The Devil's Harem

Chapter - 88

**Swishh!!

The door opened, and Karen walked inside worried to death about Jennifer. Jennifer, on the other hand, dressed in the hospital gown, was busy savouring the taste of fruits in front of her.

A doctor stood by her side looking at the reports in his hands while a nurse was busy fiddling with the machines beside Jennifer's bed.

With hurried steps, Karen walked up to Jennifer and looked up and down, examining her to find any scratch or bodily harm on her, but to her relief, everything looked fine.

"What happened?" Karen, when was satisfied with the way Jennifer looked, looked for answers, "How did you get into an accident?"

"Nothing much... Amanda is the one making a big deal out of it. Calling you here for no reason," Jessica said as coldly as ever.

Karen knew she was not going to get anything from Jessica. She turned her attention towards the doctor.

"Doctor... How is she?" Karen asked.

The doctor nodded, "She is fine. Apart from the slight concussion, she is good to leave," the doctor said, "We are keeping her here just to monitor the concussion."

"Both of you can leave now," Jessica told the doctor and the nurse.

After the two of them left, Karen put her bag by the bed and sat beside Jessica, "How are you feeling now?" Karen was not formal anymore. She had this caring big sister tone in her voice, much more than what she has when she is talking with Alex.

"I am fine," Jessica said, but Karen could see her shoulders shivering.

Karen slowly placed her hands on hers and gently stroked her palms, "You can tell me anything. You know that, just like old times," Karen said softly.

"There is nothing like old times between us. We have nothing more than an employer and employee relationship between us," Jessica said coldly.

"Are you going to hold onto that all your life? All my worry, all my care, all my efforts for you are for nothing?" Karen asked. Her voice started to get hoarse as she spoke.

"I are paid for all your efforts, don’t you?" Jessica said.

"Oh, is that so?" Karen pulled back her hands, "Fine then. Since that's the case, I guess you don't have to pay me anymore..." Karen stood up and made her way to the door. Jessica wanted to stop her but was reluctant.

Just as Karen reached the door, she turned back and looked at Jessica. From the looks of it, she had a lot of built-up inside of her that she wanted to say.

And it happened. Karen walked back to Jessica, and pointing her finger at Jessica, said, "So what if you had a sad little love story? So what if your family does not care about you? Big deal..." Karen looked straight into Jessica's eyes and rebuked, "Listen, princess, you are not the only one. Not everyone has flowery beds awaiting them at the end of the day. This world is no loony land with strawberries everywhere. Everyone here is proving something to someone every second. Everyone is going through some pain at any moment in their life. Huh… But because you are Jessica Wilson, The great Jessica Wilson, you are to be exempted from experiencing any kind of hardships, pain, rejections and setbacks, huun? Is that it? Grow up, missy, grow up..."

Karen said that all in one go. After she was done, she took a deep breath to calm herself down. Then she looked at Jessica one last time, "You will have my rejection on your table when you get back." Karen said and turned around to leave. This time she was really going to leave.

"Don't..." Karen heard a week buzz like that of a mosquito.

"Huh...?" She looked back towards Jessica, who had her head buried between her legs, "Did you say something?"

"Don't go... I... I..." Jessica looked up at Karen with her teary eyes.

Karen knew that she had managed to punch a hole, if not demolish the wall Jessica had erected around her.

She threw her bag on the floor and pulled Jessica into her embrace. While she was holding herself back earlier, now Jessica's whole body was shivering.

"I was scared... I thought... I thought I was about to die, but more than that, I was scared that no one would ever remember me," still in Karen's arms, Jessica said, "Not even you."

"You silly girl," Karen said as she rubbed Jessica's back, "How can I forget you? You may be my boss in the office, but you are the same cute, little junior of mine who followed me everywhere in the college."

"I never followed you," Jessica retorted.

"Shall we ask Veronica?" Karen asked, giving Jessica a teasing smile.

"No, please not her. She is annoying," Jessica refused right away.

"Who is annoying?" Jessica had just finished her words when the door slid open again, and a voice got their attention.

Karen smiled, hearing the voice and turned back to look at the source of it, "You are here..."

"Why is she here?" Jessica, on the other hand, murmured under her breath. Sneakily she wiped the tears forming in her eyes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Are you sure it's Jessica Wilson?" George asked Martha on the phone.

"I have to confirm, but I think it is her. Karen is here to visit her," Martha said as she made her way up the elevator.

"Who is Karen?" George asked.

"It's Alex's manager."

"How do you know her?" George was surprised that Martha knew someone from Theation.

"Didn't I tell you that Alex's colleagues visited him?" Martha made George remember.
"Oh... yeah... yeah... I forgot in all the work," George said, and at the same time, someone walked up to him and passed on a slip to him. George looked at the paper slip in his hand. He read the contents on it carefully.

"You there? George?" Martha, when didn't hear from George, asked.

"Yeah... Yeah... I am here... It is Jessica. I just got the confirmation," George said as he crushed the paper in his hand and put it in his pocket.

