Gone #4
“Gather yourself and stop lying! You’ve always had help even if it wasn’t familial.
You had help because I insured that you did.
You’re just a bitch. When I wanted to stay around you told me to focus on work.
On investing and making something of ourselves.
You told me the purpose of everything we’d sacrificed was to ensure we could live how we wanted.
I thought I had someone who supported my goals and loved our children but it was clear I never did.
” My father’s disappointment at having lived a lie for so long was clear.
“I should’ve sent you back to Eritrea so you could get raised the proper way. I didn’t have these issues out of your brother or your sister.” She refused to own up to what anyone was saying so she turned her attention back on me.
“The proper way? You mean where I’m sewn up and almost dead because of infection? Because the proper way means that female mutilation is the way we’re taught to remain good enough to marry. I knew you were sick but this just confirms it.”
She sneered and I wondered who’d warped her mind but I no longer cared to find out. The hurt she’d caused and the seeds she’d sown were about to bear fruit.
“It’s either that or the need for a lobotomy to keep you in line.”
“ābo would never let that happen.”
“You’re goddamn right I wouldn’t.” He spoke in a tone filled with venom at the mere thought of her trying to harm me.
“I can go to the police. Right now. And then you’ll have to give WJ the position at the company that is rightfully his. You won’t be able to steal that from him.” She was reaching for a way out. Attempting to flex leverage she didn’t have.
“You could try.”
Her eyes went back to me, remembering I caused her discomfort. “Why did you bring me here?”
“For closure. I knew I wouldn’t get it but I wanted to lay the cards out on the line for everyone.
So they knew my actions weren’t done out of my hate for you but for my love for them.
” I looked at each one of them even my brother, as I spoke so they could see my sincerity.
He wasn’t off the hook but I wasn’t as angry at him as I had been.
“Love. What a ridicules notion.”
“I’m sure it is for you. You see, I realized that I was allowing everything I’d gone through to make me bitter.
And when I looked up and realized I was becoming more like you I had to stop fighting what I was feeling.
I had a man who loved me. He would move mountains for me and if he could he’d be by my side right now.
The only thing you cared about in this world was money and even that didn’t make you happy. ”
“I’m not afraid of you.”
I couldn’t help but smile. Watching as her lip quivered, and her thoughts of coming out of this with the advantage faded away.
“You should be. I have a new brother whose uncle has a kingdom and has an affinity for your other daughter.” Sasha looked lost as to whom I was speaking about but I would talk with her about that later.
“If I needed him to find a place for you to work in his kingdom just to keep you from getting out of hand I’m sure he’d be more than happy to do so. ”
Silently I motioned for Matty who opened the door for two men, one being Xerxes and the other King Afshin Mahdavi.
“What is this?” The panic in her tone was obvious as she watched the two men heading toward us.
“Consider this your divorce decree.” ābo smiled as he reached out to shake their hands and Xerxes bent down to hug me.
They had remained standing and Jacqueline and I were still seated.
I rose to greet the king but he waved me off.
I noticed that he really couldn’t keep his eyes off Sasha, which I thought was adorable.
And probably the impetus for him being so eager to help us out.
“What? I remember you from the wedding. Why are you here? William, WJ, Sasha are you all going to let her sit here and get away with this?” Jacqueline thought raising her voice and being demanding was supposed to force us to answer her as quickly as she wanted but her desires no longer came into play.
“Funny thing happened when I was trying to find reasons to tell our daughter that you didn’t need to die.”
Her eyes were wide at my father’s words. “Die?”
“Yes die. Asha wanted to kill you and frankly with what I’ve seen you probably deserve it.”
“Are you smoking? I’m your wife. I’ve been your wife for almost thirty-five years. I’ve given you an heir, a daughter—”
“—Two daughters you rancid bitch—”
I giggled at my twin’s vehemence as she glared at Jacqueline. Jacqueline was absolutely appalled at her outburst and the king seemed to admire her spine. “Sasha—”
“Please shut up before I take matters into my own hands. I’ve tried to be a dutiful daughter but in doing so, I was a shitty twin—”
“Sasha—”
She held up her hand to me, stopping me from making her feel better. “Stop you know it’s the truth. I’ve wanted everyone to get along, but you wouldn’t allow that to happen. This is what you deserve especially with what you were going to do with ābo.”
“Excuse me?”
“Your messages. You kept calling a specific number up until a few years ago. I thought it was your boyfriend on the side so I didn’t care but then I got a phone call.” My father adjusted his tie and I wondered how many boyfriends she’d had over the years.
“A phone call?”
“From a good friend of our late son-in-law. A Mr. Adam Hartison. The young man whom Ismaham’s oldest daughter married. You remembered her don’t you, love?” ābo’s voice got harder the longer he spoke and I could tell he was barely holding it together.
Her panic was clear. That name struck fear in her more than the idea of being broke ever could. It spoke volumes as to just how badly she knew she’d fucked up.
“William—”
“No. The time to talk is gone. It’s funny what people will put in text messages thinking they can’t be retrieved.”
