Chapter 3: Uncle Slept with his Nephew’s Woman
1127 Words
Alessa bowed her head. Of course, Jose had called them. Of course, he had raved at them about her leaving. And of course, they had believed him.
Her aunt, Betty, led her into the living where her uncle, Patrick, was smoking silently on his peppermint green couch. She sat her down next to her cousin Mandy who placed a hand on her knee. The room was dark other than the light of the TV.
Alessa was the first to break the silence “Yes, I decided to break up with him.”
Patrick banged a fist down on the couch. “Why? What’s going on?”
”I…” she hesitated, looking down at her feet. “I wanted to. I had to.”
Patrick waved her off. “It’s normal for couples to quarrel with each other but you can't quit. Me and your aunt, we argue all the time and we’re still together!” He said, waving at Betty. “You know, we are living by the Yontzs,” explained Patrick, stubbing a smoke.
“I know, but…”
Betty stood up. “Think about it for a moment! How will you support yourself? We’ve given you everything and have never asked for anything in return and then you do this? What’s wrong with you?” she bemoaned.
Alessa gritted her teeth: “Aunt Betty, when you adopted me you took my father's stock as payment from his company. So, actually, I don’t think I owe you anything. And least of all,” she said, standing to meet her gaze, “letting you decide who I should marry.”
“Oh! Now you answer back!” She screamed, pointing a finger at her and turning to face the room. “And now you accuse us –us!- of taking advantage of you! You wicked girl!” She said, rounding on her, jabbing a finger into her chest. “How could you? Your mother abandoned you! Your father, too!”
This stung Alessa. He’d loved her, he’d given her everything.
“That’s not true!” She screamed
“-and years later you’d ruin your uncle?! My goodness! What a heartless girl!”
Betty flounced about as Patrick and Mandy tried to comfort her.
Alessa seized the chance and ran upstairs to her room, slamming shut the door behind her. “You wicked girl!” Called Betty after her. “Go apologize to Jose!”
She threw herself in the bed, plugged in her headphones, and sniffed back the tears. Modest Mouse was playing. Hadn’t they noticed her clothes? She thought, after the rush of emotion had washed over her. The bruises on my body? My bare and swollen feet?
If her dad were still there, he’d have defended her. And mom…She struggled to remember her face but could recall her warmth and her smell.
She burst into tears again. Great, heaving sobs that wracked her chest. Then there was a knock at the door and she got up and opened it.
Patrick came in, his shoulders drooped. “Alessa…” he started, standing awkwardly by the doorway. “Your aunt got a little too excited, but she was right. Our factory should have gone broke years ago if it were not for the Yontzs. And if you leave, they’ll… well, they’ll want blood.” He said, sighing. “They’ll cancel their orders and our factory will close. So just- just think about it before you leave Jose, okay?”
She suddenly felt ashamed.
Uncle Schultz was her only family, how could she be so selfish as to destroy everything that he’d worked for? And everything her father had worked for, too. The money her father left had been invested in that factory. It was as much hers as it was theirs. It couldn't fail. Betty was right, she was wicked.
Alessa hugged Patrick. “I know, I’m sorry.” She said. “I’ll try and fix it right away”
Patrick squeezed her tight in his arms and smiled. “Thank you.”
***
Amongst the winding roads of Beverly Hills, Jose liaised with Brian in his luxury villa.
Brian was sitting on the sofa, cross-legged, his face gloomy: “Just say it, Jose. Why did you send her to me like that?”
Sitting leisurely right next to him, Jose smirked. “Uncle Brian, it didn’t mean anything, I swear. I saw you staring at the picture of Alessa that day and I thought you were interested in her, so I gave her to you.” He said, shrugging his shoulders. “You are my uncle. My fiancee, my wife, it doesn't matter. I just want you to be happy.”
“Get to the point!” barked Brian, his face darker.
Jose held up his hands. “Okay, okay... I have recently invested in a business and I need a capital injection from the Group. One-hundred million. But the other shareholders insist on your signature. For the sake of expedience, uncle, please help me this one time!”
Brian, the youngest, but also the most ruthless chief executive of Sterling Group, has individual powers that superseded the group.
He was the only one who could help.
Brian’s lips curled into a sardonic smile: “What makes you think I would give you one hundred million for a night with your fiancée?”
“Uncle!” Jose sputtered. “Alessa and you both entered your private suite today, which has been captured by the hotel's surveillance.” A wicked glint flashed in his eyes. “What if those videos were shown in public? What would they think of you if they knew you‘d slept with your nephew’s fiancée? Grandpa might eliminate your post of president...”
Garwood glared at Jose, how dare he threaten Brian!
Brian stood up and calmly walked towards Jose, his deep eyes flitting with anger. He leaned over to Jose’s ear: “You are threatening me?”
Jose felt himself freeze: “What? No! I just want to make clear the situation for you.”
“Get out,” Brian replied, pointing a finger to the door.
“Uncle, please.” Jose became restless.
"Shall I say it again?”
Jose pulled on his jacket and backed out of the room, pleading with Brian as he left.
The door closed behind him and Garwood came up. “Sir, he has a point. We can’t let that video get out. It’d ruin you.”
Brian smirked. That he slept with her would not be a matter, if she was his, nominally. And the surveillance video would be useless.
Well, the girl needed a rich man, so here he was. It’ll be easy, he grinned.
And I might even enjoy it.
- Writer
