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“Eddie, I have a couple of requests, Talia said.
“What requests?” asked Eddie.
“Now that I’m married to Clifford, I’ll take good care of him. But from now on, only men will take care of Clifford other than me. Also, no one can barge into our room without my permission. If someone misbehaves, I’ll give them a piece of mind.”
These two requests were reasonable, so Eddie agreed. “Kyla, follow her orders.”
“Sure. Mr. Snyder, Kyla said as she left to do her business.
my
Talia smiled at Ramona before leaving. “Ramona, I can take care of Clifford now. Why don’t you focus on your business?”
After Talia left, Ramona was furious. “Mr. Snyder, I massaged Clifford for his own good. Look at her, she just got married. and she’s showing off. She has no respect for you. If you let her continue like this, I’m afraid the Snyder family will be all hers in the future.”
Eddie gave Ramona a grim look. You don’t get a say in my family stuff. Just remember, Talia is Clifford’s wife, and you better start treating her right,” Eddie snapped at her.
Even though Eddie was getting on in years, he wasn’t blind to the game Ramona was playing
Ramona was totally shaken up after Eddie called her out like that. She had never seen this side of him before, and it was only Talia’s first day in the house.
Ramona was left wondering what was going to happen to her next.
Today was a total mess–up on her part. Ramona was so caught up in kicking Talia out that she completely botched it. Not only did she not manage to get Talia out of the picture, but she also missed out on the chance to give Clifford a massage.
Ramona, in a moment of exasperation, slapped herself right in front of Eddie.
I’m so sorry. Mr. Snyder. I’ve been a bundle of nerves over Clifford’s health issues. It just threw me off, and I ended up saying stuff I shouldn’t have. It’s totally on me, Mr. Snyder. I guess you’ll have to punish me, she said.
Eddie, with years of experience under his belt, saw right through Ramona’s act. “Your parents sent you our way, so school would be a breeze for you. Clifford’s not your concern anymore Just focus on your studies and ace them,” he advised.
Ramona was not thrilled, but facing Eddie’s stern look, she cavec “Okay, Mr. Snyder.”
Stepping outside, Ramona let her frustration out by booting a planter.
“This is so annoying! Missing out on taking care of Clifford and now being shipped back to school feels like a major bummer. But with Talia now on Clifford duty, I can cause some rouble for her. Let’s see how this plays out!‘ she pondered, plotting her next move.
Inside the house, the conversation took a turn. “Mr. Snyder, Ramona just went outside and knocked over the flower pot,” Hanley reported.
Eddie, while running his fingers through his beard, pondered for a moment. “In a couple of years, Ramona will be done with college, and then, nothing’s keeping her here.”
“That’s right. But Ramona genuinely loves Mr. Clifford Snyder. Some things just aren’t meant to work out,” said Hanley. Eddie scoffed, “What’s love in the face of benefits? Greed’s more like it.
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Hanley suddenly remembered Talia. They said Mrs. Snyder cutoff all ties with the Blakes on her wedding day. All over the engagement gift. What’s with people these days?”
Eddie glanced back with a meaningful look. “Keep an eye on Tal
“Yes, Mr. Snyder”
At eleven o’clock, after an exhausting day, Talia was finally hitting the sack when her phone buzzed.
It was Erasmus on the line. I heard you cut ties with Dad because of the whole Snyder family engagement gift drama. Is that the real deal?”
Talia knew the Blake family wouldn’t just let it slide, but hearing it from Erasmus still stung a bit.
When she was little, her brothers loved her. She missed them from time to time during the days of suffering on Evil Island. Not only once did she fantasize that her brothers would be there to save her.
But after she survived all the pain and became strong enough to escape on her own, what she came face to face with were her brothers pampering Sandra and giving her the cold shoulder
“Is this why you rang me up?”
“Seriously, is it true?”
You’ve got t
the answer already, so why ask?”
Talia, Dad’s ticked off at you and has been hitting the bottle har. If you’ve got a shred of guilt, you should probably apologize to him.”
First, it was sacrificing her for Sandra, pushing her into a marriage with the Snyders, now all that drinking–it wasn’t even about her, just drowning sorrows over lost cash.
“I’m not feeling guilty,” she said and hung up, not giving Erasmus the floor again. He tried calling back, but Talia blocked him right away. She was done handing out money to them.
Maybe it was the contrast with the Blake folks or just the sight of Clifford out cold next to her, but she was warming up to him more. She planted a sweet kiss on his check. “Night”
She had said good night, but she couldn’t sleep with her eyes closed with the thought of a tall, handsome man lying next to her.
So she opened her eyes, and in the dim light of the bedside lamp, she watched Clifford’s face closely. He was sleeping peacefully and breathing evenly, not at all like a patient.
She had undressed him earlier and massaged him, and he hadn’t woken up. It was impossible to believe that he was faking it.
It was so boring, with long nights and nothing to do. “Do you think Rolf will be angry with me if I never pay him back? Even if he’s not angry, he shouldn’t eat well or sleep well. In his heart, may not be worth three million dollars, or maybe not even 3,000 dollars.
A glimmer of darkness flashed in her eyes. She shook her head to keep from thinking about the unworthy. She looked at Clifford, but he was a vegetable and wouldn’t even comfort her or move.
She told herself there would always be a way if she kept holding on
The next second, Talia pulled Clifford’s arm away from her and then leaned back. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but her curiosity was stirring.
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Shamelessly, she slipped her hand into his pajamas and rubbed her hand back and forth over his abs just to lull herself to sleep. “Good night”
Early the next morning, Kyla came and reported. “Mrs. Snyder, Mr. Blake is already in the living room waiting for you.”
“Okay,” said Talia
Rolf’s mind without asking. She didn’t rush, taking her sweet time–about an hour-
Talia pretty much knew what was on F before heading down to meet him.
The second he spotted Talia, Rolf looked seriously annoyed “What’s going on? I’ve been here waiting for over an hour,” he snapped.
Rolf lost his patience after just one hour, but Talia waited for him for 15 years without a peep. Choosing not to get into a pointless spat, she turned to walk away.
But Rolf wasn’t having any of it. “Don’t you dare walk away! Is this how you treat your dad?”
