Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 104532 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 523(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104532 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 523(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
“Coffee, please,” he says, meeting her gaze head-on like he has nothing to hide. “Violet has some things to pack.” He checks his watch. “I have business to take care of in town. We’ll have to leave in ten minutes. In the meantime, I’ll tell the moving company employees the misunderstanding has been cleared.”
“They’re in the lounge,” my mom says. “Please, go through.” Directing a pointed look at Flora, who’s observing our exchange with ardent attention, she continues, “Our housekeeper will serve your coffee there. I’ll go help Violet pack.”
“Good idea.” He inclines his head before walking to the lounge.
The minute he’s gone, my mom’s chest deflates. Taking my hand, she leads me up the stairs as fast as I can follow.
Once we’re in my room, she closes the door and whispers in an urgent tone, “Violet, what’s going on? He’s not Gus’s partner. The deal is off. If he’s forcing you into this, Gus will take care of it.”
It meaning Leon. What will Gus do? Fire him? More likely, he’ll shoot him. Does my mom ever think the consequences through, or does she consciously choose to ignore them?
“We can call Gus straight away,” she says.
“No.” I think quickly. “If I don’t marry Leon, Gus will only make me marry someone else, someone old or repulsive or someone who doesn’t really care about me. As you said yourself, Leon is kind to me.” It’s only half a lie because sometimes, he used to be. “Better the devil you know.” And devil is an accurate description. Leon is the devil reincarnated when you get on his wrong side.
She stares at me, her lips parting in surprise. “You’re serious about this.”
“I am.” I walk to the closet. “This is the best option for me.” Taking a bag from the bottom, I dump it on the bed. “The ceremony is tomorrow at the Department of Home Affairs in Randburg at three.”
Crossing her arms behind her back, she leans on the wall. She looks not only worried, but also defeated. She’s not even fifty and already beaten, her freedom and personality stifled. This is what the life she chose to save me did to her. This is my fate, what I’m destined to become, but if it means protecting her, I’ll do it any day.
“Will you come?” I ask, busying myself with packing my underwear.
She chews her lip. “Of course.”
“But?”
“But what if Gus says no? What if he doesn’t want you to marry Leon any longer?”
If that happens, I’m screwed. “We’ll have to convince him.”
“If you marry in secret…”
She doesn’t have to finish the sentence. I of all people know what Gus does to people who betray and disobey him.
“We’re not going to do it in secret. Gus values Leon, no matter that he didn’t make him a partner. He said Leon was his best programmer, didn’t he?”
“But if he says no—”
“Elliot can put in a good word for me.”
“Elliot? Why would he do that? He hates Leon.”
“He only hated him because he was jealous. He no longer has a reason to be resentful of Leon.”
She pushes off the wall. “Why would Elliot do you any favors?”
“He’ll be happy to finally get rid of me.” I straighten from shoving bras into the bag, voicing my biggest concern about leaving my mom here on her own. “But you have to be careful. You know—”
“He’s watching me.” She looks away. “How can I forget?”
Walking over, I hug her. “Promise me you won’t take risks.”
“I won’t.” She sniffs, pulling away. “You’re the one I’m worried about.”
“I’ll be fine.” I smile. “Can you give me a minute? I want to say goodbye to my old room.”
“Sure.” She wipes tears from under her eyes with her fingertips. “I’ll wait downstairs.”
She goes to the door and pauses on the threshold. “Violet.”
The quiet way in which she says my name is almost my undoing.
“What?” I ask, miraculously keeping my voice from breaking.
“Are you sure about this? Because if you have the minutest doubt—”
“I’m certain. This is the best option for me, Mom.” The only option.
“If it doesn’t work out, you can always come back.”
There’s no coming back from this, but I let her believe the lie. “Sure.”
“Okay,” she says in a small voice, squaring her back. “Your room will always be here for you.”
“That’s good to know.”
With a last look over her shoulder, she leaves the room. When she closes the door behind her, I let my composure slip. My shoulders slump under the enormity of what’s about to happen. My breaths come too fast and too hard. I want to climb through the window and fly away like in a scene from one of my favorite comic books, but I’m shackled to reality, chained to a future with a man who hates me.
There’s no point in delaying the inevitable. Dragging it out only makes the torture worse.