DEMI
Mrs. Amber Regan’s ho is a quaint radiance along the highbrow area called Alpha district, a gated community of pricey hos affordable only to the extrely rich.
According to her, her husband’s parents who are wealthy folks gifted them the ho. Amber and her husband live in the duplex with their daughter Katherine and get visited frequently by their son Maddox.
"Please, make yourself at ho. My daughter is out with a friend. I would have loved to introduce you." Amber tells . I smile back and recline on the sofa, my feet angled towards the fragrant heat from the fireplace.
"I’ll surely co around again. I can’t wait to et her."
My eyes dart around, admiring her ho. I have been so spoiled by the opulence of the mansion and literally every building owned by the Rollins family that I have forgotten what beauty simplicity can hold.
"You have a beautiful ho, Amber." I repeat, mirroring the warm smile on her face.
"Thank you. I’m not much of a decorator but Kat loves it. She tries to redecorate this ho every ti my back is turned but I always end up putting things back the way they were, especially here in the living room. This place holds a lot of mories for and I feel like redecorating will cause to lose those mories."
"I can understand."
She smiles at . "Your mother usually paid a visit. She loved that very spot on the sofa you’re sitting on right now. You remind so much of her with your quiet curiosity and understated charm."
"Thank you. That’s really good to hear." I drop my juice and sit up. "Tell more about her. What was she like at work? I never knew that side of her."
Amber tosses her back and inhales. "Camille was a breath of fresh air. Before she joined my departnt, she also interned like you. She was a workaholic and constantly tried to prove herself as being worthy of a place at the HQ. She couldn’t be blad. She was competing for the sa spot with another formidable intern. Your mom spent long nights at HQ. She didn’t do it to get noticed by upper managent unlike her competition. She was only trying to push herself to be excellent."
I blink away the tears forming in my eyes and continue to give her my rapt attention.
"She finally made it through her internship and was fortunately picked to join my departnt. We were very glad to welco her. She and I grew close because of her impressive work ethic. You see, normally, new recruits lose their fire after they get hired. Your mother was different. She only got better, learnt the ropes faster than anyone I ever had to supervise. We grew to beco friends."
"She makes feel lazy as an intern right now." I chuckle. Amber nods sagely.
"Imagine how I felt. I felt bad going to the restaurant or the cafeteria for lunch because your mom had hers handy and worked while she ate in her office. She started winning titles like employee of the month, most punctual, most innovative and many others. She grew popular not just in our departnt but in the entire HQ because her enlarged portrait was put up almost everywhere to commorate her awards."
"That must have been tough."
"Your mother shared the sa sentints. Despite being married, she started getting approached by so of our male colleagues. She handled herself with grace and politely declined the advances." Amber pauses to sip her juice. I have a feeling that the story is set for a dark turn and grab my glass as well. Mom’s life couldn’t have been all rosy if she died the way she did.
"What happened next?"
"One day, the chairman asked to see her. No, it’s not what you’re thinking. I also feared the sa but when Camille returned, she told he only called to personally comnd her for her sterling performances in the HQ and to hint at an early promotion if she keeps up the good work."
"Amber, I really appreciate you telling about my mom like this. I just want you to know that you don’t have to sugarcoat anything or hide anything from . My mom’s dead. Her mories are all I have. Please, don’t hesitate to tell everything you rember, how you rember it. I can handle it."
Amber exhales deeply. "Your mom made a few more trips to the chairman’s office and after so ti, she grew wary of visiting him. She wouldn’t tell anything but she made excuses not to go to his office. Later, she told she was thinking of switching offices to the fashion company, particularly the Rollins mall. She loved clothes and accessories as you know and she felt she would excel there too. I was in support of her decision. However, her application for a transfer was constantly declined. She grew frustrated as she didn’t want to quit working at the HQ when a job at the Rollins Mall wasn’t guaranteed."
"I knew she loved fashion but I didn’t think she wanted to work in a mall."
