Mag-log in姑は私の目の前で自分の孫に授乳している。「何見てるのよ?!これは私と俊明との愛の結晶よ!羨ましいなら、あなたには無理ね!」彼女の口にする俊明とは、彼女の息子であり、私の夫でもある。私は呆然としてしまった。姑は認知症を患い、孫を息子だと思い込み、息子を夫だと勘違いしている。そして私は、彼女の目には家庭を壊す不倫相手に見えているのだ。
view moreIMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE: This is the only authors note this book will have, so please read it.
Hell Of A Marriage, although a spinoff from Little Nerdy Nightmare is a stand-alone book.
*PEOPLE TO KNOW BEFORE READING.*
Taylor Snowfall: The woman Keenan loves who is in love with his best friend. Although her presence doesn’t appear much displayed in this book.
Phoebe Cates Snowfall: She was Keenan’s first love interest, but she was Rory’s kid sister, and he told Keenan to end the relationship.
Jack Snowfall: Taylor Snowfall’s younger brother and husband of Phoebe Gate. ***
Hey everyone and welcome to HELL OF A MARRIAGE. It’s so nice to have you here. You are at the right place at the right time. Thank you for joining me on this journey. Will Keenan Hilton finally get the happily ever after he deserves, or will he be trapped in other people’s shadow all the rest of his life? Join me as we find out.
*******
“Miss Klean, the CEO would like to see you now.” The junior secretary said to Varisha Klean with a warm smile and for a strange reason, whatever had caused Varisha to have doubts about this interview seems to have disappeared at this moment.
After attaining a degree in hotel management at Stanford University, Varisha set to prove to the world that she could make it without their support.
She never got their help when she needed them, anyway.
This was the first step to being the girl she was truly meant to be.
Her parents separated when she was twelve and the court granted her father full custody of her and her brother because of his influence, even though he was abusive both physically, verbally, and sexually to both of them.
Varisha had grown up watching his father mistreating and abusing her mother and her mother, only having the strength to leave fifteen years after their marriage. Tasha Klean had filed for a divorce, citing that the marriage had a lot of physical and emotional abuse.
Tobi Klean her father, was a control freak and always had anger management issues and he had only got worse after their mother filed for a divorce. He would always blame them Varisha and Andrew her twin brother for every misfortune that ever came his way, like how he lost his job and couldn’t find a decent job, and how he couldn’t get his old life back, how his life sucked, how he wasn’t able to make anything out with his life and how it was all their fault. He’d always find them revolting, annoying, making Varisha wonder why he wanted custody.
When Varisha and her brother turned fourteen, they ran away from home to their mother, which they had then thought was the safest place on earth until a day when they came back home from school only to find their mother, dead on the floor of her home. According to the police report, she had been shot, and the killer had gotten away before the police and although the case was opened for weeks, there was no positive outcome. Their dad had come up at the funeral, but they knew he must have had something to do with her death. Varisha knew they were young back then, but they were not dumb.
After the funeral, Tobi demanded that Varisha and Andrew return home to him, and while Vary refused his offer, Andrew thought about it. According to Andrew, who had been keeping a close tab on Tobi, he had taken counselling and already found himself an outstanding job and that they could use that. He also stated that they wouldn’t survive on their own, seeing that they were still minors and they needed a superior watch and guild so they won’t get thrown into the orphanage home. Varisha refused because she knew he had not changed a bit and only going to abuse again. Andrew didn’t know about the sexual abuse, and Varisha didn’t want to tell him.
She knew their father hadn’t changed; she knew he would soon be back to his old ways, especially as soon as they returned home with him. Varisha couldn’t convince Andrew to come with her and he couldn’t convince her to come with him and so they separated, and that was the last time she saw her twin brother and that was seven years ago.
She walks into the CEO’s office as directed by the junior secretary and she enters the office. The seat faces to the window so that she can’t see the face of the man in the room who should take her interview.
“Can you please close the door, please?” comes the deep voice behind the desk and she nods immediately, closing the door and gripping harder on her purse in anxiety.
She had submitted her credentials at the Hilton’s hotels not really expecting a call because come on it takes luck to get this chance, and someone once told her that as a woman only get above by being one of these three; being really smart, knowing people in powerful places or being on your knees, but when she had gotten a call from the Hilton hotel manager asking her to come for an interview today, she knew it was her once in a lifetime chance and she had to bring all the smartness that got her straight A’s throughout college to this interview.
