Chapter 36 Six: Finally, Answers

I know it was wrong, but I couldn’t help myself. For the past month, I have been communicating with my stalker. He always messages me on an unknown number so I couldn’t trace it. Every day he would send me a message telling me how much he loves and adores me, and he cannot wait for the day we finally meet so I can see who he is and accept him. I would always reply with ‘I can’t wait to meet you’ or ‘I know you love me.’ I was playing a very dangerous game and I know if Adam knew what I was up to he would be upset.

It had been two weeks since I have been back at work. I was still staying at Adam’s but I have been to visit my mom and Melissa a couple of times. My mom was getting worse by the minute, and it broke me every time to see her like that. To see her being weak and not being able to do anything. She keeps assuring me that she is fine but we both know she was lying, she was trying to be strong, but I could see right through the façade that she was keeping up.

I didn’t know how long she had left, but I know damn well that I was going to be by her side through it all. When my dad had died, I wasn’t there and every day I wondered if things would have been different if I was there. I often wondered if he would have held on a little longer and fight so he could be here, be here for both me and mom. Sighing, I continue to make a list of things that Adam and Mr. Moore might need to bring up at their next meeting before I moved on to something else. Adam was piling me up with work, and I knew he was doing it so that we could leave at the same thing. From I came back I noticed the trend, he would just be sending me work after work and the only time I wasn’t doing any work was when I was eating.

Hearing my phone beep, I picked it up and saw it was the latest message from my stalker.

I miss seeing your face, I miss seeing the way how your hair blows on a windy day. I wish I could see you now.

Feeling a bit creeped out, I didn’t bother replying to that one instead I continued to carry out my duties. By the time, I was done it was minutes to seven. Leaning back in the chair, I closed my eyes for a second, enjoying the breather that I was taking but it was cut short by Adam calling me to come over to his office. Opening the door, I stepped inside.

“I need you to go downstairs inside my car and take out the two files that are on the back seat and bring them to me.”

“Okay no problem,” I replied before walking away. Going downstairs to the garage, I was about to unlock the car door with his key when I saw a figure dressed in full black staring at the garage door. Their face was covered by a black handkerchief so I couldn’t see who it was. feeling creeped out, I called out “who is there?” but instead of answering the figure walked away. Feeling a bit scared, I walked out to the entrance and a couple of blocks but the person had disappeared. Hearing my phone rang, I jumped about a foot off the ground as I forgot that I had taken it with me. Answering it, I heard Adam’s voice over the line.

“Emily, where are you?”

“I’m at the––” hearing a nice behind me, I turned around and came face to face with the person. Screaming, I tried to run but the person grabbed me and something was placed over my mouth and nose knocking me unconscious.

Waking up in a dark room, I looked madly around. In front of me laid a small table with a white cloth was spread over it. Candles were lit, and two steaming plates were on it. I could sense someone watching me and I felt a shiver ran up and down my spine as goosebumps came up on my arms. “I see you are awake,” the familiar voice called out. Turning on the light, I was blinded for a second before I recovered. Staring up into the face of Amelia, I saw that she had a smirk on her face.

“Surprised to see me huh?” her tone cocky.

“Why am I here? Why did you do this to me?”

“So many questions you have little miss Emily,” she mocked before she started laughing. Staring at her, I was so confused. Was my stalker actually a woman and not a man as I had presumed?

“Are you the one who has been stalking me?” I asked through clenched teeth.

Letting out a deranged laugh, she replied. “Perhaps, perhaps not.” Leaning against the wall, she stared at me staring at her before she let out another laugh. “I suppose you want answers but where should I start?”

“Maybe from the beginning you psycho!” Walking up to me, she slapped me across the face.

“Carefully Emily, I wouldn’t say certain stuff if I were you. Now as I was saying, let me start from the beginning.”

“It all started when he came up to me, right after I got fired. He wanted us to cook up a scheme together, he gets you and I get Adam.”

“Who is he?” I asked confused.

“Don’t worry, you will meet him soon. Now back to the story, I was skeptical at first but I had agreed after all you had taken the man that could make me live the life I always wanted. Honestly, I don’t know what he saw in you, I don’t know what either sees in you, to be honest. You are so basic, no sense of style––nothing. Just a plain old Jane.” Going over to the stool that was a few feet away from her, she sat down.

I followed you a few times, always reporting back what you were doing and who you were with. I was even the janitor you had greeted in your office when you almost caught me snooping around your stuff but I guess you didn’t recognize me at all under the disguise. That night when you had left the restaurant, I was the one who knocked you out. I was going to kill you but then he showed up and threatened me and knowing what he was capable of I left you there, plus I heard Adam calling your name and I didn’t want him to see me near you. He would have piece everything together and find out it was me who gave you that nasty gash on your forehead.”