"She didn’t. she just felt suffocated at the HQ in her small office and the pressure of work. The burnout finally got to her as she explained to . Though the pay at the HQ was very high, she wanted to switch to the mall and have shifts so she would have more ti to spend with you and your dad. It worried her that she was missing out on your childhood. She wanted to fix that by working under the Rollins Group with their good pay structure but in an environnt that would allow her ti for her family."
"My guess is that never happened because she never had ti for till she died."
I rember my missed birthdays. She was even absent when I got my period for the first ti. It was so difficult having father-who was super clueless- assist through it all.
"No. After several declines, your mom gave up and remained in the HQ. Things seed fine for a bit until one of the quads started getting death threats at the office."
"At the office? Wait, the quads all used to work at the HQ?"
"Of course. That’s where they got their basic training and did their internships too before they all went on to head other subsidiaries. Ah, it was a difficult ti. Most of them were difficult to work with. One in particular, he was known as the crazy one for a reason. The chairman put him under your mom’s supervision and he got her into trouble all the ti. He snuck whiskey to work almost every day and would get drunk before lunch. The chairman blad only your mother for his behavior even though he couldn’t handle his son either."
This is fresh. I never knew the quads once worked at the HQ. That’s certainly sothing I should look into more. It would hold answers to a lot of my questions.
"You ntioned death threats?"
"Yes. One of the quads was getting death threats for murdering the chairman’s forr bodyguard who passed on when the boys were very young. I wasn’t surprised that soone would stoop so low to attack the young boys in that fashion because a lot of people tend to be jealous of the golden boys. I felt really bad for them. The one being attacked suffered major PTSD. It was difficult watching him react to the threats like a bloody knife on his desk in the office or being delivered the bodies of lifeless chickens all stabbed in the neck. It was grueso."
Ashley, I think.
"Was the culprit found?"
"Much later. It happened to be one of our male colleagues in the office. He was the first son of the murdered bodyguard. His na was Samuel Woodley. He bore a grudge against the Rollins family."
"You said ’was’. What happened to Samuel?"
"He was arrested and locked away for months. His brother and sister kept coming to the office to beg the chairman to free their brother but got chased away by security. They were relentless and always returned. One day, your mom tried talking to the chairman. He warned her not to interfere. I told her to let it go but she was adamant, claiming that she had a gut feeling that Samuel was innocent. That’s when she started making secret plans and phone calls to leak the matter to the press so a more thorough and fair investigation would be conducted and Sam set free. She didn’t necessarily believe Sam’s accusations against Ashley Rollins, she just wanted Sam set free. He was still grieving his late father and was in bad state which led to his poor decision. That’s how your mother felt."
My fingers curl tightly around my glass. Amber eyes suspiciously.
"Are you okay?"
I force a smile. I am just shocked at how similar mom and I are. I always thought I was more identical to my dad but it turns out that mom and I share similar traits and think alike. I would have done the exact thing if I was in her shoes.
In a manner of speaking, I am doing the sa thing in my own way. The only difference is my motive for doing it. Mom’s reason was more honorable but if I have learnt anything about the Rollins’ family, they’re anything but honorable. Hence, chills run down my spine as I wonder how badly things panned out for my mom.
"I’m okay. Please go on."
Amber doesn’t look convinced. "You said you could handle it."
"I can. Carry on."
Sighing, she sips her drink one more ti. "Your mom called and spoke to journalists. Back then, we didn’t have blogs like Billion-Err where one can anonymously leak information. Your mom also made the mistake of using the company WiFi and her computer to conduct research about Tobias Woodley. I begged her to stop but she refused to stand and do nothing. The chairman allowed his son, the one being attacked, to transfer to the fashion subsidiary. He began working at the mall as the manager of the mall and soon found his rhythm again. Everything seed to have cald down until the news about Ashley and Samuel Woodley aired. The whole of Danvarr started taking Samuel’s side and giving Rollins group hell for unjustly arresting the poor man. The company stocks crashed badly. Ashley went into a spiral once more, especially as Samuel’s release was demanded. Samuel got out."
