Drunk: In love And Revenge

"Help! Somebody please help!!" Regina screamed, as she knelt beside her father who had just collapsed.

Regina touched her father's chest with her palm, to be sure he was still breathing. It wasn't enough for her, she had to place her ear on his chest. She needed to hear the sound of his heart beating. His heart was beating, but she wasn't assured he would be fine.

"Please, don't do this to me, father. You are all I have left in this world" She murmured with tears in her eyes.

The house butler Gee, ran to Regina.

"Young miss! The doctor is almost here" He said.

Regina looked up at the butler.

"When is he going to get here? Please call him again! " she yelled.

Butler Gee slowly backed away, took his phone out of his pocket and called the doctor again.

Regina could hear inaudible sounds, as butler Gee called the doctor again. She moved closer to her father, and slowly raised his head to her laps. His body was cold as she touched his face.

"You can't leave me, father. This not going to be the end of you. You need to be here, to see how I crush the family who did this to us. Please stay with me, father" Regina murmured.

Few minutes later, the doctor arrived.

Doctor Jamil, the family doctor was on his knees beside Regina's father.

"We need to lift him to his bed" Doctor Jamil said.

Regina nodded, and moved back, to give the butler and the doctor room. They both lifted her father to his bed.

Doctor Jamil checked his breathing with his stethoscope and raised up his head to look at Regina.

"Well, how's his breathing? Regina asked.

"His breathing is not as strong as it should be, miss. But he will pick up sooner" the doctor replied.

Regina ran her fingers through her hair..

"Then why isn't he waking up? If something is wrong, I need to know, Jamil" She said.

The doctor looked at Regina's father, then looked at her.

"I don't know how to say this, Regina" the doctor said, reluctantly.

"What is wrong, Jamil...... Don't minx words when you explain to me. Just tell me straightforward. What is wrong with him?" Regina asked, looking into doctor Jamil's eyes.

Doctor Jamil was reluctant again. Regina could tell that something was wrong.

"Miss Regina? I wish there was a better way to break this horrible news. It's very unfortunate, but your father is in a vegetative state. We don't know when he is likely to wake up. I am so sorry about this" Doctor Jamil said.

Regina's head began to spin. She couldn't stand this. She fell backwards, and sat on the bed beside her father. Doctor Jamil walked closer to her, touched her shoulders and squeezed it in to console her.

Regina thought she would be crying, but the tears refused to flow. She turned to look at her father. Strangely, she smiled at him, which the doctor and the butler found weird. For someone who just got the news, that her father was brain dead, she should be wailing and sad, but it was opposite for Regina.

"Father? I know you had to do this, just so you didn't have to stand the test of time. Don't worry, I will take over the hotel, which you have always cared for, more than you cared for me. I will save the hotel, by any means necessary. But make sure to wake up, when everything is over" Regina whispered to her father. Then she turned to doctor Jamil.

"Jamil? do not let word get out about my father's brain damage. Nobody can find out about this. If anyone finds out, it can further cripple the shares of the hotel. Apart from you, me, and Butler Gee, no one can find out about this. Most especially, the press, we have to keep this a secret. Are we on the same page?" Regina asked, looking at Doctor Jamil and Butler Gee.

They both nodded in agreement and Regina stood up.

"Butler Gee? come here for a second" Regina said.

Butler Gee walked closer to Regina, and stood before her.

"Butler Gee, this room will be off limits to anyone who comes to the house. Nobody goes in, and the room should be locked at all times. The only time you open the door, is when you come to check on my father. Is that clear?" Regina asked.

"Ofcourse Miss Regina, it's well understood. But I don't know how long I can hide this from your aunt JoJo. You know how snoopy she gets. What do I do, if she insists on opening the door?" Butler Gee asked.

Regina thought about her aunt JoJo. The troublesome aunt in the family. She only cares about what she gets from her father, and doesn't care about anyone.

"Direct her to me. Surely, she can't win over me now" Regina said, looking determined.

Butler Gee nodded and walked out of the room.

Jamil walked closer to Regina.

"Regina? I know we have been friends for a long time, but I may get into trouble with my superiors, for hiding this. Your father is a very influential man, and hiding his health status from them could jeopardize my job"

Regina held Jamil's hand.

