Chapter 9

 

  ☆Samira☆

Four years flew by like a jet plane, and it felt as if I had skipped a year or two. 

 All credit went to Cameron.

Not a single day was dull, nor did I ever feel like throwing in the towel. Each morning, I eagerly anticipated waking up to plot our revenge.

That’s all we did for four long years, plotting plans, strategizing our vengeance time and again. Hunting for the perfect tools to ensure our revenge, leaving no chance for those fools to ever find room to strike back.

Initially, it took me a while to warm up to Cameron's plan.

Four years seemed like an eternity.

Those fools would continue to live their blissful lives while I languished in this place, but the moment she mentioned our first target on the revenge list was ensuring Kate never experienced motherhood, I was in without questions.

We were determined to ensure that she never had the opportunity to be called a mother.

To deny her the joy of feeling a child grow within her.

To prevent her from enduring the pain of childbirth or hearing that sweet sound of a newborn's first cry.

She had snatched that moment from me, robbed me of that precious experience, so when Cameron proposed to take it from her as well, I was all in.

Bis 2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEPH), a chemical found in plastics and cosmetics in trace amounts. But in higher concentrations, it tempered with a woman's fertility.

This chemical left everything else unchanged, normal periods, and most importantly, it was undetectable unless a doctor was specifically looking for it.

And even if they did look, it would likely be blamed on beauty products.

I had my reservations about whether it would work or how we would get the chemical into Kate, but poisoning wealthy people was the easiest.

They always wanted custom made things, high end items. I wasn’t that kind of rich, but Kate certainly was.

She had her makeup and perfumes tailored just for her.

We tracked down the company, and Cameron made sure the right people were bribed to slip the chemical into her products.

For four years, we watched that witch bounce from doctor to doctor, desperately seeking answers to why she was not getting pregnant.

But now she was gearing up for IVF.

We knew she would eventually go that route, even if it took her a while, and we were prepared.

The relief was knowing that I would be released tomorrow, finally ready to physically join in the destruction of their lives.

Those two fools were off in Singapore, indulging in their lavish lifestyle, living it up as if I were nothing. They had moved on, completely forgotten about me.

This was what was going to make my revenge truly exquisite.

I glanced at my watch, counting down the hours.

“Here is the free woman,” Cameron announced as she entered the cell, holding a cupcake adorned with a candle.

I chuckled.

This wild woman was a bit over the top, but I had grown accustomed to her antics.

“Come on, blow it out,” she urged.

I smiled and extinguished the flame.

“My beautiful little ginger has blossomed, no tears, no self pity. I’ve raised her well,” she beamed, her excitement beaming.

“You’ll be awfully lonely in here without me,” I shot back.

“Lonely? Not a chance! I’ve already got my sights set on a new target. Inmate 2222, the blonde,” she grinned. “She’s tied to a maximum cartel and she wants me to wipe them all out!” she giggled in excitement.

I raised an eyebrow, opting to keep my mouth shut. The fewer details I had, the normal I was when it came to Cameron.

This woman was pure evil, the kind of evil I needed to settle scores with my enemies. She had eyes everywhere and knew everyone that needed to be known.

“Come closer, I need to share the final touches of our revenge,” she whispered.

I moved to the bed, setting the cupcake down on the table, and leaned in to catch her words.

“Do you remember the investor?” she asked.

I nodded slowly.

Four years ago, we had launched a seafood business, registered under my alias with a little help from my cousin Rachel.

Convincing Rachel to join me had been a challenge. By then she was juggling three jobs and chasing scholarships, all because I had squandered her education funds with my reckless choices in men.

But eventually, she gave in. She still held a grudge against me, but the prospect of money was too tempting, and she became our eyes and ears in the company.

The arrangement was that I would sponsor her and her family abroad once I was released from prison. Her, Uncle Ben, and her mother.

They needed to leave the country under false identities. They were my weakness. 

Going after my enemies, I couldn’t afford any vulnerabilities.

For the last four years, Rachel had kept the company’s books clean and above board, merely handling the taxes.

I had named the company Sam's SeaFood Limited, a tribute to the baby I lost. This was the company I intended to buy back as the new wealthy investor.

But Cameron had never revealed how or where the investment money would come from.

She promised to fill me in on the last day.

“Have you spoken to the investor yet?” I asked.