"He did?"
"Social currency is a different kind of power here in Danvarr. If utilized well, even billionaires can’t always have their way. Your mom knew that. The atmosphere at work was hellish. Everyone was on edge. There were massive staff cuts, threats against the whistleblower and rewards for anyone who had any information regarding the whistleblower. Everyone walked on eggshells. I thought of quitting out of fear but Brett Rollins would have pegged the whistleblower and locked up as a scapegoat so I stayed."
"And my mom?"
"She also carried on for the sa reason as . Then one day, the crazy quad who was still working at the HQ with Asher even after his brothers had been sent to other subsidiaries, found the business card of a major news reporter on your mom’s desk under a stack of papers. He went on to search her computer and her research was flagged. I think he had one of his father’s n tail her and got pictures of her speaking with reporters and Samuel’s siblings. He was very disappointed in her and felt betrayed. You see, your mom had been instruntal in helping him nd his ways. He had gone from being regarded as a joke and a failure by his father to being one of the top performing junior workers in the HQ. He was even far more impressive than Asher, all thanks to your mom. Their bond was like that of a mother and son. Even his mom grew jealous seeing how he interacted with Camille."
Ashton and my mom? There is so much to take in here. My heart starts pounding in my chest. Mom had written fondly about Ashton and then there were bits in her journal where she described him as irrational, hot-tempered and other bad words. It was almost like she was describing a mixture of the other three quads. Her entries about him stopped without giving more detail about what happened between them.
"My mom kept a journal but she was terrible in making entries. I don’t think she understood how to chronicle one’s experiences in a journal. Her entries were mostly terse. However, she ntioned the crazy quad, Ashton but these details were left out."
"Intentionally. I told her not to empty all her thoughts in one book, especially anything to do with what she had done at work so she leaves no clues in case soone found her journal. She tried to write as little as possible, enough to help her to personally recall details of the events but to a stranger, the info would seem harmless. She thought she had covered her tracks but forgot about the business card. Ashton is computer savvy so he was able to uncover what research she had done using her computer. Do you need a refill?" Amber asked, pointing to my drink.
I look down at my empty glass. "I do but I’d prefer sothing stronger at this point." With a small smile, I follow her to the kitchen and watch her mix a drink.
"Ashton got into it with your mother that evening at the office. It was a shouting match. He accused her of betraying his family and biting the finger that fed her. She tried to defend herself but he only grew madder and stord away. Your mom was very scared. I think that was on your birthday because she planned to go shopping at the departntal store for your present. After the fallout with Ashton, she grew scared. I hid under my desk the whole ti so I could understand how she felt. Still, I encouraged her to get you the present she had been saving up for. As a staff under the Rollins Group, we get shopping vouchers at the departntal store so your mom planned to utilize it that night. Here you go."
I take a bracing sip of my vodka and wince. "That’s really strong."
"You’ll need it."
We return to the sofa and Amber carries on.
"I convinced your mom to go ahead with her shopping as planned, trusting that Ashton will calm down and reason with her. We trusted that he wouldn’t rat her out knowing how his father is."
"How his father is?"
"Brett Rollins is a scary man. No one can hurt him, his family or his business and go free. I’ve never heard of anyone surviving that. Ashton knew that and we trusted that he wouldn’t risk your mother’s safety like that. Your mom went to the store to shop by six pm that day. It was almost closed when she got there but she begged for a chance to get you a gift. As an employee of the HQ, they let her in. She called later that she had gotten lost in there and the mall had been closed. Your father had been calling her nonstop and she wanted to start going ho. I told her to give a few minutes while I tried to call so contacts on my phone. She later called to tell Ashley was still in his office and she would inform him so they could let her out."
I take a longer sip of my drink, hoping to be drunk enough for the rest of the story which I know doesn’t end well.
