Shattered Lives (The Shattered Series Book 1)

by Marilyn Williams

  For the next two weeks, she came to his office every evening. They had their thirty minutes of fun and she would leave. Tim looked forward to every visit, he couldn’t wait to put her talents to great use. At one point his assistant became suspicious after she noticed Ramona would come at the same time daily. He’d told her he was helping her with a confidential fraud case. He wasn’t sure if she believed him, but it put a halt to her questions. The third week Ramona mentioned she’d heard Dan Overton named two people to head up the acquisition center, and Tami Hamilton was one name that was thrown around as a possibility. She’d asked Tim to make it possible for her to meet Tami, he had asked her why but she wouldn’t divulge any information. Next, Ramona asked if he was invited to Dan’s party when Tim said yes, she invited herself along. He’d wanted to tell her no but, he did not want to give up their evening sessions. So, he didn’t see the harm in bringing her along.

  “It’s time I show you something,” said Ramona, as she pulled out her cell phone. “I want you to watch a video, it’s quite interesting.”

  “What video?”

  “Patience, Tim. It’s worth the wait.”

  A few moments later she showed him an explicit video of the two in his office.

  “How did you....?” he asked, becoming flustered.

  “Don’t concern yourself with the how, when and why. The bottom line is I will use it if I don't get what I want. You know it’s in your best interest to keep it hidden because of what happened before.”

  “What do you mean what happened before?” he asked.

  “Let's not play games, Tim,” said Ramona who seemingly loved having the upper hand. “You know what happened at your last job— the lawsuit— your assistant — sexual harassment, does that ring any bells?”

  Tim swallowed hard as panic set in. He grabbed Ramona by the arm and dragged her to a more secluded area. “You tell me who you’ve been talking to! No one has access to that information!”

  Ramona yanked her arm out of his grasp. “Nothing is hidden for long if you talk to the right person, and now I have this goldmine in my pocket you will do as I say.”

  “You little bitch! This was a setup from the beginning!”

  Ramona did not verbally confirm anything but, the satisfied smirk on her face said it all. “Your history of sexual harassment and this video can end your career. But, if you get me a position working for or near Tami, it will never see the light of day.”

  No longer in a social mood, Tim left the party and drove home. It infuriated him that a whore had the audacity to blackmail him. One he underestimated, and that was his fault. Now that his blinders were off he had to figure out who she spoke with. Who told her about the lawsuit? There’s only one person who knows, and that is his attorney, Gordon Bishop. He was the person who buried everything. There was a sexual harassment suit brought against Tim years ago. But, he prevented a trial by offering the girl a settlement and she accepted. The last update Gordon gave him, was that the girl moved to another state. Tim never expected this to come back to haunt him. The moment he arrived home he immediately called Gordon.

  “Gordon Bishop.”

  “Gordon...this is Tim.”

  “Do you realize it’s two in the morning?”

  “Sorry, but I wouldn’t call if it wasn’t important. Did you speak with a woman named Ramona Vasquez?”

  “Never heard of her.”

  “Are you sure? Maybe she spoke with one of your assistants.”

  “Yes, I'm sure. What's this about?”

  “She knows about the lawsuit, Gordon.”

  “What lawsuit?”

  “Gordon! I need you to focus. She knows about the sexual harassment lawsuit.”

  “That's impossible, I made sure not to leave a paper trail.”

  “Well, she knows, and she's threatening me with it! Damn it!” yelled Tim.

  “Calm down, Tim. I don’t know what this person thinks she knows, but she didn’t get it from any of my people.”

  “Could it be possible she contacted the girl?”

  “Why would she talk? She received plenty of money to keep her mouth shut,” said Gordon.

  “We need to find out who opened their mouth, but first, I would like you to dig into Ramona’s background, see if there's anything useful.”

  “Will do.”

  “Thanks, Gordon, let me know when you find something.”

  Tim was confident that Gordon would handle this as discreetly as possible, he trusted him more than any other person. They have known each other since grade school. Best friends then and still are. Gordon was always willing to do things that put him right at the edge of compromising his law license. He was always careful not to cross the line. In return, he was well compensated. As for Ramona, he had no other choice but to play her game for now, but eventually, the tables will turn.

  ◆◆◆

  The next day Ramona called Tim to make sure he understood she was not playing games with him. To drive the point home, she asked him to meet her at their usual place.

  Ramona arrived at Ronnie's, a hole in the wall she frequent from time to time. When she entered Tim was nowhere in sight. The place was practically empty as usual. That’s what made it the perfect place to have a secret meeting. Each time they met, she can tell he hated it. He wore his discomfort on his face, but she didn't care. He promised her something and she will make damn sure he delivered. She sat at an empty table in a dim corner, impatiently watching the door for his arrival. As she looked around the room, she saw a couple shooting pool, a man at a table across the room using his laptop, and someone passed out at the bar. Growing more impatient by the minute, Ramona flirted with the bartender to pass the time.

  “Hey, you got the time?” she asked the dark-haired

  bartender. He looked like he was barely legal to drink, let alone work in a bar. He briefly looked in her direction then continued to wipe down the bar with a dirty towel.

