Two Weeks Later Crystal’s POV The knock on my door startled me and I jumped. The door opened and my dad peeked in. He became worried and quickly entered the room when he saw that I was holding my chest. ‘Hey, are you okay?’ He asked coming to my side to place a hand on my shoulder. I got out of my chair and embraced him then burst into tears. ‘What is it, baby? Talk to Daddy,’ Dad said as he rubbed my back in circles. ‘I am so scared, Daddy. I am so scared that someone is just going to pull the trigger, and I will be bleeding on the floor in a second,’ I sobbed. Dad sighed sadly then stepped back from the embrace. He took me to the sofa and made me sit down. He gave me his handkerchief and allowed me to cry some more. ‘I am sorry that you feel this way, princess. I wish that there is something I can do to make you feel safe. You can come home with me if it will make you feel better,’ Dad offered. ‘No, I can't. The only time I feel safe is when I am with Midas. For
Crystal's POV ''Karen!' Eric's shout for our housekeeper shook the whole house that morning. I trembled from the fact that Eric was displeased about something. I was in the kitchen that morning with Karen preparing Eric's breakfast. Karen ran out of the kitchen on trembling legs. I wanted to cover my ears to avoid hearing what Eric was saying to Karen but I didn't. From what Eric was saying, I knew I was in a lot of trouble. Eric was my husband of two years. I was forced into marriage with him by my adoptive father. I had no one else to turn to that could save me from him and my grandmother needed help. I had to go ahead and marry Eric against my wish. My name is Crystal Martins. The adoptive daughter of Kelsey Martins. Although very few people knew that I was adopted. Kelsey Martins, according to my grandmother, had seen her one day under the rain holding a two-year-old, which was me. Out of pity, he agreed to adopt me and give me his name. He got my grandmother and me
Crystal's POV 'How more useless can you be, Crystal?' Eric asked me quietly as he put down the teacup in his hands. He made sure to drop it carefully so that he didn't spill tea on his hand. I knew that when he spoke to me like that, it meant that he was upset with me. I had made the tea just the way he liked, but somehow, that morning, he didn't like it or maybe he was just in a mood to make me feel bad. He did that whenever he felt like hurting my feelings. In the past two years, I have come to know that I must not say anything to him when he is angry. Even saying sorry would trigger him. He had slapped me often for saying sorry to him. 'First my suit, now my tea all in one morning? Are you trying to provoke me into killing you?' Eric asked but I said nothing. I kept reciting one to one thousand in my mind just to keep my mind occupied and let him rant all he wanted. When he was satisfied with his abuses, he took his briefcase and left in anger. I sighed in relief to
Crystal's POV I tried my utmost best to avoid Eric when he returned from work. I was in the kitchen with Karen when he returned. Adele had jumped into his hands kissing him passionately. Eric had shamelessly kissed her back knowing well that Karen and I were there. I didn't feel any jealousy; all I felt was disgust at the sound their mouths were making, but who am I to complain? Karen and I stood there and watched them kiss. I signaled for Karen to go back into the kitchen while I stayed where I was since I didn't know maybe my leaving would provoke him. 'You stood there while I kissed my girl?' Eric asked me shamelessly after he was done plunging his tongue down Adele's throat. 'I was waiting for instructions. Can I serve your dinner?' I asked. 'Yes. My sweet girl and I will love to eat now,' Eric said, making Adele laugh like the bimbo she was. 'Ok,' I said and served his meal and that of his girlfriend on the dining with the help of Karen, and I made myself scarce.
