Chapter 36
“I don’t think I can do this anymore.”
“What do you mean, you don’t think you can do it anymore? We’re almost at the fucking finish line.” I stared at Porschea in disbelief as she stood in front of me, twiddling her thumbs.
“You don’t understand because you’re not the one taking all the risks. My cousin has been missing for days, and we’re all worried. The last time I spoke to her, she took your car to the auto shop to scrap the parts. She hasn’t been seen since then, and no one is talking.”
“Okay, maybe she decided to lay low for a little while.”
“She would’ve let someone know. We tried to trace her phone, but we got no results. It isn’t like her to disappear without telling anyone where she is. Her kids haven’t heard from her, and neither has her boyfriend. I feel like shit because I’m the reason why she was involved in the first place.”
“Oh, come on. You are being ridiculous. Nobody even knows we were involved. I’m sure your cousin just needed to get away for a few days, and she’ll turn up when she’s ready. You are worrying yourself for no reason,” I assured her, hoping that I was right.
“This is exactly what I’m talking about. You are selfish, and the only person you care about is you. I’ve already taken enough risks for you, and I don’t feel comfortable doing anything else. If you want to get at that girl, then you need to do it yourself.”
“Do you hear yourself? You’re really going to abandon me after everything that we’ve been through?” Naturally, I laid it on thick because I needed her to think that I cared about her. The truth was that she was simply a means to an end for me. Although I enjoyed her and the things that she could do with her tongue, the fact was that Money was the man I wanted, and nobody was gonna get in the way of me having him.
“I’m not abandoning you, but I don’t want to die because you won’t let go. I mean, come on, Harper. Money has made it clear that he doesn’t want to be with you. Why are you pushing the issue? Why would you want to marry someone who doesn’t love you back?” Her questions sent me into a rage. Before I could stop myself, I smacked her across the face.
“Watch your mouth. You don’t know anything about me or Money. He loves me. He’s just confused right now because that bitch decided to come back and ruin our lives. Once I get her out of the picture, he will remember how much he loves me and wants to have a family with me,” I spat, feeling my body shiver with anger. Nothing seemed to be going right for me, and I hated the feeling of not being in control.
“He loves her, Harper. Even if we successfully got rid of her, it would only prolong the inevitable. Do you honestly think that he would get over something like that? The best thing you can do is bow out gracefully and take him up on his offer to help you start over. You could use this as an opportunity to build your platform and snag a few extra deals on your way out.”
“No! I’m not giving up on him. He needs to see things my way. He doesn’t love her the way that he loves me. He only thinks he does because of those kids,” I vented, hitting myself in the head to calm my nerves.
My thoughts were beginning to loop, and I could not seem to find a moment of peace. My father had been pressing me about taking my medicine, but now wasn’t the time. The medicine would only slow me down, and I needed to be fully alert for what we had planned next.
“I’m not doing this. It isn’t worth my life or yours. However, you are grown enough to make your own decisions. Right now, my family needs me, and I need them.”
“What if I give you $500,000. Would you do it then?”
“Where are you going to get that kind of money? I know you make a decent pay with content, but not enough to pay that type of money out.”
“You don’t know how much money I have. Money has never made me pay any bills, so I have been able to stack my coins for a long time. Once we get married, I’ll have access to even more money. All I need is for you to trust me. I can’t do this without you. You’re the only person that I can trust.” Porschea had always been a sucker. I’d been manipulating her since we were teenagers, and she still didn’t see it. She wanted my love and affection so badly that she was willing to do and sacrifice anything to have it.
For years, I preyed on her weakness, hoping it would benefit me one day. Now, the time had come, and I couldn’t afford for her to have cold feet.
“Think about what that money could do for you and your family. You wouldn’t have to worry about a thing. You could even pack up and move if you wanted to. I promise I will never ask you for another favor if you do this for me,” I pleaded.
“Aren’t you tired of this? For the last fourteen years, all you have done is plot and scheme to get this man to love you. You have done some of the most horrific things, and you don’t seem remotely fazed by it. Do you have any feelings at all, or have you always been this coldhearted bitch?” I flinched at the harshness of her words, but she was right.
The day I set my sights on Money Sutton was the day everything changed for me.
“Do we have a deal or not? If you don’t want the money, then I’ll have no choice but to find someone else who does,” I warned, calling her bluff. At the end of the day, I had no one else, but she didn’t need to know that.
“Fine, but I want thirty thousand upfront,” she demanded.
“Done. I’ll give you the rest as soon as the job is complete.” Holding my hand out, I waited for her to shake in agreement. I was one step closer to having everything that I’d always wanted, and I could hardly contain my excitement. Only a few more days, and it would all be over.