Page 3 of Obsession (Dark Revenge)
Slowly, I slipped out, tiptoeing over the floor until I reached the staircase. “Jared?” I called softly.
It was eerily quiet. All I could hear was the wind outside, pressing against the house and windows. It gave the place an even eerier vibe, as if I had been dropped right into the middle of a horror movie where the cute little blonde finally becomes the target of the ghost haunting the place.
“Fuck this,” I snarled, storming back to Jared’s bedroom.
The stranger had said I only had one chance, and it was obvious that whatever mess Jared had dragged me into, it was going to cost me my life. I was a fighter, and I wasn’t going to get consumed by the monster living in his world. If he wanted to play Batman… No, if he wanted to be the damn Joker, he could, but I was not going to be part of this anymore.
“Fuck your contract,” I cursed as I searched his room for money.
I grabbed whatever cash I could find and went in search of some pants. I found a pair that fit me in one of the bags he had packed. I also found a pair of sneakers and a black cap that I believed belonged to a younger Jared. I hadn’t seen Jared wear one since he came into my life. I tightened the strap, and then I was off.
I stuck my head out into the hallway again, carefully checking if everything was safe, and then I ran as fast as I could. I didn’t even try to make it seem like I wasn’t making an escape. I knew Jared was out tonight, so I hoped the house was mostly empty.
I hurried down to the lowest floor and jumped into the chilly night. I went to the cars parked outside to check if any of them had keys inside, and to my luck, the last one did. I let out a victorious squeal before I got inside the car and turned it on. I backed out of there, driving toward the gate, which must have had an automatic checking system, as it opened for me when I approached.
Rain began pouring slowly as I drove down the long, lonely road. Despite the sad and dark night, I felt elated. I was getting out of there, and not even Jared could stop me.
“Here you go,” the waitress said, placing a warm cup of coffee in front of me. I smiled up at her, making sure my collar was hidden by my hair. She returned the gesture before returning to the counter to clean. It was a 24-hour open diner I had stopped by. Only two other people were there, talking quietly with each other and enjoying a late snack, or maybe it was morning for them, depending on their work.
After driving for a short while, the adrenaline stopped pumping through my body, and I began to shake due to withdrawal. I had initially stopped the car because I found it too dangerous to drive while so upset, but as I sat in the diner, waiting for the coffee and staring at the rain, I began to realize what I had done.
I had signed a contract with Jared, one that bound me to him for an entire month. I still had two weeks left, and now I had just decided to leave? I knew that in a state of panic, people often made awful decisions, but I hadn’t thought I would ever make such a stupid one. Jared had already proven that he was not playing around. If I didn’t do as he told me, one of those dark secrets would be released to the world. He had already shown everyone that my husband had cheated on me.
God, what would be next? Would he release his medical report to show that I had directly abused him as a child? The report of me bribing one of my husband’s affairs? Jared thought he knew everything about me, but there were certain things I had kept so hidden that not even my husband knew about them. However, if it came out in the news that my husband was a possible rapist and that I, his faithful wife, had covered it up, what would people think?
Yet, did I want the actual truth to come out? I knew I could prove my husband’s innocence, but I wasn’t sure I could save myself from complete destruction. The truth wasn’t much better.I still paid her off to never show her face again. I still chased her out of the country.
So much for women supporting women. In the end, the men won, didn’t they? Because my husband’s reputation might be saved, but it would once again come at my expense. I groaned a little as I sipped my coffee. I hated how much influence Jared already had over me, how clearly he made me see that even though I might survive this month with him, I was the loser this time. I was the loser in life, and it made me so furious.
I was the perfect daughter. I was the perfect wife. I was Alison Brown, and somehow I had become the slave. Jared had started at the bottom, and while I didn’t approve of his lifestyle, I had to admit that the man didn’t give up, he didn’t break.
So do you?a voice asked me, and I tightened my hands around the cup. No, I couldn’t break either. I wouldn’t be weaker than Jared. I knew I had to return. I couldn’t stay here or go home. Jared would release everything he had on me. We had to play this game to the end, but once I was free, I would be doing a major cleanup before he was the one who would be locked behind bars. Revenge was served best cold after all, right?
Chapter 3
-Jared-
My whole body was aching, completely drained, and still bleeding a little. All I wanted was to sleep until the next year. Despite the little disturbance we still needed to look into, we managed to handle the shipment, getting it all loaded and out of there. So as I entered the house and finally let out a large sigh, I felt myself relax completely. My head reminded me I had the sweetest little surprise still waiting for me. I wasn’t sure I was up for anything punishing. I may just let Alison ride me again, but without the restraints. I couldn’t let her think I actually enjoyed it even a little bit.
“You look like shit,” Vince said as he appeared on the staircase.
“Really? I went by the beauty salon. Should I get my money back?” I retorted.
“It wasn’t successful?”
“We got the shipment and a little surprise too.”
“A surprise?”
“Someone else had a cargo planned at the exact same time. Seems to be trafficking. Finn swears it wasn’t theirs, and since we got shot at and I almost drowned, I ended up believing him,” I said before limping over to the staircase and looking up at it as if it were a mountain I had to climb.
“Are you hurt, son?” Vince inquired.
“A scratch.”
“You seem to have gotten lots of those lately. You’re distracted,” he pointed out, watching me climb the stairs slowly.
With Vince, you didn’t get a helping hand. He may be the only family I had, but in this world, if you couldn’t pick yourself up, then you were left to die. Even though this scratch was small, a grazing by a bullet, it was a good reminder that no one was going to ever extend a hand to me. I had myself, and that was enough.
