"Chapter 46- Set-up"

I closed my eyes with a feeling of unusualness that kept bothering me from sleeping or from doing my work. Abigail whose always by my side whenever I'm in the company, she kept clinging behind me after the incident happened, I always wonder what had happened to Abigail when my grandmother knew I got kidnapped.

Abigail who is always stiff while beside me didn't utter a word of nonsense nor made conversations with me just like before, who usually doesn't do the first move decided to talk to her... make a conversation with her I mean...

"Abigail," I called her name who was standing like a statue in front of me,

"yes, sir?" she answered

"Why are you ignoring your friend?" I asked,

her eyes widened with my unexpected question, "I am not ignoring you, sir," she said before she cut our eye contact. "did something happen when I was gone?" I asked as I tilted my head at her, she shook her head immediately and left the room, leaving me alone.

sigh...

she took a peek at me while hiding behind the door, "what is it Abigail?" I asked as I noticed her sharp stares at me, sharp enough to drill a hole, she hid again behind the door. "I'm sorry for being an incompetent secretary,"

"It is not your fault, it was mine,"

"Besides, the incident happened a month ago, forget it."

"I heard you and your lover broke up after the incident."

I froze and stopped writing, I looked at the door with my eyes stagger. "how the hell did you know," her sentence triggered my anger that I almost broke the fountain pen I was holding,

"..."

she didn't answer and kept her mouth shut,

"I said where did you hear it?!" I slammed my desk furious trying to stop the urge to throw a vase in the room, Abigail trembled and walked away from the door where she hid, she knelt on the floor with both of her hands on the floor while looking down. "My- my apologies- I heard it from the Madam- I didn't know it could ruin your d- day- please forgive me-" she said as she began to sweat buckets.

"What happened to you?" I asked when I saw her restless face and large eyebags. "Please spare me and my wife- I-" she rested her forehead on the floor tiles begging for mercy,

"for god's sake!" I shouted while holding my aching head, not only did they make me break up with my lover, they hurt my secretary. Do they often do this to people as a hobby?

***

"Have some chamomile tea," I offered to calm herself who was trembling in fear also, Abigail hesitated at first but eventually took the cup from my hand, she took a sip and looked away from my stare. "What did my grandmother tell you,"

she stopped sipping the tea and started sweating with eyes of horror staring blankly on an open space,

"Are you alright?"

"she will take my wife and my child, and kill them."

she trembled as if she suddenly felt a chill on her spine, I looked at her while feeling guilty, a few silent seconds she utter a sentence before I open my mouth.

"your grandmother is planning to set you up with someone."

my eyes widened and triggered my anger once again, they have one job yet they failed to do it, they always say 'not my business' and shit, and then they'll do this, what a hypocrite!

my eyes twitched as my blood began to boil, she looked at me worried but she kept it silent, "tell me," I stole her attention from the tea she was drinking, she glanced at me while putting the tea down. "What kind of person are they?"

she gulped and looks away while sweating continuously, I rested my cheek on my palm that is resting horizontally above my knee, "I'm asking, I want to know what kind of person are they?" I smiled broadly trying to hide the arsonist in the making.

"They- they are-"

***

"who is this?" I raised my brow at a strange-looking man who seem to be well-off in life, the man sweats while standing stiff in front of me, I squinted my eyes and examined him from head to toe. "Not my type, please get out," I pointed at the exit with a picky expression,

"you haven't known him fully, please reconsider, my child."

I looked at my grandma who was beside the man in front of me, she smiled at him as if she was expecting something to happen between us, I smiled at a fun idea I made in my head.

"Alright," I said with a gleeful tone of voice, I pulled him by his arm through the exit, I looked at him with a malicious smile and look after I pulled him away from them, he looks horrified from my face. "You seem to be a waste of time, but I'll make use of you," I sneered at him after letting go of his arm.

"what- what are you gonna do?"

"be my toy," I smiled like I was out of my mind, I knotted my brows while rubbing my chin, thinking of his use in my plan. He stepped back from me with a mortified face,

"you're such a thirsty animal just for money," I snapped my fingers and Abigail appeared behind him, "you seem to be a good use for us," she played along with my shenanigans.

"Please... spare me," he begged on his knees while rubbing his palms together, "spare me please!"

"oh, yes, we will. If you cooperate with us, Jeremy," I cackled by the look on his face.

***

"okay~ thank you for cooperating with us~" Abigail shook her hands to his with a broad smile, Jeremy who was clueless on our way to a restaurant just went along, Abigail and I sat beside each other while facing him on the table.

"here's our engagement," I crossed my hands while sitting with my legs crossed, he looked at me confused as if I was gonna take out a folder of agreement.

"Listen, don't look anywhere" Abigail warned with her index finger pointing above pursed on her lips.

"you got bribed am I right?"

He looked and me and tried to shake his head to deny, Abigail let out a folder of his background, his eyes widened in shock.

"I didn't come here unprepared, Mr. Jeremy. You better cooperate with us well,"