~2~
1364 Words
“What do you say Thompson? Let's strike a deal here,” Gerald turned to look at Jacob briefly.
“How about you let me have your sister here, then we forget about your debt?” he asked casually.
Darina gasped and Jacob's eyes widened.
Gerald saw the alarmed look on Jacob's face and chuckled.
“Oh, don't worry. I'm not a barbarian. I only intend to wed her. You're practically the man of the house now, so you can give consent, right?” he said casually.
“What? I will never marry you!” Darina gritted her teeth.
Gerald laughed and stepped back.
Darina turned to her brother for support, but to her dismay, he didn't say anything.
“There's a vacancy at the lab, with an attractive salary too,” Gerald continued. “If you take my offer, we'd be in laws. I could let you have it; might even double the pay too. You could use this opportunity to change your life forever, Thompson,” he said.
The more her brother kept silent, the more suffocated Darina felt.
“Jacob say something, please,” she begged.
Jacob was deep in thought. He knew Gerald well enough to know that he wasn't merely asking for his compliance, he demanded it.
Gerald was a man who would go to great lengths to have what he wanted.
Eighteen million dollars. That number rang in his head like a death sentence.
If he refused, there was no saying what Gerald would do. He might actually kill him while in jail and probably sell his organs. With Gerald's connections, he could arrange for that effectively.
After all, there was no use leaving him in prison. It's not like he would get his money back that way.
And Darina… What would Gerald do if they both said no?
But agreeing meant giving away the only family he had left. What would his father think of him?
“You’re practically the man of the house now,” Gerald had said.
Was he? What kind of man hands his sister over like a lamb for s*******r just to stay out of prison?
And yet… What choice did he have? He could work the rest of his life and never earn that kind of money. Hampton Labs wasn’t just a dream job. It was his escape route from the mess he’d created and also from poverty. It was just like Gerald said: his life and his sister's would undoubtedly change forever.
He looked at Darina who looked terrified, betrayed, staring at him like he was already a monster. His stomach churned, but he couldn’t see another way.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “But we don’t have any other option.” he said, turning his head away from her.
Darina felt a bile rise in her throat.
The most heartbroken “What?” came out of her mouth next.
Gerald chuckled.
“Exactly, Thompson. This is the best option you have” he repeated.
Darina's heart thumped loudly in her chest and her body trembled. Her face was stained with flowing tears now. Her eyes looked at only her brother.
“Don't I even have a say in all of this?” she asked. But Jacob still said nothing, refusing to look at her and it stung badly.
Darina felt like she was choking.
“Are you really going to let him take me away?” Her voice cracked completely.
Gerald tsked.
“You don't have to be so grim,” he said, with a triumphant look in his eyes, as he crouched in front of her like a wild animal looking at its prey knowing that it was helpless. He leaned closer to her ears.
“Don’t worry. I'll take proper care of you,” he said. His voice was soft, but it made Darina uneasy, chilling her to the bone.
He smiled, and leaned back.
“Besides, you're saving your brother from jail or possible death,” he said. “That's very noble. He must feel very lucky to have you,” he laughed and stood up.
The more he laughed, the more Darina's heart sank.
“Don't worry, I'll leave you two to say your goodbyes tonight. I'll pick you up in the morning for the wedding” he said.
“Wedding…?” Darina whispered in disbelief. Her voice hadn't recovered yet.
“I think it's better you have a talk with your sister, Thompson. Keep her in check and make sure she doesn't do anything silly. It would be… rather unpleasant for you both if… I have to send someone to collect my bride,” Gerald's tone was menacing, his expression stern, as he looked Jacob in the eye.
Then he smirked, satisfied with the terrified expression on the two siblings' faces.
“Nice doing business with you, Thompson,” he said with a grin on his face.
“Let's go, boys”
There was a very deafening silence after they left. The groceries they'd come home with earlier were all littered on the floor.
Darina stared into the distance and shook silently with tears in her eyes. Nothing that had happened this evening made any sense to her.
Jacob quietly moved towards her and placed a hand on her arm, but she snatched it away from him with contempt, not even looking at him once.
He tried again.
“Darina, please…”
“No!” She shouted. “How could you?”
She got up and ran towards the front door, her slippers loudly slapping the floor.
Jacob got up too.
“Darina…”
“Don't you dare come any closer!” Darina screamed at him. “You want to use me to pay your debt? Wait until dad hears about this,” she said.
Jacob stopped in his tracks.
“Darina, I'm sorry,” he said. “But even if dad were here, he would agree. There's no way we could pay back 18 million dollars”
“We? You're the one who stole! Why do I have to be used as collateral for your debt?”
“He's a dangerous man, Darina. If I hadn't agreed, there would have been consequences”
“And yet you're going to let him take me. You're going to let your sister get married to a dangerous man!”
She wailed loudly, burying her face in her palms. Jacob tried to console her.
“Get your hands off me!” She screamed.
She picked up her cell phone and when Jacob saw the string of numbers she'd dialed on her keypad, he instantly panicked.
“What do you think you're doing?!” He asked.
“Calling the police. I'm going to report Gerald,” Darina snapped back at him.
“What?!” Jacob was instantly annoyed. “What exactly are you going to tell them? Do you want to get me arrested? Or do you think Gerald doesn't have the police in his pocket? Don't you see how stupid that is?” Jacob frowned as he grabbed her phone and placed it on the table.
Darina instantly became helpless.
“Why would you even steal from him of all people?!” She screamed and stomped her foot on the ground in frustration.
Seeing her like this, Jacob softened.
“I…”
“Shut up!” she thundered.
“Thank you for ruining my life!” She quickly completed her journey to the front door, opened it and ran out of the house.
“Darina!”
He went after her but slipped on a stray tomato on the floor and fell on his already aching back with a thud.
“Ow!” Jacob groaned. He tried to get up, but the pains sent him flying back down.
He laid there thinking about everything that had just transpired in the room. He had just narrowly escaped getting into serious trouble with a dangerous man, and he was so relieved.
He really needed Darina to calm down so he could explain things properly to her. He didn't want her to get hurt or get into trouble with Gerald.
But where in the world had Darina run off to now?
- Writer
