by Theo Baxter
"For getting you in this mess in the first place. It was my idea for you to live with your father."
"Don't think like that, Doc. You saved my life." In more ways than I could count "You didn't force me to sleep with Melissa. That was all on me."
It looked like Dr. Blake had something else to say and I beat her to the punch, not liking that she was blaming herself for my mistakes.
"Besides, despite everything, I am glad things turned out the way they did."
It was obvious that my words took her by surprise. "How come?"
"Because all the crap that happened showed me what I'm made of."
Now I knew I could survive almost anything. No matter how many times I fell, I would always find a way to get back up.
She looked at me really long and hard before replying. "You know what? That is a healthy way of looking at things. I'm impressed."
I really appreciated her saying that. "Well, I learned that from you."
A smile returned to her face. "Of course, you did, because I'm a very good psychiatrist."
I smiled in return. "I guess you are. Who knew?" I teased, and we both laughed at that.
After therapy, I went and rented a small locker for storage. I didn't trust Melissa, so I put all the downloaded to disk recordings I had of her there, just in case. I knew that was a bit paranoid of me, especially since I didn't actually have a smoking gun. I was working on it, though.
All the same, better safe than sorry. I knew I could give all the copies to Dr. Blake, but I didn't want to get her involved more than she already was. She was my therapist, after all, and needed to remain professional, to maintain impartiality so she could continue treating me.
I wasn't that surprised to find Melissa waiting for me in my room. At this point, I debated whether I should give it to her because she was already acting as though it was her own. I was speaking of the room, of course. There was nothing else I planned on giving her.
"You're finally back," she cheered, lying on my bed. Note to self. Change the sheets.
"Yeah," I grumbled as I forced a smile.
Maybe I should install the camera again, I thought as a stroke of inspiration. Perhaps that would discourage her from barging in here every time she felt like it. It was kind of ironic that I contemplated something like that since the camera was the symbol of my father's utter oppression. In this case, it could well be my salvation.
"What took you so long? I have been waiting for hours," she whined, stretching, putting her body on display.
I was not impressed. Liar.
"I've been to therapy."
Melissa made a face, and I couldn't understand why, not that I particularly cared. At the same time, if she was unhappy, there was a good chance she would try to make me unhappy as well.
She stood up so she could approach me. I mentally prepared myself for the kiss she gave me.
"I've missed you so much, Dean," she said sweetly. With great knowledge and skill, she started kissing me on the neck, slowly, seductively.
Stay strong, asshole.
"Melissa, I'm really sorry," I said, taking a big step back, “But I have a lot of work."
She huffed, and then something occurred to her. "We'll be quick about it."
"I have a conference call with Steven, my boss, in five minutes," I lied.
"You're never here, and when you are, you always have to work," she complained.
"I'm sorry," I replied lamely. "It's just hectic since I'm still getting used to everything."
"If I didn't know better, I would say you are avoiding me."
That's because I am, you crazy woman. "It's temporary." The excuses sounded hollow even to me.
"Tomorrow then." She looked at me meaningfully.
"I have back-to-back classes all day tomorrow." And that wasn't even a lie.
"The day after that?"
She was getting irritated, and I couldn't help myself. "I have a session with Dr. Blake."
I knew I was probably pushing my luck. I had to see how far she was willing to go. Unfortunately, she’d reached her limit. Melissa completely lost it.
"It's always Dr. Blake. Dr. Blake this. Dr. Blake that. It's not normal," she snapped.
What?
"Are you fucking her?" she accused. "Is that the reason you won't have sex with me?"
I was stunned, to put it mildly. "No, of course, not," I replied instantly. "That's insane."
Melissa glared at me. "So now I'm insane too."
"I didn't say that." Too late realizing the slip of the tongue could cost me everything, this conversation turned from bad to worse in seconds.
"You know what? I don't need this," she announced.
I didn't allow myself hope that this would somehow have a happy ending for me.
"I deserve better from you, or have you forgotten what I can do?"
"Melissa," I started, yet I didn't have the faintest idea how to finish that, not that she gave me a chance.
"If you don't start showing me the respect that I deserve, I will go to Carson and convince him to throw you out of this house," she threatened.
"Melissa, this is completely uncalled for." I tried to calm her down although I felt anything but calm myself in those moments. How dare she threaten me in such a manner?
She was beyond reasoning, as expected. "Better yet," she continued, clearly thinking out loud, raising her voice, "I will make him cut you off, erase you from his will."
My mind exploded. I couldn't believe she'd said that to me. The woman was a pure nightmare.
"You know what? Do what you wish. I'm so fucking tired of you."
I knew I shouldn't have said that. It would only antagonize her further, and at the same time, she'd already shown me all her cards. There was nothing more she could say to me to hurt me. What if she makes good on some of her threats? One was enough to get me screwed.
We'll see about that.
She raised her chin, looking at me with defiance, spite. "Never forget that I have all the power around here!" And with that, she left my room.
