Broken Lovers

Chapter 19

Nathan was teaching me how to use Excel on the computer when the receptionist popped her head round the door to say I had a visitor. It could only be one person, and I didn’t want to see him, but to be polite in front of Nathan, I followed the receptionist into the hall. As I thought, it was Liam.

"What do you want?" I asked in a quiet flat tone.

"There are things we need to resolve, Maya,” he said.

"I have nothing to discuss with you, Liam. You shouldn’t have come here.”

"Why did that guy blackmail you?"

"For God’s sake,” I hissed, “lower your voice. I don’t want the whole world knowing my business."

"Okay, then come with me. We can go for a coffee."

"I work here! I can’t just leave whenever I feel like."

"When do you finish?"

"I’m not going anywhere with you."

"Maya, please. Just this once and then you’ll never see me again."

"Is that a promise?"

At first, he didn't reply. He just stood and stared. "Yes, if that’s what you want. It’s a promise."

*****

I gave full concentration to stirring my tea. I didn’t want to look at him.

"Why was that guy blackmailing you? What had you done?"

"I did something I’m not proud of, but I only did it for my mom, so she could have somewhere to live and food on her table."

"I take it he had something against you and he asked you to give him the evidence from Benjamin's case?"

"Yes."

"Why Benjamin?"

"I have no idea." I put my spoon down.

"And he forced you to sleep with him?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was afraid I would lose you."

"You did anyway."

I looked up. "That's life, I guess."

Liam took a sip of coffee. "Things aren’t good for Benjamin."

"Are you still his lawyer?"

"No, but someone I know very well is. Now there are further charges for murder."

"That's impossible."

"I’m afraid not. He allegedly sold drugs to a girl who died from an overdose."

"Who was that?"

"I don’t know, but she was an Anderson… you know… the big telecommunication players."

My heart pumped very fast. I felt light-headed and my hands trembled. Liam noticed the change in mood. "What’s up? Do you feel ill?"

"No, I just… I have to leave now."

"I’ll give you a ride."

"No, Liam. The agreement was that I come for coffee and then you disappear from my life."

“But…"

I interrupted him. “Don't say any more.” I stood up and snagged my purse. "Have a happy life, Liam." That time, I meant it.

Everyone had already finished dinner when I rushed into the dining room. I walked to the table where Nathan was sitting with the house accountant and receptionist.

"Can I speak to you?" I asked.

"Yes, sure," he said. He got up and followed me out of the room and into his office.

"Anything wrong?"

"Your mother owns this place, right?"

"Yes. It isn’t a secret."

"And it’s in memory of your sister?"

"Yes."

"How did she die?"

"I don't want to talk about this."

"I want to see a photograph of her."

"Why?"

"I want to see her. I want to see what she looked like."

"Why?"

"I want to see her,” I insisted. “Show me."

"I don't have her photograph here." I looked at his desk and walked behind it, pulling open the drawers, one at a time.

"Stop," he said. But I didn't listen to him. I found what I wanted in the last drawer. There was a framed photograph of him and his sister. The frame slipped out of my hands and the glass shattered on the floor.

"Until I lose everything I love, only then will I feel how you feel. That’s what you said to me.”

Nathan stayed mute, but he kept looking at me.

“It was you,” I said accusingly, my voice rising in volume, along with my temper. “You are my blackmailer.”

"Okay, now calm down.”

"Don't tell me to calm down and don’t pretend you care, Nathan! You totally destroyed my life. And I know what you want to do next. You want to take my baby away from me."

"That’s nonsense."

"Don't tell me you love me because we both know you don't. You only feel lust for me, and me having your baby is eating you alive! The woman who supplied the lethal dose your sister took is pregnant with your baby."

"How did you find out?"

"It doesn't matter. I’m out of here."

I stepped forward, but he barred my way."You aren’t going anywhere."

"Who's going to stop me? You? No, Nathan, you have no right! We’re equal now. You lost your sister and I lost my mother, my job, my boyfriend, and my future. I have absolutely nothing, not even a decent set of clothes to call my own. This baby is the only reason I wake up in the mornings. She gives me hope. She’s mine."

"She’s mine, too," he said, his voice taking on a steely edge. "You can't imagine how much I want to take you in my arms and make love to you and at the same moment want to kill you for what you did to my sister. You caused us so much pain, Maya."

"Your sister knew very well what she was doing. She was a grown woman. She had choices, but made the wrong ones. Nobody held a gun to her head. Nobody forced her to do what she did. She did it because she wanted it. She caused her own death. Nobody else. Deal with it!"

"You still don't understand that selling drugs is like selling death?"

"Only to people who are idiots or don’t know what they’re doing."

He stepped aside."I’m not going to argue with you. Go to your room!”

"Don’t speak to me like I’m a child! You don’t tell me what to do. Those days are long over. I’ll go to my room when I choose and not before.” In the midst of my tirade, I suddenly felt dizzy. My legs gave way and Nathan caught me and stopped me from falling. I felt wetness in my crotch. It was blood.