Aimee POV
I arrive at the office, and I pull my chair back, flopping on my seat resting my hands on my head. I take a deep breath clearing the tears that spilt down my face with the back of my hand, and I look up to find my boss standing there. Great.
"How was it?" he asks, and I look down at my hands, and I stand up slowly, looking up at him. I shake my head, prepared for the shouting I am about to endure. Arthur is ruthless when it comes to our interviews, and he doesn't tolerate failure.
"I… I didn't", I start stammering, and he takes a deep breath crossing his arms in front of his chest. How will I tell him that I can't interview Alec because he is my ex, and I am still completely in love with him even though he has become one of the biggest playboys of all of the U.K?
"Alec Hardy called me personally apologising for not doing the interview, and he requested you personally do go back and interview him", Arthur says. I look at him sideways, and then my mouth drops open.
"I'm sorry he what now?" I ask, blinking a couple of times, not really believing what he says. "He wants me?" I ask. What did he tell him exactly? I bet he didn't say that he tried to make me give up from interviewing him, and he got it because I flinched when he slammed his hands on the table. I close my eyes, trying to push away the memory.
"Can't you hear what I am saying? He asked you to go back tomorrow at ten", Arthur says, and I shake my head, taking a deep breath. I can't see him again, and I just can't.
"I am sorry, Arthur, but I can't", I say, and he looks at me, raising an eyebrow. Shit, I need to come up with something that will make him back off, something he won't want to ask questions about.
"And why is that?" he asks me, and I take a deep breath closing my eyes and wrapping my arms around my own body. Shit.
"Because I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow", I let out porous of myself. He knows he can't just tell me to cancel it.
"Can't you change it?" he asks me, and this is unbelievable. No, I can not. Idiot.
"I'm sorry, and it's a speciality appointment. It took ages to come through. I have been waiting for this appointment since before lockdown", I let out, and he takes a deep breath nodding his head. If he asks me anything else, I'll just say it's a gynaecologist appointment, which will make him back off if there's something men are terrified of talking about women's business.
"I'll send Sandhy then", he says, and I nod my head.
"Yeah, she's going to do great. She will be able to capture his true essence", I let out, knowing perfectly well that all she's going to do is spread her legs for him. I shake my head, pushing away those though, and I decide to work from home today. I am not in the mood for this crap. I gather my stuff and walk out as fast as I can.
As soon as I get home, I throw my stuff on the sofa, and I turn the tv on, not that I pay attention to what is on, I barely watch tv, to be fair, it is just for the background noise, and I walk straight into the kitchen and turn the kettle on. I have a weird routine. Every time I walk into my house, I turn the tv on and make myself a cup of tea. It doesn't matter what time it is. It can be morning, afternoon or evening. This is what I do.
I sit on my kitchen island, holding my tea mug between my fingers, when my phone starts ringing. I look at the screen to see that it is my sister. I take a deep breath and prepare myself for the blow I am about to get. She never calls me with good news. I have stopped talking to my parents. They used me for money for as long as I can remember. I worked while I was in high school to make money for college, and then when I was in, they took all my money for me. I had to work very hard to pay my tuition. I did every job I could find that would still allow me to study. After my break-up with Alec, I started studying at night to work during the day and avoid him.
"Hello?" I answer, closing my eyes waiting for the bomb to drop.
"Sis, I need your help", she squeals, and I stand up, opening my eyes with my heart beating fast.
"Ruth? Ruth, what is going on?" I ask, and I hear her crying in the background and someone grabbing the phone from her.
"Aimee? This is Joan" I hear my sister's girlfriend's voice on the other side. I take a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm myself down.
"Hey Joan, what is going on?" I ask, afraid of what she might tell me.
"She relapsed, and she has gone to jail", Joan says, and I shake my head.
"Good, she might learn to stop stealing money from other people", I let out, but Ruth comes to the phone.
"We need to help them, Aimee. We can't just let mum rot in prison. She needs to have treatment, she needs help, she needs our help", Ruth says, and I can't believe I am having this conversation again. Over and over again.
"How much?" I ask, and she stops talking for a minute. "Ruth? How much do you want?" I ask, and she tells me that we need three thousand for bail and four thousand for rehab.
"Are you out of your damn mind? I don't have that kind of money", I bark at Ruth.
"Yes, you do, you have rich friends, you can ask for the money, please sis, she needs our help, and she owes money to some dangerous people", Ruth says, and I start laughing.
"I don't care how much money she owes and how dangerous they are. It's her problem. I am tired of cleaning up after her", I say, and Ruth starts begging me that they have found her and threatened to kill her.
"They what?" I ask, and she takes a deep breath.
"Very dangerous people, sis, they know where you live", she says, and at that exact time, I hear a knock on my door, and I feel my heart jumping.
"Don't open the door", Ruth says, and I look through the magic eye to see two big guys all dressed in black on the other side. I take one step back, and I can hear Ruth telling me to call the police.
I end the call, and I start calling 999 when my door bursts open and the two guys walk in. They grab my phone from my hand while I look at them in shock. One of them grabs me by my hair, throwing me to the floor while the other one kicks me in the stomach.
"Where is our money?" he shouts, and I feel tears streaming down my eyes as the pain is so sharp that I start to struggle to breathe.
"I don't have your money", I let out through tears.
"You have one week to get us our money, two hundred thousand", he barks and then he kicks me again on my ribs, making me cry in pain.
Alec POVI get myself ready to go visit mum and dad. We always had a great relationship. I always envied the kind of relationship they have. That’s what I always wanted but then I ended up falling for the wrong girl and get cheated on. I know that mum and dad’s relationship was far from perfect. I know they had some ups and downs but who doesn’t.Dad always said that he knew mum was the one the moment he first saw her, but she didn’t think the same about him because she turned him down. He was a player and I guess I am following his footsteps.I get out of the car and lock it looking at the house I grew up. It’s still the same, the fence surrounding the house, the big front garden. Mum and dad never liked to show off their money, they live in a well respected area in London but I never went to private school and I wasn’t spoiled.