"I am going up there to check on her. I will let you on the details after that," Martha said.

"That will be great. I will also look into the details on my end," George agreed.

"Bye then," Martha said and ended the call.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

With disheveled hair, wearing teddy bear pyjamas, and mismatched bunny fur slippers, a girl was standing at the door looking at Karen and Jessica in shock and disappointment. Even though the girl was a mess, there was no denying that she was a beauty with those green eyes and glazing blonde hair. But right now, the beauty was angry.

"I ran here the moment I heard that you got into an accident without caring the way I look, worried to death about you, and you… you find me annoying?" The girl walked towards Jessica as she said that.

"Veronica, it's not what she meant..." Karen tried to meddle in and extinguish the sparks before it transcends into a fire, but the girl showed her palm to Karen, telling her to stop.

"No… not this time. You always try to justify her actions, but not this time," Veronica stopped Karen from butting in, "You know how much the appearance is dear to an actress, even more so for someone like me. Even when we appear casual in front of others, it's all part of a bigger plan, but look it at me now," Veronica said as she showed herself to Karen, "I was sleeping when I got the call from Amanda, and even though I am not a great driver, I drove all the way here on my own. Do you have any idea how scared I was? And all this for what? Just to..." Veronica said as she looked at Jessica. Tears had formed in her eyes, "Just to hear her call me annoying?" Veronica looked at Karen for answers. Karen also felt bad for Veronica while the latter dived into Karen's embrace.

Now it was Veronica sobbing in Karen's arms. Karen looked at Jessica and glared at her to say her apologies to Veronica. Jessica, on the other hand, made faces, not wanting to apologise, but the glaring eyes of Karen compelled her to do so.

"I am sorry," Jessica whispered so softly that even Karen had a hard time hearing her. Karen was about to ask her to say it a bit louder, but Veronica pushed herself out of Karen's embrace and stood straight up, looking at Jessica.

"I would have loved it if you were a bit more loud and sincere, but since you are injured and all and since Karen is here, I will let you off easy this time," Veronica said as she wiped the tear stains, "I think I am actually getting better and better at acting. Oh god! I think my snot is about to leak out... Quickly... Quickly, get me a tissue." Veronica said as she tilted her head, looking upwards, and hurried everyone to get her a tissue.

"Disgusting," Jessica said and looked away.

"You are crazy," Karen, on the other hand, smiled and passed on the tissue box to Veronica.

"Whatever..."

** Knock! Knock!

The door again slid open, and this time, it was Martha who walked inside.

"I hope I am not interrupting you guys," Martha said as she walked in towards them. Veronica, on the other hand, when heard someone walk in, she turned her back towards Martha and tried to cover her face with the tissues in her hand.

"Mrs Rutherford? No… No… It's fine," Karen stood up from the bed and greeted Martha, "But you...?"

"Looks like I forgot to tell you guys the other day. I am a doctor and very good at that too. And this hospital as well as this floor just so happens to be my workspace," Martha said with a smile.

"Ohh... I think Alex did mention about it earlier," Karen said though she had no idea about it.

"Ahem... Ahem..." Jessica faked a cough to get everyone's attention.

It was only then did Karen remember of introducing them to one another.

"Mrs Rutherford, this is Jessica, the CEO of our company, and this one here is..." Karen introduced Jessica while Veronica had her back to them, trying not to get recognised.

"Veronica, right?" Martha beat Karen to it.

"How did you recognise it was me?" Veronica abruptly turned around and asked Martha, almost digging into her.

"Well, I did watch a couple of movies of yours, and you are as beautiful in real life as in reel," Martha was smooth with her words.

"Thank you," Veronica said with a blushing face as she pulled her hair behind her ear.

"And she is?" Jessica interrupted their sweet time.

"Well, she is had already introduced herself, but she is also the mother of a colleague of mine," Karen said.

Jessica nodded, hearing her.

"But Mrs Rutherford, how come you are here?" Karen asked.

"Well, I saw you downstairs at the reception. I called for you, but you left in a hurry. So I checked it up with the Receptionist to know why you were here in case I could be of some help," Martha replied.

"And they told you my details? So much for keeping my details private?" Jessica asked in suspicion.

"Those are some of the perks of holding a high position," Martha smiled, "I am the director or caretaker or the executive, whatever you want to call me of this VIP ward. So even if they didn't tell me, I would have eventually found out..." Martha said and looked at Jessica with interest. Jessica also found Martha's gaze a bit penetrating as if trying to look deep inside of her.

"... And since you are sort of an acquaintance. I will take over as your doctor from this moment on," Martha announced, "Let me check it with your assigned doctor, and we will meet soon."

Martha said and left the room without giving anyone a chance to ask anything. Martha decided everything on her own, and all the three ladies in the room could do was go with her flow.

"Well, that was something..." It was Veronica who couldn't help but say.

* * * * *

A/N: I have posted a chapter of the story I am working on, do check it out: The Land of Magic (Working Title)