Virtuous Tears

Nerfetiti stood in front of this man, she was scared all she remembered was being bundled up and thrown into the back of a car , she and her 10 year old brother Rob who was standing beside her now.

He has been staring at them not saying a word since they were brought in and none of them could bring themselves to say anything to him.

Nerfetiti peeked at him for the umpteenth time, he had a dark aura around him which breathed fear, but that only highlighted his sinful eyes ,he looked like he just walked out of a painting.

From what her step father had described of him,Nerfetiti didn’t imagine that he would be this young;

“your step father is dead along side his mistress" His voice kicked her out of her thoughts as her gaze fluttered and she swallowed;

Her eyes traced his hand as they drummed on the table slowly as though he was counting every drum of his fingers.

“Do you want to know why ?”he asked as he adjusted his position on the chair,supporting his head with his hand as he stared at them intently.

But she knew already that her step father worked for this man before he died,she didn’t know what exactly happened that her step father owed him money and he had squandered the money on gambling and now he was dead,leaving both her and her brother to his accrued debts;

Nerfetiti bit her lower lip “We will pay back the money, just don't harm us and Please give us more time" She spoke for the first time since they entered the room;

“I never said anything about being patient..” His voice was mocking as he stared at them wickedly;Nerfetiti took in a sharp breath.

This man owned a multi-billion dollar company,surely what her father owed him was nothing to him,

“We... we don’t have the money now,”she looked at him with pain in her eyes, how did he expect them to get that amount when he knew they didn’t have it? Was he that cruel?

Rodriguez stared at the women in front of him and the only feeling coursing through him was anger. He gritted his teeth as he tried to appear calm, he could have forgiven anything but not what their step father did to him.

No...that man betrayed him to his enemies, he would never forgive that.They would surely pay for what he had done.

“Then you have to pay some other way.” he said staring deeply into Nerfetiti's brown orbs

Nerfetiti felt Rob’s eyes turn to her, fear glashing through his eyes,what other way were they going to pay him?

Rob’s hands shook on his sides as he turned to look at Rodriguez who stared at them quietly letting them drown in the fear of what was going to befall them and then after what looked like hours he spoke;

“One of you would have to stay here with me either you as my mistress" he said pointing his fingers towards Nerfetiti "or your brother as my slave"

Nerfetiti’s lips fell open and she gazed at him with shock, she couldn’t believe what she just heard;

Why was he this heartless? Her brother was just ten of what use could he be to him and he wanted her to be his mistress for just a sum of money when he was obviously bigger than that? How could someone be this heartless and cruel?

“We would pay back the money,please..we just need time...I promise...” she resulted back to pleading with him

“If you can pay me now then fine,if you can’t then one of you should prepare to be mine for One year.”He replied half-heartedly unfazed by the pain on their faces.

Rob turned to her sister in fear,she didn’t want her brother to stay with him,no,anyone who was capable of doing this was a beast in the flesh she thinned her lips as she imagined the hell that would befall her if he chose her

Nerfetiti’s head fell as tears gathered up her eyes,it seemed he had made up his mind.

She didn’t know what her father did so wrong for him to be this wicked towards them or maybe he was just a wicked and heartless soul? Maybe he just lacked humanity?

She raised her eyes to him as she swallowed bitterly;

“Who do you choose?”

Those were the only words that could leave her lips at that moment.They didn’t have fifty thousand dollars and there was no-one to run to for help.They were orphans, their mother died when she was ten and Rob two years of age and since then they had only their step father who had made her do a few menial jobs to send them to school, it was a few years ago that he began working for this man,and he had died with his concubine after a recent gamble which didn’t turn out good and now they were left with not only this debt but a huge lot of other debts he had accrued.

A painful smile slanted her lips as she blinked trying to pull herself together.The last thing she wanted to do now was to cry,she didn’t want to give this man the satisfaction of seeing her in pain.

Rodriguez stared at the duo in front of him; they both were useful to him but one was of more benefit to him at this moment.

A small smirk slanted his lips as he shifted his gaze to the frail-looking boy “I want him..”

Nerfetiti’s eyes widened as she traced the man’s eyes to her brother,Rob and just that moment Rob fell to his knees, light pants leaving his lips.

She was done for, all their dreams, his life ,this was the end?

He was going to spend One year with a man who she wasn’t sure would let him live?

One year with a total stranger,One year trying not to die while living in hell?

No,no,she couldn’t do it...

Why didn’t he choose Nerfetiti? She was standing right here! She was of more benefit as a mistress than her young brother, why didn’t he choose her?

Rob turned to Nerfetiti with tears in her eyes;

“Nerfetiti please, I don’t want to stay with him, Please...help me...” he begged, tears falling from his eyes;

Nerfetiti was the stronger of them both, if anyone should go,it should be her.

Nerfetiti shut her eyes as she listened to her brothers cries, she couldn’t let her brother do this,she was the eldest ,she needed to protect him.

“Please,take me instead.”Her head fell as she pleaded,the tears she had been trying to hold in forcing its way through her lids.

Rodriguez scoffed;”I sure wasn’t stammering when I chose him,”

“Please,I beg you,take me instead,I’ll do anything you want, just let my brother go. Please...”

Only pain clouded her heart as she pleaded with him;as long as she could protect her brother,she was fine.she would do anything;

Rodriguez watched them for a moment and finally he spoke; “You can only save your brother on one condition"

Nerfetiti lifted her head to him and her eyes stared at him with a mix of pain and hope; “no matter what happens, you wouldn’t run away in these One year, if you give up or you run away or you go against our agreement in any way,I’ll have no choice but to take your brother too and make him watch as I kill you”

Nerfetiti blinked painfully as she stared at the man who had a contented smile on his lips, she wondered how one’s pain would give jim so much joy?

Those were his terms and even when she kew she was about walking into her possible hell doom ,she couldn’t help but nod;

“Okay,I accept your terms.”