  “I asked you a question,” she said, placing her hands on her hips. The bartender placed the towel to the side and gave her body a once-over. Got ‘em! Ramona mumbled to herself. She learned at an early age how to use her body to get a man’s attention.

  “It's 12:05,” he replied with his eyes fixated on her C cup breasts she squeezed into a tight pink tank top.

  “What about giving a girl a free beer? I need to cool off,” she said.

  “I could but only if you agree to go out with me,” he replied.

  Ramona licked her lips contemplating should she indulge in her fantasy, a quickie in the back seat of her car. She thought he was cute in a boy band type of way. But, before she could give him an answer to his request, Tim walked through the door. She motioned him towards the table in the dim corner.

  “You're late,” she said flatly.

  “Why did you summon me to this dump again?” he asked.

  “We need to talk about last night.”

  “I think you made yourself perfectly clear. No need to rehash it all.”

  “I’m glad we understand one another. I hope you don’t think I’m taking pleasure in forcing your hand. Because I’m not,” said Ramona gently placing her hand on top of his.

  Tim quickly moved his hand away. “I said I will get you a position, but not working with Tami. Maybe the mail room or call center.”

  “The mail room! That’s not what we discuss!” she said

  raising her voice, catching the attention of the couple playing pool.

  “Lower your voice,” he requested bringing his own voice down a few decibels. “Why do you want to work with Tami, anyhow?”

  “That’s none of your business.”

  “I don’t know what you expect me to do. I can’t ask her to hire you.”

  “I guess you’ve forgotten that I have the upper hand.”

  “Are we done?” Tim asked rising from his chair. “I have somewhere I need to be.”

  “Yeah, we’re done. Oh, one more thing, whatever we had between us that’s over. I can
’t have a sexual relationship with the person I’m blackmailing. I hope you understand,” said Ramona.

  She loved making the noose around Tim’s neck tighter. One way or another, she will get her a job that puts her in Tami’s proximity. Once that happens, she can move on to making Tami pay for destroying her life.

  After leaving the bar, Ramona sat in traffic for what seemed like forever. She was on her way to the west side of town where bumper to bumper traffic wasn’t a stranger, particularly on the weekend. Once she reached her destination, she parked her silver 2005 Toyota Camry across the street from the two-story brick home. It was definitely a standout in the ritzy neighborhood. Some cars would slow down and look her way as they passed. She ignored them and continued her surveillance on the home. There was a black car in the driveway and another one she didn't recognize, a white BMW. She has watched Tami for the past few weeks. Every night, after the neighborhood snoops were asleep, Ramona would drive to Tami’s home and sit. She would stay as long as she needed to observe the habits of both Tami and her husband.

  It’s because she knew their habits that allowed her to enter their home several weeks ago. That night Ramona had arrived as Tami was leaving. By the way she was dressed, Ramona had assumed she would be out for hours. For a brief moment she thought about tailing her, however that day she had another idea. Ramona had waited until after Tami had driven off to run up to the glass front door to peek inside. She’d wanted an up-close view of her home. Peeking through the glass made her feel like the child who always wondered how the other half lived. She strolled around to the back of the house, admiring the backyard along the way. The yard was large and set for entertaining. There was an outdoor kitchen, gas grill encased in stone, and a full-sized bar. Beautiful plush outdoor seating that overlooked the pool. Ramona had placed her hand on the knob of the back patio door expecting it to be locked, to her surprise it turned all the way allowing her to enter. She paused before entering, listening for a security alarm. Not hearing anything Ramona took a step inside and searched for the alarm keypad to double check it was disarmed. She found it on a wall next to the front entrance. Ramona walked around the home admiring the high architectural ceilings and the beautiful abstract paintings on the walls. She crept up the staircase and enter the first room on the right. It was the master bedroom. She sat on the wooden four post king size bed and opened the drawers on the nightstand beside the bed. Nothing interesting, only papers and opened mail. She was about to leave but got a glimpse of shoe boxes on the bathroom floor to her right. She entered the bathroom and immediately admired the array of perfume bottles on the counter. She picked up a delicate oval shaped glass bottle and held it to her nose. A sweet floral scent filled the room as she sprayed it into the air. Ramona sprayed two pumps of perfume on her wrist before placing it back on the counter. Next, she entered the walk-in closet behind her and placed her hand on the wall near the door, moving it up and down until she found the light switch. Once the lights were on, it revealed a designer heaven. There were handbags from Chanel to Louis Vuitton, shoes arranged by color and then by style, dresses on one side, jeans on another. Ramona looked through the row of black dresses. Taking them one by one placing each against her body while imagining herself wearing it. But it was one red dress off to the side that caught her eye. She picked it up, examined it from all angles. It was a body-con dress with the back out. It was a basic design, but she fell in love with it. The tag on the inside said size four, Not quite my size but I can make it work, she thought. With so many clothes in Tami’s closet, one dress wouldn’t be missed. She hurried out of the bedroom with the dress in hand, and closed the door behind her. As she approached the stairs, Ramona believed she heard a noise coming from the lower level of the home. She ran downstairs, quickly realizing it was noise from outside. As she walked towards the back door, she turned around to do one last thing. Ramona pressed the armed button on the alarm keypad, ran out the back door leaving it slightly ajar. Let's give Miss High and Mighty a scare. She ran to her car and drove off.

