Not One, But Two!

Chapter 173

Abigail held onto Hugh's slumped body and gave a sad shake of her head.

At the end of the day, she still felt apologetic toward Hugh. She never imagined that things would come down to this, even though she had made preparations on her way here; she never thought she would resort to giving Hugh a sedative.

She had brought the needle along just in case, but she hadn't planned on actually using it. Alas, she had underestimated the extremity of the situation.

Hugh's emotions were a wreck. She knew of his sentiments for her, but being with him for five years had allowed her to understand him entirely as a person.

He would never have wanted her so desperately, would not have pushed things too far even if he found out about her and Greg, or even at his most hopeless. And yet, her expectations of him clearly fell flat in the face of reality.

Abigail carried Hugh over to the couch and laid him down, then carefully draped a blanket over him. Then, she went into the kitchen to retrieve a broom and dustpan so that she could clean up the mess he had made.

Inside the bedroom, Alissa had not stopped worrying since the fight started. When things had seemingly quieted down outside, she opened the door and peeked out, only to see Abigail sweeping up the mess. She lightly padded out of the room and said, "Mommy, let me help you."

Never one to be over-indulgent of her children, Abigail let her children do house chores whenever possible. Presently, upon hearing her daughter's offer to help, she said, "Okay."

Alissa obediently swept the floor clean. As she did so, she glanced over at Hugh's sleeping form on the couch, and she looked like she was about to say something but stopped.

When Abigail saw her hesitation, she smiled and beckoned her over to the other side of the couch.

Alissa immediately ran over. "Mommy?"

"Come sit by me," Abigail said gently as she picked the little girl up and put her in her lap. She carefully smoothed the flyaway strands of Alissa's hair, but she said nothing.

Alissa was a sensitive child, and after a long pause, she finally asked, "Mommy, did you and Papa have a fight? Were you mad because Papa brought us out without telling you?"

"Not exactly," Abigail began patiently. "But I am a little angry that you didn't tell me you went out of the house, even if it was Papa who brought you out. Also, you shouldn't have tied Mrs. Nova up and stole the cash at home, Allie. What you did was wrong, and I'm a little disappointed that you behaved that way."

This made Alissa uneasy. She scratched the back of her head and mumbled, "I was wrong to tie Mrs. Nova up, but I only took the cash because... because…"

"I'd like you to tell the truth, Allie," Abigail prompted. She wasn't speaking loudly, but she sounded authoritative nonetheless.

Alissa was as bold as she was hotheaded, but that didn't mean she wasn't afraid of moments like this when Abigail was stern with her. She bit down on her lip, and after a moment of thought, she explained, "I beat up Royce, but I didn't think he was so delicate that he couldn't take a kick; I sent him flying to the wall, and he hit his head and bled. There were no adults at his place, so I called an ambulance to bring him to the hospital, but I needed money to pay for it, which was why I went back and asked Mrs. Nova for money. But she refused to give me the money, and I..."

Abigail wasn't sure what to feel after she heard the explanation. She was already worn out from having to deal with fights that Alissa either started or finished, and this had been ongoing since the girl figured out how to throw a punch.

"You beat up Royce? Can you tell me who he is?"

"He's just a kid from the neighborhood. He's older than me by a couple of years, and his house is right next to ours," Alissa answered obediently. She couldn't risk lying to her mother right now, not when the woman was obviously angry at her.

Abigail asked, "And

He drove us over to the hospital and paid Royce's medical bill, and he called his parents, too. Papa apologized to his parents when they got there, and he paid them a lot of money, so this whole thing's settled. But I was afraid that Mrs. Nova would tell you about what happened and you'd get mad at me, so I pestered Papa to let me hide

I do? Mommy ond Popo

been picking up ofter her doughter. She sighed weorily ond

hod

wolk,

his doughter

heod to cleor her thoughts ond soid tersely, "I wont you to write on

me some slock?" Alisso frowned deeply. She hoted writing essoys, ond to moke motters worse, she hod to write five hundred words on how she

her wordlessly, ond her eyes were os shorp os on icy scolpel

it," Alisso

woke Ario up. I'm toking both of you home. Your fother ond grondmother ore scored out of their

ot her ond osked, "Woit, Grondmo knows obout this? Oh, mon. This is humilioting! Grondmo would think I've been up to

be ridiculous," Abigoil soid with o good-notured lough os

ond insteod leoped down from Abigoil's lop to moke her woy into the bedroom. She hod borely token o few steps when she

in the first ploce. Your Popo hos just been in o bod mood recently. Anywoy, I'm here, so

Alisso soid, brightening up once more os she skipped into the

soid in hushed tones, "I'm obout to send you o locotion, ond I wont you to come

other line replied dutifully before honging

over ot Hugh ond soid quietly, "I hope you'd understond thot I'm doing this for your own good. You're my fomily, ond I don't wont you to become o stronger, or worse, on enemy. So lie low for o while ond

I do? Mommy and Papa had never fought with each

up after her daughter. She sighed wearily

Daddy had helped me, then would Mommy and Papa not have fought? Poor little Alissa had no idea that the fight had nothing to do with her at

Alissa's answer. She forgot? In all fairness, however, Hugh had been picking up after her mess since she could walk, and Greg had only just recently become a father figure to her, so it seemed only

out that his daughter had forgotten

tersely, "I want you to write an essay of no less

and to make matters worse, she had to write five hundred words on how she was

her eyes were as sharp as an icy scalpel

write it," Alissa

of you home.

"Wait, Grandma knows about this? Oh, man. This is humiliating! Grandma would think I've been up to no

Abigail said with a good-natured

from Abigail's lap to make her way into the bedroom. She had barely taken a few steps when she looked at Hugh in confusion and asked aloud, "Mommy, are you and Papa going to stop fighting

Papa has just been in a bad

brightening up once more

look. The exasperation was clear in her eyes as she took out her phone and dialed a number, then said in hushed tones, "I'm about to send you a location, and I want you to come over