Tag Archives: revenge

LIFE OFFERS US OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN

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I wake up soaked in sweat, and the sheets are wound tightly around me. And I have the worse headache of my life.

By Agoda

Photo by Agoda

I reluctantly open my eyes, fearing the worse. Dear god, what have I done? I try to recall the previous night. It’s all a blur. I remember an acquaintance of mine texted me and asked me to meet him at a local bar for a drink. I’m not much of a drinker, but it had been a long work week, and I decided I could use a change of scenery and some friendly conversation.

It seems l must have met him at the bar and then overindulged. But frankly, that’s just not my style. As I said, I’m not much of a drinker. Usually, I just sip a glass of white wine the whole night. But the pounding in my head and nausea indicate that I’ve done more than sip a Chardonnay. I use the wine glass as a prop so I don’t look out of place. Really.

As I look around the room, it suddenly dawns on me that I’m not in my bedroom. I’m in a kind of dark and creepy cellar or something. As I attempt to get up off the bed, I realize I can’t move. My wrists are tied to a rusty metal headboard. I suddenly have the urge to scream at the top of my lungs. I open my mouth and yell at the top of my voice,” hey, let me the hell out of here. Come and let me the hell out of here, now. You better let me out now. This isn’t funny.” No one comes, and no one answers. I scream louder, “help, help let me out of here, now. I’m supposed to be meeting my mother for lunch.”

I start struggling, but the more I struggle, the tighter the ropes on my wrists feel. I begin crying hard. I cry so hard I start sobbing and can’t catch my breath. I feel as if I might throw up. I realized if I threw up, I could choke to death. So, I take deep, slow breaths to calm myself.

I slowly gain control of the panic I’m feeling, and my breathing becomes easier. But my heart is still beating irregularly. I keep breathing slowly with my eyes closed, and a few minutes later, my heartbeat is back to normal.

I consider what my options are at the moment. I can’t just lie here until the person who tied me up comes back and unties me. But then what? They could murder me and then ditch my body in the woods or something. I don’t like that scenario at all. But isn’t that what always happens in the cheap movies where some woman is stupid enough to go to a bar, get drunk, and is taken advantage of, murdered, and chopped up in pieces.

I decide that my best course of action is to stay calm and wait for the perpetrator to return and then outsmart him. I’m an intelligent woman and used to thinking on my feet under pressure. I’m a lawyer, although I would be hard put to explain to a jury how I was stupid enough to get myself in the predicament I found myself in today.

I have the added benefit of being quite attractive. At least, that is what I’ve been told. So, I decide that I would outwit him and use my female wiles to get my way. Well, maybe I should stick with the intellectual approach as I’m probably not looking my best right at this moment.

And it was at that moment I heard someone unlocking the door. My heart skips a beat or two. I try to keep my calm. I close my eyes, and then the door swings open with a bang that echoes down what sounds like a long empty corridor.

And then someone dressed all in black comes through the door. He has a black hood over his head. I feel as if I might faint. But I don’t. I wait a few moments, and then I say nonchalantly, “OK, the jokes over. Can you please untie me? I have a lot of things I have to get done today.”

I hear breathing, nothing more. And then, the man in black walks slowly over to the bed and stands over me. He’s tall and thin, and his breath smells like something died in his mouth and is rotting there. I try again, “OK, OK, that’s enough for today. I have to get going. I’m on a deadline and don’t have any more time to waste.”

I feel him loom over me. I gulp hard. He unties one of my wrists and says, “alright, let’s take this slow so nobody gets hurt. Lie still, and everything will be alright. Don’t struggle, don’t yell. And don’t do anything you’ll be sorry for. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand. I’m calm. I’m not going to do anything crazy. Just untie me and let me leave. No one ever needs to know about this ever. I promise. Now let me go.”

“You don’t know who I am, do you?”

“No, should I? Why don’t we let that be your little secret? Why don’t you just untie me, let me get dressed, and get out of here? I won’t tell anyone about our little “party.” I’m sure it was all meant to be fun. So, we had a few too many drinks, and we got carried away. That’s how I’ll remember it, anyway.”

“Really, tell me exactly what you remember.

I lie there for a moment, trying to decide the best course of action. And my mind is a total blank. I don’t have any memory of how I came to be here in this nightmare. But obviously, I made some really poor choices last night. And then it occurs to me I don’t have any idea if I’ve only been here one night or one year for that matter. My sweating begins anew.

“Honestly, I can’t remember how I came to be here. I recall that a friend of mine texted me and asked me to meet her at a bar for a drink. I vaguely recall going to a bar on South Street in Philadelphia called the Tattooed Mom. I waited at the bar for about fifteen minutes, and she didn’t show up. I ordered a glass of white wine, took a sip or two, and then made a trip to the Ladies’ room. When I came back to the bar, she still wasn’t there. I texted her and asked if she was on her way. She never answered. So, I gulped the rest of the wine, and that’s the last thing I remember.

And it was at that moment that I realized what had happened. And how I could only blame myself for my current predicament. It was clear now that when I went into the bathroom, this freak dropped a Roffie in my drink. Why the hell did I do something so thoughtless and stupid? Even teenagers and college girls know not ever to leave their drink unattended. But what about my friend Silvia? Why would she text me and not show up? Was she all a part of this nightmare? And then I thought, no way would she do anything like this. She’s one of the most thoughtful and kind people I know.

