Wife's Bitter Revenge Against Neglectful CEO Husband-Chapter 131: The Beast on My Couch

The chair made it so much easier to transport Alec from the porch to the bed.

"You’re a bully," Alec grumbled.

"Hush and tolerate it. You can be in charge next time."

"You promise?"

I dropped a kiss on Alec’s cheek as I stopped at the bed.

"I promise."

"No matter what I want to do?"

"What devious plan are you concocting?"

"You promised. Too late to worry about the details now."

"I’m not jumping out of an airplane."

"Too late."

"Alec," I pleaded as I helped him out of his wet jeans and into some sweats.

Alec relaxed back on the pillows. "Hey, I’m ready for those pain relievers now."

"That scared me. The pain on his face scared me. So did the discoloration of his ankle. I gave him the pills and water, then set about making him more comfortable with the foot propped up and iced before making lunch. It was way past the lunch hour, and we’d had a full morning. We needed the calories.

I was destined to eat lunch alone, though. Alec was sleeping. If he was comfortable enough to sleep then that was more important than food right then.

The next morning, Alec awoke.

"How are you feeling?" I asked a groggy Alec.

"Thirsty."

I handed him the water I had prepared for him. Alec took a long drink.

"How’s the ankle?"

"Fine, as long as I don’t move it, which is a problem."

"Why so?"

Alec groaned as he sat up, leaning against his elbows. "You pick. A full bladder or sore ass. I don’t think I’ve stayed in one position so long in my entire life."

"Alright, bladder first, then I’ll help you to the couch."

"Another location, but the same position. I need up and moving around."

Alec swung his legs over the side of the bed and slowly lowered his swollen ankle. He didn’t get far before he grimaced.

"I don’t have crutches or a walking cast for you. However, I have hand weights and exercise bands. You’ll have to settle for an upper body workout while I make breakfast."

I pulled over the desk chair and helped Alec into it amongst grumbles of dissension.

"The ankle doesn’t hurt right now. I can use it if I take it easy."

"Alec Crest, you are lying to me." I glared at the body part in question. It was swollen and a dozen shades of ugly. "Not under my watch you won’t be walking on this, at least today."

"Teela, I’m not a baby. I know my own body."

I rolled my eyes. "Then stop acting like one. Do what you’re told, or I swear, Alec, I’m calling Medavac and your mother right now. I’m willing to bet she will side with me. Now, what do you want for breakfast?"

Was it wrong that I was looking back on the time when Alec passed out as the good times?

Alec pouted through breakfast, then insisted on a shower. I half suspected it was an excuse to stand. Unfortunately for Alec, I’d been my mom’s primary caregiver for months. I knew about things like shower chairs. While I didn’t have one, I did have a lawn chair that would survive a shower.

"Teela, no," Alec protested as I helped him out of his shirt.

"Will it make you feel better if I shower with you?"

"I can’t believe I’m saying this, but no. It won’t. I’m not an invalid, and I won’t be treated like one."

"Your choice. My way or the hospital."

"I thought you said I could be in charge next time," Alec said.

"This isn’t next time. It’s the same time."

"When is next time?"

"Lift," I prompted Alec.

Alec bore the weight on his forearms and his good foot long enough for me to remove his pants.

Alec’s phone rang from the bedroom.

"I’ll get it. Wait here. Do not attempt to get out of that chair."

I picked up the call.

"Hello."

"Teela? Is that you? It’s Eugene."

"Yes, it’s me. Hang on. I’ll put Alec on the phone."

"No, wait. How are you? We’ve been worried."

"I’m fine."

"And Alec? Are you okay with Alec?"

"Yes. He’s stubborn, but we’ll get through it. I’d still rather he go to the hospital."

"Wait. What happened to my son?"

I filled Eugene in.

"I’ll take care of it."

The line went dead.

"Who was it?" Alec asked when I returned to the bathroom.

"Your dad."

"What did he want?"

"He was just checking in, I think."

"I’ll call him back later."

The shower went as well as could be expected if one was showering a pitbull. The harder I tried to ease Alec’s discomfort and get him in and out of the shower with limited pain, the less I seemed to do right. I considered putting a muzzle on him, but we survived.

I helped him put on clean clothes and to the couch, then escaped outside for some fresh air. Time apart was crucial right now. Where had happened my good-natured, calm, and cool boyfriend? Was it that hard to accept my help for a couple of days? No matter how Alec blew off his injury as minor, it was causing him pain. He’d asked me to marry him.

No, wait. He hadn’t said the words. He had alluded to it. We had spent time discussing the terms of marriage, but I couldn’t recall Alec asking me to marry him.

I was splitting hairs, and I knew it. I was looking for more reasons to criticize Alec because he’d been infuriating today. I needed to regain perspective and go back into the cabin with a smile on my face and patience in my heart. It was hard to be dependent on someone else. I had to remember that. Mom struggled with accepting my help some days, too. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The tranquility of the forest hideaway was disrupted by the repetitive thwop, thwop, thwop sound of a helicopter. I looked to the skies for the copter but to no avail with the tree canopy over the cabin. I walk down the road toward a nearby clearing, turning from time to time for an all-encompassing scan of the open sky.

By the time I reached the clearing, the blue and white helicopter was in view. I watched as it approached before hovering overhead and slowly dropping altitude. I moved to the edge of the clearing, shielding my eyes from the glare of the sun and the wind whipping up around me as the helicopter’s blades created a manmade windstorm.

The side door opened as soon as the helicopter touched down, and a man exited, crouching to avoid the blades overhead. He rushed toward me. It took me a minute to recognize the man as Eugene. Thank goodness—someone in my corner to help me tame the beast growling on my couch.

Eugene wrapped his arms around me, shielding me from the wind as the helicopter powered down. When it was quiet enough to be heard, Eugene asked, "Are you alright, Teela? We got here as soon as we could."

I nodded, pulling free far enough to look around the older man. I wanted to see who he had brought with him. Estelle stepped out of the helicopter wearing a fur coat and carrying a picnic basket. Behind her, another man in surgery scrubs emerged carrying a medical bag.

Now I understand. If the tiger didn’t go to the veterinarian, Eugene would bring the vet to the beast.

Estelle rushed to me. Eugene gave way so Estelle could hug me. "Teela, we missed you so much. Are you okay?"

"Mostly. Today’s been tough."

I had the overwhelming urge to melt into Estelle’s arms and cry out my woes, but that seemed like overkill, especially how that help was here.

"Don’t take it personally. Alec has never taken incapacitation well. I remember more than one nanny walking out of his room with red marks on her skin and tears in her eyes. He didn’t hit you, did he?"

"No! He’d never."

My Alec had struck his nannies? I couldn’t picture it.

"Good, good. Then, all hope is not lost. Now, take me to our boy."

I led our visitors to the cabin, which seemed plenty big for just me but now felt suffocatingly small with four additional adults in my living room.

Estelle warmly greeted Alec and asked how to get to the kitchen. "I wasn’t sure if you had supplies for company, so I brought lunch. I hope you like ham sandwiches and split pea soup."

"It sounds great. Thanks, Estelle."

Eugene said, "This is Doctor Mark. He’s my personal doctor. He’s here to look after our injured boy."

"Thank you, Eugene."

"I don’t need a doctor," Alec said in the way of a greeting.

"Indulge your old man and let him examine you."

"Did Teela call you here?" Alec asked with narrowed eyes.

"No, son. It was my idea when she told me you had twisted your ankle. It made for a good excuse to come see my favorite girl." Eugene gave me a heartwarming smile that I gladly returned.