“Wha–what?” I ran up to the police tape and ducked under it trying to get closer and see what the hell was happening. “Ma'am, this is a crime scene. Get ba–” “I live here,” I snapped to the police officer trying to get me out. He backed off and I got closer. The outside of my house was a charred, smoking mess. I couldn't believe my eyes. I had barely been at Jesse place for two hours. Would this have happened if I was home. I was filled with terror thinking about being trapped in the burning building. “Remi?” I heard my name being called but my eyes were fixed on my smoldering house, and my reactions were so slow. “Sweetheart, are you okay?” My dad's worried face materialized in front of my face. “Are you hurt?” He cupped my face and turned my head from side to side, supposedly to find any burns. “Dad, I'm fine,” I managed in my rattled state. “I was put when it happened.” “I came over as quickly as I could after Tristan called,” he said. “I… I thought I'd lost
“Is that all you want?” Dad asked.“Yes.” I nodded. “The sight of him disgusts me. I'm surprised it was this easy to convince him to try and win me back.”Dad grinned and nodded his head as he mulled my words over. “Revenge huh? So many options. We could get him on the hook for counterfeiting; I know a guy. Or conspiracy against the state; he and his mother will be accomplices. Maybe terrorism charges; I also know a guy for this…”Mom and I watched in shock as dad casually prattled on about atrocious things we could set Oscar up with that would definitely get him thrown in jail with the key thrown away.“Dad, no,” I said. “I don't know what I'm going to do to him but I want to do it and I want him completely destroyed after.”“Remi!” mom exclaimed as her eyes darted to me. “Why don't you just let it go? You said his wife's ex threatened him. Leave him be and let karma keep doing its work.”“No!” Dad thundered, startling the both of us. “If she wants to shred him apart limb from limb,
Rachel was on him like bees on an intruding hornet, kicking, scratching, punching him with everything she had.Oscar tried and failed to restrain her flurry of punches but eventually gave up and started to walk away.Each step he took, Rachel was right there, yelling right in his business, still with tears streaming down her face.“You good for nothing, piece of shit, low down asshole. I should have known. I should get my ex to deal with you. You know what he’ll do to you right? How could you do this to me,Oscar? Am I not good enough?”He pushed her off him, ran into his car and pulled off, all the while she was screaming and pounding her fists against his window until she couldn't anymore.It honestly was kind of sad to see her fall to her knees and break down. But she wanted him. She wanted him so much, she set her decency ablaze and kicked me, who had helped her get a job when she was down, out of my house.As sad as it was, she was only getting everything she paid for. And I was a
“Don, they're talking about removing her,” Tristan said, clearly alarmed.I was sitting in dad's office next to Tristan. Sitting was too broad a term.I was shaking. I tried to get Tristan to not show up because I didn't want my dad to know but he had anyway.Dad appeared surprisingly calm after getting such news.“Can… can they do that?” I asked.Tristan shrugged his shoulders then glanced back at my dad. “Now would be a good time to say something.”Dad chuckled and leaned against his desk. “I'm surprised you're this worried, Tristan.”“Did you hear anything I said? They're talking about firing her.”Dad scoffed. “Let me guess, O’Hearn is leading the charge?”“Yes,” Tristan said. “Obviously it's him. But he's gaining traction. They might get swayed by him.”“And how many times has he gained traction? How many times did he try the same thing with me? You should have learned by now that he is a toothless dog.” He glanced at me and laughed. “You were getting all charged up just now, you
I watched him waddle off to the boardroom before I continued to my office. Now was the time to act like my father.An idea popped in my head. I set a timer for fifteen minutes.They were going to hate me anyway, I figured I might as well give them a reason to. I sat back in my chair, arms clasped in front of my chair, visualizing toothless dogs barking at me, as I waited for the timer to run out.Suddenly, my door was forced open. My body moved on its own, diving off my chair to the floor with a resounding thud.“Oh, you're here? The board members are getting impatient.”I picked myself up from the floor, heart pounding, and glared at Jesse.“What the hell?”He came over to help me up.“Are you okay? What–”“What do you think? There's someone out there who actually wants me dead and you just barge in like that?”I snatched my arm from him once I got to my feet.“Sorry,” he said with a straight face.My heart was going at a million beats a minute. Good. Just what I needed for the meeti
“Deandra Delaney,” she said as she approached me with an outstretched hand. “I'm your lawyer.”“Lawyer? For what?”In that instant, my phone rang.“Hello?” I picked up without taking my eyes off her.“Remi,” dad's voice said. “I sent my lawyer to come meet you. You can trust her. She's there to help you… with anything you need, okay?”“Okay,” I said. I couldn't be sure but there was something in the way he spoke that I couldn't quite put my hands on. I put my phone down still, looking at her. She was sharply dressed in a business suit with a white shirt underneath, simply yet somehow so sophisticated.“Right, the cops will be here any minute. I need you to follow my lead, understand?”“Yes,” I replied, almost on instinct. I had questions but there was something about her that made me not want to disappoint her by asking why the cops were going to show up.“They'll ask questions and try to get you to come down to the station. Don't answer anything I tell you not to.”“Alright. Why a
“Hey Sadie, we're still on for today right?”“Yes. I'm getting ready right now,” Sadie replied excitedly.“Alright, see you soon.”She had called me to plan a friend date and it couldn't have come at a better time. I was so excited to tell her all about everything that had happened with Oscar and how I’d met Deandra who was going to make Oscar wish he was never born.It was like a blur how fast I got ready and drove to the cafe we were meeting. I was buzzing with excitement at the thought of regaling my friend with stories of the drama in my life. That's what friends did right?I spotted her up ahead. She was talking to a man and they looked like they were arguing. Whatever I was about must have been a touchy subject because of how hard they were going at it.I started to rush over in case she needed help but the closer I got to the more familiar the man looked. Something in the back of my mind was telling me things weren't quite right.The man's profile was just too familiar but I
“He's been recruiting some of the board members to be on his side for when it happens.”I wasn't surprised but it definitely was alarming. That damn old fool just didn't know when to stop.“He tried to recruit me too,” Tristan said. “Of course I joined him.”“What?” I boomed. “How could you–”“Relax, Remi.” Tristan chuckled. “I'm on your side. But now you have someone on the inside.”I facepalmed. How could I doubt Tristan of all people? It made too much sense for me to not have put it together myself.“I'm so sorry. It's just…” I collapsed into the chair.“It's alright. I know things are a bit overwhelming at the moment.”Overwhelming was an understatement. It felt like the universe was giving me in particular the middle finger. “Anyway,” he continued. “it's unlikely to succeed. I just needed to inform you so you could take some counter-acting steps regardless. And you have your father if you need his help. I'm sure he'd be eager to step in once he hears about this. I would have tol