I was so stunned I remained standing for quite some time before remembering I could actually sit down. Wow, so that really happened, I thought in disbelief. I couldn't believe my rejection had made her behave in such a manner.
Why was she so obsessed with me, anyway? Not that it really mattered. I simply wanted her to stop. Knowing the reason wouldn't change the fact that she’d so blatantly threatened me. If she were a man, I would definitely have hit her in the face.
It was such a specific yet bizarre threat to make, anyway. I decided that my best course of action would be to avoid her and my father altogether until I figured out how to prevent her from doing anything harmful. Easier said than done.
Melissa's words really bothered me because they had merit. Based on my complicated relationship with my father, she wouldn't have to put much effort into persuading him to kick me out or write me out of his will. The man hated me with a passion.
Part of me was astounded that he hadn't done something like that years ago. Maybe he did and never told me. No, I banished that immediately. I would know if he'd done something like that because he wouldn't miss an opportunity to tell me himself.
Melissa's threat had teeth, and sharp ones at that. I would be a hypocrite if I said I would be fine without my father's money. I was swimming in debt, and without that hypothetical monetary infusion, my struggles to get back on my feet would probably never end.
Although it wasn't all about the money. I would be fine without it if I had to be, but this house held a lot of things, my mother’s possessions. I would hate to lose those because some angry, manipulative bitch held a grudge against me. More to the point, it would be devastating if Melissa got all of my mother's stuff. I couldn't bear that.
All that meant that I had to find some way to ensure none of that happened. I needed to find a way to bring Melissa down, and for good.
Chapter Twenty-Four
I lay awake in my bed, look
ing at the ceiling, thinking of Melissa. From the moment I met her until today, things had really changed multiple times between us. My perception of her evolved with the passing of time as well. She’d really changed her tune in mere days. Her whole attitude shifted once things didn't go her way. I couldn't believe I ever saw anything other than a great manipulator in her.
And you thought she was into you. I was beyond disappointed in myself. She’d only pretended she cared. It was all an act from the beginning. I was merely a tool for her to use. When she mentioned revenge against my father when he beat her really good for the first time, she meant me. Stupid, stupid, asshole.
I let her use me, and willingly so. I couldn't believe I was so blinded by lust again, so trusting and open, only to be used against my father in some sick, twisted way. Part of me found it ironic that I was the tool used against my father. But no matter how much I hated the guy, I couldn't quite enjoy the notion of hurting him. Not like this. And not simply because he would most certainly kill me for sleeping with his wife. That wasn't a man I wanted to be.
I’d always believed that woman would be the death of me, and I was right. She was the devil incarnate, which made sense since she was my father's wife. They belonged together.
I was disgusted with them as a pair, made in heaven or hell, as much as I was disgusted with myself. All that happened, all the consequences that followed my sleeping with her, were on me. She couldn't have used me, manipulated me, if I hadn't let her. Melissa used me as a weapon of revenge to get back at my father, and now she was using my father to punish me for ending things with her.
Oh, the irony.
I was certain that was the root of all problems. Melissa couldn't stand not to be desired anymore, not to be worshiped as a sexual goddess. That's what you get for thinking with your dick, you moron. In life, there were actions and there were consequences.
Unfortunately, my father was right. I was the creator of all my misfortunes. Me, not him. If I’d only kept my distance, none of this would have happened. I wouldn't have to lie awake at night trying to find ways to blackmail my stepmother.
I was such a fuck-up, which in a twisted, ironic kind of way made me the perfect member of this 'family'. There was no doubt that my father was twisted and fucked-up himself, and the same could be said for Melissa.
As it turned out, whatever happened to her in the past left her deeply vulnerable and insecure so she couldn't handle rejection in any form. Not that I was making excuses for her.
She was completely mentally unstable. If she wasn’t, she wouldn't threaten to make my father cut me off for not wanting to sleep with her. I would laugh at this whole ridiculous situation if it weren’t so tragically screwed up.
"You really know how to pick them," I grumbled. Perhaps this time, I would actually learn my lesson and stop doing shit like this.
At this point, turning eunuch would probably be the best course of action. No more sex for you until you learn to behave without causing massive destruction in your life. Maybe that was a bit overdramatic, yet at the same time, it wasn't. When I looked at my track record, the women I had been with, it was one train wreck after the other. Although this time, it could cost me not only my future but my life as well.
When the sun started to rise, I gave up any hope of sleeping. The situation with Melissa was like a boulder hanging over my head on a thread. That thread could snap, and the boulder could squash me at any second, so I really needed to start being more proactive.
I could try blackmailing her, for real this time, yet I was afraid it could backfire, especially if she was still pissed. You can bet your sweet ass she is still pissed. I needed to find some way to show her that mutual destruction wasn't in her best interest.
Of course, having this massive head-fuck, I didn't try to sort everything out on my own. In the past, when I tried something like that, I’d only managed to create an even bigger mess. Lesson learned. I went to seek a professional opinion regarding this crazy person in my life.
