people gathered around in the lounge.

Karen too was quick to notice him and ran to hug him. Adam held Karen while Sarah bit her lip hard. She had always seen these two as her family. And, now when she wanted to hug them the most. She didn't know where she stands. And, before she could break too into the sobs she found someone’s hand on her shoulder. Turning to her right she found her mom. In a blink, her mom hugged her tight.

“Mom!” She groaned crying hard.

Of course, she could only imagine the pain of the siblings. If it was her own mother she didn’t even want to imagine that. But it really didn’t mean that she wasn’t sad with Carol’s demise. She used to check on Carol every day. And, it was her who would give her all the secrets to win Adam’s heart.

“Everything’s gonna be fine, honey. Everything will be fine.” Sarah's mother Judith whispered in her ear and she wondered if mom already knows what turmoil she is going through because there was no way she could tell with her own mouth to anyone that Adam and she weren’t a thing anymore.

In the evening, Carol's casket was lowered to the ground and all Sarah could recall was her happy face. Or how she would call Sarah the best part of her family.

Everyone started dispersing shortly after the pastor left leaving Adam, Karen, Sarah and some of their close friends. 

“Sarah?” Sarah looked to her left to see her mother, Judith. “I think you should go to Adam…” And, before her mother could say any further she hiccupped.

“Get a hold on yourself, Sarah. They need you.” She heard her mother saying and couldn’t help but hug her mother tight. It started getting cold and Karen’s boyfriend was quick to say. “Come on, Karen…be strong…you can do it.”

“I can’t…I can’t…” Karen sobbed all the while getting up and Adam was quick to hug her tight. All of them started leaving given now darkness was creeping in.

Judith walked to her car with Sarah and opened the passenger door for her but the moment she settled behind the stirring wheel she started. “Sarah, I know you were close to Carol. But Adam needs you, honey. I can’t get you. What are you doing? The family needs you. And, you seem as if you are not a part of them."

“I know, mom…I know…” Her voice broke and that made Judith hold her arm. “Come here.” Judith held her closer and whispered. “I am sorry honey, I know you two were close too…honey? No one can be ready for it. But…if Carol was here it was going to break her seeing you hurt…Sarah?” Her mother was shocked. Usually, she never had to cheer Sarah up. She was always a strong head and would see positivity in the darkest of times.

At night Judith gave her some pills to make her sleep. It was really the first time Judith was having a hard time dealing with Sarah. 

Judith walked across the street to Adam's place and set dinner for Karen and her boyfriend. One of the other mutual friends of Judith and Carol, Sandra was staying at their place too.

“Where’s Sarah?” Karen asked and Sandra was quick to add, “Yea, she should be here.”

Judith sighed and held her knees to get the posture straight. “I don’t know. She couldn’t stop crying. I gave her some pills to make her asleep.”

“Oh,…you should have told me earlier. Let me ask Adam to check on her.” Karen turned to call for Adam but stopped in the middle.

“He is sleeping too…And, I think it’s not right to disturb him.” Karen’s boyfriend came in to inform and Judith nodded her head.

It was two in the morning when Judith and Sandra left their place after discussing and arranging everything for the remembering lunch tomorrow. In the morning, Judith walked into Sarah’s room and checked her pulse.

“Honey?...” Sarah groaned and wake up to look at her mother.

“…how are you feeling?” Judith asked only for Sarah to catch her head.

“My head’s heavy…” Sarah narrowed her eyes before she looked at her mother. “…what time it is?”

“It’s your breakfast time. We can have something and then we will leave for Adam’s place. They have lunch in a few hours.

Sarah narrowed her eyes and started tossing her covers away. “I have to be there. I literally did nothing.”

“I have arranged everything girl…your pictures with Carol…her favourite food… don’t worry about it…and, get…”

“No, mom…I have to be there for Adam! I can’t…” But then she stopped not wanting her mom to know. And, more than this she didn’t want to affirm anything with words that shouldn’t happen.

She got into black skirts and blazers that her mom got ready for her and walked the street to get to Adam’s place. George was the first person she laid her eyes on and walked to him to share a subtle hug. “How are you doing?” Sarah asked George before taking notice of the place. Geroge noticed something different in Sarah. She seemed weaker and fragile. 

