Steven Richards
I am taken aback by Stell's outburst, she has never raised her voice like that. This just shows how much all of this has affected her. Thinking about this aggravates my anger. My right hand turns into a tight fist on the table and I notice Arayna look at my hand from the corner of my eye. I look at Mitch silently telling him to get Susan to start talking. If I get into this it might turn ugly and I didn't want to scream and cause a scene especially in front of Arayna. Mitch is a more calm and composed person to handle it more maturely.
"Susan, we are done giving you time and you heard Stell very clearly. Just tell us why you did all of this and we might consider letting you off." Mitch says calmly looking at Stell in the eye. She doesn't meet his eyes, obviously avoiding the matter.
"Were you ever friends with me, was this all a game right from the beginning, Susan?" Stell asks again aggravated with her silence but she still refuses to say a word.
"Do not test my patience Susan, you do not know what I am capable of." I say each word slowly and clearly, my tone filled with irritation and anger. Susan flinches at my tone and I can see her swallow hard.
"I swear if you do anything to me, you won't be spared either," Susan says fear evident in her tone but still refuses to say anything else. I am done being patient, removing my cell phone from my pocket I start looking for the contact when Susan says, "Who are you calling, what do you plan on doing?"
"You've pushed me to do this." I say, scaring her more, so she would start talking and I wouldn't have to take this step.
I am about to say more when Arayna interrupts, "May I?" She says implying to try questioning her. With motion of my hand and nod of head I tell her to go ahead. I keep my cell on the table, in case I need it again. Her timing is almost like she is stopping me from doing something drastic.
I look at her with curiosity as to what is she planning to do. She is definitely not the kind of person to just shoot arrows in the dark and by the way things are going now, Susan is adamant on not revealing anything. There are only two ways as far as what I see to get things out of her; first, to scare her to the point she will have to start talking, that I was about to do; second, to trick her into saying things. Knowing Arayna, her intimidating personality can be scary and her smart ass counter responses can be tricky. So the question is what will be her way!
She leans forward with her hand folded on the table and she looks at Susan straight in the eye as I watch her intently with curiosity. I expect something like 'Just end your drama, I don't have all day for this or you're not worth my time or I can ruin your life with a flip of my hand' something of this sort but instead she has to surprise me always.
She passes her a phone on the table and says, "Call the person you're doing all this for." Mitch scoffs at that and Arayna glares at him; immediately he diverts his eyes. What did she imply by this? Did Susan do all of this for someone else, no I don't think so, she is too selfish to risk anything for anyone else.
"What do you mean? I did not do anything for anyone else." Susan says still not directly meeting Arayna's eyes.
"I don't buy that, you won't say a word because you think someone is there to save you. Who is it, call them and ask for help, or I wouldn't stop Mr. Richards from calling help against you." She says holding strong eye contact with Susan. I'm sure she is highly intimidated as she takes the phone from the table with slight shiver in her hands.
Susan takes deep breath and says gaining her confidence back, "You will regret letting me make this call. You think you scare me, you're wrong. You are so full of yourself, with your ego, it will all be shattered. You will be destroyed with everything and everyone you care for."
How can someone be so menacing towards someone they don't even know? Irritation hits me followed by immense anger and frustration at what Susan said to Arayna. I look at Arayna to see her reaction to Susan's words, but who was I kidding, as usual she had a blank face; no anger, no irritation, does she really not feel anything or hides too well. Myself on other hand, I can be easily provoked, my anger had no bounds and I expressed it extravagantly. Susan's words had definitely hit me hard and I knew it was out of concern or soft spot for Arayna, I won't deny that.
"That is enough Susan, do what you are told to. Do not forget where you are seated." I say banging my hand on the table. She dials a number that she seems to remember byheart and on my direction she puts the call on speaker. Everyone in the room is curious to know who is the real mastermind behind all this.
The call is finally answered at almost last ring and Susan replies, "Hey, its me, Susan. I am at the witch's building. They have got me." I glare at Susan at the word witch but choose to ignore this time.
There is silence on the other side and after a pause they revert, "I think you have got the wrong number." with that the call hangs up.
Susan keeps repeating 'Hello', 'Hello' on the call, when Arayna says, "Its disconnected, honey." Her tone clearly underlying the sarcasm as her lips press in a tight smile showing fake sympathy.
"Tch Tch, the betrayer is betrayed." Arayna says, feigning innocence and shaking her head. "Wait, what is going on here?" Mitch says losing patience and clearly very confused. I try to process all of it and try to connect the dots. It just looks to me like Susan was being played but, by whom?
"I hope now there won't be anything holding you back from speaking your heart out, sweetie." Arayna says smirking at Susan and lays her back on the chair folding her hands stressing on the word sweetie; giving it back sweetly for calling her witch.
