"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"
David shouted at Linda, placing his hands over his head. His eyes were bloodshot and were shifty as his legs were fidgeting and he looked really stressed.
Talia was herself a little scared to be alone with them. She turned to look at the door and was relieved to see Arthur still standing by the door.
Linda was still holding her arm and David was in deep thoughts and Talia used the distraction of those two to get her purse and took a step back.
"Talia... You are Talia Brunton, the heiress of Northern Star, aren't you?" David asked and his eyes looked a lot tired.
"What? Impossible!" Linda cried.
How is this possible? The one who always looked dead in the eyes and has no redeeming qualities is an heiress? Come on!
"She is...! She is. A friend on mine showed her picture when she was young. And Talia is not a very common name. Her name 'Talia' and those purplish blue eyes... She is Talia Brunton," David looked at Talia and this time there was clarity in his eyes.
He knew! He always doubted it. But she never let any doubts arise and never showed herself to be even related to Esteria. And he believed her.
How is this possible? How could she lie so well??
How could he have let go of this goose that lays golden eggs. All for that Linda?
He felt so disappointed.
Talia's fingers holding her purse trembled a bit and her heart started to race knowing she needs to answer. These few days, everything is happening against her wishes and it seems like she has no control over anything anymore.
'He learnt my secret too! What should I do?' her mind wandered off to all the negative things that were said about her back in her country.
"Murderer"
"Demon"
"Monster"
"Heartless"
Talia felt her shoulders droop in shame and she felt suffocated. If it was the olden days she'd be burnt in the stake and be reduced to ashes.
But then she looked at Arthur by the door and she saw Linda cussing her incessantly. Rebecca's face came to her mind.
Suddenly Talia realised something.
Rebecca learnt the truth about her and she never blamed her. Arthur never blamed her. Even Jordan didn't call her names.
And people like Linda... Who will find fault at anything and everything...
'Am I worried for these kind of people?'
Her thoughts started to clear up.
'Should I really keep everything about me secret anymore?'
Talia wondered for the first time in the past nine years. All these time she tried to hide where she is from and it seemed to be working well. But can all secrets be hidden forever?
'So what if they know who I am? The fact that I killed cannot be learnt easily. And even if others find out? What's the worse that could happen? A rich kid killing a person? It's not like others have no skeletons in their closet!'
'If they find out about it and make my life hell here... It's not like I have nowhere else to go! This whole wide world is open for me. Just like I won't go back to Esteria, I won't go back here too!'
Talia's mind was clear like the morning mist cleaned up by the sun.
"Mr. Bailey, I've learnt that you recently got a promotion. And your fiancée has a pretty good job in this highly competitive city too. I truly want to congratulate you for your new life together. As my wedding gift I will let go of your past unfaithfulness towards me and... "
" What unfaithfulness? I never cheated on you! "David interjected her.
Right now he was so angry at her, his face was red. Seeing her so calm and polite like she always is... How dare she?
" You never slept with her? " Talia asked with a sneer.
" So Linda was lying? In case, if I were you I'd look out for her, Mr. Bailey..."
As Talia was speaking, Linda's screeching voice interrupted her.
"What are you saying David? We were on and off for ten years! And when you were with her, you first slept with me on the next day of your first month anniversary..."
"I was drunk and I thought you were her!" David interrupted her, gritting his teeth and he raised his hand and almost hit Linda since his lies were exposed.
Talia saw the man in front of her who was always gentle and warm like a sun now looking like a raging volcano all for the wrong reasons.
"Oh, you are going to hit me in public now?" Linda snorted, "Why? Because I exposed your lies? And that was not the only time you slept with me. You weren't drunk on New year's eve and...."
'Wow!' Talia was flabbergasted as she looked at David who was arguing with Linda and explaining to her at the same time that he hit her once because she couldn't keep her mouth shut.
Somehow she felt like she knew nothing about anything or anyone. How can a person be a totally different person than how they show themselves to be? She felt a bit unsure of everything happening around her.
But one thing she was sure of. She didn't have to be guilty towards David anymore. And it is good that she came here today.
"Mr. Bailey! Miss. Smith!" Talia stood straight with her back straight, chest puffed up and chin up.