I look up at the hooded kidnapper and say, “what did you do to my friend Silvia? I know she wouldn’t have any part of this. Did you hurt her? Where is she?

“Alright, Elizabeth, I see your memories are starting to come back. And don’t you worry about Sylvie. I have her, and so far, she is just fine. She’s taking a nap right now. Perhaps I’ll let you see each other later, that is, if you are a good girl.”

“What did you do to her? I want to see her right now. I’m not going to cooperate with you at all until I know she is alright.

“You don’t really have any bargaining power here, Elizabeth. I’m in charge. It’s not like this is Bower and Sons, where you are the boss. You always act like you’re superior to underlings. But not here, I can do anything I want to you, and you can’t do a thing about it. You’re the loser here. You will do exactly as I say, or I will make your friend Sylvie pay the price. And I’ll make you watch the whole time.”

So now I know that this nutjob is somebody from my workplace, and he has Sylvia, and that is how he texted me. He was using her cell phone. I also know that somehow, I’m going to make this monster pay big time. “OK, I understand you’re in charge. I have to do what you say, or you’ll hurt Sylvie. I’ll cooperate, but can I please see Sylvia now?

“You can see Sylvia after you do what I tell you to do and not before. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand, I have to do exactly what you tell me to do, and then I get to see my friend. I promise I’ll be a good girl. What do you want me to do?”

“That’s more like it, I’m going to untie you, and you’re going to slowly stand up and take off your clothes.”

My heart started beating irregularly. And I start thinking, and now I’m going to be raped and murdered. And no one will ever know what happened to me, including my family. And then I thought, wait a minute, I’m not some poor helpless woman. I have the smarts and ten years of Marshall Arts training. I’m going to wait until he unties me, and then I’m going to give him the beating of his life. He’ll cry for his mamma when I’m done with him.

“OK, OK, whatever you want me to do.  Please just untie me. My arms and legs feel numb. You have the restraints so tight. I probably won’t be able even to stand up yet. I feel kind of nauseous too. I need to go to the bathroom, please. I promise to cooperate. I’ll be a good girl, whatever you want. “

“Alright, Elizabeth, now you understand who’s in charge now. And it isn’t you. You get that, now, don’t you?”

“Yes, I understand. You’re in charge. And I apologize if I ever made you feel bad or humiliated you at work. I see now how wrong that was, and I won’t do it again.”

“Alright, I’m going to untie you and let you go to the bathroom. And you aren’t going to try any funny business, or your friend Sylvia will pay the price, go it?”

“Yes, yes, I understand. Please let me go to the bathroom; I can’t hold it in anymore.”

“Stop whining.”

“OK, I’ll cooperate.”

He comes over and looms over me. And I think now he’s going to kill me? I close my eyes for a moment, and I can feel him untie the ropes. I know this is going to be my only chance to overcome this psycho. While he unties my right leg, I pretend to be crying and say, “please, please don’t hurt me.”

He laughs. I had never heard anyone laugh like that before or since, and it was truly the laugh of an insane and evil man. It sent chills down my back. As he unties my left leg, I get ready to kick him in the solar plexus as hard as I can. I know this is probably my one and only chance, and I’ll take it to a higher level. I’ll make it the kill strike if I have to.

“Oh, thank you so much,” I say, and then I kick him so hard his mama can feel it. And down he goes like a sack of rotten potatoes. I kicked him so hard that my legs muscles cramp up, and my hips hurt. And I grab the ropes and start tying him using all the knots I learned in the ten years I was a Girl Scout. I know they would come in handy someday. I finish it off with the constrictor knot. He’ll have to be cut out of these ropes.

He’s having trouble catching his breath. I give him another kick just for the hell of it. And then I go looking for Sylvia. I hear a muffled moaning from the other side of the wall. And there she is, tied with her arms behind her back and her legs tied tightly to the steel bunk she’s lying on. There are tears running down her face making clean tracks in her face, which was covered in some kind of filth.

“Oh honey, it’s alright. I’m here now. That piece of shit isn’t going to hurt you anymore. He’ll be going to prison for a long, long time. I carefully untie first her wrist and then her legs. She begins sobbing and choking. “Come on, try to sit up. You’re alright now. No one is going to hurt you anymore. I help her sit up, and she hugs me like she’s never going to let go. “You’re safe now, try and stand up.” She gets unsteadily to her feet, shaking like a leaf from head to toe. I hug her again.

“Elizabeth, you’re alright. I was so afraid he was going to kill you. He absolutely despises you. He told me that you were always emasculating him at work. And he was going to make you regret the day you were born. He told me he tailed you one Friday after work, and he saw us meet up, and then he followed me home. And then he found out who I was through your Social Media. I never realized how dangerous it was to put all your personal information on the internet. Anyone can find out where you live, where you work, who your friends are, and where you work. I’m going to delete any personal informant today.”

“Do you know where he put your cell phone?”

The last time I saw him talking on it, he put it down on that counter over there. But I don’t know if it’s still there. Since he kept drugging me until I stopped eating, then he put it in the water I drank.”