"The last call she made to , she was in a panic because Ashton and his family ca to the mall that night. This was after she had spoken to Ashley about leaving and he directed her to an alternate exit. Brett Rollins ordered your mom to co to him in Ashley’s office and she knew Ashton had ratted her out. She tried to escape but when she got to the exit, it had been locked. She was on the phone with , scared shitless." Amber sighs. "It got worse when she saw Samuel Woodley co out of hiding in the store and head for Ashley’s office with a knife. There was no way she could warn the family in ti. Everyone had dispersed to look for her leaving Ashley and his father in the office. Your mom overheard the commotion upstairs and accidentally scread when..."
"When what?"
"When Samuel was thrown off the railing from the second floor. He broke his neck on impact. Brett saw that your mom had seen everything and ordered his sons to catch her."
"Oh my god." I close a hand over my belly to hide the tremor.
"I am only giving you what I know Demi but I trust you’d be smart and not make the sa mistake your mom did. I am telling you all this because I feel like I owe you the truth as far as I know. Don’t be stupid and try to do anything about parts of this story that hurt you. It’s not a battle you can win. If your mom was here, she’d tell you to let sleeping dogs lie. She wouldn’t want you to follow her footsteps, trust ."
"I understand." I reply with a shaky breath.
"This also happened a long ti ago. I wasn’t physically present but I could have misheard or misunderstood things. I am still alive because I didn’t insist that I knew exactly what had transpired that night. Please, don’t make regret telling you all this."
"You won’t, Amber. It was a long ti ago. People make mistakes and learn from them. I am not here to reopen old wounds. I just need to find closure to the death of my parents. It might take so ti but I’ll get over it and the part my in-laws played. They’ve been nothing but kind to ."
"I’m glad you’re thinking that way." Sighing, Amber struggles to keep her tears at bay. "I bet they just wanted to explain that what happened to Samuel was self-defense. They were prepared to forgive her for leaking information to the press but your mom was too scared to listen to everything the chairman was telling her over the gaphone. She cut the call on to call your dad who had been calling her nonstop. I don’t know if she explained the situation to him. She never called back to share how everything went down. The next morning, the elevator accident was aired and I recognized your parents."
At this point, I am crying a bucketful of tears, and so is Amber.
"The family t with before the police did and confided in about what truly happened. Your father had showed up at the mall and he was let in to help find your mom. Brett assured your father that he wouldn’t take drastic actions against Camille for being the whistleblower and hoped your father would lure her out so he could talk to her. Your mother found a way to communicate with them and asked to leave with your father and never return to Danvarr. She was prepared to leave her job but Brett wasn’t satisfied with that plan. Your father managed to escape them and soon, he was reunited with your mom. Ashton ran into the couple and tried to convince them to trust him and that no harm would co to them but they refused. Instead, they got into the closest elevator hoping to get to the ground floor and use the door that was still open. Ashton kept warning them that the elevator was out of order. There was even a tape across it but your mom was willing to take her chances because she couldn’t trust him. The rest is history."
I wipe my eyes. "What is it? Why do you look uncertain?" I ask Amber.
"When talking to the Rollins family, I omitted so of the details your mom shared with , like the fact that Samuel Woodley was there that night." She threw a heartbroken stare. "Your in-laws never ntioned anything about Samuel or his death. They only said your mom had been so scared of being punished for leaking information to the press that she beca irrational and dragged your father into the faulty elevator to escape. Months after, Samuel was reported to have died of a drug overdose."
"They lied about Samuel?"
"If they lied about him, I hate to think they also lied about the elevator and everything else that transpired after your mom hung up on ."
"My mom would never have put my dad’s life at risk like that. She knew I was ho alone. If anything, she would have sacrificed herself just so I could have a parent to grow up with."
