Broke Blackmailer
1758 Words
“You wanted a sweet and soft husband. Here I am trying to be one and instead of you appreciating me, all you do is nag!” he rumbled quietly.
He glanced at the staircase and back at Bianca.
“I'll be having a good time upstairs, so I'll advise that you stay in the guest room till I learn how to be your husband.”
She nodded slowly in response, holding her hands over her tingling cheeks as Noah walked up the stairs. She sluggishly dragged herself into the guest room, and threw herself on the bed. Most of her belongings were already there, courtesy of Noah who had locked her out of their bedroom too many times.
“Enough is enough, Bianca,” her thoughts echoed. “If you manage to win this million-dollar deal, it’ll be goodbye to Noah.”
“No,” she responded aloud, a flicker of hope threading its way through her mind. “He is doing all these for me. All I have to do is endure till he gets better.”
“Even if his behaviour has left you spending money on medications for infections and wounds?” She continued in her monologue.
“That’s not on him.”
“It also won't be his fault if you turn out to be HIV positive.”
At the mere thought, panic surged through her, prompting her to jump from the bed and race to the bathroom. How had she not thought of that before? After a quick bath, she slipped into a hoodie and palazzo pants, hoping the loose fabric would conceal any potential bad news.
“I can’t go to the hospital alone,” she murmured as she booked a ride to Ice's house.
“You need to take a chill pill, girl,” Ice said after Bianca desperately pleaded for her to accompany her to the hospital.
“How can I calm down?”
“Listen!” Ice urged, pulling Bianca to sit beside her on the couch. “I’m not going anywhere until you promise to get that divorce after you win that competition next week.”
“But how can I focus on the contract if I turn out HIV positive?” Bianca’s mind was clouded with dread.
“Will you divorce Noah or not?” Ice's voice rose, demanding a response. Bianca sighed, tilting her head upwards, contemplating on the idea of going to the hospital alone.
“Yes,” she finally said, her eyes closing as if sealing that decision. “Yes, I will.”
“You’re saying that because you want me to come to the hospital with you?”
“No, Ice. I mean it,” she lied hoping her nose wouldn't betray her.
“Your nose is sweaty, girl. I can't believe that you still want to stay with Noah, look at your face…”
“I'm not lying, Ice,” she pleaded.
“And who said you’re HIV positive?” Ice rose from the couch
“Let’s get going already,” Bianca cut in sharply, irritation creeping into her voice.
“Dressed like that? You’re a model for crying out loud!” Ice exclaimed, pulling clothes from her closet.
“No, please don’t. This outfit will perfectly hide me from the world if I end up being positive.”
“That doesn’t mean you should look repulsive.”
“Trust me, I’ve attracted enough problems lately. I need a break from them all.”
“Speaking of problems, how did your hangout with Jay go?”
“That wasn't a hangout. It felt like I was a lamb being led to the slaughter house.” She rolled her eyes, tossing the thought aside.
“Did you agree to marry him?”
“Agree? I’m already married to two husbands, Ice. I really don’t want to dive into that,” she replied, cradling her head in her hands.
“What?”
“It’s complicated. Jay and I might… well, never mind. I think I have it under control.”
“Sounds like you’ve finally considered taking him out,” Ice giggled, flipping her hair in front of the mirror.
“If you mean killing him, no, thank you. I’ll join him to a meeting this evening, bet he'll reconsider his decision once he sees me dressed like this,” Bianca declared, confidence surging.
“He could get you a dress, you know?” Ice suggested and Bianca let out a laugh, her voice ringing throughout the room. The sound was infectious, and Ice couldn't help but join in, unsure of what was funny.
“Not everyone in stylish clothes bought them with their own money. Some of them are mummy boys, and one was begging for twenty percent of his assets earlier."
“Jay? Beg? With all that masculine aura,” Ice hesitated.
“He has to keep up good looks for the gram, of course,” Bianca replied, raising her shoulders, mocking Jay’s walk as she spoke.
“And I, the ignorant one, was crushing on him at the airport. How could I have known that he is a blackmailer? A broke one at that,” Ice added.
“Not everything that glitters is gold, girl.”