“All of this so you could get Adam? So, you could force yourself upon a man that didn’t want you? That was disgusted by you?” Scoffing at how pathetic she was, I was hit across the face one more time, a bit harder than the first. She was about to strike me again when a voice halted her.

“Didn’t I tell you not to touch her?” Feeling mortified by the sound of the voice, I turned my head to see Tim walking into the room dressed in a tuxedo. I just know I couldn’t trust this bastard and his little nice façade the other day was exactly what it was––a damn façade.

“You are the one behind this?” I asked angrily when he came to a stop in front of me.

“You don’t understand Emily, I wanted you from the very first time I saw you but being the stuck-up bitch, you were, you didn’t even give me the time of day and I always get what I want. Always!”

“So, you just going keep me here as your trophy is that it? and Amelia are you going to swoop in like a little hero and help Adam cope with the fact that I am gone?” Looking at each other, they looked back at me before going over to a corner to speak. They were whispering, so I couldn’t hear a word they were saying.

“Look, Emily, I didn’t want to do this but you had left me no choice. You refused to see that I was the one who was always going to love you and you being here, I will prove that.” Grabbing a wooden chair that was in the corner of the room, he placed it at the table before he sat down.

“What are you doing?” I asked curiously?”

“I did promise you that we will be going on a date Emily and that’s exactly what is happening now. We are on a date and you are going to enjoy it now eat.” Looking down at the plate, I saw that spaghetti and meatballs were piled on top of it. Staring at it in disgust, I look away.

Getting up, he took up my fork along with spaghetti and forced some of it into my mouth. “Chew,” he demanded. Seeing he had a murderous look on his face, I complied. Smiling at me, he went to sit down again. Taking up small piles of food on the fork, I decided I should ask him some questions.

“So that means you were the one who was stalking me from the night at the hospital and in Paris then huh?” Smiling, he didn’t say anything. He just stared at me until Amelia snaps him out of his trance. Seeing that I was trapped with two maniacs, my mind began to think of numerous ways I could untie this rope around my wrist and break free.

“You know, James has been searching for clues as to who’s been stalking me and I’m pretty sure he and Adam will come and find you and kill you––the both of you.”

Just as I said that my phone rang. Taking it out of his back pocket he ignored it before he began typing mercilessly on the keyboard before he placed it back down on the table and began eating once more.

“So you guys cooked something up so you can all get your happily ever after huh?”

Hearing laughter from the top of the stairs, I saw Tim and Amelia started looking scared. Coming down the steps, the person came to a stop in front of me.

“You got to be fucking kidding me! You are in on this too?”

“Yes Emily, I am. It’34ws so nice to be in the same room with you again. After that disastrous dinner, I didn’t think it was possible or should I say the way you try to humiliate me.” Opening my mouth in shock, I now realized why he had seemed so familiar. It was Jake Smith, the guy who I once dated in high school. “Shock to know it’s me huh? I know I looked way different from the guy who you left humiliated and heartbroken in high school.”

“Why are you so doing this? You were the one who tried to use my body,” I spat angrily.

“You see, that’s where you are wrong you naïve girl. I loved you Emily, every part of you. You were not like the rest but yet you followed Sally and had tried to embarrass me then you left without even trying to know my side of the story.”

“Your side of the story Jake or should I say, Josh? What exactly was your side of the story?” I asked angrily.

“There’s no need for that now.”

“So how did you guys know each other?” Trying to get as much information out of them as possible.

“Tim here has always been bit of a stalker even before now and I was the Lawyer who got him off for free when he ran into some trouble. I told him, he owed me a favor and that favor has now being repaid. I’ve got you back, and I am going to keep you here with me forever.”

“The day after we had dinner, I received a text. Which one of you sent it?” I asked curiously.

“It was me,” Tim spoke up.

“What kind of sick fucking twisted game is this? You want me, he wants me. I am surprised you don’t want me also,” I spoke up, disgust evident in my voice as I stared at Amelia.

Scoffing she looked at me before turning her nose up.

“You want her? I heard Tim yelled. “I thought you just wanted to speak with her and that’s it.”

“You honestly think I would give up someone I couldn’t stop obsessing over for so many years so you could have her? And what’s the meaning of this?” He asked while he pointed to the dinner setting.

“You bastard!” Tim shouted in his face before he pushed him. A fight had then broken out between the two and before I knew it, Jake had smacked him with a gun knocking him out cold. Hearing a noise upstairs, he handed Amelia another gun and told her to watch both Tim and I before he went upstairs. Staring at her angrily, I tried desperately to pull free of my bonds, but the ropes just kept biting into my flesh.