Aimee POVI have spent all weekend in bed. I went to the hospital making up the excuse I fell down the stairs, but they obviously didn’t buy the story. They called the police, and I had to tell them I was mugged on the street. I couldn’t see their faces because they wore masks and all dark clothes. The police said that wasn’t enough for them to do anything, and I finally took a deep breath that made me cry in pain.As soon as I got discharged from the hospital, I got home in bed, and I hadn’t moved beside the odd trips to the bathroom. I can’t believe my life has become so messy. Why do I always have to pay the consequences for everyone else’s actions? This is absolutely ridiculous. How am I going to get all of that money?My phone starts ringing, and I answer without looking who it is, and I regret it immediately. As Arthur’s voice is the first thing, I hear. I close my e
Alec POV I get myself ready into my navy blue suit as I am about to meet my lawyers so we can go through the documents about my inheritance. I have to say I read the papers, but I couldn't understand most of them. One thing I understood was the condition implied to get married. But I am not going to consider that until my lawyers explain it to me. The drive is short, and they are already waiting for me. Just how I like it, I don't like to be kept waiting. I walk into the office, and they follow me, locking the door behind us. They have a copy of the documents, and they don't waste any time explaining the amount of money, the companies and buildings I inherited. I have to say I am impressed about everything the guy has built. I googled him, and I am impressed. He was a dick, of course, he was, but he knew the business, and he was fucking good at it. "So, there's a clause, a very old school one", my lawyer says, and I raise one eyebrow. I Wass right after all.
Aimee POV “Aimee, who did this?” Alec asks, and his tone sends a chill down my spine. As if he is worried about me, Why would he be? He dumped me years ago without even questioning what was going on. He just believed someone else instead of believing his own girlfriend. I start recording, and I look at my papers, asking the first question. Alec’s eyes go dark, and I can see the anger plastered all over his face. Alec pulls the documents away from me, forcing me to look into his eyes. I have never seen him so angry. “Aimee, tell me what happened,” Alec asks, and his voice makes me shiver. I take a deep breath resting back on my chair, releasing the pressure on my ribs, and I look at him, offering him a small smile. Then I start explaining what my mum did. And that’s when all the air is taken out of lugs when he asks me how much I need. I shake my head, looking at him. I can’t accept his money. I am not that kind of girl
Alec POV I can’t believe I asked Aimee to marry me. What was I thinking? I sit on my bed dropping my feet to the floor and I take a deep breath passing my hands through my hair. I close my eyes shaking my head as I remember the look on her face when I asked her to marry me. After she left I instantly called my lawyers asking for a contract and obviously they weren’t happy but right now I don’t give a fuck. I want Aimee safe. I know she fucked me up ten years ago, I know I still hate her but I can’t see her suffer, I can’t see her get hurt like this. That is absolutely insane and I can’t allow that to happen. Her face was pure shock when I asked her to marry me, when I explained what was going on. Her face was different, she actually considered saying yes straight away. I know she did. Does she still love me? I walk to the bathroom and rest my hands on the sink as I look at myself in the mirror. What am I doing? I know I wanted revenge for what she did to me.
Aimee POV I haven’t spoken to Alec since Monday, but I read that his dad is in hospital in the newspaper. He had a heart attack. I don’t know if I should go to the hospital to show my support or if I just should stay out of it and let him come to me. What am I doing? I need to go see him, and he must be desperate. He is very attached to his parents, and he must be going through hell right now. I look at myself in the mirror, pleased with my appearance. The bruises are fading, and they are barely noticeable with makeup on. My lip has healed, and my heart is pounding at the thought of seeing Alec again. After everything that he has put me through, I still can’t forget how much I loved him. He was my first in everything. I have dated after him, but I never got myself to trust someone the same way I trusted him maybe because I was afraid of having my heart shattered again. I take a deep breath and put my high heels
Alec POV Paul has been here in the hospital with us since the first day. He barely leaves, and he keeps getting phone calls from his wife. She is pissed because he is never home, he tried to explain that my dad is like a dad to him, but she really wants him home. I understand. I take a deep breath as soon as Paul leaves, looking at mum. She looks so tired sitting next to dad. He is recovering, and he keeps telling us to go home, but obviously mum doesn’t listen to him, I go home once a day to have a shower and change my clothes, but mum doesn’t leave this hospital. I bring her fresh clothes every day, and she showers in dad’s bathroom in his room. She is insane. She needs rest; otherwise, she will be the one here. “I’m gonna go get a coffee”, I say, and mum nods her head while dad reads the newspaper. “This is ridiculous, and I am not an invalid’, dad says as mum offers him tea through a straw. He is st
Aimee POV Work has been manic today, I haven’t stopped for one second fact checking and writing. I have a headache forming, I pull my glasses off of my face and rub my eyes a little taking a deep breath. “Hey, brought you some coffee”, I hear a familiar voice, I raise my head to see Ash standing in front of me offering me a smile and holding a coffee. I stand up immediately and wrap my arms around his neck. Ash hugs me back, I can’t believe he is here. “What are you doing here?”, I ask in shock as he offers me a smile. Ash is like a brother to me, we met while I worked at the coffee shop to pay for university and we became close, but then he moved away to America. I miss him every day. I can’t believe he is here now. “I missed you, why haven’t you been picking up your phone?”, he asks annoyed and crossing his arms in front of his chest. I take a deep breath and sit again on my chair while Ash takes his