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Chapter 2

Sabrina walks down the long driveway and politely asks the guard to open the gate for her.

He scratches head in confusion. A short man, in his early 50s and grey-haired. ”Are you walking? Mrs. Alden.”

Her brows lift in surprise. That was the first time anyone ever called her that. "Yes…”

”Okay... I guess…” He presses a button widening the golden doors.

”Thank you.”

She walks for a while before seeing a gate to another home. At that point, she was still going strong; loving the feel of the wind and the heat of the sun on her skin.

She keeps moving until reaching a local road that was alongside a highway. By this time, her legs were becoming weak. Lack of exercise was really affecting her stamina and she was seeing nothing but the road in her sight. She even considered turning back but then, like a mirage in the desert, a light blue and yellow-painted brick building appears.

TONY'S ANIMAL SHELTER. "Yes! She wished she had it in her to do a happy dance.

It couldn't be a more perfect destination for her. She loved animals.

As she entered the shop, she notices a mess everywhere, outside and in. Barking dogs, in the back, newspapers, and dog food sprinkled on what seems to be the front desk.

She finds a bell with a tiny dog wearing a hula-hoop under a sheet of newspaper. After ringing it a few times a woman comes out from the back. She was on the larger end, with long orange messy hair in a low ponytail, and wearing denim overalls and a black t-shirt.

"Can I help you?" Her voice was also deeper than the average woman.

”Um... Well… I was wondering if maybe you needed any volunteers."

Her whole face changed like she was in shock and overjoyed at the same time. Her eyes widened and her hands came out of her pockets.

"Yes definitely! Are you available now?"

"I would love to start now."

"Well come on... I'm Tony, the owner." She introduces herself as she leads Sabrina to the back room. "You're not from around here are you?"

"Not really." Sabrina looks at the animals lined up in cages against the wall.

The town of Brentwood is for the most elite. Only the extremely rich lived around this area. This building looks like it was picked from somewhere else and dropped here.

"I'm Sabrina. She introduces herself but her attention was on a baby poodle.

"That's a $2000 dog. Her owner never came looking for her. Rich people" Tony shakes her head.

Sabrina spent the rest of the afternoon holding down animals to get their nails cut. She helped feed, and clean up after them, and when it got dark she went home. Her legs were aching. She limped to her room and fell straight to sleep.

The next morning, she awakes to Wanda knocking on her door. "Ma'am I was sent to wake you for breakfast. Mrs.Vivian would like for you to join her."

She slowly lifts her eyes open and runs fingers through her hair. As she sits up, she could feel the soreness in her leg muscles instantly. "I will be down in a minute. Thank you, Wanda."

She limps to the bathroom for a quick hot shower. She promised Tony she would help give all the dogs baths today and didn't want to be late.

She shimmies on tight jeans and a soft cotton green shirt, combs her wet hair, and heads to the dining area.

While she ate, Vivian joined her at the table with a cup of tea.

"As you know, Clarissa doesn't know that Nathan and your marriage is not real. I'd like to keep it that way."

Sabrina chewed her toast and nodded her head to agree.

"Don't get cozy in his room either, remember, it's by force, and not choice, that my son is laying beside you." Vivian blows the rim of her cup.

”Are you afraid he might like me?" She watched her mother-in-law's eyes go wide." She hit a nerve. It bothered Vivian more than anyone that Nathan had to marry her and it made her even more curious about what they were all hiding.

"I, nor you have to worry about that."

It should have hurt Sabrina a little but it didn't. She was used their nasty attitudes and behavior. She never let anyone walk all over her, and she didn't intend to ever. She leaves Vivian to finish her tea alone.

Arriving at the animal shelter, Tony is talking to an older gentleman with a clipboard in his hand. By the look of her face, it's not good. She nears a little closer and hears the man saying he was going to have to close it down.

Just her luck to find something she enjoyed doing and it was closing down.

When they finished speaking Tony sticks a piece of paper on the door and locks it.

"Is there anything we can do?" Sabrina asks.

"We have to close until I get this place up to code." Tony hands her a list of issues the inspector found.

There was at least a month's worth of work to do on it. “How long do we have?"

"Fourteen days."

"Ok, Let's do it... I'll help you." She found it very easy to agree to occupy her life with this.

Tony sat at her desk and put her head down.

"This is the only animal shelter in a 50-mile radius. Who is going to take these animals in if we're not open? " She bows her head in defeat.

"We just have to work hard so we can finish faster." Sabrina tries to put some life into Tony's discouraged soul.

