Chapter 34
Chapter 34
Chapter 34 I do not recognise my voice. It is thick with animosity. My hands are shaky and tears are
threatening to spill from my eyes. Appearing to realise the seriousness of the situation, Dave turns to
his colleagues. “Gentleman, please excuse me for a moment?”
He gets up and strides over to me, gripping my forearm as he gently pulls me out of the room. We walk
down a short corridor and into an empty office. Dave shuts the door and glares at me, anger fueling his
eyes. “What the hell was that, Chelsea?!” he states, his tone biting. “Explain this to me!” I half-shout,
flinging the documents into his hands. “You lied about what the company is doing in Kenya. You have
plans to use children? and exploit the people in an area that is too damn close to the orphanage I
volunteered at. And you plan to pay the workers practically nothing!” He begins to scan the papers, his
eyes darting back and forth hastily. “How did you get this?!” he asks, puzzled yet still furious. “What
does it matter? It’s out in the open now! I know the truth and you can’t hide it anymore!”
“You weren’t supposed to see these papers, Chelsea. They are confidential documents!” “Is that all you
care about? The fact that I saw something I wasn’t supposed to? You don’t care that your men will use
children? Only a few miles from the orphanage? You don’t care that the men you’ll be hiring are
people’s sons, partners, and brothers… who are desperate for money to support their families. You are
taking advantage of them and putting their lives at risk! And your biggest concern is how much you will
profit!” Fresh tears spill down my cheeks. Talking about Kenya, the orphanage, and any damage done
to my beloved community, horrifies me.
“Chelsea…this isn’t about you.” His voice has become soft, and I can tell he is trying to calm me down.
But it is not going to work. “You don’t get it, do you, Dave? The reason why the community I
volunteered in is struggling is because of big companies like yours coming in and taking away all the
men to force them into hard labor. These men have no choice but to work. They need the money.”
“Chelsea, please. You don’t understand.”
“No! You don’t get it, Dave! You don’t understand that what you’re doing is going to destroy villages,
homes, and families… How could you be so cold? You’re not the person I thought you were! You are
not my Dave anymore.”
“Chelsea…” he reaches his hands out towards me in an attempt to console me but I back away.
“I’m leaving. I want nothing to do with you or your company every again!” I say through a flood of tears
before making a beeline for the door.
I grab my handbag from my desk and head straight for the elevator.
“Chelsea!” I heard Dave’s commanding voice shout from the corridor. He is storming towards
me like a man on a mission. Just before he reaches me, the elevator doors open and I jump inside,
pushing the close door’ button repeatedly until it finally complies.
Goodbye, Dave… and good riddance. I storm violently through the massive white double doors of the
mansion.
The temper that ignited at the office is still burning inside of me. My heart is racing and my steps are
heavy as I stride into the immaculate home. My cheeks are stained with tears, my fists are clenched
and my eyes are red with anger.
The mansion is quiet. I hate this pompous place and everything that it stands for. I despise its false
display of wealth that has been ruthlessly acquired from the toils of the less fortunate. Now that I know
the truth, I need to get out of this hellhole.
I make my way up the staircase, taking two steps at a time to hurry the pace. I curse myself for not
listening to my instincts. From my sister’s sudden marriage to my distaste for Sebastian and this empty
home; I always had an uneasy feeling about it. A my finger on why. But I know exactly what I need to
do. I blaze into my room like a furious tornado and drag my suitcase out from the top shelf of my
wardrobe. Then I pull apart my drawers and begin piling clothes messily into the suitcase. When it
becomes full, I drag another one out from the top shelf and fling more clothes inside.
Sweat beads form on my forehead as I work myself into a frenzy. Thoughts of my conversation with
Dave refuel my rage. How could he lie to me? How could he be so ruthless?
So callous? This situation has left me hurt, angry, and confused, along with a whole heap of other
emotions. Could Dave really be the same, loving person I had sex with? Is he the same person whose
charm and piercing blue eyes left me drooling for his touch?
