A Complicated Obsession

  I wake up to the sounds  of muffled conversation. My head feels heavy and I am finding it hard to breath. I try to move to lift my head off of the surface that is suffocating me, but I can’t. My hands are tied behind my back, and since I can’t move them apparently my legs are restrained as well. As hard as I try I can’t get up, so I clumsy roll onto my side. I try to remember how I got here but the more I try the harder my head pounds. I look around to see if I can gather up clues to see where I am. It’s a very nondescript room hard to see anything because of the dark and my vision is a bit blurry. I can see shadows under the door, but the ringing in my ears stops me from understanding their conversation. Panic is beginning to set in. What is going on? What happened to me? Who am I? The Introduction   “Hi nice to meet you, my name is Adeline Heart.” ohh I don’t know if I can go through with this. “Hi it’s a pleasure to finally meet you, I’m Adeline Heart!” Worse than before. I have been preparing myself for this day for as long as I can remember.  The mirror unfortunately can not give me the feedback I so desperately need. My hands are shaking and there's a huge knot in my stomach. I can’t back down, not when I am so close to finally meeting the man I have dreamed of marrying since I was a little girl.  He has always been in my life one way or another, but this will be the first time he will get to know me. I have been away at Oxford trying to make myself someone worthy of my family’s name. Unfortunately Law was not in the cards for me, so I did everything I could to be the best and the most prepared in the world of business. I would have a spot in my Dad’s company no matter what, but the Law degree would have potentially given me an advantage over Josh.  Josh was my Dad’s Partner’s golden child. Every conversation ultimately brought up how amazing, smart, athletic, talented and good looking he was. It was hard to live up to that. I know deep down my father always wanted a son, but he ended up with me instead.    My mother, the love of his life, passed away when I was three in a freak car accident. He could never bring himself to love another. Being the CEO of a very large corporation left him vulnerable to the sort of women that he did not want anything to do with. The type that loves you because you have money and power. My mom was different; they fell in love in undergraduate school married with no money to their name. Alongside my Dad’s business partner they build the behemoth of the company my Dad owns today, H & M enterprises.  My Dad dove himself neck deep into his work after my mom's passing; leaving me to be raised by highly paid nannies.  Every third Thursday I would head up to his office right after school, that’s when Josh came into my life. Well not in person anyway. I was always overhearing my Dad and his partner talking about all the accolades Josh had acquired, while I sat in the office corner doing my homework. It was always like that, Josh was captain of the Varsity football team, he won an award for debate, he’s top in his class and it never ended. One day when I was in High school, I got curious.  I’ve heard so much about him, but never really seen him. While my Dad and his partner were having a meeting, I took the chance to sneak into his office. On his desk in an elegant frame I see his gorgeous face. “HOW COULD I EVER LIVE UP TO THAT?” I immediately covered my mouth with both hands embarrassed. I had stated that fact so loudly. I made my way out of his office like a thief in the night with a new goal, becoming so desirable in every which way so not even that perfect human specimen would turn me down. Only one problem, his Dad never liked me and I am sure he already had someone else in mind to marry his son.  Flash forward to where I am today, standing in front of a mirror practicing my introduction for the umpteenth time with butterflies in my stomach and an unnerving feeling I can’t seem to shake off me. One last look before I go meet the man I’ve dreamt about and out the door I go.   I try as hard as I can to collect my thoughts as the limo driver leaves me in front of my Father’s building. “Thank you Sam,” I shoot the driver the biggest smile I can muster as I get out of the car on shaky legs. I’ve grown up, I take care of myself, I am smart, I am overqualified; I keep repeating this to calm my nerves as the elevator approaches the floor where my life would change.  I make my way through the corridor  to my father’s office. I nervously pull the hem of my pencil skirt one more time, run my hands through my hair and straighten out my blouse before I knock.  “Come in Adeline we’ve been expecting you.” My father says in the most jovial voice I’ve heard in a long while. “Hi Dad,” I say with open arms as I make my way to hug my father that I haven’t even seen since I left for Oxford, “ how are you?” “I am happy to finally have you back in town.” he says as he hugs me back but something seems off. He’s too happy to see me and we have had a strained father daughter relationship since I remind him so much of my mom. “ Let me introduce you to my new partner Mr. Josh Moretti!” He says this as he extends my view to the impossibly handsome man making his way into the office. My world is now completely f****d!! His long elegant strides allow me to gaze at the perfectly sculpted legs his suit pants are harboring. As he gets closer his hand extends to take mine and I can’t help but admire the way his suit jacket grips his biceps as they threaten to come out. I must look like a fool when I notice the look in his beautiful forest like eyes and the triumphant smirk on his kissable lips.  “Nice to finally meet you Adeline, your father has been talking so much about you and I admit I am more than pleasantly surprised.” He says with a smile as he shakes my hand. I am so confused right now. My father talks about me? Why would he be pleasantly surprised? “Excuse Me?” It completely slipped out faster than I could stop it but what's done is done.  “Sorry it’s just that your father had talked about your beauty Miss. Heart and I am taken aback by how much he understated it.” He said that so nonchalantly; that I was actually getting angry. “Nice to meet you Mr. Moretti, but I’ll have you know I am not just something pretty to look at. I graduated with high honours from Oxford with an Executive Diploma in Global Business and Financial Strategy.” I stated confidently. “I apologize if it came out rude, but I was just stating an obvious fact. Now, I hope we can move on from this because we are going to be seeing a lot of each other.” He emphasised each other as he straightened out his already immaculate tie. I looked at him in disbelief and then my father. While looking to my father to clarify, Josh made his way out of the office with the same elegant strides that initially signed my fate on the way in. As he was almost out the door he caught my eye with an eerie smile and commanded, “ After Mr. Heart gives you a tour of your new office. Come look for me.” “Dad?” I finally mustered out. “Adeline, have a seat and I’ll explain everything.” he said trying to fix the situation which was completely out of his hands. Josh’s POV I’ve been anxious for this day for quite some time. Mr. Heart has always been close to my father, and when my father passed his ownership of the company to me on his deathbed we got a chance to become acquainted. See the man didn’t know that the accident that took his wife all those years ago was in fact my fault.   Let me explain, my father and Mrs. Heart had been having an affair. After the birth of her daughter she became depressed and her husband never paid much attention to her. Too busy with business affairs to be bothered by the needs of his wife. She found attention and more in the arms of my father. He became obsessed with her. Everytime she would leave him he would become erratic and short tempered. He hated the fact that she would always go back home to that miserable excuse of a husband and that sham of a family. He would take his frustrations out on me.  The night of her accident it was raining. I was just a child of ten, but I knew if she would leave my dad would get into those mood swings of his. I did what any child would do for self preservation. I took a steak knife to both of the tires on the right side as quickly as I could without being seen. I hoped she would notice the flat tires and decide to stay. She left in a hurry just like she always did when the nanny called. I didn’t know the consequences of my actions until we got the news of the accident. I apologized as much as I could to my father, but he wouldn't hear me out. He advised me never to tell anyone and that I took from him the only woman he ever really loved.  My father then began to relentlessly rain hell on me every day.  Yeah he praised my accomplishments and acted like the proud father in public, but when we were alone he would make me wish for death. I did everything to please him, but it never worked. The only thing that kept me going was knowing that eventually I would meet the reason why Mrs. Heart always left. I knew I would one day meet her daughter and I would make her as obsessed with me as my father was with her mother. I will not allow myself to be a spineless man like him. I will never allow my world to be dictated by a woman. I know exactly when to make my way to his office because I control everything. Life has taught me to be a good businessman; I need to be cold, calculating and controlling. Leaving nothing to chance I sent the driver to her apartment, I have eyes everywhere and I bought out Mr. Heart.  It took years of planning to get to this point, but I was able to corner Mr. Heart without him knowing. His gambling debt was overwhelming and he needs my money to save him from the goons he owes, the goons I own. I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. One little stipulation in our contract; help me marry your daughter and you can keep your company whole. You should have seen the way his eyes lit up with anger at my offer, but he was a drowning man and I threw him the only lifesaver.  He is my pawn, and he is powerless to go against me. I am in control! My childhood fueled my actions, I did everything to surpass my father. I have a knack for business so I don’t need this company; I have many and I am a well connected man. What I desire, what I really need is revenge.  I paste a smile on my face and make my way in. For a strange reason I was not prepared. He never carried a photo of her and she was a ghost on the internet only posting pictures of the places she visited or of food. Looking at me was the woman whose life I accidentally ended. Legs I would love to have around my waist, long auburn hair I would love to pull, beautiful violet eyes I could get lost in, the curves of a goddess beconning for my touch and full lips I couldn’t wait to claim;  just like her mother. A slight hiccup to my plan, but I might actually have fun with it. My resolve wavered and my words almost gave away the thoughts I was trying to suppress. After her outraged response I was able to turn the tables and use my initial slip up to my advantage. She puffed up with anger at the boldness of my words. I can tell that she rehearsed her speech. I can’t help but smile at the way she reacted to my words. I had destabilized her and made her confidence falter, and that’s how it had to be. I have her where I want her and she’s none the wiser. I started to make my way out of the room with the intention of putting one more nail on her coffin. “ After Mr. Heart gives you a tour of your new office. Come look for me.” I left her speechless, the effect I was going for was delivered. I made my rounds to check on the day's progress and headed for my office with my plan in full swing. I will make her mine. I will undo the mistakes of my father and control her the way my father should have controlled her mom.