Perfect Marriage Revenge

3.

CHAPTER 3: WHEN CRISIS COMES KNOCKING

Linda Thorne stood frozen, her phone slipping from her numb fingers onto the plush sofa. The twinkling lights of Chicago spread out before her, a stark contrast to the darkness gathering inside. As the reality of her situation sank in, Linda felt more alone than ever.

She had been pacing the marble floors of her penthouse for what felt like hours, phone pressed to her ear as she waited on hold. Sunlight streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long shadows across the room. Her perfectly manicured nails tapped an impatient rhythm against the sleek device.

“Yes, hello? This is Linda Russell. I’m calling about my accounts – they seem to be frozen,” she said, forcing calm into her voice. The customer service representative’s monotone response only added to her frustration.

“I’m sorry, what do you mean you can’t discuss this over the phone? I’ve been a private client for years!” Linda’s voice rose, her anger and desperation simmering just below the surface. She listened, her frustration mounting, as the representative insisted that she needed to speak with a manager.

As she waited on hold, Linda’s gaze drifted to the Chicago skyline beyond the windows. The city sprawled before her, oblivious to her mounting crisis. She felt like a bird in a gilded cage, all of Chicago at her feet yet completely out of reach.

A sharp knock at the door startled her from her reverie. Linda frowned, not expecting visitors. She made her way to the entrance, peering through the peephole. Her eyes widened in surprise.

“Liam?” she muttered, quickly opening the door. Her brother stood in the hallway, looking worse for wear. His usually neat hair was disheveled, dark circles prominent under bloodshot eyes. The sour smell of stale alcohol wafted from his rumpled clothes.

“Hey, sis,” Liam slurred, attempting a lopsided grin. “Can I come in?” Linda hesitated, glancing at her phone. “I’m in the middle of something important, Liam. What’s going on?” He swayed slightly, steadying himself against the doorframe.

“Please, Linda. I really need to talk to you.” She sighed, stepping aside to let him enter. “Fine, but make it quick. I’ve got a financial emergency I’m dealing with.” Liam stumbled into the penthouse, making a beeline for the kitchen. Linda followed, watching as he collapsed onto a barstool at the marble island.

“You look like hell, Liam,” she said, filling a glass with water and sliding it towards him. “What’s going on?” He gulped down the water, avoiding her gaze.

“I f****d up, Linda. I f****d up bad.” Linda leaned against the counter, crossing her arms. “What did you do this time?” Liam ran a hand through his messy hair, his voice cracking.

“I owe some people money. A lot of money.” “How much?” Linda asked, dread settling in her stomach. He mumbled something inaudible.

“Liam,” she pressed, “how much?” “Fifty grand,” he finally admitted, looking up at her with pleading eyes. Linda felt the blood drain from her face.

“Fifty thousand dollars? Jesus, Liam! Who do you owe that kind of money to?” He winced at her raised voice.

“Some guys I met at the casino. They seemed cool at first, offering to spot me some cash when I was on a losing streak. But now they want it back, with interest.”

“Let me guess,” Linda said, pinching the bridge of her nose, “these aren’t exactly upstanding businessmen?” Liam shook his head miserably.

“They’re loan sharks, Linda. Dangerous ones. They’ve already sent a couple of guys to rough me up as a ‘warning’. I don’t know what they’ll do next.” Linda’s mind raced, trying to process this new crisis on top of her own problems.

“Liam, I want to help you, I really do. But I’m in the middle of my own financial nightmare right now.” “What do you mean?” he asked, frowning. She sighed heavily, leaning on the counter.

“All my accounts are frozen. I’ve been trying to get through to the bank all morning, but no one will give me a straight answer. I can’t access a single penny.” Liam’s eyes widened.

“s**t, Linda. That’s bad. You think Nathan had something to do with it?” Linda’s expression turned grim.

Linda’s anger simmered just below the surface as she listened to her brother’s words. “I wouldn’t put it past Nathan,” she said, her voice low and even. “Things have been strained between us lately, to say the least.”

Liam’s expression turned sympathetic. “I’ve heard rumors about that ‘open marriage’ arrangement,” he said, his voice laced with disgust. “What a load of crap.”

Linda’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, you’ve heard about it?”

Liam shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I might know a thing or two about Nathan’s extracurricular activities.”

Linda’s grip on her coffee cup tightened. “Spill it, Liam,” she demanded, her voice firm.

He hesitated, then pulled out his phone and began scrolling through his photos. “I didn’t want to show you this, but given everything that’s happening…” Linda’s heart sank as she took the phone from Liam. On the screen was a photo of Nathan and Gina, their bodies entwined in a compromising position. The timestamp in the corner showed a date from three months ago.

Linda’s eyes scanned the photo, her mind reeling with the implications. “Where did you get this?” she whispered, her fingers trembling as she swiped through more incriminating photos.

Liam ran a hand over his face, looking guilty. “I was at this club downtown about three months back. Saw them together, acting way too cozy for it to be innocent. I took a few pics, thinking maybe you should know. But then you announced that whole open marriage thing, and I figured you must’ve known already.”

Linda felt like she’d been punched in the gut. “Three months ago?” she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. “That’s before… Liam, this proves their affair started long before Nathan sprang the ‘open marriage’ idea on me.”

Liam’s face twisted in anger. “That bastard,” he muttered. “I’m so sorry, Linda. I should’ve shown you sooner.”

Linda’s anger replaced her shock. “No, this is good,” she said, her voice cold. “This is evidence. Maybe now I can finally take control of this situation.” But before she could react further, a loud commotion erupted from the penthouse entrance. Four men in black suits burst in, their faces set in grim determination.

“What the hell?” Liam exclaimed, jumping to his feet. Before either of them could react further, two of the men grabbed Liam, slamming him face-first onto the marble countertop. The phone clattered to the floor.

“Liam!” Linda screamed, moving to help her brother. A strong hand on her arm held her back.

“I wouldn’t interfere, Mrs. Russell,” a deep voice warned. She turned to see Marcus, the head of Nathan’s security team, his face impassive.

“Marcus, what is the meaning of this?” she demanded, trying to wrench her arm free. He ignored her, nodding to one of his men. “Get the phone.”

Linda watched helplessly as the man scooped up Liam’s phone from the floor. Marcus took it, his fingers flying over the screen. “No!” Linda cried, realizing what he was doing.

“Those photos are mine! You have no right!”

Marcus looked at her, his eyes cold. “I have every right, Mrs. Russell. Mr. Russell’s privacy is my top priority.”

Liam struggled against the men holding him down. “Get your hands off me, you f*****g gorillas!” One of the men twisted Liam’s arm further behind his back, eliciting a pained yelp. “Stop it!” Linda pleaded. “You’re hurting him!”

Marcus handed the phone back to his associate. “It’s done. Give Mr. O’Hara here a reminder about the consequences of prying into private matters.”

Linda watched in horror as the men delivered several sharp blows to Liam’s ribs and back. Her brother’s cries of pain echoed through the penthouse.

“That’s enough,” Marcus said after a moment. “Get him out of here.” The men hauled Liam to his feet, dragging him towards the elevator. Linda tried to follow, but Marcus’s grip on her arm tightened.

“Let me go!” s

he snarled, tears streaming down her face.