“Are you going to just stare at the seat, or do I need to tell you to have a seat before you have a seat?” comes the same voice, except this time a little irritated. Why was he being irritated at her? Has he seen her before? And how the hell does he even know she isn’t seated?
Probably the tinted glass wall has a reflection of her. She brings herself to look at the window, hoping to see him, but she does not see his face.
It’s all her fault. Instead of going to bed last night, she should have done her research on the man she was coming to meet today, and that way she wouldn’t be here wondering what this man looks and acts like.
The man behind the chair makes an angry grunt, and my heart skips. “If you’re not ready for this interview, I’ll not have you waste any of my time.”
She shakes her head quickly like he could see her. “No, I really need this job.” She admits unable to his the desperation for the job.
“Then get seated, damn it, I don’t have all day!” he commands, and she silently obeys, although she really wanted to tell him that.
‘He is being a sick, arrogant jerk.’
As the thought leaves her head, he answers, “If you had learnt how to control your mouth, then maybe you could have gotten a chance at this job. Now leave my office this minute.”
Varisha raises her brow confusedly, wondering what she had done to make her lose her once in a lifetime opportunity. “Excuse me?” she asks, more of blurts out in confusion.
“Calling your to be boss an arrogant jerk is the top of ‘things to do to stay unemployed for life’s list’.” He said with an acidic voice laced with anger and so much frustration, she almost can feel him burning from so far away.
“Well, most employees think their employer and bosses are jerks, bitches and asshole.” She chuckles, which isn’t quiet because it is loud enough for the man behind the seat to hear. “If all employers were to pay attention to the words uttered by their employees, then they will have no employees because they’d probably fire all of them, and that would be ridiculous because without the employer no work will be done and then you will be no boss.”
“Well, none of them had ever taken it upon themselves to call me a dick to my face before.” Answer the voice of the man she’s yet to see.
“I didn’t mean to call you a dick; it was supposed to be an inner thought, one that everyone has. I’m sorry, I take it back. I need this job.” She knew she was sounding kind of pathetic, but she knows she can’t help it. She needed the job desperately. If only her big mouth hadn’t gotten in the way! ‘I have to prove to myself I can survive without Tobi Klean.’ She whines to herself, her heart breaking at the thought of losing this chance. That line has kept her at her peak throughout college. Her father told her she couldn’t be anything, and she wanted to prove to herself that she could.
What she said or something similar to it makes him turn around to see the pretty lady who has been making him feel like blowing his brains out because of how dumb and smart she seems to be all at once. She is pretty with those adorable brown eyes and full lips and he wonders how those pretty lips could utter the crap he’s been listening to in the last five minutes.
Okay, he’s attracted to her at first sight and the image of her in the tinted glass has nothing on her, but then again she isn’t the first he’s been attracted to at first sight, so that won’t make it any easy for her, in fact, it’s going to make things even more difficult.
Varisha looks up at him and oh boy she had to admit to herself that ‘He is beautiful!’ she unknowingly blurts out again, guess she can’t seem to differentiate a loud whisper from thoughts and he can’t help smiling at how cute that is.
Her eyes drop to his nose and the full beards he’s raring that’s almost covering up his mouth, and this further confirms her suspicion when she first heard him speak ‘he is also Italian!’ she says and it sounds more like an irk which is really not what she thinks. She’s been keeping up with Gomorrah, her favourite Italian show and it helps her understand the Italian culture and styles and, most of all, accent.
He has heard her and frowns at her words, not wanting to read into them deeply, but doing it anyway and he had let the opinion of someone he knew nothing about affect him.
He clears his throat and, having had enough of her craze show, he replies, “Yeah, as far as I can remember, I am, and you are black, and I’m not employing you.”
“Is that because of what I said earlier or because I’m black because I am suddenly confused.” She counter, trying to keep her mind from wandering off to analyze his solid and firm face and oh goodness, his hair!
“You were the first person who mentioned race.”
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t be your employee because you were Italian now, did I?”
Suddenly he does not know what the hell she is rambling out of her mouth because none seems to make sense. How did she get to decide if she should be employed or not? “You aren’t even employed yet, so you can’t decide what you want in your employer.”