Although I didn't have an appointment, I went to see Dr. Blake and tell her about these new developments in my life. Or more accurately put, how Melissa was doing her best to royally screw me over if I didn't resume my relationship with her. Which was something I would never do again. No matter what, I was not going to let that manipulative creature win.
I felt like I should get a sticker or something for managing to complicate my life in so many different ways. That was an accomplishment, a skill.
Dr. Blake was busy, so I waited for her, enjoying my time of peace and quiet. Right. The hospital was a hectic place. Besides, it was even more hectic inside my head with all the delightful thoughts flying about.
It took her about an hour to see me, but I didn't mind. As far as I was concerned, she was doing me a favor. I would gladly wait for her all day, and not simply because I hated being in my father's house but because my talks with her were the only thing keeping me together.
Dr. Blake listened to my updates with intent. As a doctor who worked in one of the busiest hospitals in the city, it was safe to assume there wasn't much that could surprise her. I believed I’d managed to do that. Somehow, I couldn't take pride in something like that.
"So, the lack of compliance on your part made her unreasonable behavior escalate and she started threatening you."
If you want to get all clinical. "In a nutshell, yes." I would simply describe it as Melissa finally turning into a psycho bitch. She always was but I’d failed to see it.
"That is good news."
"Doctor, I think you weren't paying attention. She said she would make my father disown me."
She waved her hand. "Can't you see that's a degradation of her threats? Instead of showing your father the sex videos, she would only make you lose your inheritance."
"Only," I grumbled in return. Somehow, I couldn't quite see that as a positive aspect. A threat was a threat. I said as much.
"You're right. But this shows she's not merely acting out of impulse but with cold calculation."
That didn't make me feel better either. "So, Doc, what am I to do now?" Put on my sexy clothes and let her have me. My whole body rebelled against that scenario.
"I suggest a full-body wax and a lot of tequila," she deadpanned, matching my thoughts perfectly.
I almost choked on my own tongue because despite everything, I had to laugh.
I never imagined I would actually be in a position to contemplate something like this. More to the point, I never believed I would be in a position to have to do something like that in the first place. Who gets blackmailed in real life, anyway? Those kinds of things never happen, only in movies and TV shows, right?
Wrong. Art imitates life, after all. My life was such a mess.
Dean Andros, a gigolo. And in this case, I wouldn't even get paid for my services.
Would that make any difference? Of course not. I couldn't, wouldn't do what Melissa asked of me, and that was that, no matter the outcome.
Once we settled and stopped laughing, we continued to speak of options.
"At this point, I don't think leaving the house will make any difference. Melissa doesn't need me around for persuading my father to leave me out of his will."
And then something else occurred to me. Melissa told me one time that she’d signed a prenuptial agreement. What if that was the real reason she was adamant to get rid of me, to get the money? I couldn't rule that out.
"That is a good point." Dr. Blake was glum.
"If I stay, maybe I can persuade her not to go nuclear on me."
"Maybe, yet she wants only one thing from you."
I made a face. "I'll figure something out."
Dr. Blake shook her head. "I can't believe I'm about to say this but for now, you have to remain at your father's house and continue documenting all the incidents with Melissa. I believe that is the only way to bring her down."
I nodded, seeing where this was going. "I could maybe play the recording of Melissa threatening
me to my father."
That was a dangerous game since I couldn't predict what Melissa would do in return. Desperate people were always the most dangerous ones as well.
"I don't like that. Melissa could go ballistic. You need to approach her, settle this with her, without involving your father in any way," Dr. Blake advised.
She was right. The less my father knew, the better. Telling my father everything that was going on, to the tiniest details, could start such a domino effect, a shit storm whose consequences I couldn't even force myself to comprehend.
I felt like this situation with Melissa was a house made of matches, and one wrong move, a spark, like my telling everything to dear old dad, could light the entire thing on fire.
No matter what, I was royally fucked. Which was ironic since that was exactly what I was trying to prevent. I was trying to avoid having sex with Melissa all over again.
It wasn't bad sex. It was terrific, actually, except in this situation, being with her would be absolutely unimaginable.
Maybe I should just give in, spare myself a lot of trouble. I had a moment of doubt.
Sex is sex, right?
No, the other part of me argued. I wouldn't let that gold digger win. Besides, today she asked for sex. Tomorrow it could be something else. That was what blackmail was, an endless list of demands. And I wasn't going to fall into that trap no matter what.
Eventually, I nodded to Dr. Blake. "You're absolutely right, Melissa is the key," I replied, praying like hell that this would not turn into one of my screw-ups.
One could only hope.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Thinking about all this cloak and dagger routine I was forced to participate in, I really started envisioning myself as some kind of spy. Not James Bond, of course. I lacked such swagger or his ability to drink martinis.
In my musings, I went so far as to start wondering if I should maybe buy those small microphones or bugs and have them installed all over the house. That way, I could surveil her twenty-four, seven without missing anything vital. Clearly, I would discover something worth threatening her with that way.