Fined Thousands for Water

Torture

This was a clown show. All these documents, all the data, were all my work. I compiled them and wrote them out line by line, and I had to work through the night multiple times. I could take my own work. This wasn't stealing.

"You know how much I've done for the company. Now you're accusing me of corporate espionage? Is that supposed to be a joke?"

Anthony's eyes darted around. "It doesn't matter. You're fired. You shouldn't even be here. That's not right. You can't take these things away."

Queenie added, "And she can't leave either! We must lock her up until the bid's over! God knows if she's going to tattle to the whole world!"

It was absurd, but Anthony thought Queenie had a point. He looked at me with eyes filled with cold disappointment.

"You disappoint me, Christina. To think I treated you well, yet you would do this to me out of hatred."

This was unbelievable. To think Anthony would believe Queenie's idiocy that easily. "Are you out of your mind, Anthony! Do you have any idea how much I've sacrificed for the company? Why would I do anything like that?"

Queenie was still fanning the flames. "Don't waste your time with her, Mr. Shawlesque. Just take her in for interrogation. We'll find out who she's working with."

Anthony nodded and swung his arm forward. "Take her away!"

I tried to fight back, but I was outnumbered. The guards pinned me down and locked me in a tiny room.

The lights flickered on. Anthony was standing in the corner, observing me with icy indifference.

Queenie was approaching me, her lips curled into a twisted smile. She was holding a pair of pliers. "Now I'll need you to be honest. Tell us who you sold the secrets to."

I clenched my teeth and gave her a defiant glare. "I sold it to no one! This is an unfounded accusation!"

Queenie slammed her foot into my belly. I curled up in agony, and sweat poured like rain.

"Someone's tough." She went down and clamped one of my fingers with the pliers. "Now are you going to talk?"

I kept my lips closed. There was no way I would submit to these people.

Anthony's patience was running thin. His eyes held nothing but disdain. "Spill it out, Christina. You know how much I hate traitors."

I was still silent. Queenie clenched the pliers down and started pulling my nail out.

The pain made me scream, and my forehead was throbbing, yet she did not stop. "Fine, keep your secrets. You'll have to pay for that."

Every time she pulled, my soul started tearing itself apart. My body was convulsing involuntarily. The pain was unbearable, and it nearly knocked me out.

Anthony still watched on with indifference, as if my torture was just a show on a screen.

"You can't hold on forever, Christina. Spill the beans, and you'll suffer less."

I spat out a mouthful of blood. A guttural growl tumbled out of my throat. "God is watching, Anthony! He'll smite you!"

Queenie plucked another of my nails out and tossed it on the ground. "And you'll be seeing God first."

The pain was making the world itself blur. I was piled on the ground like jelly. My heaving chest was the only proof that I still lived.

Anthony frowned. "Enough. Don't kill her. We need answers from her."

Ferguson's Win

Queenie finally stopped. She smacked the pliers against my cheek. "This is a little lesson, Christina. I can kill you like an insect anytime I want to. Don't try to take Anthony away from me. You'll never win."

She fell into Anthony's arms and left the room together. I was imprisoned, waiting for death to come to me.

The pain would not stop undulating across my body. Every time I breathe, needles would prick my lungs, and ants would bite every inch of my skin.

Just when despair was about to eat me whole, someone opened the door very carefully. There was only an infinitesimal crack.

"I'll get you out of there, Christina."

It was Leslie, one of my subordinates. He was very gentle with me, yet he still touched my wounds by accident. I grunted.

"Was that your wound? I'm really sorry, Christina."

I gritted my teeth and shook my head. "It's nothing. Just get me out of here."

Leslie nodded and slowly made his way to the company's entrance. The moment we came out, we were met with a row of cars. Liam came up to me right away. "What happened to you, Christina?"

I squeezed a smile. "It's nothing I can't handle."

We got into the car. Liam noticed my messed-up hands, and he cried. Gently, he cleaned my wounds and put balm on them. Then he bandaged them up.

Quietly, I looked at him. "I will get the Prosper Co. deal next month, Liam."

…

A month went by. It was the bid. Everyone knew that anyone who could snag the Prosper Co. deal meant they could become the top family in Riveropolis.

Liam and I went into the hall, and we ran into Anthony and Queenie.

Anthony looked at me icily. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Christina. Look at you, looking like a loser. Only an idiot like Liam would take you in."

Queenie, as always, played along. "Yeah. Your proposal is worthless. You're only going to embarrass yourself. I'm friends with Prosper's CEO. He respects me. Don't even try to pull anything. You're never going to win."

Liam frowned. Solemnly, he said, "It's too early to count your chickens."

Anthony scoffed. He did not see Liam as a serious competitor. "You think anyone here's a match for me? You think you are? Wake up. Your family's never won against mine. Not even once."

The emcee took to the stage and opened up the envelope he was holding. The noises died down. Silence took over. Everyone's eyes turned to the stage.

"After stringent evaluation and shortlisting, the company that will take the Prosper Co. deal is…" A momentary pause later, he announced, "Ferguson Group!"

The smile on Anthony's face froze.