JOANNE-
My head was spinning and I was trying to breathe through my nose as my heavy eyes started acting on its own.
My legs had become extremely weak.
I was sobbing like a child.
Few minutes ago I thought I was going to die- get taken away from Hardy, get heavily tortured to death and die, or face something extremely worst.
The woman named Leilani turned out to be quite misleading, as she somehow managed to manipulate Hardy’s phone call and voice to convince me to leave with her.
However, it was at the very moment I began to have faith in my instinct that we decided to venture towards the rear of the castle, rather than the more conventional front entrance, as our car happened to be parked there.
I had a feeling that Leilani couldn’t be trusted, even with Hardy’s approval. Deceptive endorsement.
As doubts began to creep into my mind, our journey took an unexpected turn. Her demeanor grew tense, and she swiftly ushered me into a nearby vehicle that was already parked.
I decided to put up a fight, though she was super strong. And I got beaten but thankfully, Hardy showed up.
If he hadn’t she would have devoured me and taken me to her domain after I’ve passed out.
–
Upon arriving home, I found myself being guided into the grand mansion. Without delay, Trinity approached me and gently draped a towel over my shoulders.
“Get rid of the car,” I heard Hardy’s voice telling Theo behind me.
“Joanne” she cooed with a sad frown, “I’m so sorry, I heard what happened,”
I sniffed, trying not to have another outburst.
I’ve already managed to completely ruin Hardy’s pristine white shirt, drenching it with my endless stream of tears and smudging my makeup all over it.
“I’m okay,” I lied, as she led me to my room.
The experience was scary and I never wished to come across something like that again.
I hated it.
I had never experienced anything as dreadful as this, except for that one time when I worked overtime and dozed off on the bus, only to wake up past my stop. That day, I found myself hopelessly lost, with no means of assistance as my phone had run out of battery. That day was filled with a sense of forthcoming insanity.
However, this evening. Tonight had been an awful experience, and I have no like to return to those memories ever again.
Whatever Bailey had intended to sign in that foolish contract. I was absolutely certain that she would never agree to include a fight scene in which she endured numerous punches and scratches, only to throw her shoe at the last moment to save herself. That would never find its way into her journal, and she would strongly disagree with it.
I was hundred percent sure.
I was thrown into an instant warm bath, and a nurse quickly cared to my health.
My baby was fine, and my wounds and bruises were taken care of.
I returned to my room around 1 a. m., and Trinity was waiting for me with the worst grimace I’d ever seen.
“You’re back,” Her voice shook as she spoke.
“Yeah,” I breathed out and took a seat on my bed.
She immediately bursted out crying, immediately caging my attention.
“What’s wrong,” I immediately got on my feet.
She tried to stop crying, frantically wiping her eyes.
“Tri…” I called gently and took a step towards her.
“I’m really sorry,” she sniffed and took in a big breath that shooed her cry.
“Why are you sorry?” I asked.
“I was just scared, I didn’t know what it was for you, how it went for you, it was must have been horrible. But I promise, things like this don’t happen a-
“It’s okay,” I cut her off, getting mad instead of feeling sad when I decided to think back at Leilani.
“Okay,” Trinity nodded. “Why don’t you just rest now,”
I nodded in return too and quietly walked up to my bed.
“You’ll be fine, Hardy will never let them go unscathed” Trinity said, assuring.
I did believe her.
Hardy never stopped talking about it.
Trinity was about to leave when I stopped her.
“Today was fun though,” I began.
She turned to look at me.
“What?” She asked.
“I said today was fun” I said, getting under the covers.
She suddenly realized I didn’t want to be alone and wanted more coversauon, and that was when she rushed up to me and sat at the edge of the bed.
“Really? What part of it?” She asked.
“Everything, from the start,” I forced a smile that switched to a genuine one as I let my mind ran back.
My thoughts drifted back to the moment when Hardy unexpectedly leaned in and kissed me. The taste of strawberry mint lingered on my lips as our mouths met. I adored every aspect of that kiss I wouldn’t have wanted.
“Hardy let me bid, this wonderful painting that I really want” My voice was quiet as I let out.
“Mmmh mmh?” Trinity’s eyes lit up like a mother staring at a child when they take their first step.
“Yeah, you should see this painting.” I continued. “It’s really huge, it’s pretty and the best thing any human would laid eyes on”
“What if I’m not human, would it still look good?” Trinity joked and it caused me to laugh.
“It would” I laughed.
