7: Prank or Threat
1070 Words
SIA’S POV
I wrapped my arms around my waist like I was coming down with a cold.
I looked at the signed documents on the kitchen counter and they sent chills across my spine,
the documents were signed. Jason and I were, to the eyes of the public, dating. What the end
game was for Jason, I had no idea .
I poured myself a glass of water, watching the water drain down the tap into the cup and overflow.
" s**t!" I cursed.
It was obvious I was out of my head.
What did Jason plan to do, I racked my brain like a science calculator but nothing came off it,
Did he love me? No, I said, he possibly can't.
But why did he do this?
"Mommy, I'm hungry" Joel tugged at my shirt.
" Yeah honey, " I said, finding my way to the counter to get his cereals.
I was wiping Joel's chin when my phone rang...
Once
Twice
I picked up on the third ring.
"Sia" I heard Rachel's voice come through the speaker
Her voice was light, like she was trying not to scream. “You actually signed it.”
I sighed, for what seemed the umpteenth time today
“Yeah. I did.”
There was a pause. It wasn't awkward, just loud, very loud, it made us think.
“So… it’s official?” she asked, breaking the silence.
“On paper? Yes"
“And in real life?”
I took a deep breath before I answered.
“I don’t know."
I couldn't tell anything for now
She was quiet again. I could hear her breathing, I could feel her heart beat, I knew she was dying to ask questions. Probably biting her nails out of curiosity.
“You don’t have to do this if it’s making you sick,” she said carefully, I knew she was choosing her words because Jason was her brother after all.
“I already did.”
“Sia?..."
“I know.”
I sat on the stool near the counter and wrapped my arms around my waist, it had become a
reflex, I had noticed. Joel sat humming to himself, half-eaten cereal in front of him.
“I don't have a choice, it's either this or I lose the deal and you know George is on my neck"
“But you don’t love him.”
" I don't"
I said out loud, convincing myself more than I was telling her
“Look Sia, just keep your head on, don't do anything rash, this should only be a contract like you've said"
She said like a warning.
I didn’t answer anyway.
We talked for a little more. About Joel’s school forms. About the fact that I still hadn’t unpacked from the move. Rachael kept circling back to the same thing, why me? Why now? What was his end game?
I told her I didn’t know.
Because I didn’t and it killed me to be tormented with that level of uncertainty.
When the call ended, I didn’t move. Just sat there, watching Joel swirl his spoon in the milk like he was trying to draw something.
I chuckled drily when he made a funny face.
I was about heading upstairs to get some rest when my phone buzzed.
Bzzzt.
The message was brief.
Straight forward.
There was no display picture and the number was private
I opened it, still half-expecting some careless scam message
"Stay away from him or you will regret it."
I stared at the words.
Not blinking.
Not breathing.
They hit me like bullets from a loaded gun.
They didn’t even try to hide it with bad spelling or emojis. It was just plain.
Direct
Sharp. It cut through my spine like sharp swords in warfare
Who could have sent this?
Just when I thought my day couldn't get any worse, something like this shows up.
I read it again.
And again.
And again.
I needed to comprehend what I was reading.
My heart started pounding. Not loud, just steady. Heavy.
Was it a joke? It wasn't funny
A prank? Who would prank me like this...?
One of Jason's exes? I hoped not.
I looked at Joel.
He was playing with his cereal box now, pretending it was a spaceship, oblivious of the confused world his mother was in.
I locked my phone and stood up quietly, pacing left and right in the kitchen like a confused child looking for his mommy.
The kettle was still warm from earlier. I poured a little into a cup and just held it, not drinking, just letting the warmth keep my feet grounded
I didn’t know if I was scared. Or just tired, but I knew I was panicking
Should I call Jason?
Or Rachel?
My thoughts ran free like wild dogs in an open field.
I went through my messages.
Deleted the text.
Then I blocked the number, whoever it was, I wasn't giving them the liberty of sending me a damn text again.
It didn’t help.
The words stayed.
I couldn't shake them off.
The last part, "You will regret it", rang through my head like a song living rent-free in.
By the time Joel finished eating, my head was somewhere else, like I was lost in a trance.
I smiled when he smiled.
But it didn’t reach my chest, I smiled to ease my pain and let Joel know that no matter what, I was here for him.
I cleaned the table.
Washed the cup.
Wiped the counter.
" Everything normal" I said with clenched teeth, I didn't believe it even as I said it because nothing felt normal.
I didn’t tell Rachael.
Not yet.
I didn't know if I wanted to.
I didn't want to scare her if I found out this was after all, a silly prank.
That night, after Joel went to bed, I sat on the edge of my bed with the lights off, thinking.
The room was quiet, but my brain wasn’t.
I sat pondering on everything that went down today
Who would send that kind of message?
Was it about Jason?
Or something else?
I lay down but didn’t sleep.
I kept picturing the words in my head.
"You will regret it"
Just floating.
I lay down on my pillow, about to be drifted off by sleep.
And for the first time since signing that paper, I started to regret it.
- Writer
