Leon watched closely as Annika’s car vanished out of sight before calling his assistant, Toby, to explain the recent developments and give his orders. Annika would receive comprehensive monitoring and protection provided by Leon’s best men until all known threats were eliminated without exception. The heinous crimes that Sadie wanted to commit against Annika sent a shiver of disgust down Toby’s spine as goosebumps covered his skin. Toby frowned, realizing he had grossly underestimated Sadie Galloway’s unstable temperament and cruel disposition. She’s downright psychotic for actually plotting to murder Ms. Silverton, Toby thought to himself as he made the necessary arrangements for Annika’s security detail.
By the time Annika arrived home, she was shocked to see Jeffrey loitering in front of the car park, smoking a cigarette and looking disheveled as though he hadn’t slept in ages. Jeffrey was the last person Annika wanted to see, let alone speak to, so she pulled up to the gate and buzzed herself in with haste. Once Jeffrey noticed her car, he jumped in front of it to prevent her escape, and Annika slammed on the brakes just in time to avoid a collision.
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING!? I COULD HAVE FUCKING RAN OVER YOU!” she frantically screamed as she exited the car to confront him.
“Where the fuck have you been!? And don’t fucking lie to me!” Jeffrey bellowed while grabbing onto her shoulders with such intensity that Annika’s immediate reaction was to cry out in pain.
“LET ME GO! YOU’RE HURTING ME!” she screamed, desperately trying to pry his hands off her. It came as no surprise that Jeffrey refused to listen and dared to tighten his grip on her even more.
“TELL ME WHERE THE FUCK YOU’VE BEEN!?” he roared in her face.
“Why the fuck should I tell you anything!? We’re separated in case you’ve forgotten. What I do with my time is none of your fucking business, Jeffrey!”
“Separated or not, we’re still married. I have every fucking right to know where my wife is and who she’s fucking!” Annika ceased to struggle when she heard his accusation.
“What the hell are you talking about!? Have you lost your goddamn mind?” she shouted back and pushed him away again, causing Jeffrey to lose his grip on her. He reversed course and appeared to back down, but in reality, he had completely lost his marbles after hearing Annika’s denial. Jeffrey then delivered a vindictive backhanded slap to Annika’s face in the heat of the moment. The unexpected blow took her by surprise, and she was knocked to the ground, which was littered with loose stones and gravel. Annika was left with scrapes on both palms as she tried to prevent further injury to her face.
Shaken up by the sudden assault, Annika looked up at Jeffrey from the ground in stunned silence. Tears welled up in her eyes, but they did not resemble the countless tears of sorrow she had previously shed. Quite the opposite, in fact, these tears came from a place of anger and hatred. No one had ever dared to lay their hands on Annika to harm her physically, and she was never spanked as a child. Any punishments she received in the past consisted of lectures and the occasional being grounded as a teenager, but her parents had never resorted to violence in the name of discipline.
Annika winced as she stood up and dusted off her hands, noticing the abrasions had started to bleed. In what could only be described as instant karma, Annika delivered a powerful open-handed slap to Jeffrey’s face the second she regained her footing. The dirt and blood that stained her hands were now smeared all over Jeffrey’s face, and though the impact wasn’t enough to make him stumble, her slap stung in more ways than one. Shell-shocked, he turned to face her but was met with a second slap to the same cheek.
“The first one was for slapping me. The second one was for gripping my shoulders so tight that it left a mark. And this one,” she paused and gave him a backhanded slap, tit-for-tat, before continuing, “this was for accusing me of cheating! Jeffrey Hollands, you have some fucking nerve, showing up at my home and accusing me of cheating! You’re the one who has been stepping out, and you have the fucking nerve to accuse me!? Whoever this bitch is must have her hands wrapped around your balls so tight that it’s cutting off the circulation to your damn brain!” Jeffrey was so far gone at being slapped three consecutive times that he couldn’t even formulate words to counter her. “Stay the fuck away from me! Go back to your blonde-haired, piece of shit, trash whore that you call a fucking mistress! We’re done! I’m done! I want nothing to do with you!” Annika belted out from the depths of her soul before returning to her vehicle. Annika was on the warpath as soon as the gate opened. She sped past him, unbothered by the possibility of striking him with her car, and waited for the gate to close. Jeffrey appeared to have turned into stone while attempting to comprehend the events that had just transpired when Annika’s words hit him like a ton of bricks. Go back to your blonde-haired, piece of shit, trash whore that you call a fucking mistress! Those words echoed endlessly inside of his head. His eyes widened in horror as he pivoted toward the gate and saw the tail end of her car disappear into the parking garage. How does Annika know Sadie is blonde? Jeffrey wondered with a vacant expression. Annika knew that his mistress was blonde, and the notion was like a taser electrocuting him repeatedly. What were the chances that Annika had proof of his affairs and knew who Sadie was? He recalled Sadie mentioning that she went to Land and Mall for her medical appointments, but she had assured him that Annika was none the wiser.