All Chapters of The Price Of Her Mercy: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

121 Chapters

I’m only Human

JACKSON “That was exactly the point, though.” I cough and belch, and in that moment, I can feel my entire intestine running toward my mouth. He lets out a deep sigh, one of those bone-tired sighs that make me feel like a kid again. I’ve disappointed him. But that’s not my fault. I didn’t bring this upon myself. I’m just selfish enough to care for only myself but how bad is that? “It doesn’t fix anything.” I know that, he knows that, and every other person who decides to run to the bottom of the bottle rather than face any discomfort head-on knows that it doesn’t. It never has, and it sure damn well won’t. “The earlier you get the facts, the better for everyone.” I don’t answer. He’s right, he always is. But my pride never lets me admit that to him. Ever. The rest of the drive home is quiet. My head rests on the cool glass as the street lights all dim. By the time we get to the mansion, my limbs are heavy, my mouth too dry, my stomach threatening a war. I can’t move, and

Sweats and aching muscles

MIRAAfter watching Nora have breakfast, I wheel my squeaky old bike into the road.The air was cool, sharp with dew. My lungs ached, but in a way that felt alive The chain complained as usual; the tires were already tired. All saggy and worn out, but it’s all I have for now, and it carries me. To the fields. To town for groceries, to Hank's. Anywhere.As I chain up the bike to the wooden fence behind the stable, I feel that war inside me. Again. Same as every day. Dread. Loathe. Because it was long hours of sweat and aching muscles. Which was my usual routine. But I also feel relieved, because it means there'll be a little more cash in my pocket.I adjust my gloves, and reach for the stable keys that hang on a rusted piece of nail just outside the storage room, I square my shoulders, and step inside.Of course, it was just another day to grind like my life depends on it, because it did. Another day to pretend I’m not cursed. But also, another chance to prove that whether cursed or

Cheap Burbon

JACKSONI sit up while waiting for Jerry to go get my mother’s portrait hung in my room. I see my socks, a leg on the floor, and another on the edge of the chair. A bottle and a glass on the table.My discarded tie lays there on the floor like a snake, and my shirt rests on the edge of my bed. Last night was really something.My mind flashes as I remember I didn’t hear from Aurora. Maybe it’s the cell service that makes it difficult to connect, I think. I’ll blame anything and everything except Aurora. I can’t bring myself to terms with the idea that maybe she doesn’t care about me, just my money or status.I take a deep breath, and suddenly, my eye catches the first aid kit, and the thought of what Faye did makes me smile. I heave out a sigh. I’m supposed to be having the time of my life, but today is just another day to live in this black hole of despair.I hear Jerry’s voice down in the hallway. The house is so big and empty that even the least things make the most noise. I look ou

A waterfall

AURORAHalf awaken, I steal a gaze across the room. My head pounds, and my body is achy and sore, like every muscle in my body has been overworked or pulled. I turn around, and an exquisite figure lies beside me. Naked.His face is pressed so close to mine that I can feel his hot breath fanning my face.I look around at my surroundings in a daze. The marbled floors glisten in the faint moonlight peeping through the drawn curtains.A glass decanter of amber liquor gleams on the dresser beside crystal tumblers. The air smells of cologne and expensive leather, not my familiar lavender sheets.On the nightstand, a leather watch lies discarded. I swallow hard. Where am I?Then it dawns on me. I’ve followed him home. I try to sit up, but I feel an arm draped across my waist, like he owns the moment.No, he doesn’t.I slip out slowly from under him, making sure I’m as quiet as possible. I gather the sheet around me like armor and head to the bathroom for a quick fix-up.My memory strikes me

Survival

AURORA“Good morning, ma’am. The car is parked and ready to go.”“Of course. Get me another bottle of anxiety pills.I spilled mine not so long ago.”I grab my long, thick black coat, my fedora, and my black Gucci bag, and we head out. The lock clicks as she shuts the door behind me.“And what’s your name again?” I ask as I sit at the back of my Mercedes, adjusting the seat belt to fit.“It’s Sasha, ma’am.”“Sasha.”She’s my new assistant. I have to let the old one go out of anger. I need to take my frustration out on someone, and it’s her.“Coffee. Black, with no sugar,” I command as we drive into the city in silence.“Yes, ma’am,” she replies.The city smells like money and luxury. It’s supposed to. Here in L.A., only the rich people are acknowledged and seen. An average man is nothing around here.The city can either make or break someone. It produces engineers, lawyers, and other professionals who thrive over the years. People call it the happening place. It’s where dreams come tru