“How awful. I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. I can be somewhat difficult at work after years of working for men treating me like their slave or their mother. I got sick of it. And then, I started moving up in my company. I started doing the same to them. Come on, can you stand up? Let’s go call the police.”

After the police arrive, Elizabeth and Sylvia give their statements, and the paramedics look them over. They decide Sylvia needs to go to the hospital to be checked out because of dehydration and not eating for several days.

“I would like to go with Sylvia to the hospital if I can?”

“Of course, you can ride in the back with her. I’m sure she would feel better with a friend accompanying her. She’s had a really rough time of it.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that. She’s a good friend. And it’s my fault this happened to her.”

“No, you both are victims here. None of this is your fault. Go ahead and climb in the back and take care of your friend. You’re both in good hands now.”

Elizabeth and Sylvia sit quietly in the ambulance the whole ride. Before they pull into the Emergency parking at the hospital, Elizabeth leans down and kisses Sylvia on the cheek and hugs her, and says, “don’t worry, I’m going to stick with you like glue from now on.”

“Thanks, Elizabeth, you saved both of our lives. I’ll be careful and stay on your right side because you are a force to be reckoned with, that’s for sure.”

They hold each other’s hands the whole time that Sylvia is being examined, and then the doctor tells Sylvia it would be a good idea for her to stay overnight for observation, and she will be released in the morning. “Can I stay with her doctor?”

“Yes, of course, but wouldn’t you like to go home and get changed?”

“No, I’ll just wash up in the bathroom and sit next to my friend until she’s released. Then I’ll call a cab to take her home. I’m sure I’ll fall asleep sitting up, no problem. Thank you for taking care of us. I appreciate that. I know I don’t tell people often enough that I appreciate what they do. I will from now on, that’s for sure.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll come back later before my shift is up to check on you both.”

“Thanks again.”

Elizabeth steps into the bathroom and looks at herself in the mirror. She looks like something the cat dragged in on a cold night. She washes her face and hands. And then runs her fingers through her hair and goes to the bathroom. She returns quietly to the room and sits next to her friend, who is fast asleep and breathing evenly.

“Good night, Sylvia.” Then she stretches her legs out in front of her, puts her head down, and falls asleep. She doesn’t wake up for four hours until the night nurse comes in to check on Elizabeth. And then she wakes with a start. “What’s going on?”

“I’m the nurse I’m checking on your friend. She’s doing fine. Can I get you a pillow or anything?”

“No, I’ve never been better in my life, and then her eyes close, and she is off to the Land of Nod.

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Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold

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I’ve been dating my boyfriend Gregory since I was in the ninth grade. I just graduated from Temple University. The sad truth is that Gregory and I no longer have anything in common.

When I first met Gregory, I thought he was the most handsome boy I ever met. He was outgoing and funny. Wherever Gregory was in the room, there was sure to be a crowd of people around him laughing. Every girl I knew envied me, and wanted Gregory for themselves. Gregory ignored them all. He was loyal to me and didn’t even look at all the girls that tried to seduce him away from me. He was the smartest person I ever met. And not only that he was a star quarterback throughout high school. He received a full-ride scholarship to Vanderbilt University.

Everything comes easily to Gregory. I have to admit he’s a gifted person. In fact, no matter how hard I examined him I can’t find a single fault. So, therein lies the problem. Gregory is too perfect. He excels at everything with very little effort. Everyone loves him, and admires him. Wants to be him. 

I know I should consider myself lucky to have Gregory and in the beginning, I did. But over time, I noticed that there was a subtle shift in my feelings for and about Gregory.

I began to resent that Gregory was always in the limelight, always the center of attention, always the STAR. I knew I needed to break up with him before I began to loathe him. He hadn’t done anything to deserve my hate. He was the perfect boyfriend. I know he was going to ask me to marry him after he decided which professional football team, to sign a contract with.

I didn’t want to be known as so and so’s wife. Always on the sidelines, the devoted spouse. Yes, yes, I know. All I had to do is be a loving and faithful wife, and everything I ever dreamed of having would be mine. I would have a gorgeous home, designer clothing, an expensive car, and be able to travel all over the world if that is what I wanted to do.

I’ve tried to talk to Gregory about how I felt, that I had dreams and goals of my own. He would say, sure, sure Babe, whatever you want, and off he would go. After months of delaying the decision to leave Gregory, I finally took the final step and broke up with him.

I admit the timing wasn’t perfect. In fact, I chose the worse time to do it. The afternoon before dinner Gregory’s friends were throwing him a victory party for getting a contract with the New England Patriots.

We were having lunch on the patio of our house. It was such a beautiful day. Early that morning there had been a Spring shower, and the sun had just shown its face and raindrops on the grass were glistening like diamonds in the sand. I had been struggling for weeks trying to decide the best way to tell Gregory about my decision.

I decided the most painless method was to just tell him all at once. Quick and painless I thought. I’ve been trying to tell him in a million different ways over the past year. And he kept blowing me off. If Gregory doesn’t want to hear something, he just refuses to hear it.

I had already packed up all my earthly belongings, the ones that matter anyway, and had them in the trunk of my car. Gregory hadn’t even noticed. I left all the expensive jewelry he had ever given me on my dresser. Jewelry was never important to me. I had told him time, and again I didn’t need it, didn’t want it. He just never heard me.

