I had a soak in a bathtub that could fit probably five people in it. After my bath, I nervously waited for Clarence to summon me. Then, I fell asleep.'He didn't summon me. Did he forget me?' I wondered. He did not. He wasn't going to do it with me back then.One month went by. Clarence spent most of his time working overseas and would only come back occasionally. Every time he did, he would catch up with me and ask how I was doing. I put on a few pounds during my time living there. Just when I was going to ask my lawyer if the contract was legit, I got paid.I held my phone, counting all the zeroes in my account. I laughed so hard that the bed might actually break. I got myself a nice, cushy job. My boss didn't really micromanage me. In fact, he would only indulge me even when I made some outrageous requests like getting a jewelry set that was worth more than my yearly salary at an auction.I kept pushing the limits. When I realized Clarence wouldn't get mad no matter what I did
When I woke up the next morning, Clarence was already out for work while I was grounded. I angrily argued with the guard, but the butler came and told me some bad news. My salary was forfeited. If I wanted to buy anything, I had to use Clarence's secondary card.The butler gave me a manual of sorts, and it was a list of endless don'ts. Any rulebreaking would result in a credit deduction. Furious, I demanded, "What? This wasn't the deal!" This was a scam!The butler grinned. "Do you remember what happened last night, Ms. Tillman?"Something told me nothing good would come of this. Still, I asked cautiously, "What happened?"The butler showed me a video. I'd be dead three times if awkwardness could kill."Mr. Antonio will be notified about every bit of spending. Don't go anywhere seedy, or he might… get angry." The butler told me Clarence got me a tutor so I could get into university. If I were to fail my studies, he would deduct my credit.I was in no position to argue, so I reluc
Whenever Clarence was at home, I would show him all the new tricks I'd learned at school, though it was mostly my body having a mind of its own. He would smile and praise my talent. This went on until I was twenty years old, and we got married.I invited all my classmates and old colleagues, showing off the diamond ring I was wearing. The diamond was as big as a quail egg. The foreign singer—which we spent millions hiring—was on the stage, singing passionately. She wished us eternal happiness. I posted our pic on Instagram and got a million likes.Clarence introduced me to his friends. They said hi, but their smiles were fake. The moment they turned around, they asked Clarence if he was out of his mind.Clarence was flushed. He had a few drinks earlier. He told his friends he was very much sane, and they sighed. I wasn't mad. Everyone thought the same, after all. Me included. Clarence didn't even sign a prenup. He was obviously madly in love.I was beyond touched. So, I swore I w
I was so stunned that I blurted, "But it's your wedding night. Why do you even have work to do?"Clarence patted my immaculately styled hair. "Sotheby's auctioning a pink diamond pendant tomorrow. You want it?" he asked, almost coaxingly.I had no idea what that was, but I nodded anyway."Then, it'll be your wedding present." Clarence left and disappeared for a week. Even so, the pink diamond pendant appeared on my dressing table all the same.Aside from the lack of intimacy, married life with Clarence was peaceful. I then made a mistake many women would commit: care about a man too much. I pitied him for being impotent at his age. He had all the riches in the world, yet no way to enjoy them.When my friends asked me to party with some models, I started refusing their invitation. I spent my days going to school. Whenever Clarence was home, I would nestle in his embrace and go through his files with him, telling him about my day.The butler stopped deducting my credit. Clarence sm
'For Jess' eyes only.'Jess… I took a deep breath and remembered the first time I met Clarence and how he looked at me. "What's your name?" He asked. "Jessica… Decent name."Before I came, he had someone by his side. It would explain why he never wanted to touch me. I could feel my chest burning as if fires had been lit. My hands couldn't stop shivering. I opened up the letter and read it. It was filled with love and longing.Halfway through, the wall shook again. Clarence stood at the entrance, holding a cane to support him. He looked at me darkly. "How'd you get in here?"I looked at him, my eyes red. "Who's the woman in the painting?"Clarence came closer and grabbed my hand. "Come with me. This isn't where you should be."I didn't notice his unstable footsteps. Instead, I asked with a voice filled with resentment, "Why'd you hide her paintings here? Did you write these letters for her?"Clarence said nothing. He grabbed my hand and pulled me out. Then, he told the butler col
Clarence video called me this time. I thought he wanted to lecture me just like he did a long time ago, but he only smiled at me. "They're tainted. You can have as much fun as you want, Jess, but don't marry them. They'll swindle your money.""None of your business."Clarence looked at me earnestly. "Take care of yourself, Jess."I cried angrily and hung up on him. The calmer he was about this whole mess, the angrier I became. It was like I couldn't even vent my frustrations. The rage wouldn't stop festering and rampaging inside me.I ran to the underground garage and drank until I was blackout drunk. I wanted to come up with a wilder plan the next day so I could make Clarence mad.'Maybe I should drop out of school?' I thought in a daze. When I woke up the next day, I was going to go through with my prank. That was when the cops called. Clarence was dead. He drowned.This couldn't be true. Clarence should die of old age, or at least a rage-induced heart attack because of me. Dro
That would explain how he managed to sneak all the things he stole out so quietly. Alas, he underestimated the influence the Antonios had on Ashington. I would be able to find him as long as he was still in this city.We eventually arrived at his abode. The butler looked at the long, claustrophobic corridor and frowned. "Should I take you in my arms, madam?"My heels squelched as they got stuck in the grime. "No." When my men and I broke into their home, the thief was lying on the bottom bunk, one leg atop the other. He was fiddling with the pendant. A dim light shone through the pendant, reflecting the panic in his eyes.The bodyguards charged ahead and tied him up. "Hey, let me go!"The butler took back the pendant and handed it to me. I wiped it clean. "Where are the other stolen items?"The rickety bed creaked, and a bald child stuck her head out of the top bunk. Then, she said weakly, "Clarence…"She resembled the thief, but her cheeks were sunken. To make matters worse, she
"I'm alright." I touched the flowers he plucked. The wrinkles on the back of my hand were a stark contrast to the vibrance of the flowers.Clarence extended his hand to stop me, but he quickly pulled back and hung his head low when he touched my hand. Then, he murmured quietly, "There's mud on the branch. I'll cut it off."I pulled my hand back and watched Clarence trim the branches before putting the lively flower in an old vase.It had been some time ever since Clarence returned to his post. He had grown taller. Plus, he had started putting on some muscles due to the manual labor he had been tasked with. He was slowly becoming the man I remembered.Naturally, he was also the most popular guy in the manor. The maids would talk about him whenever they had free time. There was bashfulness and love in their discussions. When Valentine's Day swung by, an amused butler told me that Clarence's door had been practically knocked down by their sheer enthusiasm.Literally and metaphoricall