Chapter 3 - The Price of Treachery
The backlash hit before my alarm even went off the next morning.
My phone blew up at six o'clock with furious texts, missed calls, and venomous voicemails. Olivia had left four consecutive messages, her voice cracking between hysteria and rage: “You ruined my life! Mark’s dad cut him off, my father’s logistics contract is dead in the water, and you sat there eating lobster while we were basically held hostage! You set us up, Emily! You told that psycho to target us!”
I sat at my small kitchen counter, clutching a mug of black coffee, trembling. The audacity of her accusations was breathtaking. She had pushed me into a viper’s nest expecting to record my panic for social media clout, and now that the viper had bitten back, she painted herself as the victim.
When I arrived at Maple Street Books at eight, the bell above the door chimed nervously behind me. My boss, Mr. Henderson, was in the back cataloging, leaving me alone in the quiet front room surrounded by the comforting smell of wood polish and paper. I tried to focus on stocking shelves, but the heavy thud of footsteps outside made my pulse quicken.
The door swung open forcefully, rattling the brass bell against the glass.
It wasn't Olivia. It was Jason.
My ex-fiancé stood in the entryway, looking disheveled in a wrinkled designer suit, his expression sour. Jason was the man who had abandoned me a year ago after four years together, casually announcing he was moving into a high-rise with Olivia’s wealthy cousin.
“Jason?” I stepped behind the wooden checkout counter, instantly raising my defenses. “What are you doing here?”
“What did you do last night, Emily?” he demanded, storming across the floorboards until his hands slammed onto the counter. “Mark is my frat brother. Olivia called me crying at midnight. You involved Daniel Brooks? Are you completely insane?”
“I didn't involve anyone,” I said coldly, holding my ground. “Olivia set up the date. She sent me there to make a fool out of me.”
“It was a joke!” Jason snarled, leaning into my face, his familiar arrogance dripping from every syllable. “It was harmless fun! You always were an overly sensitive, humorless bore. Olivia was just having a laugh, and you used some mafia thug to extort them for eighty grand! Mark’s family is threatening to sue, and Olivia’s dad is furious with me for introducing them to your circle!”
“My circle?” A bitter laugh escaped me. “You threw me away like trash, Jason. You and Olivia have spent the last year mocking me behind my back. Get out of this store before I call the police.”
“Go ahead and call them!” Jason sneered, grabbing my wrist across the counter with a cruel grip. “The police won't protect you from Daniel Brooks once he gets bored of using you as a toy. You think a man like that actually cares about a pathetic bookstore clerk? You’re just a temporary pawn in his games, and when he’s done, you’ll have nothing left.”
“Let go of me, Jason,” I warned, my voice shaking with fury.
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“You’re going to call Olivia, apologize, and tell Brooks that you lied about the whole thing,” Jason hissed, squeezing harder. “You owe them that much.”
“I suggest you remove your hand from that young lady,” a smooth, terrifyingly calm voice echoed from the front doorway. “Unless you’d prefer to never use it again.”
