He pulled me up the stairs with him as he moved. His voice was deep and filled with irritation as he spoke. “You are so shady. Cut the crap, asking who I am! What have you done to me? Well, you know. Stop your bullshit!”
I struggled to stay on my feet as we moved down a passage lined with doors. Close to the end, he stopped. Opening the door, he shoved me forward, sending me stumbling as he continued to scream at me. “You’ll stay here until you admit what you’ve done!”
He slammed the door shut and locked it. Turning, I sat down and stared at the door. I breathed in heavily as I fought the tears welling up. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of hearing me cry.
Getting up, I moved to the bed and sat down. I had just sat down when I felt the first tear run down my cheek. How can someone be so cruel? Shifting higher onto the bed, I pulled my legs to my chest and hugged them.
Chapter 3 - Kolya
I stared at the door in disbelief. How could she pretend not to know who I was after everything she had done? I couldn’t believe her gall. I turned and headed to my office. She won’t be able to keep up the act for long. Not now that she’s married to me. The truth will come out.
Standing by the window in my office, I poured myself a drink. Staring out, my mind continued to dwell on this predicament. One thing was for sure. She was a good actress. Maybe she missed her profession. If this lawyer, who is screwing over people who didn’t do anything, doesn’t work out, she could always audition for a movie or something.
Maybe if they do a remake ofOverboard, she could play in that. I smiled, thinking of her on a yacht going overboard. It would make an interesting movie.
I had supper alone and sent her food up to the room with one of the maids. Tomorrow I will face her again and try to sort out this shit pile she caused.
As dawn broke, I got up, dressed, and headed to the kitchen. I bought a variety of herbal teas. Yet, I didn’t know which she would like. Closing my eyes, I picked one and added a bag to the cup. I decided to take her breakfast up myself. I wanted to see if her memory was any better this morning.
While I waited for the tray, I had two slices of toast, some bacon, and my morning coffee. Heading up, I wondered if I would find any information at her house. With a woman like her, I doubted it, but I would send some men over to check just in case.
I unlocked the door and entered. Sophia was standing by the window, her back to me. “Good morning,” I said, closing the door behind me.
“Morning,” she mumbled back, not turning.
Stepping to the dresser, I placed the tray down as I spoke. “I brought you breakfast and some tea.”
“You have the wrong person,” she said. Her voice was soft and filled with sorrow. “I don’t know who you are, what you want, or what you think I did. But I know you have the wrong person.”
For a brief second, I felt sorry for her, then I thought of all the cases against me. My concern was quickly replaced with anger. “You will stay in this room until you tell me the truth!” I spat at her and left, locking the door again.
I fumed around until lunchtime. My mind went over the evidence again and again. How dare she deny it? I did my research, and I knew it was her. This time, when I entered, she was sitting in the corner of the room on the chair close to the window.
“You ready to talk about it yet?” I asked, placing the tray down next to the other one. I was glad to see she ate most of the food. At least she wasn’t starving herself.
“You have the wrong person. I do not know what you want or who you are. Please tell me.” She replied sulkily.
I picked up the breakfast tray and left feeling angry all over again. How dare she deny it. Supper was the same as breakfast and lunch. All she kept repeating was that she didn’t know who I was or what I wanted from her. I left the tray in the same spot and locked her in again.
I skipped supper, replacing it with a drink I took out to the back porch. She will break, she will come clean and tell me who put her up to this. No person can live in isolation for long, and a woman like her wouldn’t last a week.
The next day was more of the same, and the next. I’d take her breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and she’d proclaim her innocence. She kept insisting I had the wrong person. She kept saying she didn’t know who I was or what was going on.
I was getting tired of the routine. I considered withholding her meals, but starving her seemed too extreme. Would that achieve anything? Probably not a smart move. She was more resilient than I had anticipated. She had to know, after all, her name was in all the documents.
By Friday, I was running out of ideas on how to make her admit to it all without torturing her. As I brought up her supper, I paused at the door. I inhaled slowly and exhaled through my nose. The tray rested steadily in my palm. I will try again.
Unlocking the door, I pushed it open and walked in. “Dinner, dear,” I said in a soft tone. Pushing the door closed lightly with my foot, my eyes land on her curled up against the headboard. Her back was pressed tightly to it. Her feet were drawn up, and her head rested on her knees.
“Listen, please,” she said, lifting her head slowly. I could see the glistering of tears as they swelled in her brown eyes.
Stepping towards the dresser, I placed the tray down without saying a word.
“I swear,” she continued. “You’ve got the wrong woman. I’ve never met you before. I don’t…”
Just like that, like a thin twig, my patience snapped. Lifting my head to face her, I couldn’t keep it in anymore. Inoticed her body relaxing slightly, as if she were relieved that I hadn’t lunged at her. I didn’t even give her time to continue as I snapped back at her. “That’s funny, really funny considering you’ve filed eight lawsuits against me!”
Her posture was rigid again. I could see utter confusion on her face. “What?” she breathed out softly. “I’ve never filed a lawsuit against you or anyone else, for that matter.”