"I think so too." Amber sets down her glass and cos to wrap her arms around . "Whatever the true story is, I want you to move on and believe the last thing your mom would want is you sniffing around like she did with the sa family that may or may not have ended her life. I understand why you kept your relationship a secret now. I fear how your family will react if they knew you were Camille’s daughter." She cups my chin. "You can’t let them suspect that you know more than what the police said or that you’re holding grudges, Demi. Promise !"
"I promise."
She hugs tightly, sobbing softly. "Camille would want you safe and happy above all else. If you’ve found love with Ashely, please forgive and savor your new relationship. Revenge is never as satisfying as it is made out to be and don’t feel like your parents would have wanted you to avenge them. I am a mother and if I had been in Camille’s place, I know I wouldn’t want Kat and Maddox risking their lives to execute so revenge plot. I would want them to move on and live their lives to the fullest. That’s how I know Camille would want the sa."
I get Maddie’s text just then. It’s the address of Ashal’s penthouse. I pull away from Amber’s hug and wipe my eyes.
"Thank you so much, Amber. You’ve cleared a lot of the doubts I had. I think I can finally move on. I won’t make the sa mistake my mom did." I won’t get caught; I add in my head while smiling at Amber.
Of course, Ashal refused to let in. I expected that. Maddie’s follow-up call seems a bit strange too. Olivia seems happy from the pictures sent by Maddie and the latter’s explanation about her sister’s relationship with Ashal would have been believable and watertight except that I have already confird their secret marriage. Maddie lied about Ashal and Olivia not being married.
"Did he also threaten you, Maddie? Why did you change your mind about rescuing your sister? What’s really going on inside this penthouse?" I wonder as I stare at my phone after she ends the call. I must admit that the quads are scarier than they look. I have to pretend to be more naïve than I am to play this ga safely.
I call Ashal like Maddie would expect and try my best to quell his suspicions. Hopefully, he believes . I won’t pester him about the penthouse anymore. That would be too obvious and risky for the sisters. I’ll find another way to expose him.
My brows knit in a frown at Kira’s call. What does she want now?
"What is it, Kira?"
"Demi??? Please help ." She whimpers frightfully. What new drama is this?
"What the hell is going on, Kira? I don’t have ti for this."
"Iman. He’s gone crazy. He isn’t letting go unless you get here."
"What?"
"Please Demi, co settle your scores with him. I want no part in this. Oh my god, he’s returning. Please hurry Demi! Get out of his apartnt. I want to go ho!"
I stare at my phone after the line cuts. What the hell? Why would Iman abduct Kira? Is this real? I call aunt but she hasn’t seen or spoken to Kira since morning. She sounds worried because Kira got a call earlier from Iman. I am so sick of Iman’s sorry ass showing up and making my life more difficult. I have to end this. I’m sure it’s money he wants.
"IMAN? OPEN UP!!!" I yell, banging on his door. Ashton hasn’t replied my text but I am hoping he gets here soon. This will not be a good day to ignore . Iman unlocks the door and I shove past him. "WHERE IS KIRA? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HER? KIRA? KI..."
Kira steps out all dolled up with a smile on her face. There are no traces of tears in her eyes. I clench my fist as she strolls to Iman and pecks his cheeks.
"She’s all yours, buddy. Make proud."
"What the hell is this, Kira?" But she ignores and walks out. When I try to leave too, Iman slams the door shut and engages the locks. "You’re mistaken if you think I ca here alone. Ashton is on his way and a bunch of other people know exactly where I am right now."
"Was that supposed to be a threat? Tsk Tsk. Poor Demi, when will you ever learn that your new life is an illusion? You didn’t gain a new family; you threw yourselves into a pack of wolves. The quads are not coming. You’re all alone, with . Don’t worry, I have better taste in won now but I have been dying to give you a good beating for every pain you’ve caused since you broke up with so dramatically. It’s your turn to feel hurt."
His right fist rams up my jaw in a flash and sends crashing on the floor. My head spins. Behind , he laughs maniacally. Blood oozes from my nose just before it all goes dark.
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