Milk, Bread and Proof

MIRAI hop on my bike, with the envelope in my pocket and faint happiness in my heart. I was finally going to get a few things for the house. It was about time.The chains on my bike click at about every second spin, the seat wobble whenever I hit a pothole or move faster than I should, and my grocery list was flapping from the basket like it was trying to escape into the wind and go somewhere far. I wanted to too.Milk. Bread. Jam. Body wash. Butter. Snacks for Nora. Those were the essentials I needed for my survival. The things I could afford.The air smelt of exhaust, cold wind, and hay, the main perfumes of Sunrise Bay. I shift my weight on the bike, while trying to ignore the soreness from working the stables earlier that morning. My arms still ached from hauling hay bales into the barrow . All while pretending I hear when Mr. Smith muttered that I “worked like a man."I should be proud. That was an obvious compliment. But, Instead I just want a nap, and a full body massage, if

Unspoken words

MIRAAs I arrange my groceries into my bike’s basket, my shivering hands betrayed me, before I knew it my jam kiss the floor.“Ah shit Mira! I’m sure you can do better.” I hiss“Need a hand?” A voice call from beside me. Low, but steady. Not like he was managing it, but like he was trying to be nice.I raise my head, not to him. But to the reflection on the glass to catch who that is before I face him. It’s him.I know from the jeans he suddenly changes into. A wave of excitement suddenly hit me. Everywhere becomes quiet as my pulse becomes louder. My hands began to shiver again and my heart thumped like I’d just finished a marathon.“Nah, I’m good. I drop things for fun.” I reply softly. My cheeks hurt from being puffy the whole time. A small but gentle laugh escapes him. “Looks like you win all the time.” He mutters “You can say that again.” I respond and with that I summon the courage to rise and face him. At that moment, none of us moved. It was as though there were a lot of uns

A good sign

MIRAThere he is. On the first page. He wears a black suit with a black shirt and gold accessories. He has a pair of black shades on, like he’s captured by the paparazzi as he walks away with his bodyguards.I gasp softly, touching my lips as I read through it. Jackson Meliś. Heir of the Meliś Enterprise under strict investigation for fraud and scam. A paragraph reads, “he takes from the poor to enlarge his own pocket.”My hands become weak. I drop the newspaper and think, you can’t really know someone after all.Imagine if I had judged him on first impressions, at first glance. I don’t really know what he’s passing through deep down. No wonder he wants to swim at the bottom of a bottle.I head into my bedroom, and the bed squeaks as I lay on it. My heart melts for the young gentleman. He’s indeed going through a lot, even though he doesn’t seem like it. He looks way better than his situation, which is more than I can say for myself.I give one last look at the clock before shutting m

Extra cranky

MIRALunch break arrives and I'm staring at the newspaper in on hand holding a cigarette in the other.“Mira, are you reading about your future husband again?” Jason’s voice snaps me out of my head. He sneak up behind catching me in the act as he, chewed on a straw.I blow out smoke in the opposite direction and I whimper“Fuck you! He’s not my...” I stop myself, and frown at the paper again. “I mean this just looks bad. Not to judge though, but he doesn't seem like the type of guy to do this."“Right?”Jason whistles low. “Billionaire, huh? Meanwhile you're out here crushing on a newspaper. Girl, what are you going to do?”I roll my eyes, as my chest tightens. Inhaling and exhaling my cigarette slowly tapping my right foot on the pavement behind. The words on the page blur for a second, and I have to blink to steady them. It's unlike me to worry about another person's pain or problem. I'm loaded with issues of mine already.“He didn’t seem like that kind of person,” I mutter quiet

Harmless.

JACKSON"Why are you smiling Jack?" Jerry asks, his eyes on the road.“I’m not..How’d you figure.? I don't know Jer, I sigh. "There's just something oddly comforting about the way people around here stare. They look like harmless people. Sunrise Bay has always been a good place. It’s a hard mix of peace and locality.” I ended"And by people.. you mean the weird girl you approached huh?" Jerry teases A small laugh escapes me."No, not just her, the others around too. It’s not like those in the city. It's not the sharp, slicing kind of attention that comes from people who want something like money or information from you.Here, it’s more like… curious. Harmless, even. Like they’re trying to figure out if you’re the kind of person who will say “good morning” back to them.And maybe I am. You know. Maybe I could be.I’m wearing a flannel shirt today. An actual flannel shirt. Jerry found it in a local shop along with a pair of jeans that don’t cost as much as a car payment, and I have to

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