Throwing the phone at the other side of the room in exasperation she holds her head in her hand knowing she now has nowhere to go. "I hated you, I hated you so much, because I loved him and he made me hate you because he hated you, so even I hated you." Susan blabbers absentmindedly looking at Arayna now tears running down her cheeks.
"Who are you talking about Susan?" Stell say empathetically her voice soft again. Thats my sister, she just can't stay mad at anyone for long and anything can melt her. This also shows, she had really considered Susan her friend.
"Get her a glass of water," Arayna says to no one in particular but Evelyn is quick to make a call and the petite lady from before comes with a glass of water. Susan tries to take the glass with her handcuffed hand realising it's tied and blurts out in frustration, "Can anyone please get this thing off, I am not running away nor am I gonna hit anyone. I am the victim here."
"You think we are going to believe that." Mitch says staring at her.
"Mitch, remove it." I say motioning to the handcuffs.
"But, Pal all of this crying may be a ploy." Mitch says still unsure if Susan is saying the truth. Honestly, even I don't trust her.
"Fine, I get it you guys can't trust me and I understand." Susan says taking the glass of water with her free hand and gulping it.
Keeping the glass on the table she is quiet for sometime as if gauging what should be her next words. Then, after a while she starts talking, "Stell, I really didn't mean to hurt you. Yes sure, my intentions of being friends with you were selfish but we are still friends, right. I tried my best you know in college to not let anyone else be your friend, so I would be the only person to have the upper hand. I was also envious of you, you have everything; a rich loving brother, a handsome, rich fiancée and me on other hand, I had to struggle for every little thing. I was tired of struggling, I was tired of failing at everything I wanted. I liked Steven so much, I thought if have him my life will become so much better, but he never even spared me a glance. I still did not lose hope, I tried for Mitch to like me, he was funny and sweet with everyone except me. It broke me so much no one ever realised."
I don't have any sympathy for her, yes it may be rude but I do not. She thinks we now have money and everything is rosy, me and Stell have together struggled to reach where we are today. Her struggle means looking for a rich man and then everything will be her way, I don't have any empathy for that. I cannot hold myself back from saying, "Susan, going behind a rich guy is not struggling, it's gold-digging. You..."
"Steve" Stell stops me from saying more.
"It's okay Stell, that is what people think from outside, but when you come in my shoes you will understand how it feels to not have anyone to like you, guide you, trust you." Susan says wiping her tears and again acting like a damsel in distress.
"Stop acting helpless. Remember one thing, you respect yourself the world will respect you; you pity yourself, the world doesn't care. You can respect yourself only when you think you're worth it. Even if you get a man to support you financially even then you won't be truly happy because you've not earned their respect, you've not achieved anything to be proud of." Arayna says as annoyed as me with her acting distressed. Arayna has a strong personality, her maturity and wisdom is a different level attractive. She didn't just tell Susan to stop with her sympathy game but also advised her.
After a short pause she continues, "Now stop beating around the bush and get to the point."
"That's where I am getting at." Susan says defensively after continuing, "I realised eventually that getting a rich man was not easy, they all wanted a hot body and a sweet heart. I started focusing on my career, I always wanted to become a model so I started giving auditions, but nothing was working out. Then at one charity event hosted by Stella I met him. Atleast being friends with Stell was helping me somewhere. I got to meet some influential people and just like every powerful person even he was interested in me when he got to know that I am an acquaintance of Stellary Richards." Susan says lightly tapping her nose with a tissue.
"Who is this he?" Mitch asks impatiently.
"Ryan. Ryan Jacobs, from Ryan and Ellora Fashions." Now, that name sounds familiar.
"We started dating. He treated me like a princess. He even promised to me a modelling assignment at his firm but I had to prove my worth to his sister Ellora. They were on top from decades, since their parents started the business but for the past two years now they have been losing to Zainav Fashions. Ryan told me that you keep your identity a secret because you had many dirty secrets that has helped you reach here." Susan says looking at Arayna, guilt on her face as she now realises what stories she has heard from Ryan could be all false.
"I persuaded Stella to go to Paris for the vacation and attend the World of Fashions so I could get the chance to sabotage Arayna's show and impress Ryan as he was very upset because they did not get a chance because of you; but hard luck, the security was so tight, I couldn't even reach near the rehearsal room. I tried again to get them a big order by coaxing Stella to get her dress from them but she was hell bent on getting it from Zainav Fashions. Everything I tried was backfiring and all of this was causing a drift in Ryan and my relationship. I just wanted to make him happy, just wanted to become a model and I did all of this only for that. I tried to create differences between you and Steven so you would disagree to make Stella's dress. I dragged your reputation as well as Steven's by giving the clips to the media and aggravated Steven because I knew if it came to his reputation that he has earned with so much hard work he will ruin you and your company. I knew when Steven is angry he does not see sense and Stella is her weakness, I tried to use it all in my favour but again nothing worked. I am such a loser," with that Susan covers her face and starts crying hysterically.
