15
Scarlett’s phone rang. She grabbed a tissue, wiping her eyes and nose, then answered.“Dad…”
Steve’s voice, tinged with concern, cut through her tears.“Sweetheart, I know what’s happened online. Don’t worry; I’ll make them pay!”
Tears streamed down her face. She sniffled, her voice muffled.“Dad, no, let me handle this.” Steve sighed, his voice laced with worry.“What can you, a young woman, possibly do? Let me take care of it!”
Tears mingled with the taste of snot in her mouth. She gasped for air, preventing a complete breakdown.
Steve’s anxious voice continued, “Dad’s here. Don’t be afraid; I’ll protect you! No matter what
appens, you’ll always be Daddy’s girl, my good girl.”
Scarlett managed to speak, her voice choked with emotion.“Dad, I’m okay. Your little girl’s grown up; I can handle it myself.”
Steve’s voice broke. “Fine. I trust you. But if you need anything, tell me. Don’t try to do everything alone, alright?”
Scarlett whispered, “Alright.”
Steve said gruffly, “Your immigration application is approved. The Paris villa is ready. Come here as soon as you can.”
Scarlett wiped her eyes.“Okay.”
She hung up, wiping her eyes and starting the car. First, she needed to go to a spa to get the paint cleaned off.
Numerous calls and messages flooded her phone–friends, professors, classmates. She ignored them all.
Pulling into the spa’s parking lot, Chase’s message arrived.
“Let’s break up.”
Scarlett felt nothing. She replied with a single word: Okay.
A minute passed, and then Chase replied: I’ll give you fifty million as a compensation for the past three years. The villa is yours; I’ll have my lawyer contact you about the transfer. I’ll send someone to collect my belongings and cars.
He didn’t even want to see her.
She was now a minor celebrity, so she changed her clothes, wore a mask and a pair of sunglasses before leaving the spa.
She sold her Mini Cooper to a used car dealership, then took a cab home. The housekeeper’s eyes glittered with gossip; she’d seen the videos.
Miller Mr.
calls you.” time off. Come back when Scarlett said, “Take some The housekeeper, sensing what had happened, didn’t pry. She packed her stuff and left. Scarlett went to her room, taking a morning–after pill. She booked a flight to Paris for the day after tomorrow and fell into a deep sleep. She was exhausted; she’d only gotten this far fueled by
nger.
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Mens
She woke the next morning. After breakfast, she discarded her personal items–toiletries, mugs, cutlery, slippers. She called a used furniture dealer, and all the furniture–the dining set, chairs, sofa, bedroom and closet furniture was removed. Everything she’d used, everything Chase had touched, was gone. The villa was almost empty.
Pulling her suitcase and a small shoulder bag, she left the villa. She checked into a hotel for the night.
Chase’s promised fifty million arrived. She donated it, like everything else he gave her. Then, she took off her earrings and placed them on the table. Connecting them to Bluetooth, she began transferring videos.
The earrings were, in fact, tiny cameras. Chase had never allowed her to go to nightclubs, and he had never asked her to pick him up late at night before. So, that call seemed suspicious, prompting her to wear the earrings. It had proven right.
She edited the footage into five clips: the parking lot, room 88, the paint attack at the club entrance, her conversation with Anya in the restroom, and the egg–throwing incident. Before her flight the next day, she sent the videos to her lawyer, the police, several news websites, and Chase.
Then, in fluent Georgian, she sent Chase a voice message:“Thank you for teaching me a valuable lesson. Goodbye, forever.”