“Well, would you want to change that?” Her brow rises curiously.
Is she seriously trying to manipulate his decision?
Why was he even having this conversation? There were others out there waiting to be interviewed, but she seems to be one of those few daring ones and hell, he’d gladly let them wait a few more hours just to get to know her more.
“What’s your name?”
Suddenly taken back she asks short of breath. “What?” Because the god of beauty just wanted to know her name.
“Do I have to spell it? What is your name?” he asks impatiently, his breath going rough and edgy.
She shakes her head, “N—no,” she stutters, fidgeting with her hand and glancing up at him to know if he is serious, but only looking away when she realizes his gaze also fixated on her. “My name is Varisha Klean,” Vary for short-form. She doesn’t dare say that out loud, but what she asks out loud is “what is yours?”
Oh goodness! She thinks, this is getting weirder, ‘cause did she just ask him what his name was? This isn’t some first time meeting; this is an interview, one that would determine the ‘cause of her life for a very long time and she is seriously messing it up!
“Haha! Funny. I could use that, a minor distraction from my normal, boring, suicidal life.” He said the last part to himself. “My name is Keenan Hilton. I’m your new boss.”
「最近どう?中の生活は辛いでしょ?」受話器を耳に当てながら、坊主頭に囚人服を着た男を見て話しかけた。俊明は私を睨みつけ、その目には憎悪と怒りが溢れていた。「全部お前の仕業だな!先輩にわざと俺にプロジェクトの情報を漏らさせて、俺を誘い出して書類を盗ませて金に換えさせたんだろ?そうだろ?!」私は率直に認めた。「その通り、全部私がやったの」彼は感情を爆発させ、私に向かって叫んだ。「なんでだ?!俺が一体お前に何をしたっていうんだ?!」ここまで来て、彼に言うべきことはもう何もなかった。彼は自分の過ちに全く気づいていない。たとえ私が真剣に説明しても、きっと理解しようとしないだろう。それなら、このままでいい。私が何も言わない方が彼にはもっと苦痛だろう。それならそれで構わない。「私、動画を二つ持ってるけど、見たい?あなたの母さんについてのやつ」その言葉に、彼はようやく冷静になり、私が再生した動画を見ることにした。最初の動画は、私が隠しカメラで撮影した、鈴木香織と田中の浮気の映像だった。二つ目の動画は、香織が空気に向かって話しかけている映像だった。誘拐事件を経験した彼女は完全に壊れ、アルツハイマー病を患ってしまった。彼女が住んでいた家は売却され、今では居場所を失っている。残りわずかな私の良心が、彼女を施設に送る決断をさせた。彼にその二つの動画を見せ終えると、私は席を立ってその場を後にした。背後から聞こえる叫び声を無視して。「優子!優子!俺が間違ってた!」「本当に悪かった!母さんがそんな人間だなんて思いもしなかった!もう一度チャンスをくれ!」一度の過ちが全てを狂わせる。人生にやり直しの機会なんて、そう何度もあるわけがない。刑務所を出ると、私は先輩に電話をかけた。「先輩、用事が片付いたよ。あなたのチーム、まだ人手が足りてない?私、戻る準備ができた」「足りないよ!君の席はずっと空けてある!僕たちの事業が君を待ってるんだ!」「いいね!」