Coming to think of it Susan's plan may have worked if it weren't for it being Arayna on the other side, if it were someone else I may have done something drastic for troubling Stella, for dragging my reputation in the media. I wouldn't have seen anything or anyone beyond my rage. Susan had plotted all of this very carefully knowing me and Stell well.
"You kept telling me, warning me about Susan's cunning nature but I didn't listen to you. Instead I kept telling I am capable of taking care of myself, and look at what could have happened. I am sorry Steve." Stell says looking at me trying to keep her tears at bay.
"Stell, you are a sweet soul, and none of this is your fault, stop feeling guilty about it." I say standing up and sitting beside her on the couch holding her hands trying to comfort her.
"Now what are we supposed to do with her." Mitch says pointing at Susan. "She is still a threat, she knows too much about us and some amount of money and fake love can charm her to do anything against us. Pal, there are many people who can use her to get to us."
"Aryana, she can be a nuisance for us too. She has seen you and Ryan can again coax her with his sweet charms to harm you. He plays dirty games and we are aware of it." Evelyn says for the first time in a while.
"What do you mean by 'we are aware of it', has he done anything to you?" I ask abruptly out of concern looking at Arayna, realising everyone in the room is looking at me I try to cover, "Did you already have a clue about all this, did you know Ryan is behind all this?"
"No I didn't but I surely knew that Susan cannot pull all of this alone, and to answer your previous concern, Ryan has tried to lure Evelyn into betraying me. So yes, we are aware of what he is capable of. Ryan and Ellora Fashions was the epitome of fashion when their parents owned it and now they are doomed." Arayna says calmly.
"Back to the devil in question, lets end the matter we have enough proof to hand her over for defamation." Mitch says bringing us back to the subject.
"No no no, please I promise I will be out of your way forever, will never show my face to any of you. I have lost enough, don't send me to prison." Susan begs looking at all of us.
"I think this call should be taken by Miss Richards. She is the one who is betrayed and taken advantage of. Susan has caused the most harm to Miss Richards." Arayna says looking at Stell, her eyes almost giving away that soft corner she has for Stell; that she feels her pain.
"I have nothing to do with her Arayna. Besides, she has defamed your reputation, your company. She is your culprit and you decide what is to be done." Stell says looking firmly at Arayna.
"Stella please, listen to me..." Susan is cut by Arayna's curt voice, "Thank you Miss Richards, I know exactly what is to be done with her." She says lightly tapping her fingers on the table. She was so quick to accept as if waiting for Stell to just handover Susan to her.
Arayna continues, "As you sow, so shall you reap; you were helping Ryan to destroy me now you will help me to destroy him and save yourself."
"What do you mean? You are not letting her free and sending her back to Ryan. She cannot be trusted Arayna." I understand exactly what Arayna is planning on doing and it's not safe. Ryan already knows Susan's cover is blown, it won't take him long to persuade Susan again.
"Why do you guys talk as if I'm not here, I won't go Ryan's way again. He has hurt me, used me. Why would I be manipulated by him again? I am not so stupid." Susan says defending herself.
"That's great then, you get to take your revenge from Ryan for breaking your heart and I get to settle it once and for all; it's a win-win." Arayna says looking squarely at Susan.
"What exactly do you want me to do?" Susan asks carefully.
"Get me proof against Ryan. You have been with him for so long; you might know something that can be used against him. I give you a month's time, do whatever, anything you need will be taken care of. If you gather enough concrete proof against Ryan I will give you a modelling assignment at Zainav Fashions."
I am not totally in favour of all this. Sure, Susan is not stupid to fall into Ryan's trap again but you never know if she will plot something else again for some money. Besides I am also concerned for Arayna and I don't want Ryan or anyone else messing things for her.
"Arayna, I wouldn't advise this. She cannot be trusted. There is no need to give her a chance to get to Ryan. We will find a better way and Ryan will get what he deserves." I say putting forth my point.
"Firstly, it's Miss Oberoi, and secondly thank you for your concern but I am capable enough to handle it." Arayna says sharply looking at me. I don't understand her mood. Why does she get all distant and rude all of a sudden?
I am not backing away so easily so I reply sternly, "We are all equally disrupted and disturbed because of all this and that's the reason we are all here early in the morning on a working day. So, we all get to decide collectively what is to be done." I say with conviction, I just don't want to risk anyone taking advantage out of this to harm Arayna.
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