Her lips parted in disbelief, before a scoff escaped her lips-her face red with anger, and her nose flaring. “How dare you–” She raised a hand to slap me again, though the other hand pretty much clung onto the cheque by her side.
However, before she could even go halfway, I extended my hand and intercepted it, my glare returning as I tightened my hold around her wrist. “Don’t you dare.” I gritted out, my voice dropping octaves lower, my eyes never leaving hers. I’m not exactly a tall person-I’m quite short as others say but so is she. It just so happens that my heels give me an advantage here, allowing me to look down on her. “Or I swear whatever reason you came here would be the least of your concerns.”
I’m so sick and tired of this woman and her bullshit. I intentionally ignored the family all these years, choosing to just ignore their existence as a whole because I believe I’m better than lowering myself to their level. Nonetheless, if they keep getting on my nerves like this, I will declare war on them and trust me, I will win.
She tried to hide it, but I saw a flash of fear swirl in her eyes, which she was unable to mask. Holding my glare a few seconds longer, I dropped her hand to the sides before I turned around, fully intending to put an end to the conversation there as I was getting fed up. But, who am I kidding? I should’ve known that wouldn’t be enough for her to leave me.
This time around, she waited until I was close enough to the entrance, before she jumped in and took a fistful of my hair, pulling it from the scalp. My face contorted into that of pain, as my roots sting. I took a few steps back just as she dragged me, my ankle twisting from the heel before I got a hang of myself, snatching myself away from her. Turning around, I pushed her away, wanting to get her hands off my hair.
I didn’t anticipate that she would exaggerate the fall though, landing on her butt while she winced almost immediately. Her face contorted into that of being in pain as well, as tears instantly began to stream down her face. I fully expected her to blow up again, but much to my surprise, she crawled towards me, grapping a handful of my suit pants, as she got on her knees, more tears streaming down her face.
“Please,” She pleaded, her eyes wide and glossed with tears. I could’ve been fooled into believing her if I didn’t know better. “Please save my son’s company, everything is going down the drain. At this point, not just him, we’ll lose everything. Just this once, help us, for the sake of us being your family at one point. I know you hate us, we had our shortcomings of not being able to live up to your expectations but,” She patted the spot where her heart is, then she broke into another fits of sob. “I’m pleading with you as a mother, help my son at the very least. He’s already having it tough without you, he can’t survive if the company goes down the drain as well.”
I released a small scoff under my breath, too much disbelief coursing through my veins I might as well be stuck in a state of complete and utter state of being awestruck. I couldn’t believe the words she’s saying, or how she even has the audacity to look into my eyes and say that.
They had their shortcomings? Really? Spare me the pathetic act.
Now, I’m even more certain she has someone recording this, she wouldn’t pull up all this act for nothing. I doubt it. And yet, I was so upset, and so fed up with everything that has happened so far that I couldn’t give a single damn about being recorded or not. I’d deal with that later on.
My lips parted as I found myself laughing, throwing my head back in the process. The action lasted a couple of seconds, and when it died down, it was her turn to stare at me baffled. “You good for nothing woman,” I hissed under my breath, unable to help myself. My smile dropped, as I pinned her with a cold glare. “Get lost.”
“Huh?”
I huffed out a breath, then leaned down to meet her gaze. “Get out of my sight.” I repeated, my threat ringing loudly. “I honestly don’t give a single fuck what happens to your son, but I’m this close to losing my calm as a whole.” I held up my thumb and index finger, leaving a small space between it. “When that happens, I’ll destroy you, and your family as a whole. If you think I’m kidding,” I leaned close to her ear, then whispered. “Try me.”
This time around, when I turned around and made my way into the building, she didn’t try to stop me. Yet, a part of me wished she did, so I can find someone to vent my anger on. Fortunately for her, it wouldn’t be her today. At least, she knows when to use her brain sometimes.
***
Isabella Montague.
“I found the reporter Mrs. Donnelly brought along with her. You were right, he was recording you but I managed to get a hold of him. The news company he works for her known for digging up dirt on people in the business world, and if we hadn’t gotten to him, you would’ve been on the tabloids by now which would’ve been bad for you really.” Amy’s words played in my mind, reminding me of the charade that took place earlier. “I’ve had his destroy the video he took though, and I’ll be monitoring him in case he backs on his word of keeping shut about this. Mrs. Donnelly left before I could get her, though I doubt she’ll cause more trouble for you. She’s no where to be found, it’s like she disappeared off the face of the world in a matter of hours. I’ll keep you posted on anything else that comes up. You should rest up in the meantime. You’ve gone through a lot.”
Those words, they played in my mind repeatedly as I sank under the water filling the bath, everything becoming blurry and a ring filling my ears. Still, that wasn’t enough to tune out the words, not when they along with everything else I’ve heard one too many times over the past few days seemed to be stuck in my mind.
“I’m sorry, Miss Montague but I can’t support you. There’s a vision we look forward to, and unfortunately, you aren’t it.” Those words, they are the exact same words each and every shareholder told me so repeatedly, I could feel my ears bled because of it.
James’s words, as much as I try to tune them out as well, played in my mind, swirling along with the other statements that have imprinted and found themselves a permanent home in my mind. “Aren’t your scandalous acts at my home enough? Aren’t you ashamed?” Those words of his, they are followed by the memories of his father, trying to force himself on me.
His hands on my body, on my arms, my neck, sliding down… Even if I’ve forgotten how it looked, that video Alex sent me reminded me of it vividly. And I feel even more disgusted by myself after seeing myself in that situation with my own eyes.
I visibly shuddered at the memory, feeling nauseous and in need of scraping my body all over again. I emerged from under the water, taking a huge inhale of air and allowing it to fill my lungs, the ringing in my ear disappearing but not the words. My hand stretched out to pick the nearby scrub, using it to repeatedly wash the place of my skin where he touched, uncaring that I’m leaving wounds in the process.
I just needed the touch of him away from my body. Anything it takes, to get the filth off my body. My eyes sting with unshed tears as I scrubbed harder and harder, my skin slowly becoming red but I didn’t. I couldn’t. I felt dirty. It’s been three years since it happened, but I still feel disgusted as if it happened no more than five minutes ago.
I remember my pleas; I remember trying to fight him but he overpowered me. For a second, I thought he was truly going to take advantage of me. Luckily, Richard came, and he helped me. I locked myself in the bathroom for hours that night, simply crying and trying to wash the feeling of him off my skin. And after spending hours and bawling my eyes out till I couldn’t feel anything, I dragged myself out of the bathroom only to see James had already returned, and was already fast asleep on the bed, unaware of what had happened.
I assumed so, because he never brought it up, and neither did it. Besides, he wasn’t in the house when it happened, and Mr. Donnelly went on the next day, pretending as if nothing happened as well. I’ve kept my distance from him since then. The only one that sympathized, and even checked up on me for the days that followed to make sure I was actually well was Richard-the only person in the Donnelly family that though isn’t perfect as well, is the most humane.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.