Her Vengeful Lover

“Helen! Come out now, we have visitors!” Tom shouted with his croaky voice. I was displeased and I felt like snubbing him. For goodness’s sake, I could wear my headphones and act like I was unable to hear him.

But I didn’t because the good child in me would not allow me. I never wanted to be a good girl, but today was different. I sat up, placed my phone down on the bed gently, and stepped out. I was even curious to see Tom’s visitors. They could never be mine.

OK, my name is Helen and Tom was my uncle. I can remember living with him since I could recite the English Alphabet. That could have been exaggerated, but he told me it was since I was six years old. My parents died from a fire accident in our house and I would have died too if my mother hadn't rescued me. She did but she still burnt to death. I have no memory of that incident even though I should. I was just six years old. 

When I stepped outside my room, I could see Tom with two people. They looked like a couple and they were quite old. Tom was fifty-two years old, and those people looked like his age. I didn’t know them and, from the way they looked around, this was their first time as well.

I greeted them and the woman was especially smiling at me. She looked really beautiful. I glanced at her bag, and it made me seize my breath for a second. I couldn’t control what came out of my mouth.

“That…” I stammered. “The limited edition Sparkle bag.”

The woman noticed my confusion, and she smiled to lighten my fears.

“You seem to know a lot about bags. I am a lover of bags as well. And yeah, this is truly the Sparkle limited edition bag. Only five were made in the whole world, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on one.” she replied with a smile on her face. That bag was worth hundreds of millions of dollars. If she could spend that much on such an item, it had already defined that she wasn’t an ordinary person. She and her husband were not in my uncle’s category. My uncle was inferior.

“Get us something chilled…” Tom asked. “It is quite sunny today and the heat is of another level.”

“Don’t bother, please,” the husband replied. “We are not supposed to drink anything chilled. If you have a bottle of wine, bring it. It is much better.”

“Go ahead!” Tom replied. “Or rather, I will fetch it myself. Stay with your in-laws!”

As Tom left to get the wine, his words continued sounding in my ears. What did he mean by my in-laws? I had only one boyfriend and that was Smith. I knew Smith’s parents, so what could Tom be talking about? I decided to leave and talk to Tom privately.

“Young lady!” the woman called me again. “Your name is Helen, right?”

“Yes,” I replied with a faked smile.

“I am sure your uncle never told you about this arrangement. My name is Margaret and this is my husband…” the woman told me softly. She sounded loving. 

“I am called Richard. I am still handsome even at this age. What do you think?” he asked carefully. 

This made my heart start pounding. How on earth could my wicked uncle bring such an old man to marry me when I have an agile man as a boyfriend. I clenched my fists and struggled to talk.

“You brought your husband here… you… to find another wife?” I managed to ask. My hand was shaking, and I was sure my heart was of no difference.

“Oh!” Margaret said excitedly. She even clapped her hands. “You must have thought I wanted you to marry this old thing. No, that’s not it. Richard is mine and I can’t share him.”

“Yes!” Richard supported. “I am handsome, but we brought someone more handsome. He is my son. He is quite shy, so he stayed back in the car. I will go get him now.”

“Don’t bother…” Tom said. I turned back, and I saw a bottle of wine in his left hand. He held two glasses in his right hand. That should be a skill on its own. “Let Helen go and get Ethan in the car. Both of them are going to be a couple. Get going now, girl.”