"Now that you know who I am, make sure don't end up freely speaking about me or Arthur to anyone. Now that you are where you are, I bet you won't feel happy being a wedding photographer and a librarian couple living in a small town down South," Talia said without her smile fading and turned to leave.
Once people reach to a place higher than they were originally at, the fear of losing what they have will surely increase. And by then they are the most vulnerable people fearing that they might lose what they have.
Her grandfather used to say, 'The most dangerous man in this world is the man who has nothing to lose'. She agreed with her grandfather. Those who think they have something to hold on, won't go desperate.
"Ah, my hand! Aren't you going to compensate?" Linda was still so salty, her arms hurt thousand times more. She didn't understand the warnings in Talia's statement.
David who realised that he was being threatened, fisted his hands hard. Her threats are not to be considered lightly. In this city, everything is done with networking and every company works for profit.
No one will go against the wishes of a big conglomerate like the Northern Star if they want to ghost him. Also he knew how close she is with Rebecca and Joe Feldstein and he knows most of the major players in this city and every other city. It would be hard for him to work if he gets a black mark here.
So it is better I forget I ever met her.
" What compensation? You wouldn't have been injured if you didn't try to hurt me..." Talia spoke in a deep tone with underlying danger. She was not willing to spend her time here with her.
"Ten thousand dollars," Linda asked shamelessly. Its not like she is poor, so she could pay it for her silence right? She seems to not like to let others know about her identity.
"For a dislocated shoulder?" Talia laughed amusingly.
"I can spare ten million dollars," Talia added as she squatted in front of Linda and she could see Linda's face brightening up.
"But..." Talia's eyes squinted and she added in a calm tone, "Can I amputate your arm? Or... Is that too little for ten million? How about both arms? I think that would be..."
"Enough!" David shouted at Talia, "Leave!"
He had never thought Talia could be this malicious and vicious. She used to be so polite. Just how much of a good actor is she?
"Okay, fine! Once again, congratulations. You have my blessing."
Talia stood up dusting her skirt and sashayed out of the restaurant with her purse in her hand while David and Linda looked at her with bewilderment.
As she got out, she was pulled to a tight embrace and was thrown into a car and the car moved immediately. She could hear the siren of an ambulance moving towards the restaurant.
Did he call an ambulance for her?
"What..."
Before she could finish what she was saying, her lips were covered by Arthur's hungry lips and she wasn't let go until she couldn't breath anymore.
As soon as she gasped and took in a couple of breaths, her mouth was covered once again and his big, warm hands roamed on her body like he was a potter shaping clay.
A really angry one.
She went to a daze.
She didn't know if it was because she liked it that much or because her brain lacked oxygen.
This continued until she reached her apartment and once they got in her house, her purse was thrown away and her coat was removed and her sweater was almost ripped apart while he tried to undress her.
She tried to call out for him but it seemed like he was possessed by some demon of lust and picking her up, he kicked the bedroom door open and threw her on the bed.
She looked like a dishevelled mess sprawled on the bed, but for him she looked like a rare snow lotus on the top of the mountains that is meant for gods.
He proceeded to unzip her skirt and she held his hands.
"My stomach hurts, Fred"
Her voice was weak since she couldn't muster enough strength to even push him away and even to talk.
Only then Arthur remembered she is on her periods and stopped himself. He could feel her hands holding his were slightly shivering.
Did I hurt her..?
Looking at her eyes he felt his anger disappear. He couldn't control his temper and lost it. He couldn't contain his jealousy.
There was a deafening silence for sometime that made even the air go stale.
Talia gathered her strength and got up. When Arthur gave his hands, she politely refused and stood up by herself and staggered out.
Arthur saw the state she was in. The chemise she was wearing was torn by the neckline, there were some nail scratch marks looking red on her flawless skin and she was still wearing her shoes.
Arthur felt so ashamed of himself.
"Iris," he called and she didn't respond to him and walked slowly out, slightly limping. She might have hurt her legs?
She slowly removed her shoes first before placing it in the proper place and picked up a set of clothes to wear and closed the door to the bathroom.
"I'm sorry..."
He mumbled knowing she cannot hear him.