CHAPTER SIXTEEN : I STOLE THE MONEY

“Thank you my dear…thank you very much,” Vera said, her hands trailing my face softly.

My eyes closed and I leaned into her comforting touch.

Tears gathered in my eyes, and one treacherous drop escaped through, drawing a pattern around my cheek.

“It’s okay aunty…I’ll do anything for you,” I said with conviction knowing I meant my words. I will actually do anything for her—she has sacrificed so much for me, even to the extent of going against her own family. I guess I am paying my debt to her, after all, this was only a little compared to what she did for me five years ago.

Bile rose in my throat like always, when my memories travelled back to the day she saved my life, sacrificing a very big part of herself for me.

Without her, I would not have been alive today, so I owe her my life.

Marrying her son, that’s the least I could do.

“Are you okay now aunty…could you please, get some water for her,” I said to the sales girl, who stood behind me. Her eyes wide like saucers as she watched us—then flinched with shock, when she realised both our eyes were watching her.

I let out a harsh breath realizing she must have been watching our drama all this while.

“No…no dear, there’s no need for that, I feel better now.

Pack this dress…we’ll take this,” Vera said, pointing at the gold dress still clinging to my body.

“Okay ma’am,” the girl said, rushing off probably to God knows where, probably ashamed, because I caught her watching us all.

————-

“I hope you have the money ready, because trust me Leah.

I have a lot planned for you already today.

Enjoy the little freedom you have—because you are definitely walking away with handcuffs, straight to jail, before the end of today.

And wait…hmm…what’s the jail term for Embezzlement and theft in the country?” Tina paused, her hands going to rub her chin like she was thinking.

Her eyes glinted with happiness and an edge of darkness, and she turned to face me, a full broad smile on her face.

“That should be twenty to thirty years, enjoy your time as a free woman Leah,” she said as she laughed loudly.

My hands clenched at my sides, and I struggled to keep my anger at bay.

“I did not steal from the company ma’am,” I repeated the words I have been chanting since I resumed work at eight this morning.

“Oh yes, I know that very well.

You are too uptight and stupid, to steal from your workplace,” she said, her eyes narrowed at me with hatred.

I let out a gasp at her words, my gaze widening in shock.

“If…if you knew then why did you…?” I did not get to finish my words, before she silenced me with her hands in the air.

“Why did I do that? Huh? Tell me.

You might not have stolen from the company, but you are no less than me. Whoring around the new CEO like the slut you are, don’t think the walls don't have ears.

And you were always a liability to me, pretending to be good, and making me seem like a bad person, when I had an outburst at your continuous stupid mistakes.

I stole the money, yes, and it was easier to pin the blame on you.

The poor girl, who was too eager to finally handle a big opportunity for the company, thinking she was going to earn a promotion. Serves you right, now you’ll earn a free promotion to the prison cell,” she sneered, and for the first time I felt real fear, when I heard the hatred in her voice.

I unconsciously took a step back, staring at her with wide eyes and fear.

My body shook uncontrollably, as tears blurred my vision.

“Why?…why would you do that Tina? Why? What have I ever done to you?” I asked softly, my mind still reeling with shock.

“Why?” She asked, scoffing at my words.

She took a step towards me, closing the distance between us.

“That’s because I hate you Leah.

I hate you more than I have ever hated anything on this earth.

You remind me so much of someone, I refuse to remember.

Your stupid voice, anytime I hear it, it grates on my nerves. It makes me want to strangle you to death so badly, but I can’t just kill you now, can I?

It’s better to get rid of you this way,”her eyes blazed with anger as she spoke. I could clearly see her dislike for me shining brightly in her eyes now.

“I have done nothing to deserve any of your misplaced hatred Tina.

And let me tell you one thing.

I’m going to expose you. I refuse to suffer for a crime I had no part of.

I’ll tell the whole world that you stole the money not me,” I said, all my fear and shock gone, now scorched under the flames of rage I felt at her words.

I have done nothing but respect and try to get under her good books since the day I started working under her.

But yet, she was never pleased with me.

I felt it was normal, and there was nothing to worry about, but I never knew, her hatred for me ran this deep.

She let out a loud laugh at my words, like I just said the funniest thing she had ever heard.

“You can try Leah. And I urge you, try so hard—go on, tell the whole world that it was all me.

I stole the money, and I framed you for it, tell them.

Let’s see who they’ll believe.

Let’s see how many people actually believe you.

Should I tell you how many Lea?

No-one, absolutely no one would believe you Leah, and do you know why?

Because I have concrete evidence stating that you stole the money—not me.”