"Tell me what you did to Grandpa or else I'm going to report you to the police!!" Melinda threatened, standing across from Rollins with her heart racing in her chest.
"Do you think I'm scared of the police, my dear?" He said with a sly smile and stood up from his office chair, making his way slowly toward her.
"You killed him, didn't you?" She bellowed.
"I only rescued him from his sufferings."
"You monster!"
"Now, now, my dear, there's no time to shed fake tears."
"They're not fake, I loved Grandfather with all my heart." She yelled at him.
"Oh save me that." He said with a wave of his hand.
"We barely have time on our hands, we need to make our move." He said and walked back to his seat.
"What's the plan?" Melinda sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"We need to take Tyrone out of the picture and you're in the rightful position to do that." He said as he picked up a pen and began to fiddle with it.
"Oh no, never, I will never take the life of someone, especially not my brother's."
"You don't even know this man, Melinda." He scoffed.
"That doesn't mean that I'm going to kill him." Melinda retorted.
"How much do you think it would cost?" Rollins asked and rested his back on the chair, watching her closely.
"What?! Do you really think I'm interested in your money? I'm still young and I just left high school, I need to go to college and not be involved in your mess of a business."
"Oh, but this is our family's business you can't run away from it because you are a Jefferson," Rollins said with a tinge of sarcasm in his tone.
"Now you're going to put this in Tyrone's food." He said, taking out a little bottle from his breast pocket and setting it on the table.
"Just two drops will do the job." He said.
"No way, you're going to make me do that. What if the police find out I don't want to spend the rest of my life in prison."
"Would you just stop involving the police, no one is going to find out and no one is going to jail," Rollins said, voicing out his frustration.
"I don't care what you say, I'm not going to kill him," Melinda said putting her foot down.
"Okay then, I guess I'll have to do it the hard way instead," Rollins said and put the bottle back into his breast pocket.
He stood up and was about to make his way out of the office when Melinda stopped him.
"You're not saying anything about me going to college, Rollins." She said.
"We'll talk about that later, right now, I have a lot of things to attend to."
"You mean killing Tyrone?"
"Yes and a lot more," Rollins said and smiled to himself. "And I know the perfect person for the job." He added and walked out.
****************************
Rollins continued to check his phone constantly for the address to be sure that he was on the right track.
"I think this is the place." He said and parked his car by the roadside, he wanted to continue the rest of the journey on foot.
He stared at his phone again to be sure before walking up to the house.
"Man, this place reeks, he said as he rang the door's bell three times before it was opened by a woman whose face immediately metamorphosed into a look of shock.
"Oh my goodness, are you Rollins Jefferson?" She asked.
"Yes I am, and I suppose you're Judy."
"Yes, yes, I am!" Judy squealed excitedly. "Please do come in." She said.
"Oh no I do not wish to, I'm sorry but I have someplace to be."
"Okay, no problem," Judy responded, stepping out of the house.
"I have an important job for you," he started. "I believe you know Tyrone."
"That dog, of course, I know him," Judy replied causing Rollins' face to light up in a wide smile.
"I'm glad we both share the same stand about him."
"Tyrone happens to be the biological brother I never wanted and I need you to take him out for me."
"Hold on a sec, Tyrone is your brother, how is that even possible, you're a well known business tycoon and Tyrone is a nobody."
"Exactly my point, which is why I need you to take him out for me."
"Take him out?" Judy asked, furrowing her brows. "I'm sorry but in as much as I hate him, I can't possibly kill him."
"Oh no, no, you're not going to kill him, I just want you to distract me for me. You can do that, or can't you?"
"Uhm...well...I uhm, I think I can do that." She stuttering.
"Beautiful, as soon as the job is done, I'm going to transfer the sum of five hundred thousand dollars to your bank account."
"Five hundred thousand dollars!" Judy exclaimed, clamping her hands over her mouth. "of course I'm going to carry out the plan perfectly."
"Great." He said and took out a card from his pocket, "I want you to be at this address by tonight at nine pm sharp, I want you to put on your best dress and your best make up, make sure not to disappoint me." He said and without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away.
The slick smile on his face remained as he made his way back to the car, he took out his phone and phoned Malcolm.
"Malcolm? Make sure to put everything in order, she has agreed to visit Tyrone by nine ọ clock, make sure that he doesn't suspect anything." Rollins said, putting on a serious face. "Everything must go as planned." He added.
"You have my word boss, I'll make sure that no mistakes are made," Malcolm said from the other end of the phone.
Rollins nodded his head before he dropped the call and walked back to his car.
