~ MARIA BELGRAVE ~ I sat there and stared down at Sabrina, who glared at me. Why apologize to Jacqueline when I was only trying to support her? Jacqueline transformed into a hostile person and was the one who displayed rudeness towards me. “You’re such a rude bitch.” Sabrina said to me in a snarky tone as her face soured. Jacqueline looked like she’d seen something shocking. “Is that supposed to upset me? Or strike fear in me? Because I don’t feel either.” I knew I shouldn’t have mouthed off at them. I won’t yield to them again. “Enough. Let’s focus on our purpose here, please. Sabrina, and Jacqueline, please stop aggravating others. Sabrina, Ms. Bell has no need to apologize for being nice to your mother. That makes no sense to anyone.” David said. His words snapped out as he unleashed his temper. I couldn’t help it but jumped in my seat at his sharp words. The loud exclamation took aback the room. Though, I expected him to
~ DAVID HARGROVE ~ What is Maria thinking confronting Sabrina like this? Isn’t it bad enough that these two were acting like fools? Jacqueline and Sabrina were being unreasonable. They’d made their beds and yet they weren’t willing to stay in them. I’d seen Jacqueline speaking with Martin Howard in the corner. A board member and one head of human resources. They’d been arguing. Jacqueline knew Jake was interested in her, but we couldn’t hear their argument. Josy slipped into the corner after Jacqueline and Martin left the ladies’ room. No one noticed when Josy pulled her phone from a potted plant. I almost missed it. Without her phone’s appearance, I couldn’t recognize her acquisition. As she returned to her chair, she gave me a false, innocent look. How did she know to record Jacqueline’s conversation? I’d have to get Jake onto finding out what Josy had gained there. I’ve learned how to monitor Martin. Martin had access to everyone in the
~ MARIA BELGRAVE ~ Sabrina stalked up to David and sneered at me as if I smelled bad. I prepared for her next verbal attack and wondered what outlandish accusation Sabrina would think of to lie at my feet. But Josy saved me from it. Though David wasn’t so lucky. He’s forced to stay behind and listen to Sabrina. A wide grin spread across my face as I broke free from this. David must deal with his business. I don’t want to get involved with it. Fine, I don’t want to deal with my stepsister or stepmother more than I must. I’m dreading the time when they realize who I am. Though I’m laughing at Jacqueline. She believes I hired someone who looked like my mother. Or paid someone to have plastic surgery to look like my mother. Why? Just to mess with her mind. Because there’s no way I might look like my mother if I dye my hair red. That comment left me pinching my nose and shaking my head in disbelief. I guess since she’s used plasti
~ DAVID HARGROVE ~ “Sabrina, you can’t question or demand an answer to those questions. It’s just a business arrangement; you waived the right to demand answers like that. So, stop this line of questioning or I’ll start asking questions and I’ll expect answers. Answers I’m sure you won’t want to give me. So, do yourself a favor and drop it. I must go now for work. Take your mother and go home. You aren’t needed here.” I informed her she’s not wanted there either. She knows her time is limited and I don’t want her. But Sabrina’s pushing everything in all directions. “Why can’t I? I’m supposed to be your fiancée. Recognize my presence to acquire the company.” “We haven’t made our engagement official so what you’re saying doesn’t make sense. Since you’ve shown no interest in working for this company it seems odd that you would show up here now. Go home. I’m sure you have some packing to do as you’ve weeks before you must move out. Come to thin
~ MARIA BELGRAVE ~ “You’re sure you can handle the meeting? You won’t need me there?” Josy prepared to leave for the board meeting. I can’t attend because of overwhelming tasks ahead. David insisted on staying with me to assist me. He’d offered manpower and suggestions left, right, and center? I didn’t expect his eager participation, let alone how he teased me. Tease me. The man was sadistic most days when he teased. Not that I’m complaining. His sadistic teasing made my time enjoyable, but left me exhausted and satisfied. David’s teasing took on a different tone. I hadn’t recognized it as teasing at first. His teasing was because of his curiosity about my thoughts and actions. It boiled down to his fascination with his discovery that I had thoughts in my head he could relate to and brains enough to understand him on his level. David treated me as if I was the first woman he’d encountered with such intelligence. At this momen
~ DAVID HARGROVE ~ “David.” I ensured Maria knew I understood her life. It’s difficult for me to accept her lies about her life. Maria had omitted important and huge parts of her life, along with her identity. Her health, safety, education, and identity. Maria kept it all from me and now I’ve learned about it from third parties. Someone could have murdered her. I’d never have known why. It would never have crossed my mind to set her up with her own security beyond that at the condo building and her driver. Maria should have stayed in the condo with a security team. She’s mine and I look after what’s mine. How can I proceed without knowledge of the surrounding dangers? Maria lacks understanding of this importance. Her identity changes everything. If someone killed her under my watch, how would that appear to everyone? She would abandon me to face her loss and the world’s condemnation alone. Yet she sits here acting like she’s
~ MARIA BELGRAVE ~ I don’t know how we ended up in this conversation. But I’ve never felt so brittle and fragile in my life. Alone, dark, behind hospital, night. No one wanted me. Then David did, but on his terms. My value came from his whims, his wishes, and his desires. Sure, I used his contracts and the benefits he gave to survive and hide. His absence gave me space to reflect, heal, and focus on self-improvement. But I still had problems with my self-esteem. It didn’t help that David would reinforce those issues without knowing what he did. I never expressed my feelings or explained my presence. It’s all to protect myself. I wouldn’t risk my safety now that I’d found it. I’d serve a man, even if I had to be submissive. It didn’t help that I ended up falling for the jerk. I admit it. David may not have shared his emotions with me. But I saw and responded to his needs. I felt how he’d struggled with his situation. My condo provided David
~ DAVID HARGROVE ~ I dislike this, but I needed to confront Maria and inform her of my actions. However, here’s what surprised me. I’d thought of telling her about what I was doing. However, this is where everything went wrong. Maria’s shown me more now than she’s ever shown me before. Maria believes I don’t see her as a person. She just said I abuse her, but not just that, I maintain a double standard. That’s what she said. I abuse her and treat her as an object, while I disabuse others of doing that. It’s mindboggling for me, but as I think about it, I can’t deny it. Fuck. Maria listened to me and went silent. But I could tell that she wasn’t happy, and I couldn’t blame her. I screwed up again. How did I miss my mistakes when I made them? I don’t understand. “Maria don’t get upset over this. Let’s agree that we’ve made mistakes which we both regret. It’s something we can correct in time. My people are gathering evidence and