Set me free - Episode 54

 

Michelle:

"Why are you coming out through the window?" Rory comes to meet me half way.
"Have you been waiting here since this afternoon?" I ask. He shrugs like it's no big deal but it is. With emotions still clogging my throat, I launch myself at him. He catches me and I wrap my hand around his waist.
"Thank you. For everything." I sob into his chest.
"Shhhh . It's okay. It's okay." He whispers into my hair. I just sob more because I know it's not okay. It's over. I'm fighting a fight with a dead woman. Even after death, she's taking care of William. William's mother told me about the meeting he went for. He was supposed to come back with good news that he can now accept my love. What have I ever done for him? I've just followed him all my life. Nothing more. I even made him a murderer. Just to save me. My father made him a criminal in the states.
"I lost." I cry out. Rory pat my back slowly. 
"He's a fool." Rory snaps. I hold on tighter to him.
"No. He is loyal. Family first. I'm just a dream to him." I defend. Rory pull me away from him by my shoulders.
"Hey, listen to me." He searches my eyes.
"He's a fool. I'll give my life just to be with you

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. Even as a friend." He brushes the tears from my face. I sniff hard.
"You don't understand. His baby mama died without him. He feels guilty." I explain.
"The past is the past." Rory says.
"The past made you drop everything for revenge, remember? If you could grant your dead parent's last wish, wouldn't you do it at all cost?" I ask. He nods and I burst into tears again.
"He's going to marry someone else. It's her last wish." Rory gasp and I nod. I squat on the ground and cry into my trousers. Rory squats beside me.
"Crying like this wouldn't solve anything. You should find solutions. He said he loves you. Try and hold on to him. Make it easier for him to take your hand." Rory says calmly. I bring my head up.
"He wouldn't take my dad's money. Even I, don't want it." I say.
"What do you think he wants so much right now?" Rory asks. 
"To relieve his guilt. According to his mother, Dawn left a dying wish that he take over his father's company. Now to do that, he has to marry the daughter of the last shareholder." My shoulders slump.
"Then let's get it for him." Rory says. I wrinkle my brows.
"Get what?"
"The shares." 
"How?! The man needs a wedding first."
"There's no one money can't buy. And you have a load of that money you don't want. We give him all those dollars for the shares." I nod slowly at the sense in that.
"Let's just hope getting his shares clears William's guilt." Rory says.
"I'm in. Let's go now." I wipe my tears quickly and stand.
"No. It's too late. Moreover there's something else we could do tonight." He says.
"What?"
"Come with me." He takes my arm and pull me towards the car across the road.
"You should see this." He pulls the backseat open. 
"What's in there? Oh my God!" I jump back in shock. Rory has a boy tied up in there.
"What's ---who's that?"
"Found him taking pictures of William's house."
"What?!"
"I thought he was one of your father's goon or something but I found this on him." Rory pulls an envelope from the passenger seat.
"Oh my!" I gasp. Pictures of William and his family. Including his daughter in her school uniform.
 "Someone's spying on them." I mutter. 
"Yeah​. I thought you'll want to hand him to William yourself." Rory says. I shake my head. 
"William has a lot on his plate right now. We can handle this. Let's get to the bottom of this. We have to know who sent him, why, and how to stop them."
"I knew you would say that. Already got an address out of the boy. He's supposed to meet his employer and hand the pictures to him tonight." Rory says.
"Let's go!"

******

William:

"It's Dawn's last wish." I sob on mom's shoulder. She pat my shoulder slowly.
"This is a disaster." she says.
"Yeah." I agree.
"I probably should let you know now that I let her in the house." I pull away. 
"Let who?"
"The woman you left crying on the street." 
"What?!" My heart beat accelerates.
"Shhh. Don't wake her up." Mom berates me.
"Wake her up?!" I whisper yell.
"She's in there with your daughter. Aurora loves her." Mom sees to point out. 
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" I snap. 
"Don't snap at me!" Mom snap back. I roll my eyes.
"I can't believe you let her in and didn't tell me." I say.
"You should check up on her. She looked tired earlier." I nod. I really want to see her. To get a little relief. I gently push Aurora's room door open. 
"Dad?" Aurora's sleepy voice say. 
"Shhh. Don't wake up the lady." I whisper as I walk over to her bed. She's alone in here.
"Miss Michelle?" Aurora ask.
"Yeah. Where's did she go?"
"She went out through the window." Aurora points to the window.
"I think she injured her chest when she kept pressing her ear to the door." Aurora says. Shit! Michelle must have heard what I told mom! I can't imagine what she's thinking right now. I can't have her do something to herself. I can't take that.
"She was crying when she jumped out of the window. Will she be okay, daddy?" She continues. 
"Hey baby, can you lie back down. I want to check up on her real quick." I say and she nods.

Read " Stolen innocence " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. I make sure she does as I've asked before I go out the window. Michelle isn't in sight. I'm beginning to panic. It's late and she doesn't even know her way around.
"Michelle! " I call into the darkness. I look around the side of the house but there's no sign of her. The sound of a car's revving up pulls my attention across the street. Could that be her? I hurry barefooted across the road but the car speeds off before I get to it. I notice the Michelle's yellow top in the passenger seat before the car goes out of sight. I should talk to her. I realize I don't even have a phone right now or even her number. A taxi drives by and I hail it down.
"Follow that car." I instruct.