I fell silent, my exhaustion rendering me incapable of speech. Despite my best efforts, my thoughts kept circling back to the events involving Leilani, and I yearned for a distraction to divert my attention. Something that wouldn’t cause me any anxiety.
We were both quiet and Trinity looked like she would leave soon. And I wanted more conversations.
“Tell me something about yourself,” I said.
“Me?” She smacked her lips.
“Yeah, I barely know anything about you,” I said and saw her cheeks flushed.
If I leave I think Trinity would be the person I would miss the most.
She was everything and extremely nice. I immediately felt so bad for being rude when I first showed up.
“Well,” she paused.
“I’ll be turning thirty nine in three months,” She cocked her head forward.
“Okay,” I blinked.
I was pretty bad at guessing age then.
“I hate pasta,” she added and shook her head.
“Okay” I laughed lightly.
“Did you always work for Hardy?” I asked.
She paused.
“Well… Yeah, I guess”
I raised my head, waiting for an answer.
She saw my curious neck straining and decided to answer quickly.
“Hardy comes from a long line of Tycoons, moguls as father and grandfathers, each of them, adding more wealth to their generational wealth. And their family well, my family has worked for them for a long time. My great grandparents owed the Bensimons a debt bigger than the sky and believe me when I say bigger than the sky. So a debt contract was formed, where my generation would work for the bensimon for life,”
“Whoa,” I gasped. “That’s a bit brutal,”
Trinity shrugged.
“That’s what you get when you take a debt bigger than your name, the Bensimons are praised for being good lenders. And people take advantage of that, not thinking of how to pay back, they take more than they can ever pay back.
I don’t blame the bensimon, I blame my great grandparents. And I didn’t start working for Hardy until I was sixteen, well I worked for his father before he died of a weird flu when Hardy was still young. So after his death I started working for little Hardy.”
She stopped to smile.
“I was a bit devastated when I learned about my parents debts. We were to slave away for the Bensimon and we had no say. But it’s okay, Hardy isn’t rough to me. I love it anywhere with him.”
“You always try to paint Hardy good,”
“Because he is,” she slammed
“Not all the time, to me,” I scoffed.
“Well all I know is, Hardy has always been good and has his special ways with things, and you will see it.” She added and i scoffed.
“So this debt thing, it continues. Even after you get a child, he or she works for Bensimon too?”
Trinity nodded.
“So if I have this baby for Hardy and you get a child. Yours work for mine?” I blinked.
She gave a weak laugh, “That’s basically it, and if I don’t get a child at all. Or something happens to me, the deal spreads out to my family tree. No matter how distant of a relative you are you are obliged to work for the Bensimon”
I shrieked. “That’s horrible” I scoffed.
“It’s not not that bad I promise,” she laughed.
“It is” I slammed.
She was still laughing-
**
I woke up by 6-am to a knock on my door.
I uttered a low “come in, and Theo walked in.
He didn’t say anything and just stared at me.
I slowly sat up.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“Everything’s wrong,” He added, His voice almost a low grumble.
“What?” My sleepiness was starting to fade away.
“Look at you,” he gestured around the bandages around my body. “This isn’t supposed to happen,”
I sighed. “It already happened”
“Exactly. Hardy was careless and he shouldn’t have left your side at all, after receiving that stupid mail.”
Mail?
What mail?
“This is all Bailey’s fault.” He groaned.
It was.
What if I had died? The blame would have fallen on Bailey.
However, there was a lingering feeling. I couldn’t help but let out a shriek at the thought of Bailey experiencing all of this instead of me.
Bailey was basically timid and occasionally made choices that seemed illogical.
“What mail?” I asked Theodore instead.
“One, threatening to kill you the same way Lisa had died. Trinity found it”
No wonder she cried.
My heart fell into my stomach immediately.
“Look, Joanne. I can help you… Just say the words. Look! Hardy lost his soul the minute he found Lisa hanging” Theo took a step forward.
“I don’t… know,” I sighed.
“After what you went through tonight. How could you not know? Hardy didn’t even care to come see you after all that. There’s nothing to think about Joanne. You can stop this,”
He was right.
I had no intention to continue this crazy journey.
I had to end it.
“And..” Theodore’s voice closed my thoughts. “I know how to fix Bailey in with Hardy not minding it. And also Bailey and her father are here. I can help you meet with them this week… Get rid of the baby, you can have your life back.”
The words immediately held my breath.
Bailey and her father.
Getting replaced.
Leaving Hardy and his reach.
I did want all that. Right?
-*