"Please take this risk for me, Jamil. I have a huge fight ahead of me, and I cannot achieve it successfully, if it is public knowledge that my father is brain dead" She pleaded.

Jamil looked at her father, and at Regina.

"Fine, I'll do this for our friendship sake. Just be careful, so you don't get yourself into trouble" Jamii said.

Regina smiled at him. She raised her legs on a tiptoe and kissed his cheek.

"You don't know how much you are helping me, Jamil. Thank you so much" She said.

Jamil touched his cheek. He was amazed by Regina. He was amazed by how much she has changed from the timid and shy Regina, to someone who could kiss him on the cheek. His face turned red, and he had to leave the room. He looked at the floor as he bid her farewell.

"Call me if anything changes, I'll come running to check on him" Jamil said, before he walked out of the room.

As Jamil closed the door behind him, he put his hand on his heart. He felt his heart beating so fast, and his face sweaty.

"Stop it, Jamil. It was just a kiss on the cheek and she is off limits. Regina is just a friend and nothing more. Nothing more, Jamil" He said to himself, before leaving the house.

*********************

Regina sat down beside her father, after doctor Jamil had left. Her father laid there, motionless. He was only breathing, and that was the only indication that he was still alive.

"I have to leave now, father. I need to head to the hotel. I promise to be back later in the day. Do not go anywhere. I know you must be in a haste to join mother in the after life, but no, I want you to stay here with me. Don't leave me alone in this cold world. Since the hotel was all you ever cared about, I will protect your beloved hotel and keep it afloat" She said.

Regina put a kiss on her father's forehead, even though she knew he hated it. She didn't care what he liked and what he did. Now everything she does, will be in her own terms. She looked at her father one last time, covered him properly with a blanket and walked out of the room.

Regina walked to her room, with a lot of thoughts in her head. Everything was on her shoulder and she must save the hotel. She got to her room, opened the door and walked in. Regina tried to call her maid, but she remembered they all quit. The only person who decided to stay by her side despite her family loosing all their wealth was the Butler Gee. She walked to her wardrobe, opened it and looked through it. When her family had it all, Regina didn't have to set out her clothes by herself. The maids did it all. She put her fingers on the clothes, trying to figure out which one to wear. This would be her first appearance as the hotel's manager, so Regina had to look ravishing and different from the shy girl she used to be. Her fingers stopped on a red dress she had bought previously but couldn't wear, because she didn't want people to talk about her. She pulled the dress out of its hanger and threw it on her bed.

Regina took off her clothes, walked into the shower. She turned on the shower head, and let the cool water pour on her body. As the water poured on her, Regina closed her eyes. She let the cold temperature of the water trickle down her body. She has an option to make it warm, but chose to leave it cold. She needed her body to cool down, after her father's collapse episode. Regina turned off the shower. She walked out of the bathroom, sat on her dressing table as she applied body cream. As she looked herself in the mirror, she forced a smile. She stood up, put on the red dress and was satisfied with what she saw in the mirror. She combed her hair and decided to let it down. Regina had never let her hair down before, but today is that day. She looked herself in the mirror one last time, before walking out of her room.

"Butler Gee!?" Regina called, and he ran to her immediately.

"Yes Miss Regina, how may I help you?" he asked.

"Please take care of father while I am out. I am heading to the hotel. Remember our agreement. Can you do that for me?" She asked.

Butler Gee nodded.

"Ofcourse Miss Regina, I promise to keep your father a secret for as long as you want.

"Thank you, butler Gee" She said, before walking out of the house.

*******************

Regina had to hail a taxi to take her to the hotel. Selling her exotic cars to keep a roof over their head, had to be the most heartwrenching thing she ever did. Regina didn't want the hotel workers to see her step out of the taxi, so she stopped few metres from the hotel and walked.

One of the hotel workers saw her from far and ran to her.

"Miss Regina! Miss Regina!! Welcome to the hotel" The worker said.

"But where's your car, ma'am. Why are you walking this long distance?" She asked nosily.

Regina almost rolled her eyes at the hotel worker, but she didn't want to make an enemy of them.