Crystal's POV 'I swear on my life I am not seeing anyone, Eric, please,' I said, jumping out of bed as fear gripped my heart. 'You are not seeing anyone yet you were mumbling his name in your sleep? How convenient,' Eric said with sarcasm dripping in his voice. 'I will tell you the truth, please,' I said, swallowing hard and pleading with my eyes. 'Should I take a seat so that you can give me an encyclopedia on the person you have been sleeping with behind my back?' Eric asked moving closer to me. 'No. I swear on my life, Eric. Midas was my friend in high school. I must have been missing him, and that was why I kept mentioning his name in my sleep,' I explained, praying that it would sink into his head and that there was no way I was seeing another man. 'Really? And you expect me to believe that bullshit?' Eric said coming closer to me. Before I could decipher what he wanted to do, he slapped me across the face and pulled my nightwear. It tore under his tight grip and I
Crystal's POV I was discharged from the hospital two days after I woke up. Eric didn't call, nor did he show up at the hospital. I was partly glad that he didn't come or call while another part of me was sad that he didn't show up. I knew he didn't care if I died or lived, but he should have at least pretended to care and show up at the hospital, even if it was just once. Everyone knew I was married to the powerful and rich Eric Conner but they didn't know how much I went through just because I have the name Conner added to my name 'Are you alright?' Karen asked placing a hand on my leg. We were in the car taking us home. Eric had assigned a car to Karen before he left. I knew he didn't do that out of love or care for me. He must have done it so that I wouldn't have to get a taxi when I got discharged from the hospital and risk being seen by the paparazzi. Anything Eric did was always for himself. He had never done anything selflessly since we got married. 'I am fine
Crystal's POV 'I know you dread this dinner as much as you dread a live snake but you and I know what the result of your refusal to go can be ' Karen said as I looked at the cloth Eric had handpicked for me to wear to his family dinner like an abomination 'Sometimes, I feel Eric is just out to embarrass me for no reason. This dress is too revealing, Karen,' I said, picking up the dress and turning it around for a better view. It was a beautiful gown, no doubt, but it was backless. The front was beautifully designed with a small cut on the chest area to give a glimpse of cleavage. Another problem I had with the dress was that it was too short for my liking 'You need to get dressed. I am sure that Sir Eric is almost through. You are going to get us both into trouble if you are not dressed by the time he is through,' Karen said, looking pleadingly at me. Eric had instructed Karen to help me get dressed as if I was a toddler. It was Eric's pastime to make me feel brainless most
Crystal's POV 'Why does Eric love this type of dress? Where does he even get them from? The slums?' I hissed as I threw the dress on the floor. Karen picked it up and put it on the bed. Eric loved his women dressed in revealing clothes. It was none of my business until he started making me wear rags, all in the name of fashion. 'If you don't mind. I might have a dress you would love' Karen said shrugging 'Really?' I asked wondering where Karen could get a dress that was worthy of the Conners end of the year party from 'Yes. If you wouldn't mind' Karen said and I asked her to go bring it I did not want to go to the party. Especially since Adrian was taking his girlfriend with him. I wouldn't have known about his intention to take her to the party if he had not made the call in the car on our way from dinner with his family. He had received the call and almost got us killed in the process, but thankfully enough, the other driver had been smart enough to apply the break
Two Weeks Later Crystal’s POV The knock on my door startled me and I jumped. The door opened and my dad peeked in. He became worried and quickly entered the room when he saw that I was holding my chest. ‘Hey, are you okay?’ He asked coming to my side to place a hand on my shoulder. I got out of my chair and embraced him then burst into tears. ‘What is it, baby? Talk to Daddy,’ Dad said as he rubbed my back in circles. ‘I am so scared, Daddy. I am so scared that someone is just going to pull the trigger, and I will be bleeding on the floor in a second,’ I sobbed. Dad sighed sadly then stepped back from the embrace. He took me to the sofa and made me sit down. He gave me his handkerchief and allowed me to cry some more. ‘I am sorry that you feel this way, princess. I wish that there is something I can do to make you feel safe. You can come home with me if it will make you feel better,’ Dad offered. ‘No, I can't. The only time I feel safe is when I am with Midas. For
Midas' POV ‘Hey, you aren't sleeping?’ Pearl's voice brought me out of my reverie. ‘Babe. I just woke up,' I said then kissed her lightly on the lips. I had made sure she didn't leave the room since we returned. I had made sure that she had her dinner in bed and gone to sleep after that but I couldn't sleep. I dosed a little then woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. ‘What woke you up? It is just two o'clock am?’ Pearl asked then sat up. ‘I didn't tell you something in the afternoon.' ‘What didn't you tell me?’ ‘Agent Kendrick called.’ ‘And?’ ‘He said they ran the blood through the database, and it is Aunt Cleo’s blood,' I said. ‘What? What kind of a crazy move is that?’ Pearl asked voicing the exact question that was on my mind. ‘That is exactly what I thought. Was she so confident that you wouldn't call the police or is she being set up?’ I voiced my doubt out loud. ‘If she is being set up, how did the person get her blood?’ ‘That was what I tho
Midas’ POV I was driving back to my office with mild annoyance and worry. I had gone to Pearl's office to show my grievance with the fact that she knew about Karen and my grandfather’s relationship but decided to say nothing. But when Karen said she was ready to put her signature on whatever I wanted to be the terms and conditions for her relationship with my grandfather, I knew she was probably in love with him. I just couldn't bring myself to accept the fact that she was in love with my grandfather, a man twice her age. There were gold diggers everywhere and one can never be too careful. My behavior was getting on Pearl's nerves but I was just trying to protect my grandfather. He didn't deserve to be swindled by a young girl at his age, but with everything Karen had said, I couldn't allow him to choose to please me over his own happiness. All I had to do was keep an eye on Karen. My phone rang bringing me out of my thoughts. I frowned when I saw that it was Pearl's office
