Forced Marriage: Escaping Her Monster

Jerlina was avoiding her boss' phone calls since she knew why he calls. She had already spent the money he sent to her, to pay for Uncle Pat's medical bills and she cannot return the money to him.

And she cannot ask TJ to stop threatening her boss, because her relationship with him is not good. Well, it is worse, to be honest.

But she knew her boss cannot file a complaint against her since there is no proof that she extorted him for money. He sent the money of his own volition imagining that she is asking for money. He said it was her severance pay and she can spend it however she wants to.

"It's David Millman? Why is he calling you?" Jeremy asked. He hasn't received any report that Trevor Millman contacted the Shard Viper yet. So why is David bothering her? Is he trying to intimidate her?

Jerlina wondered if speaking the truth will change his mind. But she decided to give it a try since she didn't want him to go bankrupt without the supplies.

"Mr. Millman sent me severance pay and asked me to talk to you about his supplies." She didn't bother to look at him. She didn't even know why she is getting involved in the fight between those two men.

"He paid you? How much?" he asked and Jerlina froze.

Ugh! Me and my mouth! Is he going to grab that money from me?

"A hundred grand," she spoke without thinking once again, "But I spent half of it already," she quickly added.

"Just that much?" Jeremy snorted. "Cheap a**!"

"Well, my salary is around $60,000. So I'd say that is a lot," she said not knowing why she is defending her nasty boss.

"He paid you that little for a month?" he asked and Jerlina blinked her eyes.

Has he gone crazy? Who gets paid that much per month for a secretarial job?

"That is my annual salary," she said. She couldn't close her jaws that opened with shock and her eyes blinked faster as her brain tried to process his question.

"How much do you pay your secretary?" she whispered, still in shock.

What kind of naive boss is he? Does he even know the value of money?

Jeremy knew the value of money very much. It's just that, he couldn't accept that his little woman got paid only this much for her hard work. If he was her boss, he'd gladly pay her $60,000 a week, just to see her every day.

Right... if I were her boss... Ain't that something to think about?

"I don't have a secretary," he said and Jerlina was in for another shock of her life. He runs a business with a turnover in the millions each year and he doesn't have a secretary?

"Oh?" she didn't speak further. Sensing her phone vibrating once again, she wondered if she should just block her boss or would it seem rude.

She winced a little when Jeremy got her phone from his hand. He answered the call and stayed silent, listening to her boss' ranting.

"You have some nerve to call my wife this early in the morning to complain," he grumbled. and then after some time of hearing her boss speak, TJ seemed a little relaxed.

"You'll get your materials today. Delete her number from your phone." He ended the call.

Jerlina was not as disturbed as before when he mentioned her as his wife once again. She didn't know whether it was because she got used to it or because of her recent resolution to not fight her fate.

Either way, she was relieved the issue with her boss... her ex-boss got resolved. She turned to see TJ and he donned a serious face, She bowed her head so as not to anger him more.

Jeremy was thinking. The way Millman talked to him thinking it was her, made him believe that he had nothing to do with the death threat on Jerlina. Even Trevor would have to get money from David and it seemed like David was too broke to afford a hitman.

I should check his finances just in case. So... If not him, who else wants her dead? Should I just ask Moses directly? He won't answer and it will take some difficult efforts to make him speak. But that would start a gang war taking casualties on both sides. My side won't face much loss, but still... Should I investigate more?

"How does Patrick Davis know Alexander Volkonsky?" he asked. They never seemed to have a connection till now and suddenly they are best friends?

"Volkonsky?" Jerlina bit her lips as the name sounded familiar to her. "Why do I know that name..." she mumbled. "Mikhail Volkonsky!!" she screamed suddenly startling Jeremy.

"That old man is Mikhail's grandpa, right? I've seen him with him a few times. Ah... that's why he seemed familiar!" Jerlina's face was filled with joy and she unconsciously grabbed Jeremy's sleeves.

Jeremy saw the little woman who seemed pale and sad till a moment ago, with a blush and a grin on her face. He should be feeling good to see her in good spirits, but he didn't for some reason.

She knows Mikhail? How?

"You called him grandpa. Are you related? Do you meet Mikhail often? He was my first crush...Man! I had a poster of him in his race suit on the wall in my dorm and I would sneak a kiss when no one was looking. And I had a notebook with his pictures from various magazines...He'd rock in his suits! I even bought a cologne just because he was the brand ambassador. I missed a lot of lunches for that. Ah... those days..."

"You like racing?" Jeremy asked.

"Oh no!" Jerlina shook her head. She couldn't shake off the grin on her face as she remembered the happiest times of her life.

"I never watched a single race. I liked him for his handsomeness. He was better looking than any stars..." She sighed placing her hand on her chest. And then she focused on Jeremy with the most genuine smile he has ever seen on her.

"'The Casanova', the No. 1 driver of the F1 championship... Is he married? He dated everyone from pop stars to supermodels, right? Wow! How does Uncle Pat know his grandfather? I used to talk about Mikhail all the time, but he never mentioned him once..." Jerlina went on and Jeremy clenched his hands and put them inside his jeans pocket as his eyes turned vicious.

First crush? Kissed? You knew me before you went to college and HE was your first crush? We even...

That Mikhail! How dare he!

Alright! I'm gonna kill that mother****!

Only when they reached the hospital entrance did Jerlina notice the dark cloud surrounding his face and pulled a brake on her enthusiasm and stopped talking. She knew her happiness would make him mad.

Who knows? He might even murder Mikhail thinking it would make me cry. Poor Mikhail!

She decided not to talk about Mikhail anymore. It's not like she loved him like she loved Gerard. She even stopped following him after graduating college.

Mikhail was her celebrity crush. She liked the Mikhail his PR team showed to the world. She knew she won't like him if she met him. A guy who couldn't have a single long-term relationship... He can't be that good. His charm was his handsome face, his toned body, his immense wealth since his family owns a big conglomerate, and they say he bleeds blue since he came from aristocracy.

But wait... TJ... he calls Mikhail's grandpa, 'grandpa'. And his face...Is he jealous?

No way!! Wow! This explains why both of them can't maintain a relationship with females. But the aristocrats are a little conceited and Mikhail as the sole heir will be asked to make heirs.

So they are star-crossed lovers? That's a pity!

"Times are changing and they will be more accepting of you," she looked at him and said with a smile. "There are choices now like adoption and surrogacy."

"What?" his face twisted and she bowed her head.

"Nothing."

As they walked through the hallways leading to the room Patrick was in, Jeremy observed her face. Her complexion has improved a lot from when she exited the restroom. He couldn't accept the fact that Mikhail is the reason.

And she even said something weird about acceptance. And what else... Adoption? Adopt what? And surrogacy? What the hell is surrogacy?

What was that about? Ugh! She went silent again... How I wish I could look inside that pretty head of hers to know what she thinks!