She cleared her throat a couple of times. “Well, the money is legitimate and clean, but you’ll need to dig it up,” she replied.

My eyes widened. “What?”

“Remember when I told you I stole and hid my husband’s fortune?” she asked.

“Yes,” I replied, lowering my gaze as the pieces began to fit together.

She stood up, scratching her head, a bad omen.

In the four years I’d known her, that scratch always meant she was about to say something I wouldn’t want to hear or something deeply inhumane.

“The money is buried with my husband, in his grave,” she whispered.

I simply shut my eyes, the air in the room turning a little sour.

It clicked why they never found that fortune, but her husband had been dead for six or was it seven years? There was no way I would stoop so low as to disturb a grave.

She grasped my hands, her eyes wide with excitement. “There’s at least ten billion in there,” she hissed, making my heart skip a beat.

“Cleveland Cemetery, grave number 105. Go trespass on that fool’s grave, spit on it, defile it, or leave a used pad or tampon over his remains, then get the money,” she beamed. “And bring me one of his ribs. I need to carve a knife for my little killing spree in here.”

I yanked my hand away from her grip, this woman was utterly a mental patient. Rising from the bed, I pressed my palm to my forehead, trying to steady myself.

This was far from what I had anticipated. Sure, she had done more wicked things, but this was inhumane.

“This is my last bit of cash, no strings attached, but you’ll be sending a little something my way to keep my operations running in here and help me live my dream, right?” she asked, her tone dripping with expectation. “And don’t forget to snap some photos of that damn corpse!”

“No, no, no, Cameron, seriously!” I nearly shouted in disbelief.

“Without this money, you won’t be able to take down Daniel,” she cautioned. “He’s twice as wealthy now, and dismantling his empire will require a hefty sum, which is buried in…”

I turned away, knowing there was no way in hell I would entertain this madness.

“Samira, listen,” she pressed.

“Cameron, no! Why didn’t you hire those guys who spy on Kate and Daniel?” I countered. “They could easily dig for the money!”

She stood up, her sinister grin fading.

“You really think those men would come back to me after digging up ten billion in cash?” She posed a valid point. “Loyalty comes at a price.”

I lowered my gaze, she was right. That money was stolen. If they stole it, she wouldn’t report it. She’d be the one at a loss.

“You are not to breathe a word about the grave or ask anyone to dig for you. Do you understand?” she warned, her voice sharp.

“Even if I did dig it up myself, the money is probably rotting or in shreds…” I replied, my voice trailing off.

“Who said the money is in paper form?” she shot back.

I stared at her, confused.

“Think it over,  I won’t force you,” she said, turning on her heel and striding out of the cell before I could voice any more questions.

But there was nothing to think about. I had no intention of disturbing her husband’s grave or worse, desecrating it. Why did she have to ruin my day like this?

I knew she had legitimate businesses operating under aliases. I had hoped one of those companies would buy out my own company.

Taking a deep breath, I raked my fingers through my hair.

Cameron was not one to back down easily. She would sulk until she got her way, but I was going to stand my ground.

The next morning, I awoke to an empty room.

I wasn’t surprised, Cameron was sulking because things hadn’t gone her way. I had no time for her childish games.

Today was my freedom day. I was finally free. Most inmates would throw a farewell party or ask fellow prisoners to send them off, but I decided to leave quietly.

I planned to celebrate once Daniel and Kate were brought to their knees.

As for Cameron, I would return to bid her a proper farewell once she was done wallowing.

Within an hour, I stood outside the prison gates, waiting for Rachel to pick me up.

Her parents were unaware of my release. I had given my uncle the wrong date. Uncle Ben had a soft spot for me, and I knew he would change his mind about leaving the country if he found out I was out.

A car pulled up, and Rachel rolled down the window. She was all grown up, 22 years old now. You could say she was a younger version of me.

With her fiery long ginger and striking green eyes, we both inherited from Uncle Ben.

“Looks like prison worked wonders for you,” she remarked with a smirk.

I smiled and slid into the car. “Is everything set?” I asked.

“Absolutely! I managed to persuade my parents with a fake scholarship. By tomorrow, we’ll be off to some foreign country,” she answered.

“And the counterfeit passports?” I pressed.

“They won’t suspect a thing, trust me,” she assured me as she drove off.