Jeff’s parents were already here and Karen was talking to Molly. “Where’s Adam?” She asked George only for him to narrow his eyes. “About that…he is really acting strange...” Sarah narrowed her eyes before she said, “Yea…after Carol’s sudden…” And, before she could cover George was quick to deny.

“No…but I think this isn’t the time to discuss…” before he could say further Seema appeared from Sarah's left and intervened. “How are you doing, Sarah? Your mom told me…”

“I am fine,” Sarah said sharing a hug with Seema. Her presence got Sarah a little different. She was indeed one of the persons who knew about the tension between Adam and her.

“Seema…give me a minute,” Sarah excused herself before she walked into the lounge and passed it to get to the bigger living area where Adam stood with his secretary. The view of their backyard across the huge windows was refreshing from here. “Excuse me…can I have him for a moment,” Sarah asked his secretary.

Adam looked past her where Sandra and her husband were standing with their twelve years, old twin daughters. “What do you want?” He hissed getting close to her ear while his secretary huffed before leaving with loud steps.

“How are you doing, Adam?” She asked making him twist his mouth as he looked out of the window afar. “What do you think?” He asked,

“No one can be ready for it…” Sarah tried to console him.

“One should be strong enough to be ready for anything,” Adam cut her off. He seemed agitated. As if he will explode any moment.

Sarah gulped down. The tension in her body only got higher. Her eyes got down but at that very moment, Harry who was one of Adam’s close cousins came to share a hug. Sarah got her left foot on her right and came to stand right beside Adam.

Sarah smiled when Harry came to share a hug with her too. 

“Thank you so much, Sarah…Carol was so right about you. Take care of him for me.” She nodded and looked at Adam to find his eyes looking right through her.

“What are you trying to do?” Adam whispered the moment Harry got away.

“What did I do?” She asked back.

“There’s no us anymore.” He hissed with his nose flaring while Sarah with her red cheeks only wanted no one to hear what he was saying.

“Don’t do this Adam. You said you love me.” Her voice was even lower.

“No, I was going to marry you but that was before I realized you are too dumb for me.” His words were cutting her deep but his eyes were the same. Emotionless and cruel,

Sarah tried to stay put given it wasn’t the place. She knew him. She know him since their childhood. And, now she knew wasn’t the time.

Finding Karen walking to them she noticed how Karen raised her brows. She could literally see everything slipping that very moment and walked to him to lessen the suspicion between them.

“Please, don’t do this with me. I know you love me, Adam."

“Get the f**k out of my life.” This time he cried out throwing the glass on the floor. All stares fell on them. And, that was what finally took her to realize that they were officially over. It really just happened. In front of their friends, relatives and neighbours.

She didn’t look up to witness who was looking at them or present there and rushed outside. 

“Sarah!” Her mother called for her as she ran out of the home but she ignored her to run to her place. 

Karen came to see her in the evening. Supposedly, Seema was the one who filled in Karen. Sarah heard how Adam had left for New York. She didn’t come out of her room but heard her mom talking to Sandra at night when she got out to drink water.

“I am not letting Sarah leave for that s**t. She is for God’s sake nineteen!…”

“But I have always seen her crazy for Adam. I wonder how they messed it…Judith, you have no idea how embarrassing it was for everyone standing there. Adam was so cruel. Why don’t you take Sarah out for some time?” Only silence followed after that before Sarah heard her mother saying.

“I think I will move. Sarah needs to leave everything that would remind her about her stupid crush on Adam.” Sarah heard her mom clear but didn’t intervene. 

She too couldn’t stop rewinding the same moment when he shouted at her in front of everyone. She got her feet back to her room and shut the door. For now, she didn't want to see anyone who was present there at that moment.

She looked at her phone and there were some missed calls from Seema and Karen. She lay on her bed wondering how she was ever supposed to move on from Adam. Or how anyone could expect her to move on from Adam. Because the moment she tried to close her eyes all she could recall was what it feels like to hold Adam in her arms.

The next chapter will have a time lag...so be prepared.

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