Chapter 4

Jeanet

“You have no idea what that word means,” Damien says to her. “I think if we had to compare class, she is classier than you.”

“You really brought her here as your date to spite me?”

“Yep,” he says without even blinking. “Let’s go,” he extends his arm. I place my hand in the crook of his arm, and then he flashes me a smile that brightens his face. With great difficulty, I keep a straight face. I feel Rachel’s eyes burrowing holes in my back.

We wait for the limo in silence in the parking lot.

“I can’t let you work for me,” he breaks the silence.

“I know,” I nod.

When the limo arrives, he opens the door for me and motions for me to get in. I sigh with relief when I find Linda in the car.

“How was it?” She is trying to lighten the mood, and it is a little more cheerful than necessary. I slide onto the seat next to her so that I can properly glare at her.

“What were you thinking?” I glower at her.

“I was thinking that I’m helping out a friend and a beloved uncle,” she says sheepishly. "He needed someone, and you needed a job. You two need each other."

“I don’t like you very much right now.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” She purses her lips.

I roll my eyes. “By the way, I met Rachel.”

She grimaces. “What did she say?”

I show her my arm. “She said I should show you proof that we met.”

“That woman will never change,” she clenches her fists, her eyes on the bruised arm. “Did you at least fight back?”

"No," I shake my head.

“What?" she gasps. "Where was my uncle?”

“He was right there.”

“And he didn’t do anything about it?" Linda glances at her uncle. "Wow!”

“What did you want me to do? Hit her?”

“You could’ve held her hands and let Jeanet hit her.”

I forget that I'm supposed to be mad at her. We both end up laughing, but Damien is not impressed.

“This is why I don’t like it when you two spend time together. You turn into a new person.” When he says this to Linda, he is glaring at me.

“Why are you looking at me like that for something she said?” I protest.

“Because I know you.”

“Don’t you dare think you know me, because you don’t, and Linda has a mind of her own. You should allow her a safe space to express herself."

“Jeanet, don’t do this…” Linda shakes her head.

“This is the thing that you want me to stay with?” Damien raises a brow and motions towards me with his head. His voice is deep and annoyingly calm. As if he is not calling me a “thing.”

This is what I’ve always hated about him, his ability to rile me up and to make me raise my voice when he delivers insults with a stoic face. I always felt like I was crazy or irrational around him. “I can't stay with her. Jeanet is going to disrespect me at every turn,” he continues. “What’s worse is, she’ll be doing this in my house.”

“I don’t want your charity. I can imagine myself living in your house and having you lecture me about a single breadcrumb I couldn’t see while wiping the kitchen counter.”

He gives me a single murderous look.

“Your uncle is a real joy,” I say dryly.

“Why do I get the feeling that you two secretly get along, and you only fight when you see me?” Linda smiles. I feel bad for my poor friend who is always caught up in our fights. “I’m right, aren’t I?” She elbows me.

“I hate you for bringing me to him,” I say between my teeth.

I steal a glance at Damien, and his intense gaze is on me. I end up breaking eye contact. So, he doesn't hate me a little, he hates me very, very much.

“Where are we dropping you off?” He asks.

“Uncle,” Linda interjects. “What did I tell you? She has nowhere to go,” she half-whispers as if I'm not sitting next to her.

“No,” I shake my head. “I do. I’ll be fine.”

“Where will you go?” She asks.

“To my apartment. I have some money from your uncle. My plan is to grab my bags and sleep at a hotel. I'll find a place tomorrow morning.”

“But, without a job…”

“I said it’s okay,” I interject gently.

I am dropped off at my apartment. Linda insists on going in with me.

“Why would you want to go in with her?” Damien asks.

“Because her boyfriend is, I mean, he is now her ex-boyfriend…”

“Linda, no.” I say to her. I don't want her uncle to know my business.

“I’m coming too,” Damien says to Linda.

“For what?” I ask.

“If my niece’s life is in danger, I would want to be there.”

“He is not dangerous, uncle.”

“Then, why do you want to go in with her?”

I get out of the car and slam the door. The door opens immediately, and Linda walks out of the car, followed by her uncle.

“Uncle, I promise he is not dangerous.”

I open and close the gate, leaving them while they argue. I just hope that James will let me sleep for a few more nights while I look for a job and a place to stay. The door to the apartment is unlocked, and when I walk into the kitchen, I almost throw a glass at him.

Ellie is laid on the table like a feast, and she is fucking her. I gasp. They stop at the sound of my gasp. James turns to look at me, and Ellie grins.

“Jeanet, you are invading my privacy,” James says angrily. “You really should have called if you were coming to get the rest of your things.”

“The rest of my things? I didn’t take anything. As for you, Ellie, he has been lying to you if he said I moved out.” I slam the door and walk away. I bump into something hard. I look up, he doesn’t say a word. He places his hands on either side of my shoulders and looks into my eyes.

“How did you get in?” I am sniffing, but I still glower at Damien anyway.

“I have my ways. Why are you crying?” He looks genuinely concerned, which confuses me.

“It’s nothing.” I shake my head.

He lets go of my shoulders and then yanks the door open. I follow him, yelling for him to stop. Ellie is getting dressed, and James is wincing, with a hand on his jaw. If Damien weren't such a jerk, I would thank him for punching James.

“Get your stuff, we are leaving,” Damien says, his eyes still on James.

“But…”

“I can’t leave you here with nowhere to go,” he says gently.

“Fine,” I sigh. There’s no point in protesting when I really have nowhere to go.

He follows me to what used to be our room. We grab the bags, which I angrily packed earlier. When we walk into the kitchen, we find Linda yelling at James and Ellie.

“I don’t want to see you anywhere near her.” Damien’s tone is lethally calm, it almost scares even me. “From now on, don’t breathe the same air she breathes. Don’t ever be in the same room she is in, don’t even look at her pictures on social media. If you do, I’m going to find out, and you don’t want to see that side of me.”

Linda and I are carrying the rest of the bags as we follow Damien. The driver rushes towards us and takes the bags away from us.

“Thank you for today,” I say when the car drives off.

“I was doing it for Linda. She begged me, and she was crying. I was never going to find peace.”

“Thank you,” I say to Linda.

“You’re welcome.” She gives me a hug.

“I’m going to give you a job, and you’ll stay with us temporarily. Next month when you get paid, I expect you to move out.”

I nod.