Becoming Her

Chapter 3: END IT ALL

CHAPTER 3: END IT ALL

“Knock! Knock!!”

“Come on in” A man in his early 60s looked up, he was a little bit huge with small patches of grey beginning to appear on his full recently cut hair “yes?” He nodded to the sharply dressed brunette secretary in her late 20s “Mr. Michaelson from Insight Zeal Industries, he insists on seeing you without an appointment” Mr. Jerry smiled softly, he had also heard the crazy news about the I&Z industries going bankrupt and knew it was only a matter of time before he came to make a deal to save his crashing company. “Let him in and let's get this over with” “Yes sir”.

He straightened his tie and brushed down his suit jacket with his palm. He was low-key wondering what deal or offer Mr. Michaelson wanted to make and was thinking of a way to make it twice his benefit since Mr. Michaelson would be desperate at this point.

The door opened again and Mr. Michaelson walked in, Mr. Jerry stood up to shake his hands and they both sat down

“Good morning Mr. Michaelson” he said “Oh drop the formalities, I'm very sure you know why I am here” Mr. Michaelson adjusted on his seat “No sir, I pray, do tell’ he grinned mischievously “you sly old fox” Mr. Michaelson thought. He and Mr. Jerry were good friends back in their primes and both wanted to own big companies, Mr. Jerry wasn't too ecstatic about the whole idea as much as Mr. Michaelson so he settled to be the Manager of K&Js “As you know, my company is having shortcomings and a little problem with finance, taxing and fundings” Mr. Michaelson breathed “Oh my, I didn't know. That's terrible” Mr. Jerry feigned ignorance “Well I have an offer to make to the CEO and I would love it if you would help me convey the message to him" "hmmmm ……” Mr. Jerry gently stroked his chin as if he was in a very deep thought “Okay shoot. What do you propose?” He asked “I want him to help fund the company, he has many connections in the states, they could give us time to get a reliable accountant and re evaluate all our tax documents and we what would be better than collaborating with us, two big companies together” Mr. Michaelson said in a matter of fact “Collaborate with a big company you say, last time I checked you guys were going under Mr. Michaelson ""I am fully aware but with the help of the CEO, you know duly well that we would stand tall once more and if we collaborate together, boom! Higher stocks, higher everything, think about it” “I am thinking about it Michael but if we help you, what's in it for us” Mr. Jerry said finally dropping the formalities “ Jerry it might sound ridiculous to you and old school but the CEO will be very interested” Mr. Jerry sat up “As both a goodwill, collateral and sign of our company bonding together, I’ll give my daughter’s hand in marriage to him” Mr. Jerry raised an eyebrow “Just tell him about my proposal and leave the rest to me jerry, if not for anything for the sake of our friendship. I really don't want to see all I've worked for all these years come crashing down” Mr. Michaelson said finally then stood up “I’ll be leaving now, before the paparazzi gets a tip that I'm close by” Then he turned, opened the door and left. Quietly closing the door behind him.

Arrya looked startled as the door opened abruptly “Get up!” Mrs. Margaret scolded “Yes ma’am” arrya scurried up and adjusted her shabby gown, Mrs. Mageret looked at her from head to toes repeatedly then signalled her to follow her.

“There” she pointed at a large plate of food on the table. Avocado toast, a roasted full turkey as if it was Thanksgiving, Mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, yoghurt and cheesecake for dessert. Arrya did not understand what that had to do with her, she was barely given food to eat and most were leftovers not full meals. “Ma’am, I…. I don't…. I don't understand” she stuttered “Go and eat, you look scrawny” she hissed and left. Arrya's mouth watered but she needed to make sense of what was going on, was she about to be murdered like her mum? Poisoned? “What could be worse than this life I'm living anyway” she thought “might as well end it and get it over with” she quickly rushed to the dining room and sat at the dining table to the feast in front of her. She started eating quickly, wanting to taste everything before the poison kicked in.

Mrs. Mageret stared at the table, everything half eaten, and arrya sleeping peacefully on her arms folded across the table. She moved over to her and tapped her heavily “wake up you pig!” Arrya jumped awake “Go take a bath and get dressed, we're going to the mall in 10min”.

Arrya was looking for a presentable cloth to wear to the mall, she rummaged through the old clothes of Madison she had saved when she wanted to throw them out. She couldn't make head or tails of what was going on, her tummy ached but from fullness not from poison, a feeling she had not had in years, being full. What was going on? Were child services going to visit? Are any of her mum's relatives coming to visit? No matter how hard she tried to make things make sense nothing was clicking into place and she just became more confused instead. She had never been more comfortable and confused at the same in her entire life.

She heard her name and quickly decided on a lilac long flowery dress that she had stitched up a little by the side “Coming” she said as she rushed out of ‘her basement’.

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Mr. Michaelson sat in his study room. He had sent for arrya some minutes ago, he was a bit nervous, he had not seen her in a long time because he was always busy and it was a little bit as if she was always avoiding him or Margaret purposely kept her out of his sight. His thoughts were interrupted by a gentle tap on the door, before it slightly opened and arrya walked into his study, timid but very obvious she had some kind of resentment for the man in front of her. Mr. Michaelson looked at her and saw the radiation of his first wife, only skinnier, his heart throbbed. “You sent for me sir” she said, her head bowed slightly “um yes arrya. Sit down” he nodded to a couch at the other end of the room. Arrya walked over to the couch and sat down crossing her legs. “How was your day arrya, I believe you had fun” he said “yes I did” “arrya, I have something to discuss with you” he paused waiting to see her reaction, arrya knew this was coming somehow, all that happened to her today didn't happen without a catch “arrya you’ll be helping daddy's company by getting married to the owner of the top company in the whole of the united states” Arrya looked up baffled, totally awed and confused “what do you mean?” She asked “you're going to be happy arrya, you’ll live a good life….” “You are the most terrible person I have ever known!!!!! I hate you soo much! I’m going to be happy?” She scoffed “more like you're going to be happy, you want to sacrifice my life to keep your company that I don't even benefit from? How dare you!!! You're a monster! Mum made a very bad decision the day she agreed to marry you” tears were already dropping from her eyes. Mr. Michaelson shifted uncomfortably in his seat, he knew she didn't deserve this but the way he saw it, his hands were tied, this was not a time to regret any action “you don't seem to have any problem giving them a good life but I need to be married away to get a good life? You f*****g asshole!” she had never used a swear word before but she had soo many pent up emotions and they were choking her up, trying to release them at once would break her completely, she fell to the ground and cried her eyes out then she picked herself up from the ground and walked over to his table, looked him dead in the eyes “I hate you! I curse the day you met mum! And I will make sure you pay for this!! Mark my words” she turned around and left slamming the door behind her. It was as if Mr. Michaelson was holding his breath and he finally exhaled.

After arrya slammed the door, she breathed deeply, then walked briskly to her basement room and shut the door. She broke down, cried for hours, her eyes, nose and chest hurt. How dare he do this to her? Hadn't he any heart? She cried more and blew hard into a tissue. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of using her to help his company, she'd rather die than have anything to do with his prosperity. Oh how much she hated him and wanted to stick a dagger into his black cold heart if there was any. She cried more, she had had suicide thoughts before but now she was very determined to carry it out. Why didn't he marry Madison off? She was the one spending all his money and throwing parties on any exotic beach she could find, and she was older than her, why did he have to choose to give her up. She hated him with all her being now, even more than she hated the snotty and evil Margaret, or her perfect golden boy, or the snubby Madison. That night she couldn't sleep, she stayed awake plotting, crying, cursing and blowing her nose.