Seduced for Revenge

“Multiple ambulances en route to the emergency bay!” The announcement blared on the overhead speakers. “ALL HANDS ON DECK! ALL HANDS ON DECK!” Multiple people injured can mean a lot of things, a big car accident on the freeway, a fire at an apartment, an explosion at a makeshift meth lab, or something as simple as getting heat stroke during summer. Grace Medical Hospital was used to these kinds of things happening from time to time, but not all days were this busy. The hospital was in a peaceful part of town and used mostly by patients who needed costly procedures like neurosurgery, organ transplants, and plastic surgery. The best surgeons in the world had taken up residency at the hospital because they liked the living areas and the community it built. But that is not why the hospital became popular. People knew them for their philanthropic efforts, such as feeding the homeless, no-cost healthcare, and never turning away patients who needed medical attention. Regina Martin is a

Owen Bennet had several people lined up for the interview. He needed to fill three positions to help care for his mother, Hailey Bennet. In the past five years, his mom’s Alzheimer’s had gradually progressed, so he needed trained professionals to care for her as the maids they employed to do housework had difficulty knowing the right thing to do. First, Hailey forgot little things. She couldn’t recall her name while filling out a form, but she shrugged it off as old age. Then, as she stood in the middle of the mall, it took her a moment to remember why she was there. Only the sound of her assistant’s voice calling her name eventually brought her back. She denied being sick, but when they realized she did not know who she was for longer periods, they knew it was time to bring in the professionals. All the Bennet family members were present that afternoon to interview the candidates. Owen wanted to involve his mother and brothers so they could scope out the potential applicants an

Mrs. Bennet looked around frantically a few minutes after Regina left. “Where is Mandy? Why did she go?” “Who?” Yvan asked. “My best friend. She was just here.” “The nurse? She had to go home for the day, Mom.” He answered. “Where does she live?” “It’s on her file.” Yvan got a swat on the side of his head. “What are you doing? Don’t give her ideas.” Myles ground the words out in a whisper. “We’ll show it to you later, Mom. The next applicant will be here in a few minutes.” He said in a normal tone. “Just don’t forget, okay? Maybe we will visit her later.” “Sure, Mom,” Myles said dismissively, thinking Mrs. Bennet was in one of her episodes and it would pass away soon, so he swept her request under the rug. -=- Regina was sure she wouldn’t get the job. She was the only female nurse there that day and caught early on that the invitation for the interview had definitely been a mistake, only because she signed her name as Reggie instead of Regina. They couldn’t cancel Regina

A few days later, Regina was relaxing at home in her black tank top and tiny shorts, dancing to the beat of her favorite tunes. She just finished applying to another hospital, knowing she was not getting the Bennet job. So she played it cool. She borrowed a few of her father’s long-playing records, something they had in common even with almost 50 years of an age difference. Regina was a miracle baby. Her parents had given up on having a daughter. So when she came out, everyone doted on her and guarded her with their lives. She loved the sound the old record player made. It was an heirloom from her brother, handed down with the apartment. Choosing the next album and the feel of changing the records gave her entertainment. Stephen Albright had records he collected from when he was a teenager, classics from the 70s to the early 90s when record sales went down because of newer technology. Recently, popular musicians jumped back on the bandwagon, and the newer generation started calli

“Hello?” “Ms. Martin, report to my office tomorrow morning at seven. I need to brief you about your job.” “Did I get it?” She didn’t even bother to ask who called her on the phone. She only knew one domineering person who would order her around even before saying hello. “Yes, but there are conditions.” “But I got it, right? I’ll be there on the dot. Thanks!” Regina did her happy dance as she knew after yesterday’s visit from Mrs. Bennet there was no one else perfect for the job. Hailey seemed to take a shine to her and even considered her as a best friend. The next day, Regina headed to the elevator 30 minutes before seven and got surprised that Owen’s assistant was already there to meet her. Owen did a double take as Regina entered his office. She wore a business suit and had her hair slicked and tied at the back, making her look androgynous. Regina meant to surprise him, and she smiled, knowing he got affected like she wanted. She expected to be there earlier, wait for him,