“I know where Vanessa is.” Tania’s words rang in Darryl’s ears, and his eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at her. His mind struggled to process the words that had just escaped her lips. Was she pulling his leg? He wondered. Despite his doubt, he felt as if he had been punched in the stomach, and his breathing seized for a moment. In addition to the turmoil within him, the room seemed to spin, and for a moment, he wondered if the alcohol was playing tricks on him.
“This isn’t the best time to play games with me. I don’t have time to play along,” Darryl said to her, his voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking louder might destroy the hope he had in reality. He leaned in, his face inches from Tania’s, as if trying to read the reaction on her face to confirm if she was telling the truth or not. As Darryl leaned in, Tania’s face came into focus, her features etched in a calm and calculating smile.
“I also don’t have time to play games with you,” she said, her hand moving to Darryl’s head, adjusting the hair hanging on his forehead. “Why would you think I would believe any of your lies? Do you really take me for a fool? How can you, of all people, know about Vanessa’s whereabouts?” Darryl bombarded her with questions as he tried to hide his fears. His eyes searched hers, hoping to find some hint of deception, but her eyes revealed nothing, leaving Darryl’s mind reeling with questions and doubts.
“You are asking the wrong question, my love. Even if you ask the right questions, I won’t give you the answers you want to hear. So, don’t waste your time, our time, on unnecessary questions,” Tania said, her mind racing with different strategies to make Darryl fulfill her wishes. Tania’s eyes narrowed as she observed Darryl’s reaction. She knew that to win him over, she had to exploit his vulnerabilities, and Vanessa was the key she had on him at the moment. With a calculated smile, Tania realized how far she could get if she used Vanessa’s absence to her advantage.
“I’m not interested in dancing to your tune, Tania. You won’t get to manipulate me again,” Darryl said in a dismissive way.
As Darryl spoke, dismissing her advances to deceive him, Tania’s gaze never wavered. She was determined to wear him down. In that moment, she formed a plan in her heart.
“What if I told you that I had met her on the night she left?” Tania said, hoping her lies would work on Darryl. She would use Vanessa’s absence as a pawn, manipulating Darryl’s desperate desire to find Vanessa. Tania was determined to make him see her as the only one who truly knew about Vanessa’s whereabouts.
“You are lying,” Darryl said, the words spilling from his lips, an attempt to put her in her place, but Tania’s resolve only strengthened.
“Deep down in your heart, you know I am telling you the truth. But if you don’t believe my words, that’s your fault, not mine,” Tania said with a cunning glint sparking in her eyes as she set her sights on her prize, Darryl’s heart.
“Where is she? If you truly know about her whereabouts, you have to tell me where she is right now,” Darryl barked, trying to project his strength, but the alcohol in his system kept making him slur.
“Not so fast, Darryl. If you want to know where she is, you have to do something for me. Don’t worry, I won’t ask you to do much for me,” Tania said with satisfaction mixed with confidence laced in her voice. Tania began to weave her web in her head, and she envisioned everything she would make Darryl do for her. She would stop at nothing to claim Darryl as her own. When she was done with Darryl, he wouldn’t have time to be with Vanessa even if she returned.
“If I ever find out that you are lying, I swear I will ruin you with my hands,” Darryl threatened her, but Tania knew that his words were empty threats.
“Are you ready to find Vanessa?” Tania asked, ignoring his threats.
“What do you want me to do?” Defeat washed over Darryl as he asked Tania that question. He had never imagined that he would be at the mercy of Tania; fate definitely had another script written for him.
“To start with, you will have to play along with me,” Tania said with a smile on her lips.
“Play along? I don’t get it,” Darryl interrupted her. He might be ready to do anything to find Vanessa, but he had limits to some things.
“Shush, I’m not done,” she said, her hands moving to play with the button of his shirt. “You will have to tell everyone that you are the one responsible for my pregnancy, and you are willing to accept me and the unborn baby.”
Darryl pushed her hands away from his body. “You are crazy, Tania. You keep displaying the traits of a crazy woman. You are crazy to think I would accept you and your fake pregnancy.”
“I can’t believe I wasted my time listening to your bullshit,” Darryl said, trying to walk away from her, but before he could walk out on her, she grabbed his arm.
“I hate it when you push me away. I hate it when you do things that make me want to fight back. You, of all people, know that I would go through any length to achieve whatever I want. It is better you believe me now and do as I have said before I begin to send you the tiny parts of Vanessa’s body,” Tania said, forming another lie to make Darryl dance to her tune.
“What did you just say?” Darryl asked, one part of him believing her threat, but the other part was on the fence.
“You heard it right. If you want Vanessa to be whole when you meet her again, you better talk to your mother tomorrow morning and tell her that you have agreed to take responsibility for me and my unborn baby,” Tania said with determination.
Fear was far from her as she plotted every scheme to make Darryl hers. Not even for once did the consequences of her lies bother her. At this point, she was close to achieving her long-awaited dream, and nothing could stop her.