I was taking the last bite of my gourmet lunch. Oh, I forgot to mention that Gregory is a gourmet cook. On this particular day, Gregory had outdone himself. He had made a chilled Wild Pacific Confit Salmon with a Harissa Sauce, Quinoa & Arugula Salad, and fresh pears with Honey-Sea Salt Cornbread with Local Spiced Apple Butter. As I reflected on this lunch, I considered it my last meal with Gregory. And I have to admit I enjoyed that meal. It was delicious, and I would miss his cooking. It marked the end of an era in my life.

“Gregory, I have something to tell you.”

“Christine, please don’t spoil this day. You know I have been looking forward to this for a long time. And every time you preface a conversation with, “I have something to tell you.” I know I’m not going to like it. Can you just spare me the drama today? Let’s just have a nice day, can’t we?”

“I’m sorry Gregory. I’ve tried to tell you how I’ve been feeling many, many times. You just refuse to listen to me. So no, it can’t wait. I’m leaving you, Gregory. Today. This is our last meal together. I’m unhappy. I don’t want to be a cheerleader for you anymore. I care about you, I admire your intelligence, creativity, and ambition. But I have the desire to succeed and grow too. And there just doesn’t seem to be enough space in your life for me to do that.”

“What are you talking about? I never tried to stop you from anything you wanted to do, Christine.”

“Yes, you have Gregory. It’s not blatant. You didn’t say, No, I forbid you to do this or that. But you did discourage me from going back to get my Master’s degree. Because it was inconvenient timing. When I wanted to go to Europe for six months after I graduated. You said maybe later.”

“I never said no, I just said later, Christine.”

“Gregory, later never comes. I have all my belongings packed, I’ve rented a small apartment off-campus, I got a part-time job, and I’m going to get my Masters and my Ph.D. I don’t need your help. I’m sorry I’ll be missing your big dinner, but I’m sure you’ll have all the attention from your groupies that will more than make up for me not cheering you on. Although Gregory, I do wish you all the success in the world. Take care, Gregory. I’m going to be leaving now.”

And that’s when I noticed the expression on Gregory’s face changed from annoyance to anger. I never saw that expression on his face before. I hardly recognize him. He didn’t say another word to me. He just stared at me with what I can only say looked like hatred. I think it was the first time Gregory didn’t get what he wanted.

I moved into my apartment. I think it is what people called an efficiency apartment. In that, it was really just one big room with a tiny kitchen, a living room space, and an area next to the kitchen where I put my bed and bedside table. And there was a tiny bathroom with a shower, toilet, and sink. There was only one small closet. So, I had to leave most of my out-of-season clothing in storage. But it was mine, all mine. No one to tell where everything should be and what looked right and what didn’t. I loved every inch of that apartment because it was mine.

For the first several days, I didn’t hear from Gregory. Nothing. Nothing at all. I thought good, he is going to act like a grown man this time. He is just accepting that things have changed and moved on with his life, no drama, no theatrics.

But then, little things started happening. I didn’t think too much about it at the time. I just thought, “well, that’s weird.” And then I forgot about it. I received several hang-up calls on my cell phone. But I didn’t recognize the phone number. But that happens to everyone at one time or another, hang-ups.

Then about two weeks later, I started having accidents. I was going down the two flights of steps from my apartment to the street, and the steps were oddly slippery. The first time I fell down about six steps before I was able to grab the banister and stop myself from falling down all the way. I got up and quickly looked around because I thought someone might have seen me fall.

And then the next time I fell, it was because the banister came off in my hands when I went to grab it after I slipped on the steps. Not only did I fall down the flight of steps, but I nearly clobbered myself in the head when I made a grab for the banister and nearly hit myself in the head. After I managed to get myself up off the floor and dust myself off, I examined the banister it had been neatly sawed in two places and then put back in place. It was deliberate.

I called up the manager of the apartment building, and he apologizes and said he has no idea how such a thing could happen, but he’ll send the maintenance guy over to repair it today. And when I arrive home later that day, it had been replaced. The next couple of weeks flew by without any unexpected occurrences. So, I just put it down to bad luck and forgot about it.

I was working part-time in a restaurant that Gregory and I used to frequent. I was lucky to get a job here because it was a high-end place, and the tips were generous. And then, one night, as I was clearing one of the tables in my section, I noticed that Gregory had just come into the restaurant with a young woman that was so beautiful that even I could not take my eyes off of her. She was well over six feet tall and had long blond hair down to the middle of her back. She was wearing a dress that barely covered her ass. Her legs seemed to go on forever, and the front neckline was so low you could almost see her belly button.

I said a little prayer that they wouldn’t sit in my section. But, unfortunately, they did. After they were seated, I walk towards their table with menus and plastered a smile on my face. I walk slowly over to their table. I hand them their menus, smiled at them, and said,” good evening, hello, Gregory. So nice to see you. Can I get you a beverage or a drink while you look at the menus?”

“Hello, Christine, so nice to see you. So, this is the dream job?”

“No, this is a job that pays the rent while I finish my Master’s. Are you ready to give me your order, or would you like some time to study the menus for a bit?” I look at him and wish I could smack the smirk off his face. I just smile. His date doesn’t react at all. She obviously doesn’t know who I was and why he brought her to this particular restaurant.

