Anna sat in the bus ruminating on everything that had happened. From the rape to the emails. Jason’s plans to kill her and finally she ending Jason. She opened her phone and read the email again.

Dear Anna

                I am a private investigator who was one of your dad’s friends from college. I’ve been watching you, your boyfriend Mr. James Woods and finally Mr. Lawrence Widomski and I think your life is in danger.

I’m not some random person who’s just here to state facts, Aren’t you wondering how your parents died mysteriously and how the murderer wasn’t caught.

How did Mr. Lawrence inherit the company and why did he flee the state immediately?

Why I was keeping an eye on you I got notified on the rape incident. I also have a video tape of it but part of the footage is gone.

Why did your boyfriend rape you? He was wearing the exact clothes the rapist wore. Why did he burn your clothes? The key evidence. How did he know where to find you?

All these may be mere speculations to you but here’s another key statement. Today, your boyfriend will suggest to take you on a hunting trip to Alaska. When you get there he plans to kill you in guise. When this happens I hope it will be a confirmation that what I’m saying is true.

You may wonder how I got to know all this information. Come down to California and let’s work this out.

Gather evidence that they are both trying to kill you for power. Please heed to every word I say and protect your life.

Regards

The reformer

Anna read the email again and again. Beads of tears dropped from her eyes. Mucus gathered in her nose. Her face was beet red and eye bags began to pitch a tent underneath her eyes.

The people she loved all her life. The people she had practically spent most of her life with were the people she should have stayed away from.

But why? Anna constantly asked herself

Jason was an extremely rich heir. Emphasis on extreme. His great, great, grandfather had built a large empire worth billions of dollars. His grandfather had two children. One died leaving the other which was Jason’s mother, Rachael.

Rachael strived to run such a large empire especially since her shares were over 75%. No one was allowed to purchase more than 25% of the shares.

Jason and his father suffered for this. Since she was so busy running the business she struggled to take care of Jason.

She was barely home on weekends, rarely seen at home and was so stressed out that even when she had free time, she had to spend the time working on herself and her mental wellbeing. At a point, Jason forgot the face of his mother.

Jason’s father couldn’t take it anymore and filed for a divorce. He rejected Rachael’s numerous gifts and a part in the company because he didn’t want it to seem like that was the reason he married her.

When Rachael realized that she could lose Jason too she fought legally and spent a lot of money to make sure he’d be kept by her side.

Who would inherit the company if Jason isn’t with her, Jason’s father thought it was very selfish of her but could no longer do anything about it.

However, after the divorce, Rachael decided to make sure she had time for her family regardless of the business or the loses she could make and hired a skilled assistant.

Rachael made sure that Jason was in no way bothered by the numerous wealth in store and made sure he was not reliant on it either. He went to a public school and they lived in an average home donating most of her money to orphanages.

After two years of successfully building a happy home with her son, Larry moved next door and she began to find love again. Sadly, she was diagnosed with stage three brain cancer.

Larry was a very skilled neurosurgeon; one of best in California. He made sure he did everything he could to save her but her cancer was not responding.

The tragic loss of Rachael made Larry leave the field of neurosurgery and he decided to focus his attention on Anna’s family business.

Jason was exactly 18 when his mother passed on so he had to take on the role of the new CEO. His father was reluctant on this because he felt he was too young to take the reins of the company and it would destroy his youthfulness.

However, Jason was so smart that he managed to balance almost everything without putting the business through risk and he made sure that he didn’t let it affect his daily life or sweet moments with Larry and Anna.

Let’s not even talk about Larry. He doesn’t even have a family. His family was wiped out by a massive flood in Pakistan. He has no one.

So why would any of them want to kill her?

Anna heaved a sigh and took out her ear buds for the first time in 6 months. Ever since that night music left her.

The sweet but slowly piercing tune of I’m tired by Labrinth and Zendaya filtered through the air pods. Anna felt that song reflected her inner emotions.

As the bus rode across the highways Anna observed the people that were on the streets or houses or restaurants

Little girls and little boys played across the park like they had no problems in the world. Anna wished she were like them. Having nothing to worry about

The college lovers. Feeling like their lives would be perfect as long as they had each other. Anna wished she could go back to those moments. Moments when Jason would abandon work just to be with her. Take her to places where she could forever feel like she was normal

She gazed at a father and daughter. Their hands clipped together. The feeling of having one to protect you at all costs. That was how Larry secured her. Like a mother eagle watching over her little cub.

What changed?