Two Hearts

“Have mercy, sir! Please, believe me... I know nothing of the stolen money. I don't even know how it appeared in my bag.” Old Mr. Johnson cried out in pain as he reached for his handkerchief in his chest pocket so he could wipe off the blood coming streaming down from his nose. “You don't know anything about the stolen money, huh?” Mr. Greg drawled, annoyance lacing his voice. He turned to one of his bodyguards, motioning to him to continue hitting Mr. Johnson. As the sound of blows being landed on Mr. Johnson filled the air, he leaned back and continued, “Out of all my staff, You were the one I trusted the most because you were faithful and devoted to me...” He paused and c****d his head to the side. “You are also the only one most likely to know the password to my safe because you are the only one close enough to me.” Mr. Greg then nodded to the bodyguard who immediately stopped punching Mr. Johnson. “You have been stealing from me repeatedly, but I doubt you ever thought you would get caught today,” he added, shaking his head. “I have never and would never steal from you, sir. It was…it was—” Mr. Johnson stuttered. “It was who?” Mr. Greg asked, his voice gravely low. But when Mr. Johnson said nothing in response, he frowned. “It doesn't really matter anyway. You had my trust, Mr. Johnson but you chose to betray me instead.” Mr. Johnson bowed his head in shame, his fingers closing into fists by his side... If only he had evidence to support his claim. “Tie him up,” Mr Greg commanded his bodyguards who immediately did what he said. “I will give you two options because I pride myself on being a generous man. It's either you pay me back all the money you stole or you start preparing to rot in jail.” Mr. Johnson's heart fell into the pits of his stomach. “You have to believe me, sir,” Mr. Johnson pleaded earnestly as tears brimmed in his eyes. Mr. Greg was a very powerful billionaire in the city and was among the top elites controlling almost every sector in the country. His words were law and were not to be taken lightly. Mr. Johnson knew this fact very well. Moreover, he had worked for him for a very long time. Mr. Greg walked up to Mr. Johnson, his hands shoved deeply in his pockets. “I will give you five days. Five days to return the money you stole, or else the next place I would be seeing your face would be in jail.” Even as the words left Mr. Greg's lips, he knew deep down that he didn't actually mean every threat that he had made. He was just still shocked and disheartened that of all the persons who stole from him, it had to be his favorite and most trusted staff, Johnson. Mr. Johnson was down to earth, loyal, and faithful; even though he was just a mare janitor, Mr. Greg had grown fond of him and decided to make him his janitor, who cleaned his office only. He had also increased his salary twice, making Mr. Johnson earn more than most of his employees. Mr.Greg remembered how he would randomly invite Mr. Johnson to his office to seek advice concerning issues going on between him and his wife, considering that Mr. Johnson was older than him and had been married for a long time. “Haa,” Mr. Greg sighed with disappointment. “You were the last person I expected this from,” he concluded as he strolled out of the room, still in disbelief. Poor Mr. Johnson was left there, groaning from the excruciating pain that was caused by the slaps he received from the bodyguards. As he stood up, he dusted his trousers and wiped the stains of blood that marked the corners of his mouth. “If only I had acted quickly, I wouldn't be in this state right now. But what can a mare janitor like me do?” He thought sullenly. As he walked down the road in pain, a dark cloud covered the surface of the sky, accompanied by tumultuous thunder and lightning. Mr. Johnson winced and struggled in pain as he searched for a shade to cover him from the incoming rain. Soon after, the mild shower turned into a heavy downpour, leaving Mr. Johnson drenched in rain. He finally found shade and comfort in a pick-up station, where he stayed and passed the night. **** The next morning came swiftly, and Mrs Kate, the wife to Mr. Johnson and the mother of Emily, woke up in her bedroom yawning and stretching. She turned her head, staring out the window, and watched as trees dangled heavily from the morning dew; there was no wind or sun but just a few raindrops. Not even a bird was in sight. Sighing softly, she glanced down at the space beside her and then frowned when she saw that there was no evidence that her husband had laid there last night. Why was that? She asked herself in her mind. Her stomach twisted with worry. “This is unlike him, no calls, no texts, nothing.” She thought deeply. “Where was he? He never spends the night out. Where could he be? This is strange.” She stood up from her bed and walked into the bathroom to freshen up. After that, she got dressed and went off to Emily's room. “Maybe he slept off at Tom's, his friend or maybe took another shift,” She thought, trying to remain calm and not freak out. The door whined heavily as she opened the door to Emily's room. She then looked at her daughter who was sound asleep. Memories of Emily when she was a toddler flashed through her head. With a mild smile on her face, she sighed. As she took a step towards Emily's bed, a sudden sound stopped her in her tracks. A frown creased her forehead as she closed the door and turned. “Who's there?” She called out, her voice tight. “Who’s there?” She repeated, this time a little bit louder. Feeling anxious and somewhat scared, She took two large steps down to the living room. “Oh, Sweetheart!” She exclaimed as her eyes landed on the figure in the room. “ “What… how… where… when—” she stuttered as tears rolled down her eyes. She stared at her husband who looked drenched and horribly unkept. She rushed down to him. “What happened?” She asked as she sat down next to her husband. “I have been worried sick about you. Did you get robbed? Talk to me, Johnson!” “No, I wasn't robbed,” He replied, tiredness lacing his voice. “There was a misunderstanding, I was framed” “Framed?” Two voices rang out at once. Looking behind her, Mrs. Johnson saw that Emily was already up and awake. Emily, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs Johnson, was a reliant, strong, and hardworking lady. She's in her early twenties, twenty-three to be precise, and worked at the farm with her mother. Emily was standing in the hallway, her face frozen in shock after hearing that her father had been framed. “Emily, you are awake,” her mom said. “Yes, umm… i…” she stuttered as she brought her gaze back to her father. “ Dad, what do you mean by you were framed?” She asked as she moved towards them. “I was accused of stealing forty thousand dollars,” he muttered, rubbing a hand down his tired face. “Forty thousand what?” Emily and her mother chorused again in disbelief. “Unbelievable!” Mrs Kate added. “This is absolute nonsense. How did it happen?” Mr. Johnson then slowly recounted everything that had happened since yesterday and also about Mr. Greg's condition. Emily's brows furrowed, as she shook her head in disbelief. “Why would anyone do such a thing? Who in the world would be this wicked?” she asked, looking at her mom with a mild frown on her face. Forty thousand dollars wasn't a small amount of money to begin with. Suddenly feeling overwhelmed, Emily burst into tears, unable to control her emotions. “What are we going to do? We've spent all our savings on my education and the farm. Where are we going to raise that amount of money? Dad cant” “Emily, calm down.” Her father said, trying to calm his daughter down. “In every situation, there is always a way out. Now, please go get me a glass of water, I'm thirsty,” Emily nodded and stood up to get the glass of water. After her father drank the glass of water, he said, “The only way out of this mess is to sell the farm. That way, we can come up with some part of the money.” He winced as the words echoed in his head. Selling the farm wouldn't even give them half the money to begin with. “No! We can't!” Emily opposed. “The farm is our only source of income and means of survival. Mr. Greg knows you too well. Why would he believe you are capable of stealing, especially from him? There must be another way out.” “There is no other way out. He gave me five days. After the fifth day and there's no sign of a penny, we all are doomed. I pleaded with him but to no avail. Selling the farm is our only option for now,” Mr Johnson insisted. “You and your mom would have to stay at my sister, Kimberly's place.” “But what if there's a way out?” Mrs Kate asked, leaving the question hanging.