Mark my words, Tamara
1296 Words
The next morning, the sun had just risen when Tam's door was slammed open.
Tam stirred, half-asleep, tangled in sheets. She blinked groggily, reaching for the blankets.
Stone stood in the hallway, his eyes blazing with fury. “Your guts… or, should I say, your nerve, Tamara, to be sleeping peacefully after what you did. How dare you?”
Tam sat up slowly and yawned like his anger meant nothing. “What’s the fuss about, Stone?”
Stone's jaw tightened. “Don't play dumb with me. You were supposed to go to the hospital yesterday. You ignored my text, you ignored my instructions and now…” His hand lifted as if he could strike her, but he stopped himself and stepped away from Tam.
“Get dressed!” He ordered. “You are going to that hospital now.”
“And why exactly would I go there?”
Stone's face darkened further. “You will take breakfast to Catie, apologize for yesterday and look after her until I return from my meeting.”
“That would never happen.” Tam folded her arms.
“Say that again.” Stone's eyes flared.
“I have nothing to apologize for, and I owe Catie nothing, so I'm not doing any of the things you mentioned.”
“You have nothing to apologize for?”
“Catie had your best interest at heart,” Stone said. “But instead of appreciation, you made a scene, ruined a simple gesture and insulted her in public.” His voice dropped, almost a growl. “You really are petty, small and wicked. I cannot believe I ever thought you were peaceful.”
Tam's eyes widened slightly but she didn't flinch. Instead, she reached for her phone on the bedside table.
Stone's gaze followed her. “What are you doing?”
Tam unlocked the screen and brought up the footage she collected yesterday. “Since you believe Catie had my best interest at heart, then watch this. See for yourself how it all went down and that particular dress she picked was the largest size and would not have fitted me at all.”
Stone's jaw tightened. He grabbed the phone from her hand. Without looking at the screen, he said, “You would rather show me some video than admit you were wrong?”
Before Tam could answer, Stone hurled the phone across the room.
“What the hell, Stone?” Tam glared at him as she jumped off the bed toward the cracked phone.
Stone's nostrils flared. “No matter what you do or say, you will go to that hospital and do as I've said or…”
“Or nothing.” Tam's firm voice cut him off. “I would rather die, Stone, than do as you say.”
Stone's eyes widened in disbelief. “Do you even understand the consequences of that statement?”
“I do. And I do not care.”
Stone ground his teeth. “Mark my words, Tamara. If you continue defying me like this, I will treat you exactly how I treat those who cross me.”
“Do whatever you want.”
Stone was so angry he felt like spitting blood. He spun on his heel to leave but stopped by the doorway and said, “I guess I have been too lenient and you have now forgotten your place.”
“If you would rather stress me and hurt Catie instead of being as submissive as you have always been, I will make sure you see hell before my mother returns to save you.”
After he left, Tam exhaled slowly. She didn't know she had this kind of courage in her.
She knew the consequences of going against the egoistic man she had married, but at that moment she didn't care. She simply glanced at her shattered phone and muttered, “Looks like I need a replacement.”
Outside, Stone slammed his car door as he got in.
Reu, his assistant, broke out in a cold sweat instantly.
Watching from the rearview mirror, he caught the expression in Stone's eyes and immediately knew something must have happened.
Since yesterday, he had noticed Tam's sudden boldness and even found it refreshing, though it was unexpected. And what confused him more was Stone's reaction to it.
He knew Stone had simply coexisted with his wife for years, so having him worked up over her and even requesting CCTV footage of places she went was new, especially now that the woman he had longed for all these years had returned.
‘Men are truly confusing.’ he mused silently. ‘Well, good for him.’
‘And maybe good for madam too for finally realizing her worth.’
Still watching Stone carefully, he finally asked. “Is everything alright, sir?”
Stone lowered his head slightly, trying to steady his breathing. “Reschedule the meeting with the tech company.”
Reu hesitated. “That would make it the third time, sir. And it might cost us the collaboration. I advise you to meet with them but if you still want me to proceed, I will send them an email.”
Stone groaned. “Alright. Drive to the office.” He paused. “What about what I asked you for?”
“I have sent the file to you, sir.”
Stone unlocked his phone, his expression darkening as he opened the video.
“And the men I told you to assign to my wife?”
“I have selected them and given the instructions.”
At the hospital….
“Alright, thank you, Mrs Chen.” Catie said softly into the phone before ending the call.
‘Too bad I missed out on this early morning drama.’ she bemused.
A small satisfied smile curved her lips as she dropped her phone beside her.
Mrs Chen was proving to be very useful. From her voice alone, it was obvious where her loyalty lay, and it certainly was not with Tam. Not only her, but the other servants at the manor. They could barely hide their disdain for Tam.
‘Perfect.’ Catie smiled as her mind raked through little events since her return.
She didn't have to try hard to be favored, especially with Stone there. But still, her expression slowly darkened as she leaned back against the headboard.
“Something feels off…” she murmured to herself.
The Stone she had heard about for three years was cold, detached and completely uninterested in Tam and that was the relationship she was counting on finding when she came back.
‘So why the sudden attention since yesterday?’
‘Why did he even bother going back to the manor this morning?’
Her fingers tapped lightly against her arms.
“Did something actually change…. Or am I just overthinking everything?”
Her lips curved faintly. “Whatever it is…” Her gaze hardened as she reached for her phone and dialed a number. “It ends now.”
The call connected after a few rings.
“You need to get it done soon.” She said in a low voice. “There are unexpected developments and if it drags on, everything will be ruined and I cannot allow that.”
There was a brief pause before the person responded.
“Alright, ma'am. She is already being followed. Once there is a clear opportunity outside, everything will be handled.”
“Good.” Catie's tone sharpened slightly. “Make sure it is clean. No mistakes and no traces.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
The call ended.
Catie set the phone down slowly and leaned back against the headboard with a completely calm expression.
“I will only lose you if I choose to, not because of another woman, Stone.” She smiled ambiguously.
- Writer
