45. Taste of Heavens!

Briella waited for several minutes for Chelsey to return, knowing her friend was also struggling because she must have heard the judgmental comments from the employees about her, and she was sure Chelsey wouldn't let those comments slide. She leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes, feeling the swelling in her hand and knowing her face must have bruised from the strong slap she received from Matilda. They had just finished talking with Braun, and she knew he was worried about her—extremely worried. And at this moment, she was certain he was devising a plan to avenge her. They're waging a war, then I'll give it to them! A dangerous smile appeared on her lips; she would let them think what they think about her. In times like these, she could really tell who her true allies were, who wouldn't leave her despite the judgments thrown at her by the world. 'God! They're all idiots!" Chelsey exclaimed as soon as she opened the door. She approached Briella and examined her swelling arm. 'B-Briella, maybe we should get this checked," she said, gently applying a cold compress to her arm. Briella took a deep breath and shook her head. 'I have to go home. Braun is waiting for me," she told her. Chelsey's face turned pale when she mentioned Braun's name. 'H-He wouldn't get mad at me because of this, right? Jovert was holding me earlier, and no matter how much I struggled, I couldn't stand a chance against that bastard," she said, clearly worried about what Braun might do. Briella shook her head. 'I'm not sure," she threatened. 'Come on, Bri!" Chelsey complained, pressing the cold compress harder on her swelling arm. Briella winced, which Chelsey immediately noticed and began apologizing profusely. 'Calm down, you're acting crazy. Do you think I would let anything happen to you?" Briella said with a laugh. Chelsey seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at her words, and then silence enveloped them, neither wanting to speak. But soon, they heard a knock and exchanged glances, and Chelsey stood up to open the door. 'Briella," Cecile said as she entered upon seeing her with a cold compress. 'Are you alr—" She couldn't finish her sentence upon seeing the swelling on her hand and was sure the bruise on her cheek was also visible. 'Damn! If Mr. Puerto hadn't been holding me back earlier, I would have slapped that woman. She acts as if she owns the place!" She sat next to Briella, and she could see the intense anger in her eyes. 'What happened to the meeting? What did the stockholders say?" Briella asked formally. Cecile sighed heavily, and from that, Briella knew no one believed her. 'They believed that evil wench Matilda instead, and I don't understand why she was even there! That was a closed-door meeting among us stockholders!" Chelsey snorted with laughter, having returned to her side and continued applying the cold compress to her swelling arm. 'That's because she's a btch," Chelsey said. 'She wants Briella to fall because she dreams of owning everything my friend has," she added. Cecile frowned, confused by Chelsey's statement. 'Maybe next time, I'll tell you everything, but for now, I badly need to go home," Briella said, standing up. 'We'll escort you outside. I already talked to them to see if they can provide you security, but they declined. How dare they not even consider the success you achieved yesterday? You're almost breaking the record of being the first newcomer and hit the highest rates and trending worldwide because of that issued magazine!" 'Can you drive?" Chelsey asked her. Briella nodded and tried to move her swollen arm but winced from the sharp pain. 'You can't," Chelsey sighed, helping her out of the dressing room. 'I just hope Big Boss doesn't kill me," she whispered, audible only to Briella. 'I'm sorry, Bri. I couldn't do anything to defend you against them," Cecile said sadly as they got on the elevator. 'Don't think about it. It's not your fault," Briella said with a smile. 'To be honest, I'm waiting for this moment to come, and I want to see their beautiful smiles, thinking they have won. I'll let them taste floating in the clouds before I clip their wings and make them plummet back into the mud where they belong." 'I'm getting goosebumps, Briella, but I like it," Cecile said, grinning. Chelsey first checked if there were any reporters outside, but when she returned, her face was filled with surprise and wonder. 'Earlier, before I came up, I could still hear them making a fuss, but now I don't see a single cross-eyed reporter outside," she said. 'Really? Where the hell did they go?" Cecile also wondered. Briella secretly shook her head, knowing only one person could have done such a thing. 'Let's go, Chelsey," she said and walked towards her car. 'Can you take the key from my bag, please?" she asked Chelsey, who was stunned by her car. 'This is your car?!" she exclaimed, pointing at Briella's new car. 'Is that the Maserati MC20?" Cecile asked in disbelief. Briella was about to answer when she noticed Matilda and Xander approaching, with Jovert following behind carrying Matilda's things. 'Janice must have paid you a lot to afford such an expensive sports car," Matilda said insultingly, unable to hide the intense envy in her voice. 