The glittering lights of the red carpet illuminated the night sky as Hollywood's elite gathered for the premiere of "Starlight's Shadow," the most anticipated film of the year. Cameras flashed incessantly, capturing every moment of glamour and excitement. At the center of it all stood Judy Palmer, resplendent in a shimmering silver gown that clung to her curves and sparkled with every movement.Judy’s heart was pounding as she posed for the camera, her smile covering up a whole lot of emotions running inside her. This should have been the happiest day of her life, her breakout role, her face on every billboard in the city. But her conscience kept pestering her, threatening to spoil all hard work that would be hard to maintain had turned out to be a perfectionAs she walked down the carpet, just beside her is the co-star and film direct, Malcom Reed. Judy couldn’t help but think of another event happening downtown. She ditched a marriage, a jilted groom and an empty church.Unknown to
Tyrone couldn’t bear it any longer. He walked away from the theater, away from the cheering crowds, away from the cameras, away from the shattered remains of his happily ever after. His hands fell as he walked across the sidewalk like the remnants of his dreams.Tyrone walked for what felt like hours, his polished dress shoes pinching his feet, his tie hanging loose around his neck. He found himself in a denser part of town, neon signs buzzing and flickering in the growing darkness. One establishment caught his eye: "The Broken Heart Saloon." A bitter laugh escaped his lips. How fitting for his present situation, what a coincidence.Pushing open the wooden door, Tyrone was enveloped by the smoky interior. The bar was dimly lit, populated by a handful of men who looked as lost and dejected as he felt. He slumped onto a cracked leather bar stool, raising a hand to catch the bartender's attention." What'll it be?" the grizzled man asked, eyeing Tyrone's rough formal wear with a mixture
Tyrone had always prided himself on being a gentleman with composure, but tonight, that composure was unwinding at an alarming rate. His apartment which had solitude, has now become the stage for a different kind of drama. The room was quiet except for the soft rustle of bed linens. Tyrone had come here, hoping to find Judy and bring some sense of normalcy back into their lives. But the sight that greeted him as he pushed open the door was anything but normal. Judy, the woman he had imagined spending his life with, was entangled with another man, the director, a figure whose arrogance and charm had always chewed on him.Without a second thought, Tyrone anger kept growing without bounds. His vision reduced and his natural thinking was being replaced with uncontrollable rage. He surged for rage, throwing his fists into the room with a shout. “You son of a bitch!” Tyrone’s voice filled with fury.Judy’s eyes was wide open in shock as she tried to stay away, holding tight the bedspread t
Suddenly Judy face changed and her countenance actually changed into someone who Tyrone wasn’t familiar with. “You pathetic, insecure man,” Judy said, her words stinging in Tyrone’s skin. Her hands were tightened at her sides, her curated manicured nails digging into her palms. “Did you really think you were a match against him? He’s an award-winning director, and you’re nothing but a washed up loser that can’t admit when he loses.”Tyrone's eyes widened as each word was a physical blow. He tried to look in Judy’s eyes, his swollen face a testament to the beating he had received earlier. “Judy, I saw you with him on our bed. Are you kidding me, how could you?”“How could I?” Judy cut him short, her laugh now bitter and cold. “How could it not be? What he’s offering is everything you can never think of offering yourself in the first place, fame, wealth and a real career. What were you going to give me, Tyrone? A life watching us live a normal life, a normal American family as you alway
Tyrone tried walking out of the house almost staggering and falling, his vision covered by blood trickling down his face. He had just lost the fight with the director, lost everything in whole, and right not he was left with nothing but a painful heart and aches of his battered body.The cool air of the night met his face as he managed to walked down the stairs, almost losing his balance. His legs were so light that couldn’t support his weight. But he had to keep moving, he just couldn’t stop. He needed to get to the hospital, he needed help before he faints or before the injuries become serious.As he staggered down the sidewalk, the events of the past hour played on repeat in his mind like some sick, twisted movie.*Walking into their bedroom, seeing Judy naked and writhing beneath the director.The look of shock on their faces as they scrambled to cover themselves.Judy's voice, shrill and panicked: "Tyrone! It's not what it looks like!" The director, smugly buttoning his shirt: "Sor
The doctor nodded, scribbling something on a clipboard. "Mr. Tyrone, you've lost a lot of blood. We need to get you into surgery right away."Tyrone tried gesturing, but the small movements he made sent more pain through his body. He bit his lip and was determined not to cry out. As he was being prepped for surgery, attaching various monitors, Tyrone’s thought kept drifting in and out to Judy.How could she do that? After all they had been through, how could she just leave him hanging like this? Why did she pick the day of their wedding? The image of her on the bed with the direction kept giving a constant source of pain rivalling the knife wound in his side that he got from the fight.As he was about to get wheeled into the operating room, a nurse walked up to him, holding out Tyrone’s cell phone. “Mr. Tyrone, your phone keep ringing nonstop and it's the same caller, do you want to take the call before we go in or I should drop it?”Tyrone hesitated. Who could be calling him now? Eve
Tyrone stumbled out the hospital bed, his vision blurry as he fumbled around. Blood dripped from his chine, staining the white and blue patterned overall the hospital gave out to patients who were admitted. The hospital ward exit loomed before him, in his painstaking state."Sir, do you need help? How and why did you get out of bed?" A concerned voice pierced through the mist of his thoughts.Tyrone tried to respond, but only managed to moan. He was in serious pains. His legs gave way, and he felt himself falling. Strong arms caught him before he hit the ground."We need a stretcher here!" The voice called out, urgent and authoritative.As Tyrone was lifted onto the stretcher, the events of the past few hours flashed through his mind. He was already getting better, what happened to him? Today just can’t get any better.The fluorescent lights of the emergency room ceiling blinded him as he was wheeled inside. Nurses swarmed around him, their voices saying medical terms he definitely co
The bouquet of red roses sitting pretty in the trash bin, the sweet fragrance interlocking with the smell of coffee and also last night’s leftovers. Alexis just couldn’t take her eyes off them, her fists tightened. Still the memories of Haven's betrayal were still fresh.It had been five days since she caught her husband in a compromising position with his secretary, Cassandra. Five days of silence, of avoiding eye contact, of pretending Haven didn't exist. Five days of him trying to explain, to apologize, to make things right. But Alexis wasn't ready to listen. Not yet.She walked away from the trash bin and tried to make herself breakfast, the sound of the kitchen pots and spoons filled the air. She heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Her body froze but didn’t turn around."Good morning, Alexis," Haven said softly, his voice laced with hope and trepidation.Alexis kept whisking eggs, pretending to have not heard him. She knew he was staring at her, hope for her to face him.Have