"You don't have to worry about my car, lily. It's being worked on" She responded, looking at her name tag, to be able to call her name.

Lily looked surprised. Although everyone knows that the Abyss hotel has gone bankrupt, but it was hard to believe that Regina's car would be at the mechanic workshop. She shrugged and showed Regina the way to her office.

"Come miss Regina, let me show you the chairman's office. Which will now be your office" Lily said, smiling awkwardly.

As she entered the huge building that is her father's beloved hotel, Regina had mixed feelings. Here she is, trying to save the hotel that took away her happy childhood memories. The hotel that her father cherished, more than he ever cherished her.

Regina wished she could get rid of this hotel, and forget it ever existed, but she couldn't. Saving this hotel, will prove to her father that she is stronger than he ever imagined.

"I will save this hotel, father. I will save this hotel and bring you, and those who hurt us to their knees" She muttered, as she walked in.

Lily led Regina to a huge office. She put her hand on the double door's handle and opened it.

"This is your office, Miss Regina" Lily said.

Immediately Regina step foot into the office, she saw her childhood friend waiting for her.

"Surprise! He yelled, popping a bottle of Champagne.

Regina jumped, with her hand on her chest. She looked at him, the one who she plans to destroy. The one whose family put her and her family into this whole mess. She forced a smile, and pretended she was pleased. Cole was standing there, as he stared at her.

"Congratulations on taking over the hotel, Gina" he said.

Regina smiled, but in her head, she was squeezing the life out of Cole, her closest friend.

She walked in, an looked around. Her father had never let her step foot in the hotel's office. Stepping into this office was her first. Cole walked up to her, with a cake in his hands. The candle burning on the cake was still fresh.

"Blow out the candle, Gina" he said.

Regina turned to him.

"But today is not my birthday, Cole. You didn't have to go overboard with the cake" She said, smiling.

"Come on, blow it out" Cole urged.

Regina blew out the candle and he smiled at her.

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" Cole asked.

Regina didn't say a word. She smiled and turned to see Lily watching them and swooning.

Regina raised her eyebrows at lily.

"Oh, I am sorry, I should go. Please call me if you need anything, ma'am" Lily said.

Regina nodded, and Lily walked out and closed the door. She slowly turned to see Cole staring at her.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked.

"How am I looking at you, Regina?" Cole replied.

"Cole, you are staring at me with pity in your eyes. If you are going to be like this, then I don't need you here" She said.

Cole moved closer to Regina, but she stepped back.

"I am not looking at you that way, Gina. It's not what you think" Cole replied.

"Cole, you are my closest friend. If others look at me with pity in their eyes, that's the least of things I expect from you. Do not treat me like I am some wretched girl, or a damsel in distress. I am neither of those things. I need to be able to trust, that you will be different from others"

Cole walked further to her, took her hand and led her to a seat.

Regina let him take her hand reluctantly. She walked with him, and he made her sit on the couch in her father's office. He sat beside her.

"Gina? I don't think you know me well. I will never look at you with pity. You are my closest friend as well, Infact, I will that you are my best friend. We grew up together and there's nothing I won't do for you. I only came here today, to make you feel better, that's all" Cole said.

As Cole spoke to her, Regina had a thought. "Let the games begin, Gina. This is your first opportunity" She thought. She slowly leaned over to Cole's face, as rage and revenge consumed her. ......................

Regina brought her face closer, but Cole moved back in shock. He stood up abruptly.

"Gina! what are you trying to do?" he asked, with disgust on his face.

"Don't act like you don't want me, Cole. I know we have been childhood friends, but have you not for once, thought of me as a woman?" She asked, still seated.

"What! No!! Never! I have never thought of you that way, Gina" He replied, sounding surprised.

Regina scoffed at him and had to force a smile.

"Hey! I was only teasing you, don't take it too serious!" Regina said, laughing half-heartedly.

If only Cole knew, that she was not teasing him at all. If only he knew how much she wants to get him to fall for her. Regina stood up.

"Don't be too shocked, Cole. I was only joking. Do you forgive me?" She asked.

Cole shook his head, smiling.

"Don't ever make that joke again, Gina. I almost had a h