~ MARIA BELGRAVE ~ “Oh my God. Dramatic much. What happened? Maria?” Josy asked me. Now in the car, Josy saw the physical and emotional state I was in. However, she had already abandoned the joke about being dramatic. I saw instant regret on her face and I’m sure Jake did, too. His face hardened, and he turned tail and ran into the house again. I lost my composure then. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. Tears threatened, grief and pain resurfaced. People, places, and all I’d lost. To gain it all, to lose it again. Overwhelmed, everything poured out in a torrent. Josy watched in horror; she’d never seen me like this. No one has done so in so many years that I cannot name them. I hadn’t cried like this since the night my father died, witnessed only by a cab driver. I can’t recall when I last cried like this in front of someone. Ridicule for ruining my appalling appearance didn’t lend well with calming down and ending the tears. Maybe. I am the c
~ DAVID HARGROVE ~ Jake found me leaving my office and did one thing I didn’t expect him to do. He pushed me back into the office and closed the door behind us. “Jake, please step aside. I must...” “David I may work for you but I’m also your friend. She’s headed home and in an absolute state of fury. I’m unaware of your actions, but that wasn’t Maria as I know her. She all but ripped my head off when I suggested she should wait for her bodyguards. She also looked high or drunk.” Jake took a chance to breathe. He halted his pacing, glanced at me for the first time. “Do you have the same symptoms? What is going on?” “The asshole Skyler spiked her champagne with something, and I drank the last of it to piss him off. I didn’t know at the time he’d pulled the stunt.” I was feeling it too. My brain felt trapped, like an oversized balloon in a cramped space. I want Maria under me again. “The ass has some fucking nerve
~ MARIA BELGRAVE ~ When we returned home, I felt a little better. I remained angry and betrayed by every man in my life. “Alright, here you go. Anything else you need?” Josy offered me a glass of water. I shook my head as I accepted it. “Thanks. Soon, I’ll go upstairs to change, but I need a moment to relax.” I was unsure of my thoughts. What was there to think about? There’s no choice for me. David ensured her lack of choice, which irritated her. He hadn’t let her read that bloody amendment and she’d signed the damn thing. Why had she done that? “Why don’t you tell me what happened? Let’s collaborate on our response plan.” Josy had dropped her shoes on the floor by the front door when we entered. She dropped our purses in the kitchen when she went to get the water. “I’m not sure how he caught on so fast. But he’s the first to figure out that I’m Maria Belgrave and he’s using it against me. Davi
~ JOSEPHINE SOAPER ~ I watched Maria disappear upstairs. That bloody bastard. He couldn’t bother to poke holes in a condom. No, he just barebacked his way into her life to force her to marry him. Maria didn’t get it. David wouldn’t leave a child with her. Hell no, he’d destroy her by taking everything, including the child, from her. Leaving her with less than nothing. No home, child, business, family, husband, or life. I entered the kitchen and placed the glass in the sink. Grabbed my phone from my purse. Jake called me six times so far and texted me eight. There’re voicemails, too. I ignored all of it. If I didn’t, I might try to strangle him through the phone. I called the door sized person’s number. It rang twice before he answered it. “Finally, did you make it home safe? Or are you taking Maria to the hospital? David is with a doctor now.” “What? Why on earth would David require a doctor?” I thought he woul
~ DAVID HARGROVE ~ “Well, Doctor, what damage might this medication inflict? I mean are there any kinds of medications it can conflict with? Or can anyone be allergic to it?” I asked the doctor, who finished bandaging my knuckles and removed my IV. “What are you trying to ask Mr. Hargrove? Are you experiencing something you haven’t told me?” The doctor asked me more questions. I could see he was trying to seek clarification of some sort. “No, uh, well, someone else drank from the same glass and I’m concerned they might not seek medical attention.” I felt concerned about Maria now that my head was clearing. She was furious, and she didn’t have a clear thought. I wasn’t thinking either. “Side-effects and allergic reactions are always possible. Researchers test general groups of medications, not individual groups. That person must seek medical attention if they have problems. I can’t diagnose them without seeing them.” The docto
~ MARIA BELGRAVE ~ I closed my bedroom door and for the first time today; I was alone. Whatever that drug was, it still ran through my body, and it’s not fair. I groaned as I felt how much I wanted to feel David’s touch again. It’s not only about his touch. There’s more to it. Damn it. I wanted him to take me, and I didn’t want him to be gentle, either. My bare thighs clenched together, pressing against my needy core. Alone now, I could cradle my throbbing mound and touch my desperate clit. I ignored the sound of my purse as it landed on the carpet beside me, and I moaned as I tried to calm the ache with a simple touch. It wouldn’t be enough. I knew that. The drug ensured my prolonged dissatisfaction. It’s not insidious. My satisfaction would only come from David’s lack of satisfaction. He’d drunk from the same glass as I had. I picked up my purse and headed for my bed. I walked out of my shoes as I headed there. My dress slid down my body o
~ MARIA BELGRAVE ~ I bathed and changed. Upon exiting the bathroom, Josy stood there wearing shorts and a T-shirt. She stood there and looked at me. “What do you have to say?” Josy resisted and held her thoughts. “What makes you reluctant?” I switched the playlist and played a playlist of soft classical music. The list benefits from deep thinking and planning. I always found it calming and helped me focus. “Jake called me. He’s told me a few things.” She broke her silence and admitted why she’d been so long. “What did he say?” I was of two minds about this. I felt I needed to know everything I could. “Maria, why didn’t you tell me someone was still tampering with Belgrave Tech?” Josy asked, as she sat on the bed beside me. “Are you feeling any better?” “I thought you knew. A small improvement. The night will be long. I still felt the drug pushing through my body, making it crave a man. It’s not fair. I felt wea
~ MARIA BELGRAVE ~ “I don’t believe that Maria. He’s got an ego I want to smack out of him. David wouldn’t have kept you around if he didn’t feel something for you. He wouldn’t want to keep you around after he got married if you weren’t important. David would have shown you the door if you were nothing.” I looked at Josy. How was I supposed to argue that? ‘That’s not what David said.’ Or perhaps, ‘He said he could replace me whenever he wished.’ Those sounded like immature excuses to defend my stance. It’s becoming so tiring. I seek the truth to trust the words I hear. “Fine, his father tried to pay me to disappear. Now he’s insisting David must keep me around. Would you feel safe if you were me?” Josy shook her head to my question. “His family knows about me and that they can somehow profit from me. It’s the only reason I can see why they’ve changed their opinion. Well, I won’t be used. They can screw around with questionable contracts and