A woman's revenge

The proposition

Lawson p.o.v

I entered the living room of my house knowing exactly that she was there. Daisy and Valentino, my chief of security, had been keeping a tag on her and their report was the same, nothing. She didn't try to contact her fiancé nor her family. She never tried to run, just staying in the house, helping Daisy with the house's chores. She even asked for flowers for the living room. Everything about her seemed simple and boring. It had been two days. I knew her family was discreetly looking for her, asking around like there was nothing. I wanted answers and I was through waiting.

I walked in, which drew her attention.

" Oh Lawson! You are back. We need to talk... Do you want to take a shower first?" she hesitated, looking at my clothes.

" Yes", I cooked my head " Do you want to come with me?"

She looked lost at first, then her cheeks turned red.

" n... no... I am fine"

I looked her up and down. "A pity."

She cupped her cheeks with her hands and fled.

Right, let's dangle a new fish in her net.

After showering, I went back into the living room and she was there. Of course she was.

" Do you want to eat something? Daisy made lasagna "

Daisy had already told him SHE was the one who made that and it was good. Since my security chief was on stand by, if something happened to me, he could eat it.

" That would be wonderful. I like lasagna."

she brightened, "really! me too"

Daisy had said so.

"I will heat up a portion for you" she said, rushing toward the microwave.

The lasagna was really good and I enjoyed it. She seemed genuinely happy but I couldn't be sure. I finished my food and she insisted on washing the dishes.

" You don't have to do that. You are not my maid."

"I know but I am leaving and eating here without paying rent. By the way, thank you for the clothes."

"Daisy told me you had nothing to wear, so she organized everything. "

she smiled timidly. I didn't know what game she was playing at, but I knew something: she hadn't talked to anyone for two days.

"your family is looking for you"

She tensed, then turned slowly towards me.

" Did they come to see you?" she asked.

I shrugged, " seems like they don't know where to search and I have resources " I eluded.

She dried her hands on her jeans.

" Could you conceal the fact that I am here please?"

I served myself a glass of wine and took a sip.

"Why should I? They are your family and Oscar is your fiancé. "

"I am not safe with them" she exclaimed.

" Have they ever tried to hurt you? Even once, you can press charges.."

"No! Please not. I just want to... disappear from their vicinity"

"Why?"

"I can't explain "

"Are you sure you don't just have cold feet? Maybe you don't want to get married yet ?"

"No. Yes. I mean no, I don't have cold feet. I want to marry, but not with him."

She seemed agitated, so I decided to push for more.

" Oscar is worried. He may be looking at hospitals to find you"

She stood, scared.

" What? No, don't tell him"

I had no idea why she was so scared and I didn't care.

" You know, there is a way if you want to escape their grasp. I can help you" I said. She turned to me with expectations.

"How? Can I stay here until they are tired?"

Was she that clueless or was she playing innocent? Even if she wasn't planning something, since Oscar wanted her, he would never stop searching. Whatever she had, it was important enough that her family couldn't risk alerting the authorities. I needed to find out what, and to do so I needed time.

" No. He will find you eventually and claim you back."

"I am not a child and we are in the 21st century. He can't do that."

" I wonder. Didn't he lend you money for your tuition with your marriage as a guarantee ?"

She went pale. When it seemed Oscar wasn't that worried about losing his wife, I began to wonder if he had a way to make her come back by herself. It turned out he did. She owned him a lot of money, and interests were increasing by day. She had to marry him to wipe out the debt or she would end up in jail.

"My tuition? It wasn't that much. He just insisted on doing it as a good gesture. I can give it back anytime."

I looked at her for a moment.

"Did you sign the guarantee?"

"...Yes"

"did you engage yourself to marry him or reimbourse him entirely for all the borrowed money?"

" Well, my sister insisted that we should sign a paper telling that we actually borrowed the money and it wasn't actually a gift. She said it was romantic, so I agreed with her."

She shrugged.

" What about interest?"

"10% each day after the due date, but Oscar wasn't going to insist that I paid. He just added that for procedure "

" How much did he lend you?"

"There was 300$ left for my tuition, so 300$?"

Was she asking me?

" You are telling me you don't know? Did you read the contract you signed?"

"Penny did... is something wrong?"

I went to retrieve the copy of the contract I had acquired and gave it to her.

She looked puzzled, but took it nonetheless. I saw the moment she realised how much was lent to her and in what kind of trouble she was.

" That's... that's not right! That's too much. There must be a mistake".

" Maybe, but it was notarized. You have to reimburse him."

" I needed 300, not 30.000$, I don't have that kind of money."

"And 10% of interest each day since the day you were supposed to marry him."

She put a trembling hand on her mouth.

"I was never free. He was never going to leave me alone. They trapped me from the beginning."

She was shocked. Why? Did she really think she could take the money and escape? I checked her bank account and there were no traces of that money. Wherever she put it, she couldn't claim that right now and with interest.

Or did Oscar betray her with her sister? She wouldn't be the first one he did that too. Maybe if she waited enough she would witnessed him betraying her sibling too.

" You said you could help. Could you find me a lawyer ?"

It was smart of her not to ask for money directly.

" That wouldn't help. You will never be able to prove that you were lied to. Actually, people may think you wanted him just for money and now you don't want to pay your part."

" This is crazy. I am not an object. I don't want that life."

I could see tears pooling in her eyes. I sighed, that trick again.

"Please tell me your solution" she begged.

I didn't speak right away. I wanted her to feel the tension and to understand that if it wasn't me, it would be no one.

"you can fix your problem by settling the debt"

"how? I don't have the money"

"but I do"

"you... you are going to settle it for me"

" no"

"I don't understand. "

" I will buy your debt. You will own me the money"

" I still can't pay. I swear"

" Then you should marry."

" No," she cried, " I won't marry your brother. Never "

I gritted my teeth but didn't correct her.

" What about marrying me?"

She froze and turned towards me.

Time to catch the fish.

"Marrying me will definitely put you out of reach of both your family and Oscar. And, of course, you won't have to pay anymore."

" but you don't love me."

" You didn't love Oscar, did you?"

"I thought I did. Why are you going to gain in this marriage?"

And there she was, talking like we had already closed the knots. Why do women always have to be greedy?

" Let me clarify myself. We are going to have a contracted marriage."