I shudder at the thought that he ever had such an effect on me. “Chelsea! Chelsea!”
I hear my name being screamed by a familiar voice, but I ignore it. I knew Dave was hot on my tail the
moment I left the office. I knew it would only be a matter of time before he found me, hence my haste.
But the last thing I want right now is another confrontation with him, and I cannot afford for him to delay
my departure. The cab I called on the way back to the mansion should be here very soon.
“Chelsea! What the hell is going on?”
Suddenly, my door swings open and my sister shuffles into my flustered room. She is impeccably
dressed in her designer gown and her hair is pinned up in a tight bun. She scans my room and takes
note of my suitcases on the bed.
“Chelsea.. What in the world are you doing? Where are you going? And why aren’t you answering
Dave? He’s screaming your name downstairs!”
I continue to move around my room, packing more and more items into my suitcase. I am more worried
about my awaiting taxi than answering my sister’s questions.
I struggle to lift my suitcases off the bed at first but find the strength. I then shuffled past Christie and
clumsily made my way down the hallway. “Chelsea! I’m speaking to you! Why won’t you answer me?”
She yells after me, but I continue to walk onwards.
When I reach the top of the staircase, I see Dave and Sebastian staring up at me, puzzled. My hands
are strained from the weight of the suitcases; my cheeks are red, and my hair is completely disheveled.
If I had known my exit from the mansion would have demanded a crowd, I would have dressed the
part.
“If you must know Christie, I’m leaving this corrupt mansion. And if you know what’s best for you, I
suggest you come with me!” I turn and half-bellow at my sister. She is standing in the middle of the
hallway, fixed in place.
“Chelsea, please don’t do this…” Dave’s voice below is shaky, yet desperate. He stares up at me with
sympathetic eyes, but I do not yield. His presence has gone from making me feel like a giddy schoolgirl
to an angry pit bull.
“Chelsea, what are you talking about?” Christie asks edgily, still staring at me from where she stands in
the hall.
I began to speak, but not at her. My gaze is directed downward at Dave and Sebastian. “I’m talking
about the filthy deeds of your billionaire husband and his devious partner!” “I beg your pardon,
Chelsea!” Sebastian states. It was the first time I heard a high-pitched spike in his voice.
“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about, Sebastian! I know all about your company’s plans
to raid the poor villages of Kenya for cheap labor. I know every detail about how you plan to overwork
the villagers and pay them next to nothing, so that you can fill your bank accounts, find important
documents that are worth millions, drive fancy cars, and live in mansions like this one.” My chest is
falling and rising as I grit my teeth at them.
I turn to Christie, who is visibly shaken by my outburst. “Your life here is a lie, Christie. Brown Inc., is
not the productive mining company you think it is. It’s only a disguise for the horrific practises that
Sebastian and Dave are conducting in Kenya. He’s been lying to you this whole time! I saw everything
for myself this morning in a confidential document!”
“Don’t you listen to her lies, Christie. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about!” shouts Sebastian. I
am not surprised by his desperate plea to my sister to believe him.
Tears spilled down my sister’s cheeks. Her forehead is sweaty and her hands are shaking. Fear is
written all over her face, which is just what I expected. I just revealed that everything about her
fabulous life is a lie. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!
I walk towards her in an attempt to shut out Sebastian’s cries to not listen to me. “Everything is a lie,
Christie. This house, the company, and perhaps even your engagement, it’s all a facade. Sebastian is a
liar and a con man. He’s marrying you so he can appear to have the perfect family. He wanted to cover
his tracks so no one would suspect his activities. He’s using you and I doubt he loves you.” “Are you
sure about this, Chelsea?” Her voice is frail as she sniffs against fresh tears.
“Yes… I read about it all at the office. It’s all there, written in black and white.” Staring into her sad eyes,
the weight of the situation overwhelms me. Then, I felt a tight grip on my arm.
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