“William, please let me explain.” Jacqueline was whispering, her tone attempting to be contrite as though it would somehow erase everything she’d done.
“Explain what? That you were, from the start, planning to kill me and get my money. But the money was so good that you let being the wife of a powerful man lull you into not going through with your friend’s plan.”
The tears were falling now as she reached out for my father. “Please, she’s lying—”
Sasha leaned over and slapped the shit out of Jacqueline who gasped dramatically as she held her cheek. “Lying? We’ve read your own words!”
“You’ve been plotting against my life, which is why you’ve been pushing so hard for WJ to take over. Feeding him poison against his sister that she was trying to take over and kick him out. Knowing all this time that he had other interests and didn’t really care about owning everything.”
That was a kind way to put it. My brother was far more interested in having money than earning it.
As long as the dividends came in he wasn’t about to stress himself out with the success or failure of a business.
He wanted the glory without actually doing the hard work that it took to be successful.
In the few times I’d reviewed the investments he’d proposed to us to look into, they were all things that his buddies had suggested that would directly benefit themselves.
He was so eager for approval that he didn’t even realize he was being used.
Another sin for Jacqueline’s bullshit ideologies.
“But to think that you were the one who worked with Ismaham to set Asha up to be kidnapped, that is unforgivable.”
“You can’t possibly think that.” My mother attempted to sound offended but the way she wouldn’t look any of us in the eyes spoke louder than her lies.
“She was the main one feeding those girls to that piece of shit. See we thought that the ring she was a part of was just a stop in Georgia but you were helping her. Helping her find girls in London when I wouldn’t give you the money for what you wanted.
You’d allow yourself to be used as a cover for human trafficking.
” My father looked on the verge of tears as he recounted her crimes.
“I did no such thing!” Jacqueline jumped up from the table but Xerxes pushed her back down.
“Please do not make me have to harm you. Your fate is already sealed; do not make it worse. I did not bring my mozer wiz me but I am sure zat Faith will be happy to come and handle you for her daughter-in-law.” Xerxes gave me a wink as he threatened Jacqueline and it made me miss Ori instantly.
“You offered Asha up to her. For that man to abuse her the way he did. That is why you made her go over Sasha. You never expected her to come back. We might not get along all the time but that’s disgusting.
To know that you had knowledge of Ismaham’s crimes and did nothing?
And then you helped her do harm?” My father lunged at my mother and it was King Afshin that kept him from reaching her.
“It is alright, esir. We have a plan. Please allow us to punish her zhe way we have discussed.” Afshin was doing his best to calm my father, speaking to him in the hopes that he would hold it together.
They were both dressed in suits but the king looked as though he could murder a man without getting a wrinkle in his.
“Punish me? What do you mean?” My mother was looking around at everyone as though they were going to tell her something she wanted to hear and I found it laughable.
Like she hadn’t had the indictment of her crimes laid down in front of her.
The idea of being punished for them seemed beyond her comprehension to where she hadn’t even apologized for any of it.
“You were so eager to keep in contact with her now you can see her in person.”
“What?”
“The king here has Ismaham in his kingdom. She has been a laborer all these years you haven’t been able to reach her.
The work has been hard since she lost use of her hand.
” Sasha was glaring at our mother as she delivered that news and missed the way King Afshin seemed to preen at her deigning to mention his name.
“What did you do to her hand?” I was unsure if she was worried more for her friend or herself
“Why don’t you ask her when you see her?” I lobbed the question so sweetly she turned back to me for the first time since everyone arrived.
“I gave you life!”
“Giver of life and the one who tried to take it away. I hope you enjoy your reunion with your friend. I hope you suffer just as much as she has. I pray you have a long and miserable life, Mum.”
I blew her a kiss and as expected she tried to lunge across the table to get me but Jemma Marie, who’d been our server, popped up and cracked her over the head with a tray. Jacqueline’s body slumped as her face hit the marinara for the fried ravioli.
Damn, I was gonna take those with me.
I sighed and slipped out of my side of the booth, gripping my mother by her hair and lifting her head so that she didn’t escape her fate by drowning in marinara sauce. I shoved her so that she slumped to one side of her seat.
“Where is my muscle? I’m ready to get her on a boat to her fate.” Jemma Marie was looking around and stopped when her muscle came striding toward her.
“You call and I’ll always come, mi amor.”
Vega looked ready to get down on one knee but she only rolled her eyes at him.
“Must you do this? We are literally absconding with a woman to load her on a boat. Are you truly attempting to flirt with me right now? And in front of a widow?”
Alec looked at me sheepishly but I waved him off. “By all means, someone has to find joy in this life.”
Jemma Marie’s outrage was directed toward me since I wouldn’t allow her to use me as her shield. “Some friend you are.”
“I’m the best kind. I appreciate your handling this for me. All of you.”
Ori’s friends had come to my aid without hesitation once they were presented with the crimes my mother had committed.
Matty walked over unfazed by the woman who was passed out on one of her tables.
“Are y’all staying to order?”