Pearl's (Crystal) POV ‘Is Mr Conner around?’ I asked his secretary as I walked into his office. ‘Yes, ma'am. He just got back from a meeting,' his secretary replied, and I thanked her before going into the office. Eric's father stood from his chair the moment he saw me walk in. I immediately told him to sit down. There were dark circles under his eyes and he looked slimmer. ‘Have you been sleeping?’ I asked after we had both sat down. Eric's mother had been in FBI custody for a week and I knew that the poor man would be going through a rough patch. ‘How can I When my wife is in the FBI custody? All evidence is against her. And you know the most frustrating thing is that she has been my wife for this long and I barely know her.’ ‘I am sorry that you feel heartbroken right now,’ I said pitifully. He was a good man, but his choice of a wife is putting him in the wrong spot. ‘Heartbroken, you say? I feel so torn apart, so unhappy, so miserable, I don't even know which o
Midas’ POV ‘You seem bothered, Midas. What is on your mind?’ Pearl asked as we drove to the Agent's station where Antonio was being held. It was evening already. Left to me, I would have postponed going there till the next morning, but Pearl insisted that we go that day unfailingly. Kendrick had called that they had taken Antonio in but it was not without ado. The moment he set his eyes on them coming towards him, he ran and they had to give him a chase. It took them over thirty minutes before he was captured. ‘Midas, what is it?’ Pearl asked again when I didn't answer her the first time ‘I have just been thinking about what Mabel said. Why would Antonio be as stupid as asking someone like that boy to do his dirty job for him?’ I said. ‘You heard agent Kendrick the other day? Antonio might be getting desperate for the job to be done,’ Pearl said. ‘It still bothers my mind. I hope Mabel is not right about us being distracted,’ I said. ‘Agent Kendrick said he ran. If he
Pearl’s (Crystal) POV I turned around in bed and stretched like a cat. It had been a very busy night the previous night. Midas had made sure that I was tired by the time he was through with me. He was so insatiable! ‘Wakey wakey,' Midas said as he walked into the room with a tray laden with food in his hands. He was ruggedly handsome as usual. Nothing on his face or body depicted how much he had been busy the night before which made me glare at him. ‘How is it possible that you look so cool after a night like that?’ I asked raising a brow at him. ‘That is because I am a king when it comes to the game,’ Midas said winking at me playfully. Midas gently placed the tray on the bedside table before turning to smile at me sheepishly. ‘Why are you staring at me like that?’ He asked ‘You are so beautiful,’ Midas said and I blushed. ‘Don't flatter me, Midas. My hair probably looks like a bird nest right now, and I probably look like…’ ‘You have been making love all night. L
Crystal’s POV I sat in my office as I watched the television. It had been two weeks since we handed the evidence over to the agents, and just that morning, the media was on fire with the story of how the widow of the accused person involved in the killing of Rotman's child was reopening the case to clear her husband's name. June had called to thank me when the agents had contacted her. Marilyn also got the job she interviewed for in one of Midas’ companies. Eric was still being followed by a bodyguard at a distance just to be sure that he would be safe. He had called me several times, but I didn't pick up his call. There was nothing we had to talk about. I had sent him a text telling him to call Midas or Edmond if he needed anything. And once the case was over, I was going to sever every relationship with him. There was a knock on my office door bringing me back to the present. I asked the person to come in, and my stepmum playfully poked her head in. ‘Hey mum’ I greeted
Pearl's(Crystal's) POV There was total silence in the car as we drove home. Edmond rested his head on the couch, pretending to be asleep, while Mabel glared at him nonstop. If only he could open his eyes he would realize how I was glaring at him at that moment. The whole plan was to make him beg Mabel to accept him but he spoiled the whole plan by running into the arms of another woman. Such a foolish man! ‘You are going to drill a hole into his head if you continue staring at him like that,’ Midas said into my ears. ‘I wish I could use a bullet to drill a hole into his heart this very moment,’ I said back to Midas in a whisper, making him raise his brow in amusement. When we got to the house, Mabel stormed out of the car and went inside the house. I knew exactly what she was going to do. I wished at that moment that I could tell her that Edmond was not worth the tears but I knew she needed the space and the time alone. ‘I thought you were wise,’ I said to Edmond then
Pearl's (Crystal's) POV ‘Ladies and gentlemen, please can I have your attention?’ My Dad said from the podium just as the music went off and we all turned to face him. My stepmom stood beside him, hand in hand, smiling happily. When she caught my eyes, she winked, and I smiled at her; she was sometimes childlike in her way of showing happiness. There was silence in the hall before he continued speaking. ‘Thank you all so much for gracing this occasion. We, the Rotmans, are grateful for your presence here, whether you are a friend or colleague. In the mood of this beautiful occasion, my wife and I would like to formally introduce our beautiful daughter to you all. She is the CEO of Crystalized Pearl conglomerate. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you our beautiful and peace-loving daughter, Pearl Rotman,’ my dad said, pointing in my direction as the whole hall erupted with loud clapping. I couldn't help but blush as I went up the podium; I had not been in the presence of so m