  Now, as Ramona sat and watched her again, she’s ready to put the next phase of her plan into motion.

  ◆◆◆

  Ramona Vasquez grew up never knowing her father and abandoned by her mother. When she was four years old, her mother drove from Tampa, Florida to Houston, Texas to leave Ramona with her grandmother, Ana Vasquez. Unbeknownst to Ramona, she would never see her mother again.

  At a young age, she realized her mother’s dependence on drugs. Leaving her alone for days without food, or with one of her random friends for weeks. Early one winter morning, her mother woke her as she frantically ran around the room throwing clothes in a suitcase. She grabbed Ramona, put her in a borrowed car and drove to Texas, only to leave her on her grandmother’s doorstep.

  Ramona’s parents never married, and they never lived together as a family. Her grandmother told her that her father kept up with her well-being from a distance. He would send monthly checks for Ramona’s care. When she turned fourteen, she had become rebellious. She dated a well-known drug dealer, hung with the wrong crowd, and sneaked out at night, not returning for days. When she finally returned home, she refused to answer questions about who she was with or where she's been. Ana realized Ramona was angry at the world because she often told her she hated her parents for disappearing out of her life.

  Ana passed away on Ramona’s fifteenth birthday, fearing she would be placed in foster care, she ran away and moved in with her boyfriend. While living there, she developed a new hobby, shoplifting. She started small, only stealing small items like makeup from the drugstore or clothing from a department store. She would get caught and end up doing community service. One night her friends convinced her to go out with them to break into homes in a wealthy neighborhood across town. At first, Ramona declined but her friends convinced her she would only drive them there and wait. That was a bad idea, the house they chose was a retired police officer. She sat in the car while three of her male friends entered the home. They ran right into an armed homeowner with a shotgun. Ramona immediately put the car in drive when she saw her friends run from the house. All three jumped into the car and she sped off. Ten minutes later two police cars chased them. Instead of Ramona pulling over, she had the police chase her until she crashed the car. No one was hurt but they arrested all four. After appearing several times in front of the same judge, this last instance landed her time in juvenile detention. Behind bars was when she first met her father. He apologized for being absent from her life and it wasn’t until recently he realized how wrong it was for him to stay away. She forgave him because having her father in life was more important than holding a grudge. Her father continued to visit every week as each week passed they grew closer. He told her when she gets out, he would like for her to live with him. He wanted the chance to be a better father. They only had each other, and she did not want to let him down. She agreed and couldn’t wait to turn her life around.

  Ramona’s release date was nearly approaching, she's been excited for weeks and could not wait to be with her father. She planned to get her GED and a job right away. She was not interested in connecting with anyone from her old set of friends. Her goal was to stay on the straight and narrow. The day before her release, Ramona called her father to remind him of the time to pick her up. He told her he would be there. Detecting something strange in his voice, she asked him if everything was okay. He replied he was fine and in the middle of an important meeting, he would see her the next day. The morning of what was the start of her new beginning, she received a visitor that would deliver news that would forever change her life.

  CHAPTER THREE

  “Josh, come here, I want you to see something,” said Tami, as she peeked through the wooden blinds in the study. Josh entered a few moments later holding a turkey sandwich in his hand. “Are you spying on our neighbors again?” he asked, wiping a drop of mayo from his upper lip.

  “No, and I don't spy. Seriously, I think someone is watching
us.” She motioned him towards the window. “Do you see that car across the street? It's been there for a while.”

  Josh lifted a slat of the blinds with his finger. “Are you talking about that silver car?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Babe, no one is watching us. That person could be lost, waiting for someone, or has pulled over to use their phone. I think you are still feeling a slight paranoid after the break-in. So, any little thing will be odd to you.”

  “I guess you’re right. I do feel a tad paranoid,” agreed Tami.

  “Do you want to watch a movie? Or we can play a card game. Anything to take your mind off things.”

  “I need to get out of the house. Let’s go furniture shopping for the guest bedroom.”

  “Shopping?” winced Josh, “That doesn't sound fun at all. Why do we need new furniture, anyway?”

  “You know my mom is coming for a visit soon and I want to replace the bed we have in there.”

  “I’ll grab my keys.”

  Josh and Tami spent the rest of the day going from store to store as she searched for the perfect bed. Unfortunately, she never found it. After the fifth store, they called it a day. On the way home, Tami thought it was time to tell Josh about her promotion. “I have news, but I don't know if you’ll like it,” she blurted.

  “Should I be worried?”

  “No, it's good news.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “I received a major promotion at work.”

  “So, it’s official you’re the new Division Manager! That's great!”

  “Well, not quite. I was promoted to Vice President of our new downtown location.”

  “VP, that's impressive. Congratulations, babe, I’m excited for you.”