俊明が出て行った後、私も箱を持って工場へ向かった。姑を誘拐したのは田中だ。私は彼がこの手に出ることを予想していた。ジムがなくなり、収入源を失った彼は、街角の鼠のように誰からも嫌われ、完全に行き詰まっていた。さらに、私が雇ったネット工作員が姑が警察の調査に協力しているという情報をわざと流していた。その噂は彼の耳にも届いたに違いない。彼は間違いなく姑を憂さ晴らしの道具として利用し、徹底的に復讐すると同時に、彼女から最後の一円まで搾り取ろうとするだろう。私はこの二人のクズを憎んではいるが、彼らの罪は法律で裁かれるべきだ。だからこそこの罠を仕掛けた。姑に代償を払わせるだけでなく、田中をも制裁するために。来る前に、私はこのメッセージの内容を警察に伝えておいた。彼らはすでに工場を包囲しておる。あとは私が田中をおびき出して捕らえるだけだった。現場に到着し、箱を持って車から降りた。「おい!誰かいるか?金を持ってきたよ、あなたはどこにいる?」私は広い空間に向かって声を張り上げた。しばらくして、田中が姑を人質に取って現れた。彼は頭に黒い覆面をしていたが、それでも彼だと分かった。視線を下げると、地面に崩れ落ちた姑が見えた。彼女がひどい暴力を受けたのは一目瞭然で、整形手術から回復途中の顔は青あざだらけだった。よく見ると、整えたばかりの鼻も曲がっていた。彼女は呆然と地面にうずくまり、完全に怯え切った様子だった。私はゆっくりと箱を持ち上げ、一歩ずつ前に進み、まるで彼に渡そうとしているかのように見せた。しかし、彼は待ちきれない様子で、人質の手を離し、箱を奪おうと飛びかかってきた。その瞬間、数人の警官が隠れ場所から飛び出し、彼をすばやく取り押さえた。「警察だ!動くな!」危機が解消され、帰りの車に乗り込むと、先輩から電話がかかってきた。「優子、君の読み通りだったよ。俊明がやっぱり僕のオフィスに書類を盗みに来た。もう捕まえたけど、直接警察に送る?それとも……」「急がないで、まずは彼に離婚届を書かせましょう」
今朝早く、私と俊明に同時に匿名のメッセージが届いた。そこにはこう書かれていた。「鈴木香織は今、俺の手の中にいる。会いたければ、2000万を用意して荒川区103番地の廃鋼工場まで来い。いいか、警察に通報するな。さもなければ、彼女に会えるかどうかは保証できない!」姑が失踪してからすでに二日が経っていた。失踪に気づいたその日のうちに警察に通報したものの、防犯カメラの映像は姑が黒い服の男にバンに押し込まれるところまでで途切れていた。このメッセージが現時点で唯一の手がかりだった。俊明は疲れ果てた様子でソファに座り込んでいた。二日間まともに寝ておらず、目は血走り、服はしわくちゃのままだった。正直に言えば、彼は私に対してひどいことをしてきたが、母親には実に誠実に尽くしている。だが、それで私の心が揺れるわけではない。むしろ、彼のその親孝行ぶりは私の計画を進める上で好都合だった。「俊明、どうやって2000万円も用意するの?もし持っていかなかったら、あのならず者たちが怒ってお義母さんを殺したらどうするの?」私は必死に焦っているふりをした。彼は黙ったままだったが、私はすすり泣きながら話を続けた。「うう、お義母さんは普段あんなに大事にされてきた人なのに、今頃どこで苦しんでるのか分からないよ!あんなに美人なんだから、あの男が悪いことを企んでるかもしれない。俊明、私たちお義母さんを見捨てちゃだめだよ。何があっても救い出さなきゃ!」俊明は顔を上げ、宙の一点をじっと見つめた。血走った目には、何か言葉にできない感情が滲んでいた。しばらくして、彼は何かを決心したように見えた。「優子、お前は家で待ってろ。金のことは俺が何とかする。絶対に母さんを助け出すぞ!」そう言うと、彼は足早に家を出て行った。彼の背中を見送りながら、私は電話をかけた。「先輩、彼が会社に向かったよ。そっちは準備を始めて」
