**Revenge for Mum**
*”Your daughters with us. Bring 10 million pounds, and she lives. Ill send the meet-up details later,”* said a heavily distorted male voice.
*”You try setting terms with me!”* Michael snapped, but the caller had already hung up.
Michael was known as a meticulous, cautious, and ruthless man. The only exceptions were his beloved wife, Charlotte, and their adored daughter, Emilythough even they didnt always get the soft treatment. The slightest defiance, and hed remind them:
*”Im the head of this house! I pay for everything!”*
And it was true. Hed bought their house in a gated estate, Charlotte only worked to show off her dresses, and Emily drove to uni in a brand-new carall thanks to him. But sometimes, his family forgot that.
He had to *”lay down the law”* again when he found out Emily was dating a promising violinist named Sebastian.
*”Hes not good enough for you! Youre not seeing him again!”* Michael barked. *”What kind of man makes a living scraping a violin?”*
And the guy was scrawnyhardly a *proper* man.
*”Im going to marry him! Its my life!”* Emily shot backshed inherited his stubbornness.
*”I raised you, so I decide!”*
*”Im 18, Dad. In case you forgot, Im an adult”*
*”Enough! My house, my rules.”*
Emily stormed off in tears. Charlotte sulked for days, barely speaking to him, but Michael didnt carehed made his point. Besides, he had *real* problems, unlike his daughters tantrums.
His childhood mate, Davehis business partner in their concrete block factorywas stirring trouble again. Theyd *finally* cleared their loans, built a solid team, greased the right palms, and started turning a decent profit. But noDave kept whinging about *expansion*.
Their usual arguments were quick, but this time, Dave dug his heels in. *”If were not moving forward, we split the business,”* hed said. *”I wont rot in this stagnant swamp!”* Classic Daveall ideas, no legwork.
A few weeks later, things seemed calm. Dave dropped his *”innovations,”* Emily stuck to her routine, and no more was heard of *Sebastian*.
Then Michael spotted her arm-in-arm with some bloke.
*”Emily! What the hell are you doing out at night?”* he roared, slamming his car brakes beside them. *”And whos this?”*
In the dim light, it took him a second to recognise the guy. When he did, he scoffed.
*”You downgraded from that violinist to *this*? Throwing a tantrum, eh? Get in the carnow!”*
Emilys date squared his jaw. *”Who gave you the right to talk to people like that? Just because youve got money”*
*”Listen, you little runtI *do* have money, and youre fired,”* Michael cut in, turning to Emily. *”Move it!”*
She threw her date a glance*dont*then slid into the car.
*Thats better.*
And that blokeMichael remembered him nowworked in their factory warehouse. Cheeky sod. No matterhed dealt with worse.
A week later, he saw Emily with *Jake* again. They bolted before he could confront them, but at home, Emily faced a blistering row. To his shock, Charlotte took her side, calling him a *tyrant*.
*”Fine! The doors right there!”* he snarled.
And they leftbags in hand, faces a mix of grief and disgust. *Lets see how long they last without me.*
He *knew* theyd come crawling back. So when Charlotte called a week later, he wasnt surprised.
*”Michael, Emilys gone!”* she gasped. *”Two daysno calls, her phones dead! Sophie and I dont know what to doshould we call the police?”*
Ah. So they were staying with her friend.
*”No police. Get home. *Ill* find her.”*
He had no plan, but *no way* was he involving the authorities.
Thenanother call.
*”Your daughters with us. Bring 10 million pounds, and she lives.”*
*”You”* Michael spat, but the line went dead.
A video link followed. Emilydishevelled, tear-streaked, wrists boundstared silently at the camera.
*Right. Theyre dead.*
But he needed backup. Despite their feud, Dave agreed to help.
*”Shouldnt we call the police?”* Dave hesitated. *”And thats a *lot* of cash”*
*”No. Im handling this. And were keeping the money.”*
At the abandoned factory, Jake stepped out to meet them.
*”You little!”* Michael lunged, but Dave yanked him back. *”We dont know where Emily is!”*
Jake smirked from a ledge. *”Toss the bag there.”* He nodded at a sewer grate.
Michael glared but obeyed.
*”Brilliant,”* Jake said, turning to leave.
*”Think youll get away with this?! Wheres Emily?!”*
*”Shes fine. Shell contact you soonif she *wants* to.”*
Michael gaped at his calm. *”Are you *stupid*? Ill hunt you”*
*”Dont care,”* Jake cut in, jaw tight. *”I did what I had tofor Mum.”*
*”What mum?”*
*”Sarah. She cleaned your house for *seven years*,”* Jakes voice wavered. *”Then she walked in on your wife with another man. Auntie Charlotte sacked her the next daysaid she stole.”*
He swallowed hard.
*”Mum had no proof. Just her word. And you lot? Would *you* have believed her?”*
His fists clenched.
*”She had a bad heartraised me alone, broke her back for your pennies. The day after you fired her, she collapsed in the street. No one helped. Coroner said heart attack.”*
*”And now *youre* going to prison,”* Michael said flatly. *”Howd you even rope Emily into this?”*
Jake wiped his face, smirking. *”She didnt need *roping in*. She planned it with me. Bet shes already moved the money. Youd have to arrest your own daughter.”*
*”What?!”* Michael roared. *”Emily would *never*! Where is she?!”*
*”Shouldve stayed out of her life,”* Jake said, climbing onto a motorbike hidden nearby. *”She loves Seb. *Actually* loves himunlike you.”*
*”You!”*
*”Or ask *Dave* about love,”* Jake called over the engine. *”Hes the one shagging your wife!”*
He sped off, leaving Michael to punch Davewho didnt fight back.
Michael divorced Charlotte, leaving her a measly flat. The business? *No chance.* Hed paid enough for her *betrayal*. She begged him not to report Emilybut he wasnt *that* much of a tyrant.
Emily vanisheddropped out of uni, never faced him. Rumor was, she and Seb moved abroad. Maybe shed return someday.
Maybe.
