Expensive Favours - Favours Series #1

Chapter 38

I was starting to doubt Belinda's threats honestly. She didn't exactly do her worst and never went through with her death threats, so really, I was dealing with a talker and not a doer.

I was stripped of everything I had. Or whatever I had been given so generously. My room lay baren of entertainment save for the textbooks I needed to read through. Even my books were taken away. I was locked in quite literally by Belinda. My father had no say in it.

Actually, I hadn't seen him since the charity, which was hours ago, but I heard them arguing loudly about sending me off to boarding school. She knew sending me back to Medfield would be useless.

"She is acting out of control! Do you know how badly this looks on us? Your daughter accused people of stealing from the foundation! The Van Der Woodsons are going to have our heads!"

"She's your daughter too now." His low voice seemed unrecognisable.

"Don't remind me."

"Belinda." My father warns. Was he actually standing up for me?

"Don't start Eric. All you've done is sit on your ass as she wrecks things. First it was acceptable, but now she's done something actually harmful. Unless you want all your investors to back up from this merge, you will do as I say. I don't need to remind of everything we've been through."

I hear the click clack of her heels signalling the end of the conversation.

All my devices were taken by Belinda and she had Martha take all my things out of my shelves. This was done in an hour after her death threat to my mom and then I was barricaded in my room.

The minute the key turned, I dug through my closet in search for my old possessions which included my old phone and its number. But as I brought it back to life, I realised, there was no one to call, and no one who could reach me. And they'd only want to reach me to call me names and threaten me.

Nevertheless, I refreshed multiple news website for articles. But seeing as everyone's memories were still fresh with the discovery, they had yet to alert all media outlets. Which meant I had time to send in an anonymous tip with my full story to Mantle.

I set about writing the article and managed to send it in around midnight. I prayed they printed it soon and then sent a copy to the editor in chief of Thornton Bulletin. After a few minutes of considering, I sent a copy to Francine, whose business card I still had.

After emailing them all, I lay back on my bed with a sigh. Belinda had been completely serious. One more step out of line, and she kills my mother. How is that fair? How is that...right? Does she get a sick sense of humour from threatening people's lives? It's not like she lives up to her promises however, I thought, recalling the last death threat she made at me.

My phone buzzes and I find something in my inbox.

Subject: I need to talk to u

Call me.