Page 213 of Lau Ahi
“I’m sure it is for you. You see, I realized that I was allowing everything I’d gone through to make me bitter. And when I looked up and realized I was becoming more like you I had to stop fighting what I was feeling. I had a man who loved me. He would move mountains for me and if he could he’d be by my side right now. The only thing you cared about in this world was money and even that didn’t make you happy.”
“I’m not afraid of you.”
I couldn’t help but smile. Watching as her lip quivered, and her thoughts of coming out of this with the advantage faded away.
“You should be. I have a new brother whose uncle has a kingdom and has an affinity for your other daughter.” Sasha looked lost as to whom I was speaking about but I would talk with her about that later. “If I needed him to find a place for you to work in his kingdom just to keep you from getting out of hand I’m sure he’d be more than happy to do so.”
Silently I motioned for Matty who opened the door for two men, one being Xerxes and the other King Afshin Mahdavi.
“What is this?” The panic in her tone was obvious as she watched the two men heading toward us.
“Consider this your divorce decree.” Abo smiled as he reached out to shake their hands and Xerxes bent down to hug me. They had remained standing and Jacqueline and I were still seated. I rose to greet the king but he waved me off. I noticed that he really couldn’t keep his eyes off Sasha, which I thought was adorable. And probably the impetus for him being so eager to help us out.
“What? I remember you from the wedding. Why are you here? William, WJ, Sasha are you all going to let her sit here and get away with this?” Jacqueline thought raising her voice and being demanding was supposed to force us to answer her as quickly as she wanted but her desires no longer came into play.
“Funny thing happened when I was trying to find reasons to tell our daughter that you didn’t need to die.”
Her eyes were wide at my father’s words. “Die?”
“Yes die. Asha wanted to kill you and frankly with what I’ve seen you probably deserve it.”
“Are you smoking? I’m your wife. I’ve been your wife for almost thirty-five years. I’ve given you an heir, a daughter—”
“—Two daughters you rancid bitch—”
I giggled at my twin’s vehemence as she glared at Jacqueline. Jacqueline was absolutely appalled at her outburst and the king seemed to admire her spine. “Sasha—”
“Please shut up before I take matters into my own hands. I’ve tried to be a dutiful daughter but in doing so, I was a shitty twin—”
“Sasha—”
She held up her hand to me, stopping me from making her feel better. “Stop you know it’s the truth. I’ve wanted everyone to get along, but you wouldn’t allow that to happen. This is what you deserve especially with what you were going to do with Abo.”
“Excuse me?”
“Your messages. You kept calling a specific number up until a few years ago. I thought it was your boyfriend on the side so I didn’t care but then I got a phone call.” My father adjusted his tie and I wondered how many boyfriends she’d had over the years.
“A phone call?”
“From a good friend of our late son-in-law. A Mr. Adam Hartison. The young man whom Ismaham’s oldest daughter married. You remembered her don’t you, love?” Abo’s voice got harder the longer he spoke and I could tell he was barely holding it together.
Her panic was clear. That name struck fear in her more than the idea of being broke ever could. It spoke volumes as to just how badly she knew she’d fucked up.
“William—”
“No. The time to talk is gone. It’s funny what people will put in text messages thinking they can’t be retrieved.”
“William, please let me explain.” Jacqueline was whispering, her tone attempting to be contrite as though it would somehow erase everything she’d done.
“Explain what? That you were, from the start, planning to kill me and get my money. But the money was so good that you let being the wife of a powerful man lull you into not going through with your friend’s plan.”
The tears were falling now as she reached out for my father. “Please, she’s lying—”
Sasha leaned over and slapped the shit out of Jacqueline who gasped dramatically as she held her cheek. “Lying? We’ve read your own words!”
“You’ve been plotting against my life, which is why you’ve been pushing so hard for WJ to take over. Feeding him poison against his sister that she was trying to take over and kick him out. Knowing all this time that he had other interests and didn’t really care about owning everything.”
That was a kind way to put it. My brother was far more interested in having money than earning it. As long as the dividends came in he wasn’t about to stress himself out with the success or failure of a business. He wanted the glory without actually doing the hard work that it took to be successful. In the few times I’d reviewed the investments he’d proposed to us to look into, they were all things that his buddies had suggested that would directly benefit themselves.
