The Devil’s Vote

One

Miriam’s pov

“Henry!!”

I shouted in disbelief, my voice trembling with shock as my eyes fixated on the unexpected scene before me: my boyfriend engaged in intimate activity with his secretary inside his spacious office, illuminated by the soft glow of a desk lamp. I staggered backward, my hand fumbling to push open the heavy wooden door I had just forcefully pushed aside, only to be assaulted by the muffled moans escaping from within, reverberating through the thin walls.

“Miriam, s**t!” Henry exclaimed abruptly, quickly pushing the young woman off him as he scrambled to straighten his disheveled clothes, which were evidently down around his ankles. He flushed with embarrassment and darted his eyes around, searching desperately for an escape route.

“It's not what you think,” he sputtered, tugging at his wrinkled shirt and adjusting his loosened tie, his voice trying to sound convincing amid the tense atmosphere.

“How could you?” I managed to whisper, my voice barely audible, trembling with a mixture of shock and heartbreak. Tears welled up behind my eyes, threatening to spill over as I fought to process the betrayal I had just witnessed. Overwhelmed with hurt, I turned and stormed out of his office.

I could still hear his desperate voice calling my name as I hurried down the marble staircase, passing through the sleek, modern lobby, and out to the front of the building, where the cool evening air hit my face like a slap, forcing me to focus and try to compose myself.

“Please just listen to me,” he insisted, finally catching up to my hurried pace, his breath ragged.

“So? What are you going to tell me now?” I said, turning with anger and folding my arms, staring heavily into his deceiving eyes. “Did she just barge into your office, pull down your pants, and force her way into your d**k, or what, Henry?”

“I'm sorry.”

“What the f**k did I just witness in your office?” I yelled, my voice cracking and finally betraying me, breaking down into tears.

“It happened so fast, Miriam... I...I wasn’t myself, honestly,” he pleaded, trying to make excuses.

“If you want, I will sack her, the secretary. She will no longer work for me. Just tell me what you want, please.”

I scoffed, a mix of hurt and irony burning in my heart.

“You were very much yourself, Henry, and you are never going to dismiss her,” I spat back, voice shaking with rage.

“Miriam, come on.”

“I’ve had enough of your numerous lies, your cheating, and your endless reckless deeds! You'll never be the man I hoped you'd be, Henry!” I declared, my voice trembling.

“M, please listen to me,” he tried again, reaching out to touch my arms.

“I'm leaving,” I stated heavily.

“You…you just got here, Miriam. Come, let's go upstairs and talk, darling,” He softly suggested, clearly not understanding what I meant by leaving.

“I'm leaving Vickery Meadow…I’m going home to Las Colinas,” I finally said the words I never thought I would say one day, facing away from him, staring at the main road to avoid seeing the look of realization on his face.

“You are leaving me?”I sensed his anger rising in his tone. Suddenly, Henry grasped my arm, and he turned me

to his face.

“After all I did for you? You're just going to throw it all away because of what you saw?”

“Yeah. The lies, the cheating—the half of it I saw upstairs. It was more than enough,” I spat.

“It’s more than that, and you know it,” he pressed harder, his grip on my arms hurting me more.

“Let me go!” I struggled to break free, wiping tears from my face with trembling hands.

“You're a free man now, Henry,” I said sharply, then took off, not wanting to argue further.

I flagged down a taxi that miraculously appeared at just the right moment and climbed in, letting out a heavy breath of exhaustion that had been weighing on me since my encounter with my now-ex-boyfriend.

Henry has cheated on me four times now, and I kept forgiving him because he has always turned up for me ever since I left my parents’ house to live alone after my dad wouldn't allow me to pursue my acting dreams, which have completely sailed now.

“Cash or card, ma'am?” The taxi driver asked, snapping me out of my thoughts after hours of driving to my house.

“Uhm…” I hurriedly reached into my back pocket, pulled out my card, and handed it over.

“I'm sorry, but the card declined, Miss,” he said, turning to look at me.

“What?” I asked, confused. I wondered how the bank could decline my card when I still had about $300 left.

“Could you please try again?” I pleaded, my voice trembling with worry.

He swiped the card again, and it declined once more. My heart sank; evidently, my father had blocked the card.

“Miss, I need to get to work,” the driver said, his tone suddenly more serious.

“Sorry,” I muttered, quickly shoving my hands back into my pockets and retrieving the last two twenty-dollar notes I had received as change when I bought coffee.

“Here, keep the change,” I offered, handing the money to the driver, who seemed irritated and barely tried to hide it.

“f*****g change?” he snapped, snatching the forty-dollar notes. “You're supposed to give me an additional seven dollars.”

“Forty-seven dollars for a short trip?” My eyes widened in disbelief at the driver's blatant lie. “You only picked me up from a few blocks away, and…”

“Next time, don't get a taxi if you're broke,” he sneered and opened his door. “Please leave.”

I hesitated, but after the day I'd had, I didn't want to argue. Quietly, I stepped out as he sped off, nearly knocking me down.

“Asshole!” I couldn't hold back the curse, blaming my father for everything I was enduring. Tears blurred my vision again as I quickly dialed my mom's number and called her.

“Mom, why the hell…”

“Oh, thank goodness you called, Miriam,” my mom quickly interrupted as soon as she heard my voice.

She sounded tense and almost on the verge of tears, which was unusual for her.

“What's the problem, Mom?” I asked immediately, sensing the urgency in her tone.

“Your father is considering some serious decisions,” she said nervously, pausing briefly.

“He wants to remove you from his will, Miriam.”