Ten days ago.

Washing her hands in the bathroom sink, Alison heard her phone ringing. Quickly drying her hands with a towel, she walked out of the bathroom.

Her brows furrowed as she glanced at the unfamiliar number on the screen. “Who could this be?” she muttered to herself before answering the call.

“Hello, who’s this?” she asked cautiously.

“Hi, this is Kelvin. I’m calling to help you out,” the voice on the other end replied with confidence.

Alison frowned, pulling the phone slightly away as if inspecting the number might reveal more about the caller.

“Excuse me? I don’t recall asking for help, especially not from Kelvin. I think you’ve got the wrong number,” she said tersely, irritation creeping into her voice.

Kelvin’s response was calm but deliberate. “Haven’t you ever wished for Alena to be out of the way? She’s always been your obstacle. I can make that happen.” He paused briefly before adding, “What do you say? Or don’t you want my help?”

Alison’s grip on the phone tightened. “Who are you?” she demanded.

“I’m Kelvin,” he said simply.

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “How do you know about this? What exactly do you want?”

Kelvin’s laugh was soft but unsettling. “You’re smart to ask. Let’s just say I’m here to offer a solution. If you’re ready, let me know, and I’ll send you an address.” His tone turned firm. “Think it over.” With that, the line went dead.

Alison stared at the phone in disbelief. “What just happened? Who does he think he is?” she muttered, her mind racing. Then, almost against her will, a thought crept in: Wait, is he serious? Could he really help?

*************************************************************************************************************************************

A day later.

As Alison closed the living room door behind her, she turned abruptly and bumped into Alena.

“Oh my—watch where you’re going!” Alison exclaimed, glaring at her.

Alena stepped back, raising a hand in mock apology. “I’m sorry, I was in a hurry. Didn’t see you there.”

Alison scoffed under her breath. “What are you doing here? It’s strange to see you around.”

Alena’s lips curled into a smirk. “What? I can’t visit anymore? Are you upset about that?”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“Not upset, just surprised,” Alison replied, folding her arms. “It’s been a while since you’ve shown up, and I can’t help but wonder if you’re up to one of your schemes.”

Alena gasped theatrically. “Schemes? Really? You could just say you missed me.” She tilted her head, her tone playful. “Did you miss me, Alison?”

Alison’s jaw tightened as she struggled to keep her composure. Miss you? More like miss having peace.

“By the way,” Alena said, her tone shifting to curiosity. “Have you heard from Alicia lately? You two are pretty close, aren’t you?” She said, placing her hand on Alison's shoulder.

Alison brushed Alena’s hand off her shoulder as though it were dirt. “If you’re curious, why don’t you call her yourself?”

“Oh no, I’m not that curious,” Alena replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I just couldn’t help but wonder what you’re plotting with her. You’ve always been good at pretending to love people you hate. Poor Alicia.” She clicked her tongue mockingly.

Alison’s eyes narrowed.

Alena’s smirk deepened. “Here’s some free advice, Alison."

Here she comes again, Alison sneered. Advice? Seriously?

Alena went on, "Stop pretending. It’s better to show your hatred outright than hide behind a mask of fake affection. People like you are more dangerous than wild animals.” She gave Alison a patronizing pat on the shoulder before walking away.

Alison watched her go, her fists clenching at her sides. Is she implying she's better than me? Who does she think she is?

*************************************************************************************************************************************

Later that night, Alison drove her black Rolls Royce into the compound of an abandoned warehouse. She parked, took a deep breath, and dialled a number on her phone. Minutes later, a tall man in a black suit and sunglasses emerged from the shadows, walking confidently toward her car.

He opened the passenger door and slid in. “Good evening, ma’am,” he greeted, his tone smooth.

“Hi, uh…” Alison faltered, struggling to recall the young man’s name.

“Kelvin,” he offered smoothly.

“Right, Kelvin!” Alison said with a small laugh. “Sorry about that—I completely blanked for a second.”

“Not a problem,” Kelvin replied, glancing at his watch. “But let’s get down to business. I’m a busy man.”

Alison raised an eyebrow at his bluntness but decided to let it slide. “Fine. You said I’d need to pay you. How much?”

“I don’t want money,” Kelvin said, his tone flat.

Alison’s brow furrowed. “Then what do you want?”

Kelvin leaned back, his gaze steady. “I need Mrs White's nude pictures.”

Alison’s eyes widened in shock. “What? Are you insane?”

“You don’t need to worry. They’ll stay with me. It’s just leverage—nothing more,” Kelvin explained, his tone calm but firm.

“Absolutely not!” Alison snapped. “Do you think I’m some kind of fool?”

“Suit yourself,” Kelvin said with a shrug. “But if you want Alena gone, this is the price.”

Alison hesitated, Kelvin’s words echoing in her mind. If you want Alena gone...

“Two days,” Kelvin said, his voice cutting through her thoughts. “That’s all you have.” Without another word, he stepped out of the car and disappeared into the shadows.

Alison sat frozen, her mind racing. Could she really go through with this? What had she gotten herself into?

*************************************************************************************************************************************

Five days later, Alison was working on her laptop when her phone buzzed. She frowned at the unknown number before reluctantly answering.

“Who is this?” she asked.

“Check your handbag,” a woman’s voice replied, cold and flat.

Alison's brow furrowed at the abrupt command, and her heart jolted. She rushed to her bag, unzipped it, and found a white envelope. Opening it, she gasped. Inside were hard copies of Mrs White’s nude pictures. Her hands trembled as she stared at them, her mind reeling.

“How did you get these?” she demanded, her voice shaky. “What do you want?”

The woman’s laugh sent chills down Alison’s spine. “Oh, you’ll find out soon enough. You owe me now.”

“Who are you?” Alison shouted, but the call had already ended. She dialled Kelvin’s number frantically, but it was unreachable.

“No, no, no!” Alison cried, sinking to the floor as panic consumed her. What had she done?