'Xander, will you tell this btch of yours to shut up? You know I can still void her contract with the company, right?" Cecile said irritably to Xander. Briella ignored them and handed her bag to Chelsey to get the car keys. 'You'll drive, Chelsey. Let's go," she said, turning to Cecile. 'I'll call you when I get home, Cecile," she said and hugged the woman. 'Take care," Cecile replied, returning the hug. Briella turned to go to the other side of the car when she heard Xander's insulting voice. 'Aren't you going to explain to me why you chose to waste your life on this madness, Briella? I thought I knew you, but I was wrong. I didn't think you would give in to someone like her," he said. 'I don't explain myself to someone like you. We're done, and you said that yourself," she said and got into the car. Cecile waved at them before entering the building first, leaving the two despicable traitors staring at her car. Their faces were filled with intense envy as they watched her car drive away. 'You're not going to just let everything they did to you slide?" Chelsey said while expertly driving her new sports car. She obviously had a thing for such vehicles. 'Do you miss driving a car like this?" Briella changed the subject. Chelsey paused for a moment, but soon, sadness covered her entire face. 'You know that this is a part of me," she said with a sigh. 'Anyway, stop changing the topic. What's your plan now?" she brought the conversation back to Briella. Briella shook her head and gently stroked her swollen hand. 'Nothing," she replied tersely. 'What?" Chelsey asked in shock, glancing at her briefly. 'Do you really enjoy seeing them hurt and insult you? Do you know how much I want to break Jovert's hand so that he would let go of me and shave Matilda's head?!" Briella laughed hoarsely. 'That's exactly what Matilda expects, for me to lose it and stoop to her brainless actions. I'll take my revenge nicely, and I don't want to look cheap like her. She's a cheap btch, but I am a professional btch. I'll do it like a Pro," she said and winked at Chelsey when she glanced at her. 'Does it mean you're going to counterattack?" Chelsey asked excitedly. 'Yup, it's time for me to move. Queens slay the pests in the end. I'll let the people involved in the mess move first," Briella said teasingly. 'Huh?" 'Just watch and enjoy the show, Chelsey. In a few hours, the world of those animals will be turned upside down. I'll gradually bring their downfall until they both kneel before me with defeat and regret on their faces," Briella said with a smirk. 'I like the way you smile, Bri, and I can't wait to see their ugly faces bowing down to you," Chelsey giggled but then stopped laughing and glanced at her swollen arm. 'But how are you going to explain your hand and the bruise on your cheek to Big Boss?" she asked worriedly. Don't worry about this. Did you check all the photos and other pieces of information about them?" Briella asked. Chelsey nodded. 'But . . " Briella waited for her to continue, fearing she might have found a problem with her plans that could prevent them from proceeding. 'What?" she said, holding her breath. 'Is Big Boss really not going to kill me when he sees I'm with you and you ended up like this?" she said, dropping Briella's jaw in shock. **** Before she could even get out of the car, she saw her husband rushing towards her with furrowed brows, leaving Chelsey unsure whether to step out of the vehicle or hide there and then bolt as soon as both Briella and Braun were inside. She just shook her head, letting Chelsey decide what she wanted to do since it seemed no matter how much she told her to calm down and that Braun wouldn't harm her, Chelsey seemed more inclined to panic and go crazy. She slowly got out of the car, about to be embraced by him, when his attention shifted to her swollen hand and then to her cheek. 'Chelsey!" he yelled sternly at her friend. 'Yes, cheese! Oh, M-Mr. President! It wasn't me who did that, and I tried to help her, but I was held really tight, as in tight with capital letters T.I.G.H.T—tight by that damn bastard, I mean, that dark son of a—" 'Shut up!" Braun snapped irritably. Chelsey stopped talking, and she couldn't help but laugh at Chelsey's paleness and Braun's indescribable expression. Her arm hurt, but she barely felt it, trying to hold back her laughter. Braun took a deep breath and glared at Chelsey again. 'Call Luigi, and tell him to bring my doctor immediately!" he ordered Chelsey sternly and carefully helped her into the house. 'Yes, Big Boss!" they heard Chelsey say before they fully entered the house. He silently assisted her up to their room, being very careful not to jostle her swollen arm. His demeanour was dark, and one wrong move seemed like it would provoke him to pounce. Once inside their room, he led her to the lower part of the bed and carefully removed her dress, yet he still hadn't spoken a word. After he had finished bathing and dressing her, the silence was deafening, and she wasn't used to her husband being like this. 'Hubby... aren't you going to talk to me?" she couldn't help but speak up and address him. He adjusted the blanket and then pulled a sofa closer to her bed, took her hand, and kissed it tenderly. 