After they finish their dinner, I walk over to their table. Would you like to look at the dessert menu or have a refill on your coffees? Gregory said, “what would you like to recommend?”

“Well, the lemon cake is delicious. I know you would enjoy that. And there’s a Raspberry-lemon mouse that is to die for.”

“Camella, what would you like?”

“Oh, I don’t know; they both sound delicious. I’ll get whatever you are getting, Gregory.”

“Gregory looks up at Christine and says, “you heard her. We’ll have Lemon cake. It has always been my favorite. And two coffees too. That will be all.”

Christine put on her biggest smile and says, “I’ll be back in a few moments.”  And then she turns and walks away. There is no way she is going to let Gregory think he has the ability to upset her or make her jealous. She just doesn’t care one way or the other how he felt.

After Christine delivers the desserts, she says, “Can I get you anything else?”

“No, that will be all.” And he looks away from Christine and starts talking rapidly. His date’s eyes open wide with a surprised look on her face.

When Christine looks at the table, they had left. She finds a $5.00 tip on it. She picks it up and stuffs it in her apron pocket. Wow, he was really being a jerk.

About three weeks later, she receives a phone message. It sounds like an older man’s voice, and it seems familiar. “Good Morning. This is Dean Sheridan at Temple MS program of Science and Technology. I am trying to contact Christine Brown. Could you please call my office asap?”

Christine picks up the phone and looks at the phone number, and sees it was the Dean’s office. She calls him back and listens while the phone rings four times. She was about to hang up when finally, a male voice said,” Hello, this is Dean Sheridan. Can I help you?”

“Hello, Dean Sheridan. This is Christine Brown here, returning your call. What can I do for you?”

“Ms. Brown, I’m sorry, but I have some bad news for you. The benefactor that was providing the funding for the opening of the Master’s Program has pulled his funding. I’m so sorry. This happens sometimes. I’ve been trying to find contributions from some of our more generous alumni. But so far, no luck. I’m going to keep trying. However, I suggest you start applying to other universities asap, just in case. I’ll hand your call over to my assistant, and she will give you their contact information. Again, I’m so sorry to disappoint you. You would have been a great asset to our program. If you are able to secure funding somehow, please inform me. “

Christine felt crushed. She had worked so hard to get this far, and she couldn’t believe the rug was being pulled out from under her this late in the game. The classes were supposed to start in three weeks. It was too late to apply to other programs. She realizes she will have to start applying all over for next semester and seek scholarships or grants. There was no way she could afford it on a waitress’s pay. Maybe she could get a second job and save enough money to reapply next year. She feels a tear run down her cheek, but she quickly wipes it away. There is no way she’s going to start feeling sorry for herself. She knew it wouldn’t be easy, and she has a long road to travel before she reaches her goal.

About six months later, Christine receives a letter informing her that her building had been sold and she has to seek new housing and vacate her apartment by the end of the month. Christine just couldn’t believe the bad luck that had come her way in the last six months. It was so expensive to move and time-consuming. And she has to find another apartment that’s affordable. Which is no easy task. She calls all her friends to see if they know of any cheap apartments in the area. The last person she calls is her old friend, Sheila.

“Hello, Sheila, this is Christine. I’m sorry I haven’t talked to you in a while, but I’ve been working 24/7, trying to save money for my MS classes. First, I lost my scholarship and grants and my place in Temple’s MS program. And today, I received a letter stating that I had three weeks to move out of my apartment. My building is being sold.  Anyway, I was wondering if you know of any cheaper apartments or even anyone looking for a roommate near Temple University? Oh, and how are you, my bad,”

“Hello Christine, yeah, I did hear through the grapevine that you really had a bad string of bad luck, I should have called, but you know how life gets in the way. No, I don’t know anyone, or any place for that matter. But why don’t you contact Gregory? His father owns a lot of residential property in the Temple University area near Broad Street. In fact, doesn’t he own the apartment building where your studio apartment is located?”

“What, I didn’t know that? Gregory never mentioned it. Oh, I knew they were wealthy. But I never really asked about where their money came from. It just didn’t interest me. I’ll have to look into that. Thanks for the info. I’ll let you know what happens. So, what have you been up to anyway?”

“Oh, same old, same old. I’m finishing up my dissertation. And after that, I’m taking a sabbatical and going to do some traveling before I start teaching. That is if all goes well with my dissertation.”

“Really, that’s amazing. I’m so proud of you. I know how hard you worked to get this far. You deserve every success.”

“Thank you, girlfriend. It’s been a long hard road, but I’m near the end. Please let me know if you find an apartment. You know you can count on me to help you move.”

After Christine hangs up, she starts thinking about the string of bad luck she had experienced in the last several months. And a lightbulb goes off in her head. It all started when she broke up with Gregory. And now she finds out that Gregory’s father owns the building she lives in. She decides to go to the library and find out if it was true that Gregory’s father owned her building. She didn’t want to believe that Gregory would be so mean-spirited as to cause her to become homeless.

After several hours of researching properties, she’s told by the librarian the best thing she can do is go to the county seat and look at their records to find out just who owned the apartment complex she lives in. And with the clerk’s help, she’s able to find out that it is Gregory’s father, Stewart Landers, does indeed own that building and several others in the Temple University area. Most of these are occupied by poor students who eke out a living as waiters and waitresses or nannies for rich people in the Society Hill area of Philadelphia.