Thankfully it seems to have helped.

She looks up at her and smiles. "I don't know what I would've done without you."


First, they take all the animals and put them in the large back yard. Then start cleaning. Tony starts washing each individual cage and Sabrina feeds and baths the animals. It took a few hours longer than expected.

While rearranging the cages and cleaning the floors, night fell. The shelter looked so good she didn't want to leave. She wanted to make more progress, but her legs were already sore. So, she decided to fix the clutter on Tony's desk. At least she could sit.

Tony passed out on the floor surrounded by a few animals.

With loud snoring in her ear, she rummages through papers, old bills, newspapers, and empty bags of chips. As she is filling her individual piles she comes across an envelope. ALDEN ENTERPRISES. She hesitated but decided to open it. Maybe there was something she should know.

They were making an offer of a substantial amount of money to buy the shelter. The land was barely an acre. Why would they want it? she wondered.

Suddenly she became aware that she couldn't hear snoring anymore. She slowly turns her head hoping not to find Tony looking at her. She covered her mouth to hold back a loud laugh

A cat was now sleeping on Tony's face to cover the sound.

After two more hours, she finally finished. She covers Tony with a blanket and faces the cool night air. It was late, after midnight. She decided that if she sees a taxi, she would hail it down but she never did see one.

When she arrived at the mansion, the gate was locked and the guard was gone. Her legs were giving out on her. The ledge of the flower beds at the side of the gate is going to have to be her bed tonight.

No strength, no use. She drifts asleep with that as her last thought.

~~~~~~~~~~

"I found her like this, Sir." The guard announces.

Sabrina rubs her eyes to get the blur cleared away from her vision.

"What are you doing out here Sabrina?" Nathan spoke between his teeth.

She sits up and fixes her messy hair.

"What are you doing out here?" He spoke louder this time. Demanding an answer. He was wearing a jet-black suit and a white button-up shirt. His eyebrows were creased and his arms were crossed.

"I came back late last night, and the guard was gone so, I just fell asleep."

Nathan dismisses his guard with a nod of his head and glares at her suspiciously. "Where were you last night?"

She yarns. "I've been volunteering at the animal shelter."

"Get up," He orders sternly. "You expect me to believe that? Don't animal shelters close at a decent time?"

She was still sitting because her legs were sore.

“Yes but"

"Get up!" He yells this time.

His shouting startles her, causing her to panic and stand up immediately. Her knees instantly buckled on her. All her leg muscles were knotted up and throbbing in pain. She takes a sharp intake of breath and tries to catch herself.

"Fuck" He grabs her and lifts her effortlessly into his arms.

"What's wrong with you?" He asks as he puts her into his black luxury car. She hadn't even realized he had driven it to the front of the gate.

Before she could answer him, he shuts the door. He then climbs into the driver's seat and moves the car up the driveway in front of the mansion.

"Answer me." He barks "Do you know how it must look? He glances at her expecting an answer.

"What?" She mutters softly.

"That I didn't know my wife has been missing all night?"

"I'm sorry." Was all she could get out. She was just too exhausted.

"There's an intercom system on the side of the gate next time use it." His whole body looked tense like he was holding back from strangling her. He parks the car, jumps out and walks over to her side. She didn't care that her legs hurt she wanted to walk in herself. She opens the door and takes a step out. "I'm fine. Thank you." She stands to hold the door. Her face shows the pain she was feeling.

Nathan growls. He lifts her again, this time carrying her through the mansion. He passes his mother and father eating breakfast. Sabrina looks over to see Vivian choke on her grapefruit and Desmond absorbed in his phone.

She's dropped on her bed and watches as he closes the door and looks her way.

"Speak. What's wrong with your legs? Do I need to call you an ambulance?" The tone of his voice told her he thought she was being a drama queen.

"I've been walking a lot more. My muscles are a little sore; that's it…”

"I don't know why the fuck you're walking anywhere. I have three drivers waiting to be called." He has never cursed or yelled at her before... until today. She must have really caused suspicion being found sleeping by the front gate. She panicked hoping he wouldn't stop her from going back to the shelter. Her father did ask her to be obedient.

"Don't give them any reason to mistreat you." He said. "Don't give them any reason to suspect you of illicit affairs." He would never answer any of her pestering questions. He said she would know in time.

Nathan runs his fingers through his hair pacing her room. "I want you to use a car from now on."  He glares at her for a second only leaving when she nods in agreement.

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