Chapter 12: Chapter 12

“What did you say?” He asked with clenched teeth. His expression turned harder. She saw how he did not care about getting wet under the rain anymore. The umbrella was long forgotten as he unconsciously lowered it and grabbed it tightly in his hand.

Now, both of them were drenched to the core as the heavy rain kept pouring all over, not caring about anything. She wished she was as carefree as the nature at that moment.

“I said what you heard.” She spat and turned around. She was not in the mood to argue with him in the middle of the street with people watching like some movie scene was unfolding before them.

Before she could get away, he grabbed her wrist and turned her around.

“Nobody” He whispered angrily, “Nobody has ever disrespected me like that. I thought losing your job would make you see sense, but no! You are going to regret this.” He glared deep into her eyes making her lose her breath for a second.

There was so much emotions—not so pleasant emotions—in his eyes. She was oblivious of the fact why he was behaving so weirdly with her. She could not put her finger on what kind of a person he really was. Why was he doing all that to her?

Suddenly, her mind replayed his words. She squinted her eyes while looking at him who was still glaring at her.

“How do you know I lost my job?” She asked with her heartbeat picking up speed. She was having a new wave of anger washing over her. She was quite certain how he knew that fact. He would go to any limits to get what he wanted, and he made it known the other day himself.

The glare in his eyes changed to that of guilt and that of victory within a nanosecond.

“Because I am the reason you lost your job. If you don’t listen to me, I will do worse.” He confessed like it was his biggest achievement of his life.

She could not believe her ears. She never thought that a person could stoop so low for selfish reasons. All the while, she had been blaming herself. She had thought that she was lacking in some way for losing her job so out of the blue.

But he was the real reason.

She was so done. She shook her head with a look of pity in her eyes and left him. Thomas saw her walk away with hurried steps leaving him bewildered and dumb-founded.

She could have slapped him, smacked him, or called him ugly names, but that was not her. She would always try not to stoop so low to match the opposite person who did wrong to her. Time would show those people how wrong they were for treating her like that, and she believed in that.

If he thought she would give in after every effort he had put in, he was wrong. She might forgive people easily, but she never forgot those who were unjust and cruel to her. She would not give him the upper hand to make her do anything he wanted. She would not give him the satisfaction that he was above everyone and everything and get everything he wished for.

She reached the apartment feeling down. Her mother had her chemo the next day, and she did not have the money for it. The true meaning of helplessness hit her that day.

Two days ago, Amelia threw up all over once again and had an immense pain in her uterus. She was so worried. Mary and Olivia took her to the hospital, and the doctor gave her some injection which stabilized her condition.

The doctor told them that they should not miss the session this time as they did the last time because they had no money. That was why she requested the manager to give her advanced salary. That was why she was so happy that she had a job.

But all the hope was lost. She sat down on the stairs and started crying again. She was not in the position to face her mother. How would she inform her that she had lost her job again? Her mother did not pester her to get a job and earn money. In fact, she wanted Olivia to take things easy on herself because she thought she was burdening her. How could she go up to her and cry her misery in front of her?

She could not understand what to do. The residents of the building passed by her and gave her weird glances. She did not care. All she cared about was that she did not have the capability to take care of her and her mother.

She cried for some time and then got up wiping her tears. Her bum felt numb from sitting for so long and she started to have a runny nose because of standing in rain for so long earlier. With the emptiness engulfing her insides, she composed herself and went to the apartment.

Nobody was in the living room and there was no answer to her announcement that she had returned. She went to Amelia’s room and found her sleeping peacefully inside her room. She had started to sleep a lot after the doctor increased her medication. Olivia was glad she was not awake to see her in such a pathetic condition with her eyes red, her nose runny and her hair and clothes drenched.

She left a soft kiss on her cheek and left her room to take a warm shower. Her mind felt numb. She could not understand how she would get over the existing crisis. She had to take her mother to the hospital the next day, but how would she arrange the money?

She was thinking deeply while the warm water cascaded down her back when the idea hit her.

She quickly wrapped a towel around herself and went to check her bag. She fished out the envelope that the manager had given her. She counted the money, and it was almost enough for one chemo session. She gasped as she remembered that she had some money saved in her piggy bank. The final collection brought a smile to her face. Her mother would have her treatment done.