Christine contacts Gregory’s father’s office and asks to speak to him. She identifies herself as a family friend. When He comes on the line, she says, “Hello, Mr. Landers. This is Christine Brown. I used to date your son, Gregory.”

“I know who you are, Ms. Brown. Gregory was brokenhearted when you broke up with him. We were all fond of you. And we hoped you and Gregory would marry. Mr. Landers, I’m sorry I hurt Gregory, but I wasn’t ready to get married. I wanted to finish school and get my MS. And then possibly go on to get my doctorate. And then I want to teach. I tried to tell you this to Gregory for a long time. But he didn’t want to hear about it.”

“Well, these things happen, and it looks like Gregory has moved on. He has been dating a beautiful young lady who just graduated at the top of her class from Sarah Lawrence. Perhaps a better fit than you two. No offense. So, what can I do for you? What’s this all about?

“I was just informed by my landlord that my building was being sold, and I had to move out.”

“Well, I’m sorry to hear that. But what has that got to do with my family and me?”

“You own the building.”
“I do? Where is it?

“It is in downtown Philadelphia in the Temple University area. A great many students live there. I’m one of them, and I was just notified that I had to move out. It’s the Edge Student Village.”

“Oh, yes, that’s one of my buildings. I gave that building to Gregory as an investment for his future. He didn’t tell me he was going to sell it. I will contact him and see what I can do about this situation. Of course, if he already sold it, there isn’t much I can do about it. Of course, I could probably find other housing for you. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”

“I would appreciate that, and I’m really in a desperate situation I’m living day to day. I can’t really afford to move again so soon.”

Two days later, Gregory’s father calls Christine back and says, I talked to Gregory, and he said he hadn’t filed the final papers. He knew that was your building, and he wanted you to feel helpless. He thought you might come back to him if you had no place to go. I guess he is still in love with you.”

“Mr. Landers, if he really loved me, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to hurt me. He would want the best for me. He just wants to control me, and that is something I could never live with. I want Gregory to be happy, but I don’t think that, ultimately, we would have been happy together. We want completely different things in life.”

“Yes, I can see that. He is still a very young man and has a lot to learn about life yet. I’m sorry, he told me how angry he was at you and some other things he had done to get your attention. And for all of that, I apologize. Your building is not going to be sold. You can stay there until you are finished with your education. I hope you will forgive him and move on with your life. I have warned him to do the same.”

“Thank you so much for your help.”

“Good luck, young lady.”

Christine hangs up the phone with a sigh of relief. She fixes herself a cup of coffee and sits and down, and takes a deep breath. And at just that moment, the doorbell rings. Christine goes to the door and looks through the peephole, and sees an eye looking back at her. “Who’s there”

“I have a delivery for Christine Brown.”

Christine opens the door. And a young man stands there with a huge bouquet of long-stemmed yellow roses, her favorite. “Oh no”, she says.

She hands a dollar to the delivery man and takes the flowers. Inside there is a note that says, “All is forgiven. I’ll be over at 7:30 PM to take you out to eat at our favorite restaurant. Eternal love, Gregory.”

“Oh no, this is going to be much harder than I thought”,  she says out loud. And then she closes the door and locks the two locks and the chain.

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A LIE IS A LIE IS A LIE

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“Delta Dawn Rafferty, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?” As I sit in the witness chair, I feel a cold sweat break out on my forehead. And then a shudder runs through my whole body. I stare out across the courtroom. I hear a low buzzing in my ears, and heat on the back of my neck and ears. My heart is beating so hard I think it might explode out of my chest. Dear god, I think I’m going to pass out in front of God and country.  Carrie Z - Pixababy

I blink and take a long, deep breath and exhale. “Yes, I do swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me god.” I’m biting my lip so hard it starts to bleed. I take an old tissue out of my jacket pocket and dab at my lip and gulp. I stuff the tissue back from whence it came. I sit up as straight as I can. And then I look out at Douglas, the accused, my former boyfriend, although a short-lived one.

“Can you relate to the court the circumstances that brought you here today? In your own words, can you tell the court what exactly occurred on January first of this year?”

As I sit there and try to decide what I should say, I realize that I had made up my mind a long time ago. I’m going to say precisely what it will take to put that bastard behind bars for as long as possible. Douglas is the picture of innocence. His face is blank, flaccid, you might say. But I know him better than anyone here. I can see that he’s gritting his teeth and his jaw is tightening. His lips are slightly pursed. If he could, he would rush up here and strangle me with his bare hands; he would. I have no doubt.

It began back when I was in grad school. Everything was going along as planned, and then I met Douglas. It was just after mid-term. I was on my break and my friends, and I decided to go out and party at the local pubs. Hell, I think we hit all of them on South Street in Philadelphia. I’m not much of a drinker, but for some reason that night, I just gave myself permission to drink myself into oblivion. Later, I wished that was all I found oblivion, not Douglas.

