Three's Company

39. Foolish

The country girl didn't think she would ever go so far as to fall in love with a married man. She had all the things she desired—money, friends, and good looks—but one thing was untouchable.

She had her heart set on Heath Drew Callahan, but he was already taken.

The thought alone, that he was locked in with another woman simply made her want him more.

When she realised she couldn't stop daydreaming about the neighbour who had brought the cake over, she made it her mission to bump into him somehow. Within the next week, she provided him with some assistance when she came across him on an arbitrary morning experiencing car issues. They got to chatting, and she learnt more about the mysterious stranger.

After she learned that the man needed a job, her father hired him in his company. Dove was the very reason he was able to amass his current level of fortune.

The twenty-year-old had a big-time crush on the highly educated man, he resisted her urges and that made her like him more.

A man with morals.

She liked that.

He came over for a lot of dinners, ending up in places where they were bound to run into each other. That was exactly where she got the cunning idea, he was finally going to be hers.

She was the sole reason for her father's joy and happiness, everyone knew that.

And so it was pretty easy to blackmail the hopelessly taken man.

All she needed was to piss him off until he more or less reacted badly.

Dove started with the flirtatious words, then came the occasional grazes and bumps, until she had cornered him into a room at one of the parties her father threw and tried to kiss him—constantly telling him his wife didn't have to know.

That was enough for the frustrated man to snap at her, shoving her off him rougher than he meant to. In a way where she pretended to lose her footing and went tumbling onto the ground.

Like the manipulative girl she was, she merely battered her lashes and waited for a second or two before the fake tears came.

'Y-You hit me!'

His face twisted from anger to confusion. 'What? No. No, I would never do that.'

'You did! Oh my gosh, I can't believe you would smack me like that. You fucking asshole.'

The frown on his face made him appear more handsome, she wanted nothing more than to run her hands over his face and make those lines go away.

'Dove, look. I'm sorry I pushed you hard enough to fall. But that was never my intention, I was trying to move your hands off me. I get it, you got a thing for me, but I'm sorry. I've told you a billion times that I'm not interested. And... and I have issues with personal space and you were way too close..' He was trying to let her down easy, moving to brush his hand against her arm in a soothing way. 'I didn't mean it. I swear. I'm here because your father is my boss. Nothing more, nothing less. Dove, you listening?'

He was a sweet guy. Very, very misunderstood.

However, the man was also easy to play like a fool.

'I'm gonna tell Daddy.' She wailed, throwing her face into her hands. 'You just hit me and... and now you keep touching me! He's gonna get you locked up for practically trying to rape me!'

Heath snatched his hand away quickly, his face going pale at the accusation.

'I was just tryna help—'

'Don't touch me, creep!'

The night ended with him avoiding her like the plague.

She couldn't help but relish in the entertainment. Men like him were so easy to manipulate, she figured he must've had some issues in his past with the way he let her walk over him.

She told him she would not tell him of his 'brutal' touch on one occasion, to pretend like they were together. She knew her father would make him partner in no time if they were together, and she needed someone like Heath to get her father off her back.

He wanted her to get married sooner than later, and most of his choices were either hideous or downright boring.

Heath was intoxicating. His whole broken man act compelled her, she loved it.

There was clearly something very wrong with her, but she got off on his pain.

Much to her disappointment though, he never touched her. Not willingly of course.

He was so fucking obsessed with that girl. That old, hideously ugly woman. 

She hated her.

Mona fucking Callahan. She was lucky enough to take his name.

Dove Callahan sounded a lot better. A lot sweeter.

It should've been her. She didn't get what he saw in the foreigner, she didn't fit into the farm.

Everyone could see it, and yet he never stopped talking about her. She tried to take on hotel trips where she knew they would have to be stuck in a room together, tried getting her father to set up lavish dates for them, trips away and still, Heath found her desperate.

He made partner, rushed to get the best cases and just when he was in his prime, she knew he would find a way out.

So that was exactly why she needed to give him the ultimatum.

Either you tell her or I will, and believe me I won't hold back.

He was going to divorce her and marry Dove, that was the plan. That was what he promised so that she wouldn't tell Mona about the night when mistakes were made.

Mistakes that she deliberately knew he would be unable to cope with.

She was a sick, twisted girl. One that always got what she wanted, and she had gotten what she wanted.

But soon enough she was bored and the game was no longer fun to play.

Although knowing that she had ruined a loving relationship was rewarding enough.