夜になり、休む前に私は俊明に話を切り出した。彼は客室のベッドが気に入らないと言い、私が入院している間にさっさと主寝室に戻って寝るようになっていた。「あなた、ちょっと話があるんだけど、怒らないで聞いてね」私はあたかも何か悪いことをしたかのような申し訳なさそうな顔を作った。「お義母さん、整形したのよ。それで、その治療費が……ちょっと高くついちゃったの」俊明は驚いてこちらを振り返った。「なんで突然整形なんてしたんだ?あんな年齢で大丈夫なのか?で、いくらかかったんだ?」私は控えめに手で金額を示した。すると、彼はベッドから転げ落ち、怒りに任せて私に枕を投げつけてきた。「ふざけるな!母さんは年取って頭が回らなくなったからって、君まで一緒になってバカやるな!うちにそんな金があると思うのか!?」「その金、返せるのか?少しでも取り戻せるなら取り戻せよ!」私は慌てて彼をなだめた。「ちょっと落ち着いて。このお金は返せないよ。だってお義母さんがサインした以上、支払わなければ法的責任を問われるから。でも、私にいい考えがあるの」「あなた名義の家があるでしょ?お義父さんとお義母さんが新婚祝いにくれたあの家。今は二人とも住んでないんだから、あれを売ればちょうどこのお金が返せるじゃない?」彼はそれを聞くと、即座に嫌な顔をした。「あれは俺の両親が俺のために残してくれた資産だぞ。それを動かすなんてありえない!」私は甘えた声で彼に約束した。「もう~心配しないでよ、あなた!あの家を売ったら、すぐにこの家の名義にあなたの名前も追加するから。それに、私ももう仕事を始めたし、稼いだお金は全部夫婦の共同財産でしょ?すぐに埋め合わせられるって!」私がそう言うと、彼の目が一瞬で輝いた。私のこの家は市の中心にあり、価値は彼の家とは比べ物にならないほど高い。それなら彼が乗り気になるのも当然だった。内心では大喜びしているくせに、彼はわざと自分が大損したような態度を取った。彼は渋々口を開いた。「仕方ない、でもこれっきりにしろよ。ほんとに女ってのはすぐに感情的になってバカなことをするんだから。次からは何かあったら、まず俺に相談しろよな」甘い言葉をさらに浴びせ続け、彼はようやく満足して眠りについた。翌朝、私は彼を連れてすぐに家を売りに行った。お
処方された薬を持ってナースステーションへ行き、水を一杯借りてすぐに飲んだ。子どもを抱えながら隣の長椅子に腰を下ろし、私はまだあのフルーツ野菜ジュースのことを考えていた。だが、看護師たちのひそひそ話が思考を中断させた。「あなたの話なんて大したことないよ!今の世の中、もっとすごい奇妙な話があるんだから。例えば、ほら、数日前に脳出血で急死したあのおじいさん。あの人、奥さんが浮気して、それで怒りのあまり死んじゃったんだよ!」「どうしてそれを知ってるの?」「その日、重症患者室で当直してたの。彼がずっとブツブツ言ってたんだよ。“香織、俺がどれだけお前に尽くしてきたと思ってるんだ。それな
翌朝、私は目を覚ましてベッドから起き上がった。昨夜、姑に腹を立てて夕飯も食べずに部屋へ引っ込んで寝てしまったせいで、朝になるとお腹がぐうぐう鳴っていた。キッチンに行き、いくつかの果物と野菜を切り、水を加えてミキサーに入れた。ボタンを押そうとしたその時、部屋の中から赤ちゃんの泣き声が聞こえてきた。目が覚めたのに周りに誰もいなくて怖くなったのだろう。それを思い、急いで部屋へ戻った。赤ちゃんを抱いて部屋を出ると、キッチンから出てきた姑と鉢合わせた。彼女は昨日私が買ったばかりの新しいドレスを着て、派手に着飾っていた。関わりたくない。近寄られたくもない。私は彼女を避けてそのま
私は俊明と高校時代からの知り合いだ。高校2年生の時、私たちは隣同士の席になった。私は成績が良くなかったが、彼はクラスでもトップクラスの成績を誇る学級委員だった。彼は優等生にありがちな高慢さはなく、いつも私に根気よく勉強を教えてくれた。そうしているうちに、私たちはお互いに好意を抱くようになった。高3の年、私は奮起して努力し、彼と同じ大学に合格した。そして、合格通知を受け取ったその日に彼に告白し、彼はそれを受け入れてくれた。私たちは自然に付き合うことになった。大学に入った私は、まるで運命が味方してくれたかのように、自分の学んでいる専門分野で非凡な才能を発揮した。卒業後、親しくな
「俊明!早く来て!香織は新しい服を試したくてたまらないの!」姑の楽しそうな笑い声が庭に響き渡る。そのわざとらしい幼い口調は、どう聞いても違和感しかなかった。俊明は気まずそうに目を合わせようともせず、黙ってリビングに入っていった。彼はためらいがちに口を開いた。「母さん……いや、香織、この荷物は……」俊明が言葉を濁すその意図を察したのか、姑の目が瞬く間に赤くなり、涙が一気に溢れ出した。泣きながら問い詰めてきた。「どうして?これって香織のために買ったものじゃないの?俊明は今日一日中家にいなくて、香織を一人にしたじゃない。だから、これで香織に謝ってくれるのかと思ったのに……香織の勘違い