“Just like Noah.” Ice muttered, her eyes drifting away.
“Was that supposed to be funny?” Bianca glared; her sapphire blue eyes intensely fixed on Ice.
“Not at all,” Ice replied, smirking as she powdered her face.
“Keep joking around. Just so you know, I’ve already booked our ride to the hospital,” she lied to get Ice to hurry up.
“I’m almost ready, babe.”
Just then, a knock on the door disrupted their banter.
“Please help me get the door.”
Bianca walked over and opened it.
“Hello,” Mike greeted and Bianca nodded. “My boss asked me to give this to you,” he said, handing her a black shopping bag.
“Okay.” She received the bag with a smile. “This should be for my friend; she’s the one who lives here, not me.”
“He asked me to give it to Bianca,” he replied. She gasped. This is not the first time she would be receiving gifts from a total stranger so she simply nodded and closed the door, curiosity tingling in her veins.
“Who was that?” Ice asked, moving closer.
“Messenger of an obsessed fan I guess. He might have seen me walk in here,” she answered, emptying the contents of the bag onto the bed.
“And here you were thinking you could hide in a hoodie,” Ice remarked, picking up a designer purse that slipped out of the bag. “This is a premium luxury, girl!” she gasped, waving the red piece in the air.
Bianca reached for the red dress, then a white piece of paper fell out as she stretched it.
“This must be the fan’s phone number,” Ice said, picking it up
“Bold of him to think that I would text him,” Bianca scoffed as she checked the size of the red buckle heels.
“I forgot to tell you it was a red-themed meeting,” Ice read out.
“Jay?” They both exclaimed, their eyes widened at each other. Bianca grabbed the paper and read it too before she rushed towards the door.
"Do you think the delivery guy would still be there?”
“My only problem is how Jay found me?” Bianca said, pulling the door open. “Oh!” She gasped in shock when she saw the guy still standing on the spot. “I…I thought you'd left.”
“No, ma'am,” he smiled.
“Who did you say is your boss?”
“Your husband. Mr Jayden.”
“How did you both find me?” Her eyes widened.
“I work for the state security service and finding a public figure like you isn't that boring.”
“God damnit!” She slammed the door shut. “What the actual f**k is wrong with that motherfucking piece of s**t!” She yelled, her eyes blaring at Ice.
“Him, stalking you is the height of it.”
“Who does he think he is?”
“Your husband,” Ice quoted with her fingers. She ignored Bianca's piercing eyes and whispered to her ears, “Kill him so you can focus on important things.”
“Gosh!” Bianca fell onto the couch, burying her face in her hands.
“There's nothing to think about, girl,” Ice squatted, her voice low as she grasped Bianca's knees. “Get dressed, win his trust, then by tomorrow…”
“I cannot kill him,” she muttered.
“Then get ready for more of his bullies. Remember, blackmailers are never satisfied,” she sighed and walked away from Bianca.
“You're advising me to kill a man, what then would I do with his dead body?”
Ice walked back and whispered,
“We would sort that out when you've decided...”
“Please,” she waved her hands at Ice as she rose from the couch, “I've had enough of this murder lecture. I'll just go,” she picked up the dress and went into Ice's closet.
“You don't want to embarrass him anymore?” Ice scoffed.
“I wouldn't even dare, he still has my nude video.”
“Same reason I didn't beat him to a pulp at the airport today.” Just then, Ice's eyes fell on a little red box, laying close to the red shoes on the bed. “What's in the little box?” She asked as she picked it up.
“What little box?”
Ice opened the box and her eyes widened. She pulled out the silver necklace from the box, her eyes roaming the butterfly pendant.
“What little…” Bianca paused as she saw the glittering piece with Ice. “Where did you get that from?”
“It might have fallen out of the bag. Seems Jay isn't broke after all.”
Bianca hissed.
“I don't think so,” she walked towards the mirror, her zipper undone. Even herself, Bianca, with hundred percent of her assets can't afford such expensive jewelry, how much more a broke blackmailer. “How do I look, Babe?”
“A lot like my wife,” a baritone voice interrupted from the entrance.
- Writer