'Do you know how I feel today, seeing you like this?" Braun said sadly. She took a deep breath and caressed his face. 'Don't be sad. Getting hurt and being taken advantage of by others is part of life. What's important is what you do after experiencing their cruelty," she said. 'I don't give a damn about that. I've told you even if fate itself conspires to hurt you, I won't allow it! No one can hurt you, and I'll do everything to make that come true!" he stated firmly. She smiled faintly. 'Can you calm down for me, President Braun?" she asked him sweetly. Braun took a deep breath, and after a few seconds of closing his eyes, he opened them again and looked at her tenderly. 'I heard the news, but I want to hear everything from you. What did they do to you?" he asked gently. She looked at him for a long while before deciding to tell him everything. 'I'll tell you what you want to know, but let me clarify that I'm not doing this to seek your sympathy or anything. I promised myself that I wouldn't hide anything from you," she started, and he nodded, enclosing her small hand in both of his, ready to listen. 'Aside from telling everyone that I'm a social climber and a whore, insulting me in every possible way they can, Matilda slapped me in the face. Hard. She tried to slap me again, but I quickly stopped her, and that's when Xander grabbed my hand and threw it accidentally. That's why I have this," she said, raising her swollen hand. 'Both are right hands, noted," Braun said thoughtfully. 'Huh?" 'They're going to pay for what they did to you with both of their right hands," Braun explained. 'What are you going to do to their hands?" she asked. 'It's simple. I'll make them feel what it's like to have a broken bone, and they'll need surgery if they want it fixed. I won't let what they did to you slide. They're going to pay for the damage they've done to you! And don't even try to stop me, wife. I have the right to avenge you," he said. She smiled and shook her head. 'You can do anything you want to them, but please don't overdo it. I have other plans for them." She felt a chill when Braun smirked at her meaningfully as if her words had unleashed the ruthless and heartless Braun El Cueva known to all. 'Oh, I promise," he said. He leaned in to kiss her forehead down to her lips. 'Rest for now, and I'll wake you up when the doctor arrives." 'Stay with me," she said, signalling the space beside her. He immediately complied and lay beside her, pulling her close and encircling her in his arms. *** God! This is frustrating! Chelsey muttered, leaving in the garage and figuring out how to contact President Braun's handsome assistant. Why is that brute M.I.A. now?! She fumed internally, scrolling through the list of names sent by her acquaintance. Luigi... Luigi... Luigi... There! Her face lit up upon finding the man's photo and contact information. After saving his number, she immediately dialled and called. It rang several times, but he didn't pick up, making her suspect she had been scammed with a fake identity! Damn, this life, really! When that monkey is needed, he turns snobbish and ignores her! After what felt like an eternity, someone finally answered. 'Hello?" the voice said. 'Hello? Are you that brute monkey assistant of Big Boss?" she asked. A long silence followed, making her think he had hung up, but checking her phone, the call was still connected. 'I'm asking you, answer me! Are you the brute monkey who—" 'Sorry, wrong number," he cut her off and hung up. Her nostrils flared, and she dialled the number again. It rang several times before being answered. 'I'm talking to you nicely, so don't be rude!" she snapped immediately. 'Rude? You're looking for a monkey, and I told you you're calling the wrong number. Try to research the hotline number of the zookeeper, or would you like me to give it to you?" he explained seriously on the other end. Her jaw dropped in disbelief, and for a moment, she was speechless. She didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or get angry at his response. Seriously? Did he not realize it was a joke? Regaining her composure, she held her jaw to prevent it from dropping again. 'Your Boss needs you. He told me to call you and ask his doctor and have him come here immediately!" she mimicked Braun's stern tone from earlier. 'What happened to Madam Briella?" he asked. She rolled her eyes to nowhere and sighed heavily. 'Just follow my orders, and don't be nosy!" she snapped. 'What?" he said. 'Tch! Just do as I say. I don't want to die yet, so hurry up and get here," she said. 'I'm still finishing something he asked me to do!" Luigi said. 'Are you complaining? Do you want me to report you to him?" she threatened. 'Will you do it, or will you do it? Choose, or else you'll do as I say." 'You're insane!" he exclaimed. 'Oh yeah? Oh yeah?" 'I'm begging you, please go to Mr. President and tell him—" 'No way! I still value my life, and I don't want to die! I haven't experienced the taste of heavens yet, so you better do it yourself—" She didn't finish her sentence because he suddenly cut himself out, saying he was leaving the company. After he was gone, she realized why he had abruptly ended their call. Me and my big mouth!