Chapter 274: The Precious Wine
Chapter 274: The Precious Wine
Paul’s heart began to beat fast as he prepared to shoot his ex-wife. A slight sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead, and as his hand began to tremble, his confidence faded. He did not know if he could shoot her. His life would be so much easier if he did, though.
He could go back to his normal life, marry Michelle, and have the children that he had always wished he had. But he could also imagine Nancy’s life spilling out through a hole in her chest in front of him, and that disturbed him.
He had wanted to teach her a lesson.
It had never been his intention to kill her, but she had boxed him into a corner, and he did not know how to back out of it without losing face.
“Are you going to shoot me or not?” Nancy mocked him.
“Not,” Paul muttered in defeat as he lowered the rifle. “I will get that dog, though. You just wait and see- and then I will eat him!”
“Hell no!”
“No?” He raised an eyebrow. “If you want to keep him alive, you’ll have to beg for my forgiveness. Then I want you to start thinking about how you are going to make it up to me.”
“Why should I apologize?” Nancy scowled and said, “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“You ungrateful woman!” Paul roared. “No more games!”
“Whatever.” Nancy turned her back on Paul, and then she shouted at a servant to call for a doctor. Wolf had been lucky-the bullet had barely grazed him - but his wound still needed to be treated. Otherwise, it might get infected.
Nancy knelt beside her dog. She ran her fingers through his hair and said, “Don’t be afraid, Wolf, I am here. I will always be with you.”
Paul frowned as he watched Nancy. He was reminded of a time when she had cared for an injured bird. She was a genuinely kind person, and that infuriated him because he knew that she thought she was better than him. He wondered - Why is she so kind to the dog but so cruel to Michelle and me? “Listen,” he hissed. “If you don’t want me to eat the dog, then you had better make me something to eat!”
Nancy turned and glared at Paul. She wanted to kill him. And then I would be the one eating you- she thought angrily.
****
Once the doctor was finished patching up Wolf, Nancy started preparing lunch for herself and Paul. If serving him a meal would pacify him, she was willing to do that.
As she was cooking, the servants set the table. They helped her bring out the food, and when everything was ready, Nancy called everyone: “Lunch Time! Get it while it’s hot!” Paul sat down first, and Crystal shot him a look of complete disgust. By now, Nancy had told her everything that had happened that morning, and to say that she was unimpressed would have been the understatement of the year. She scowled and nearly chastised him herself when he served himself a double portion of every dish on the table. Now, everyone would leave slightly hungry.
Paul noticed the look she was giving him, and he said, “If you want me to leave that mutt of yours alone, you need to tow the line. And quit it with the evil eye. You’re going to ruin my appetite!”
As if on cue, Wolf appeared, and he began to go from person to person begging for food. Nancy was going to give him a bit of boiled egg, but Paul shouted at her to stop. “Do not feed that beast from the table!” he roared. “Animals do not belong at the table!”
Then what are you doing at the table? - Crystal thought. She giggled, but she knew better than to share her thoughts with the group.
Nancy stared at her friend nervously. It was impossible to predict what might trigger Paul. “How’s the food?” she asked. “Do you like it?”
“It’s good,” Crystal replied. “It’s a shame that someone took twice their share. Now there is not enough to go around...I suppose he could use some bulking up, though...”
Suddenly the room went quiet. Nobody could believe that she had the audacity to say such a thing.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Paul grumbled. “I am just as big as Eric. Am I not?” Crystal laughed. “If you say so, Boss…”
Eric responded with a smile. “Shall we have a competition?” he asked. Without waiting for an answer, he went back to his meal.
That is some weird- thought Crystal - it is like he suddenly forgot what he was saying...
Nancy watched as he ate. He had a contented look on his face, which was a little disappointing. She had switched his meat with hard dog snacks that were intended to grind teeth, but Paul did not even notice. He seemed to be really enjoying them when he gobbled them up.
Paul looked up and asked, “How was this beef prepared?”
Nancy’s heart began to beat fast, and her forehead broke out in a sweat. What am I going to tell him? - she wondered. She opened her mouth, and nothing came out. Finally, she said, “It’s a secret, but I am glad that you like it.”
“It’s a bit crunchy,” Paul admitted. He smiled, finished the last two bites, and washed them down with a glass of milk. Then, after wiping his mouth, he turned to Crystal and said, “By the way, I have something for you. It will help you celebrate your marriage to my friend.” He snapped his fingers, and a servant appeared with a tray. On it, there was a bottle of wine with a red bow around its neck.
A bottle of wine?” Eric snorted. “You are too generous. I couldn’t accept such a lavish gift.”
Paul laughed and said, “You can, and you will. And why not? If it were not for you, I would not be alive today.”
Nancy looked intently at the bottle and wondered how much it was worth. She thought it was probably a lot. Otherwise, they would not be making such a fuss over it. “How old is it?” she asked.
“I’ve kept it for over 40 years,” Paul said, “But it was already old by then; I don’t know how old, so don’t ask. I do know, though, that a mouthful of this wine is worth a building.”
The servant quickly took the wine and carefully put it on the table. She was afraid of accidentally breaking it.
Crystal suddenly spoke up. “This makes no sense,” she said. “You said that it has been in your possession for over forty years, but you aren’t even thirty years old yet!”
“It has been in the family for over forty years,” Paul explained. “I apologize if that wasn’t understood. My father gave it to me.”
“Since this wine is so precious, why are you willing to give it to us?” asked Crystal.
Paul smiled and said, “Eric and I have known each other for years, and I want to show him how much he means to me. Are you guys going to open it?”
Eric nodded. He planned to get Crystal drunk tonight. Then he could slip the ra*e dr*g into her drink and do something to her, just like what Paul had done to Nancy.