She did not want to worry about the future. She would find a way out. Right then, her mother’s treatment mattered the world to her.

“Everything’s gonna be alright.” She consoled herself despite everything that signaled otherwise.

Thomas’s POV:

He was amazed at her courage. He had never seen such a young girl being so upfront with life.

God knew, he did not want to hurt or bother her more than he already did. But she would not budge an inch while the sword was hanging over his head as his grandpa asked him again about his progress the other night.

He hated what he did to her. He was never that selfish. She challenged him to unimaginable lengths.

“I have never seen a loser like you.” Her words cut deeper than she must have thought.

He was always self-assured and confident. He had a lot of self-respect. To think that a mere stripper girl, who hardly seemed to be twenty-one or twenty-two, would lash out on him like that. Sure he was being unfair to her, but she was not being fair to him either.

He went straight ahead in the shower. The rain had completely drenched his clothes. Even during the shower, he could not stop thinking about what she said.

The little guilt he felt for being responsible that she lost her job evaporated into the thin air after she insulted him. The thought of marrying her was no more just a compulsion. It had become his obsession.

She made it seem like he was the most dislikable man that she could not even think of marrying or being attached to. She would be left with no choice then to do what she detested the most.

He saw how she still went away without giving in even after she had no job left to feed her and her mother. He saw the courage and determination in her eyes as she left making him truly feel like a loser. The feeling was not pleasant.

He had come to the conclusion that this time, he should not be the one to ask her again. He wanted her to call him personally and say that she was ready to go along his offer. He would play his last card which he was sure would be the last straw.

His ego was bruised badly. He wanted to take revenge.

He came out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He called someone and told them to meet. He fixed the meeting in his office for a reason.

He was breathing heavily as he got ready to go to his office for the first time. His office was renovated and ready for him to take the charge since long. James had been prepared for long for the day he would finally grace the office with his presence. He was sure his dear grandpa would not believe his eyes that he had come to the office. But he was going there for a purpose of his own.

The meeting would take place within an hour. He drove his car to the office, which was twenty minute away by car, and went inside amazing everyone. Seemed like everyone knew who he was as they all greeted him and looked at him with awe.

It was late in the evening, so there were not a lot of people inside. There were enough people to inform his grandpa though.

He went straight to his office floor. He knew where it was because James Walker had already sent him the video and the structure of the office long ago. He took his seat and waited impatiently for the person to arrive.

Within half an hour, he was there in front of him.

“I want to buy your apartment.” He informed coolly while leaning behind in his chair. One would think he was the reason behind the successful empire. He had that grace about him.

“I don’t want to sell my apartment.” The man replied a bit hesitantly. Thomas sighed and leaned forward.

“I am willing to give your preferred amount. I want that apartment at any cost.” He looked deeply into his eyes and made sure he knew that Thomas meant business. He saw the man’s eyes widen with surprise.

Nobody had offered him something like that. In truth, he was in dire need of money, but his apartment was the only property he had. That was why he was hesitant to sell it to anyone.

But the powerful man in front of him was offering him something which he was sure nobody would ever.

“Are you serious?” He asked with the same shocked expression. His expression told him how serious he looked about the deal, but he wanted to make sure he was not being scammed.

Thomas brought a blank cheque and signed on it. He slid the cheque towards the man making his eyes even wider with surprise.

“You can write any amount.” He told him in all seriousness. The man looked at him blankly for a moment before grabbing the phone and writing the amount with shaky hands.

“Uh-uh!” He said as the man thanked him and stood up, “Leave the cheque here until the documents are ready. The moment you transfer rights, the cheque will be given to you.” He continued.

Yes, he was stupid to make such stupid deal as Olivia put, but he was not that stupid to trust someone blindly.

“Tell me about the residents.” He received all the details from the previous owner and then dismissed him with the promise from his side that he would transfer the ownership as soon as possible.

‘Now you will not have a single excuse to refuse my offer.’ He sighed leaning back. He was thinking about the whole situation when someone knocked at his door.

He looked up to see who it was and his mood changed instantly.

“Grandpa!” He greeted half-heartedly. The old man looked like someone who had just won a lottery. After all, his longtime wish had been fulfilled.