It was a beautiful starlit night. Well, that’s not exactly true, but it sounds better then it was raining like hell, and we all got soaked to the bone. There were five of us. There was Dolores, she has glorious red hair down to her waist and a tattoo on her arm that reads, Born to Die. She is the funniest person I ever met. She has a very dry wit,  dryer than the Mojave Dessert. She says the most outrageous things with a straight face. You have to think twice about everything she says, and then she will burst out laughing.

And then there’s Candy as beautiful as any model with an IQ that Einstein would envy. She’s only twenty-two and has two doctorate degrees. One in advanced physics, the other in psychology. Abnormal psychology was her area of interest.

And my best friend, Alicia. There isn’t any brief description of Ali she is all heart. I do not doubt that she is an empath. She can take one look at you, and in a few minutes, she understands who you are and what makes you tick. Although, I have to admit she misjudged me. She will go to the end of the earth to help you if you need her to. She has never met anyone who she doesn’t consider a friend. And the feeling is mutual. She has been my best friend since grade school. I can’t imagine my life without her in it.

And then there’s Thelma. How best to describe Thelma? She grew up in the Appalachian Mountains. Her family was poor. Not poor where they didn’t have extra money to go on vacation in the summer. But poor, she didn’t have food to eat every day of her life. She was homeschooled through high school. She has an endemic memory. If she reads it, she retains it. She has the frizziest hair that I have ever seen. She calls it her Irish Frow. There are freckles on her face and body the size of dimes. Is she the most beautiful girl in the world, no.? But, the men flock after her like a cat to catnip.

And then there’s me, of course, Delta Dawn Rafferty. Yes, I know that’s the name of a country-western song. My mother loved those old country ballads. Let me begin by saying that I have a good heart but don’t always make the best decisions. Often my heart leads the way instead of my head. I suppose I would have to say that of all of my friends I’m the creative one. My imagination knows no limits.  I’m an artist and writer. I’m quick with the sarcastic barb. I also have a quick temper and a short fuse. I’m a distant relative of Georgia O’Keefe. Now, you know everything relevant about me except how I came to be on trial for attempted murder. I didn’t attempt to murder anyone.  I was trying to save my own life. I believe that’s called self-defense.

As I was saying, we were out on the town hitting all the dive bars in Philadelphia’s South Street. If you ever have the time and the inclination, go there. The only possible place I could compare to South Street would be the Haute Ashbury section of San Francisco in the sixties and seventies. At least that’s what my grandmother Lou told me. And she ought to know she was a hippie back in the day.

We started at Tattooed Mom, it’s one of the most fabulous places on South Street if you are going on a bar troll with your best buds. Go there with a buzz on before you get there, even better.

Because this place is a sensory overload starting at the front of the building, the theme is carried on inside. Every surface is covered with psychedelic graffiti, including the walls and the furniture. All the artwork is created by the most talented and innovative graffiti artist in Philadelphia. Each one is a piece of history. They have a remarkable collection of craft beers. If you like some spicy chicken wings or an awesome veggie burger it’s yours for the asking.

They have poetry readings open to local poets. And then there’s Upstairs Mama’s where there’re political meet-ups with local Progressive leaders. Not your scene, then you can play a game of pool. It’s a very liberal place, so Conservatives’ beware. Anyway, my gal pals and I started here with a couple of beers and some food and listened to the poetry slam before we left.

We were all feeling the good vibes and moved on to The Twisted Tail. This is in the Society Hill section of South Street. The food is kind of uptown Southern Barbeque. We went there for the booze at the Southern Whiskey bar. And the music at the Juke Joint where talented local musicians play. That night a band called Mikey Jr. and the Stone-Cold Blues were playing. And then to top it all off there was a new musician and band who were playing Muddy Water’s Blues. By the time they got to Manish Boy, I was blown away. The singer could have been a reincarnation of Muddy Waters. And I was feeling no pain.

As I was throwing back my last whiskey a good-looking dude sat down next to me. And he asks if I wanted to dance. And that my friend was the beginning of a life-changing moment in my life. You know that little voice you hear in your head sometimes telling you, no don’t do it. Well, my little voice was screaming it at the top of its little non-existing lungs. But I was too far gone to hear it or care and I said yes.

Once I looked into his deep brown eyes, I was lost. I was his, for the taking. Next thing I know I got my jacket and told my best gal pal, Alicia, that I was leaving with this dude and would talk to her later. She tried to talk me out of it. They all did. But I had stopped listening. I was out the door hanging on his arm. Barely able to stand let alone walk.

Alicia came over just before I went out the door and tried once again to dissuade me. She physically tried to pry me off his arm. But I would have none of it. And I told her to mind her own business. And that was the last they heard of me for ten days. Yes, my friends that good-looking dude was none other than Douglas.

Yes, I was missing in action for ten days. that was a first for me. My friends were frantic. They had no idea where I was. I really think I lost my mind. I only considered what I was feeling. And I was feeling no pain. I was in love or lust, or maybe both. Those ten days were intoxicating.  Every time he walked into the room. I literally swooned. After ten days, Douglas decided he needed to go back to work and pick up the pieces. He left me a note saying it had been great fun. But the fun was over, and he had to get back to his real life.

Real-life, what the hell did that mean? I’m real. These last ten days seemed more real than any experience I had in my life up to this point. I was having none of it. He wasn’t going to toss me out like last week’s left-over Chinese food. I spent the rest of the morning ransacking his apartment. I got into his email. Can you believe he used the same password for every one of his accounts? And he had his password taped to the bottom of his laptop. What an amateur.

