A Trillionaire's Revenge

XXIV

"I heard you yelling at him. Why were you yelling at him?" Laurel asks, looking back and forth. Maybe I was being paranoid but I swear, I could see suspicion plastered all over her face.

"I have a headache." I say as I move past her and make my way to the stairs. My palms are sweaty, my heart racing, and my vision was getting blurred by the water threatening to fall out. I hurriedly rush into my room and lock the door. I rush to my bed and I sit, placing my hands over my face as I bend. I begin to cry uncontrollably. I was stressed physically, emotionally and mentally. Rocky's behavior was truly scaring me because I'd realized that he'd become so obsessed with the idea of us getting back together.

There's a knock on the door and for a moment, I'm afraid as I panic thinking who it could be. As I hesitate to answer, I hear the knock again.

"Natalie, open up! It's your aunt Ruth!" Aunt Ruth whispers. I sigh in relief as I get up to open the door.

"Oh, my darling." She whispers and hugs me immediately she enters. I lock the door. We sit on the couch.

"Honey, pardon me, but I think you should just be honest. Tell Luke the truth, please, for the love of God."

"You think so? It's easier said than done, aunt."

"The truth sets you free, my love. It's your best bet, trust me."

I hold her hands, "No, aunt. I have seen just a glimpse of what Luke can be like when he's upset, especially when it concerns me. He goes mad with rage when he's upset or when he feels betrayed." I say, as I have flashbacks of how Luke forced himself on me and how he threw the glass cup in a fit of rage. I remember him breaking the door just to get to me.
"Luke has a temper, a very very bad one. Dangerous, even, and that was just a glimpse, aunt. Telling him the truth is not an option." I say. I don't tell Aunt Ruth about all the awful things that happened between Luke and I all because I tried to escape and his jealousy towards Rocky when I tried to run away.

"But it's better he finds out about Rocky from you than him finding out from—she gestures to me, meaning my current state. She continues, "Or, from Rocky himself."

"Or from Laurel." I add, as I wipe my tears with the back of my palms.

"Who's that?"

"The girl who set the table."

"That obnoxious witch? I can tell she has evil intentions against you. So much bad energy."

I chuckle, "You noticed." Aunt Ruth always made me smile even in the most saddest situation.

She smiles, "So, why did you mention her? Does she know?"

"No, Aunt, I don't think she does, although she might've heard my conversation with Rocket after lunch."

Aunt Ruth gasps, "All of it? Jesus. That's bad, Natalie."

I nod, "I doubt it. She'd have said so if she heard the sensitive part of the conversation. If she did, she'd have brought it to Luke's notice immediately because she wants me out of this house. The house is still calm, so I'm guessing she didn't hear anything important."

"Why does she want you out of the house?"

"Well, she's in love with Luke. She's been in love with him for the longest."

"And? What are you going to do about it?"

I lay on her laps, tired. "Nothing, aunt. Nothing."

****

LAUREL's POV

"God damned boots!" I yell as I use all the strength I have to zip up my boots. They were beginning to piss me off. I had no money to get a new pair because I'd used all the money I had to sort out something really important. I open the door to the main house and walk in between the twin stairs. I'm about to go to the kitchen, but I hear voices coming from the dining so I head there and I bump into her.

I roll my eyes in pure resentment. "I heard you yelling at him. Why were you yelling at him?" I ask and she does nothing but stare stupidly.

"I have a headache." She responds nervously as she moves past me and makes her way to the stairs. I turn to look at her, wondering why she looked so scared.

I walk further into the dining hall and there's no one. The room is empty. I could swear I heard two voices echoing from here. My eyes fall on the table and I'm about to pick up some grapes when I stop. "No way in hell am I having her leftovers." I say as I turn to leave.

As I'm leaving, I step on something and I pause to scan the floor. I bend to pick up what I'd stepped on.

"Who's is this?" I say as I scan the silver object. It's a diamond encrusted cufflink with 'R' engraved on it. "R?" I say, wondering where it came from. It couldn't be for Luke and obviously no one else in the manor wore suits or could afford something so expensive. Maybe it was stolen. I chuckle. It was now in my possession now and I knew for sure I could get some money for it, if I sold it. I keep it in my back pocket as I head out of the house. At least, something positive happened to me since that uptight bitch entered the house. My house.