The Tables Turned

Chapter 4

Ana's pov

“My love, I'm sorry, but do you mind explaining everything to me again?”

My Mom asked me; each word that passed through her lips did so with intentional efforts, so much so that it made my heart basically ache to watch my once energetic mother struggle with something so basic as speech.

In the past weeks, I had mastered the art of crafting believable stories. I told her that I have been working for a rich old lady who was in dire need of a caretaker.

“So what went wrong?” She inquired worriedly.

“The woman passed away, but her kids refused to pay me…I would take them to court but…even that isn't an option now, besides they can always bribe the judge to favor them.”

My Mom settled in her bed, a look of complete resignation claiming her facial features.

“I suppose it wasn't meant to be, you did your best, and that means the world to me…”

“But Mom…”

“It's okay,” she said soothingly as she stroked my hair, “It's, Okay, my love.”

I burst into tears and hugged her, unable to believe that after all I did, I would still end up back in square one; watching my mother die slowly in front of my eyes.

Miraculously, my mother made it to the next week and the week after that. However, I knew that we were on borrowed time.

That maybe one day, I would show up at the hospital and find her covered in a white sheet. But until then, I wanted to show her just how much I loved her before she's finally gone. I got a job as a cleaner in a small law firm so I was able to afford some of my mother's drugs and groceries in my apartment, where the only now existing piece of furniture was a second hand chair and table.

I never told my mom about the burglary; that would be heavy weight on her already weak heart. So I fed her lies that my future was beginning to look bright, when it was the darkest that it had ever been.

As for Marcus Blinge, his face was like a recurrent nightmare that I had to relive constantly because that man was everywhere: TV, billboards, magazines, you name it…I could never escape him or the hunting guilt that plagued my heart.

Asides all that, my daily life was simple and unproblematic. However, because I wasn't destined to ever have a single lick of happiness, the owner of the law firm announced that the company was facing the possibility of bankruptcy and they would have to let go of a few employees.

“Miss Miller, you are dismissed from your responsibilities tomorrow. You'll be paid only for the days you have worked.”

“Sir, is there no way I can work…at least till the end of the month?” I pleaded, “I really need the money.”

“Unless you are willing to work for free,” he said sarcastically.

“Now if you could please leave my office, I have important matters to attend to.”

At that moment I wished the Earth would just open up and swallow me whole. Why? Why must everything happen to me? Why should any little thing I try to achieve go down to s**t, always?

The next day, I arrived knowing that it was going to be my last. I thought about slacking off since nothing was going to make the owner change his mind, but then I didn't want to give him any excuse to not pay me my proper wage.

So I went to attack the toilets, starting out first with the men's…the abhorrent smell that assaulted my nostrils the moment I cracked the door open almost made me retreat.

No matter how much I tried to get used to it, it always stung.

I cemented my resolve and stepped in. By the time I was done with the last toilet, I smelt awful. However, I didn't have time to dwell on that as I went through the door, and that's when I locked eyes with him.

In all the million scenarios I had pictured in my head on both of us crossing paths again. This was one that I didn't dare to imagine yet, it was unfolding right in front of me as stark reality.

“F**k!” I gasped.

He looked straight at me and I could hardly read his eyes; was he angry that the girl he had trusted had not only drugged but robbed him as well?

“Olivia, what a pleasant surprise…” He said, the smell emanating from me forcing him to scrunch his nose, as he took a step back. Maybe I could use it as an opening to escape–

“If you are thinking of escaping, I suggest that you account for my men surrounding this building…”

I gulped a heavy lump of spit. How did he find me?

“Look, I can explain…I–”

“You know, this hardly looks like a jeweler. Does your father know about this, Olivia?”

“Or should I say, Ana Miller…”

I couldn't stop the shock from spreading across my features. He had really caught me. I don't know how he did it, I must have been careless somehow.

“Are you going to have me arrested?” I asked, every inch of my body, trembling with raw fear; I should have known with rotten luck like mine, eventually this shady business was going to catch up with me.

If only I had been able to save Mom.

He let me quake beneath his blue gaze for a second before–

“No.” I was foolish enough to allow myself to feel a little bit of relief, but it was snuffed out when he added with a devious smile, “I have something else planned for you…come with me, but walk at a distance…you stink.”

He had not been lying, outside the firm his bodyguards large and imposing like tamed rhinos were waiting. He had brought two cars with him, I took the second, with my heart ready to pop.

“What exactly do you want with me, Mr Blinge?” I asked desperately.

“You'll soon find out,” he said, before one of his bulkier bodyguards slammed the door shut.