Before Tanya could respond, Tiffany had pulled her out of the room.
When they passed by the front desk, the woman who had been cracking nuts asked, “So, you’re won’t be staying then?”
Tanya nodded. “Sorry, I won’t be staying here!”
“Why on earth are you greeting someone like that?” Tiffany grumbled softly, “Do you have any idea what kind of place this is? My god, this isn’t a motel. This is a place for pimps and prostitutes. You’re like fresh meat in the den of a pack of hungry wolves! Who knows what might happen if we didn’t find you today?”
Tanya shuddered in fear. “Are you serious? I didn’t know…”
Eric threw her luggage into the car. “You’re seriously naive. Let me tell you this; just because you’re nice to people, it doesn’t mean that they’ll reciprocate it. Some people will take you for granted no matter how nice you are to them. You have to be more assertive and learn to stand up for yourself. Being overly kind won’t do you any good.”
Tiffany’s phone suddenly rang at this moment. She quickly answered it. “Hello?”
Jackson’s worried voice could be heard at the end of the line. “Where are you? There’s no one at home. I just got home from work.”
Tiffany paused for two seconds before saying, “I’m out. I have some matters to attend to. I’ll be home soon.” She had assumed Jackson would be home late tonight. After all, it had become part of his regular schedule. He no longer had lunch with her and only came home late at night.
Jackson, who was unaware of Tiffany’s thoughts, reminded her to be careful before ending the call.
Tanya felt very apologetic. “You should go home, Tiffany. I’ve messed with your schedule.”
Tanya smiled. “It doesn’t hurt. Thank you.”
Her smile was so pure that it looked angelic. How could there be people so wicked that they could bully someone so kind? He said through clenched teeth, “You’re staying with me from now on. No moving out. I’ll deal with the issues at work. If anyone takes advantage of you, tell me about it. Don’t keep it all to yourself. Understand?”
His tone was commanding, and she instinctively nodded. “Yes…”
...
Tiffany received pictures and information from the private detective on her way home. The woman with Jackson was not as simple as she seemed. Not only was the woman better looking than her, but she was better educated as well. The woman spent much of her time abroad, studying arts. Her name was Bernadette Legrand, and she was a well-known artist with an established reputation. The only advantage she had over this Bernadette was her youth. Bernadette was 29 years old, much older than her.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Dangerous Love: You Are My One and Only Bride