I looked at his Facebook account, his LinkedIn account, Twitter, his Tinder. I unfriended everyone on his Facebook account. Lastly, I blocked anyone on Tinder that I thought might get in my way. I changed his passwords for everything, and I copied his new passwords. I looked at his documents. I left no stone unturned. I happen to keep a jump drive in my purse, and I copied all relevant information. I even looked at all his online bank accounts. I moved some of his money from his checking and savings account into long-term CDs.

Douglas never asked for my phone number or address or my cell. He doesn’t even know my last name. He may be finished with me, But I’m not finished with him. Not by a long shot. He may not know my last name or address, but I know everything about him, and I mean everything. I looked in his address book on his phone while he was taking a shower. And I copied all his contact information, including family, friends, and workplace.

I cleaned every surface that I might have touched. I put all the dishes into the dishwasher and turned it on. I washed the clothes, sheets, and towels in hot water. Douglas’ apartment had probably never been this clean dare I say antiseptic since day one. And then I began to exact my revenge. Oh, you thought I already exacted my revenge. Hardly, I believe I mentioned that I’m creative. Well, my creativity is not limited to, painting and writing.

Day one- I contacted Alicia first by text, and after she unloaded a raft of shit on me via texts. I called her. Unfortunately, I should have given her a little more time to simmer down. Her anger was still boiling over. “Del, where the hell have you been? We have been looking all over for you. We made a police report that you were a missing person. We called your parents. We all were sure that that guy murdered you, cut you up in little pieces, and threw you in the Schuylkill River. Del, they dragged the river. You are going to have to talk to the police. I’ll text you the name and number of the detective that was, or I guess is investigating your disappearance. His name is Detective Dan Shaw.

“Del, it was in the Philadelphia Inquirer.”  “For reals? Are you kidding?” No, I’m not kidding. Your parents are a mess; they think you’re probably dead. No, I’m not joking. Have you lost your mind? We were all worried, sick.”

I tried to interject some reason here. But Alicia was having none of it. God, can’t a girl go a little crazy once in a while? I mean, you’re only young once, for crying out loud. So, I made plans to get together with her and Dolores and Candice, and Thelma for dinner that night at the Pussy Cat. It’s a kind of a dive bar in Deptford, NJ, near the Mall. But they have the most fabulous spicy Chicken Wings in South Jersey.

After I spoke to Alicia, I called my mother. When my mother picked up the phone, she immediately started crying. And then she started yelling. It seemed that this was going to be a new theme with everyone I talk to in the near future. I was starting to feel a little guilty for not letting them know what I was up to. But not that guilty. I have a right to my privacy, don’t I? I assured her I was fine, and I apologized over and over again. Then my dad got on the phone and read me the riot act. I guess I could expect more of this at the Pussy Cat when I saw my other girlfriends. I will try to deflect the tirade by starting with an apology, right off the bat.

Meanwhile, I got busy with my plan for Douglas. The basic plan was to make him regret using me and then ditch me like a bad habit. And then regretting the day he was born. I started sending emails to his boss at Megger International, describing some of the things Douglas had done to me. I copied that email to all his co-workers and close friends. And all his past girlfriends and on Tinder for any possible future girlfriends.

I was feeling a little jazzed for some reason. I guess I was feeling a sense of accomplishment. I didn’t stop for a minute to consider the possible consequence of my actions, not even for a minute. I found it divine retribution. Not that I felt sorry for my actions and how they would affect Douglas. But how it possibly affects me. I think I had every right to destroy Douglas’ little world and his pathetic life. Look what he did to me. Told me he loved me, adored me even. We were meant to be together forever. Men have been doing this to women forever. And it is time for it to stop.

My coup d’état was when I showed up at his place of employment, Megger international. They were having a meeting for all the top-performing employees at a special luncheon to thank them for their outstanding service to the company. I knew all this because I have been hacking into his work email. God, he had made it so easy.

I arrived just as the plant manager was standing in front of all the employees to hand out bonuses and announce raises. I saw Douglas sitting at one of the front tables. He seemed poised to stand up. I started to slowly move forward to the front of the large meeting room. I was going to start crying and telling everyone what a shit he was when he was finished speaking. But that never happened because as his name was called, Douglas sensed my presence somehow and looked over at me.

And I stepped forward he launched himself across the front of the room and toward me. He started choking me.   I was kicking and scratching. I was no match for his strength. I don’t think I mentioned that Douglas was over six and a half feet tall and cut. It looks like he spent a lot of time working out at the gym. He was shaking me like a dog with a bone. And then, at the last possible moment, I pulled the knife out of my jacket pocket and stabbed him a couple of times in the upper chest. Which was all I could manage, considering he was wringing my neck?

That was also when several of his co-workers and boss jumped on me and restrained me. Someone punched me really hard in the face. I don’t know who. But I intend to find out, and they will be sorry. The last thing I remember is the police putting me in handcuffs and shoving me in the back of the squad car. And that is all she wrote. And here I’m standing before you all ad innocent women trying to defend my honor. Nothing more. I was just defending myself, nothing more.