Secret Lover

Tears and Schemes

Aelita sat in her bedroom with Yumi. She was so happy to not be alone right now. Her father had called their group of lawyers and he was probably going to hire an outside team as well since most of their current lawyers were specialized in securing and negotiating patents for his inventions and protecting his image. They were not criminal lawyers.

"This is all my fault," Aelita said tearfully, "the law suspects my father or some other middle aged man of having some tautry love affair with me," she said angrily, "who was that damn anonymous caller anyway? Why didn't he or she mind their own damn business?"

"I have my suspicions," Yumi said frankly, "I'm not on your side in this whole having an affair with a married man business," she reminded Aelita, "but I'll be damned if I'm leaving you alone to face some deluded fool or crazy guy," she said in reference to Mr. Delmas, "you made your bed but you sure as hell can't lay in it with a man practically ready to kidnap you," she added.

"Trust me, I'll take that over having no one."

"Aelita you need to..."

"Are you nuts?" Aelita demanded, "he told me after that 'trap interview' that if I told anyone he'd make me regret it," she said, "he's so on edge with his wife in the hospital, poor Jean-Bear," she cooed.

"Don't defend him," Yumi hissed, "seriously Miss Love Sick, snap out of it," she ordered.

"I know, I'm sorry," Aelita said and Yumi hugged and comforted her.

"What does his wife have to do with this?" Yumi asked registering something.

Aelita sighed. "There's...talk that he might've caused her stroke."

"What?" Yumi sputtered.

"Yumi I'm scared," Aelita said clutching her friend, "he has recordings of me, photos, he can do anything," she revealed, "my family could be ruined!" she cried, "all my father's work to be known as the guy who raised a smart skank," she whimpered, "no wonder Jeremie hates me," she added.

Yumi sighed. She knew by choosing to go with Aelita that she'd be isolating Jeremie. But Yumi knew who needed her more. A broken heart can't be trumped by a creepy old guy stalking her friend. Now she had to make Aelita see that reporting Mr. Delmas was worth the risk. No way was she doing the sneaky thing and sending an anonymous tip. Plus the idea that Mr. Delmas had been their headmaster now made her skin crawl.

Herve lay in bed resting. Visiting hours were nearly over but he was expecting a female visitor. His plan had gone without a hitch so far. He'd gotten Nicolas to leave an anonymous tip using a voice modifier so he couldn't be identified. What Nicolas didn't know was that Herve had worded the tip in such a way that police would not only suspect any middle aged male that Aelita had close contact with. But that they'd look at family members first; especially her father.

This quiet evening will heat up soon enough, Herve thought.

"That little bitch will scream for death by the time I'm done with her," Herve declared, "now it's time to get that teen bully Ulrich."

"What is this about?" a female demanded stepping in, "you said you had information I needed."

"Aunt Harriet," Herve greet her.

"Wow, that kid did a number on you," Aunt Harriet said after coming closer, "and I'm not your aunt," she added coldly.

Herve chuckled. "Maybe that's best; you almost got rid of the last man who upset you. Too bad your sister got in the way."

Aunt Harriet's face lost all colour.

"Didn't take long for me to get suspicious," Herve said, "sudden stroke, needing a medically induced coma," he listed, "then Sissi mentions in passing that her mother had an empty class of homemade juice on her nightstand," he stated, "juice made by you and usually drunk by her husband since your didn't like your juices and Sissi lives on campus," he concluded superiorly.

Aunt Harriet gulped and stepped back. "What do you want from me?"

"A favour, but first," Herve responded, "would you like to know who has been having an affair with your brother in law?" he asked her.

"It doesn't matter now," Aunt Harriet said bitterly, "I made sure he can now do anything he wants, I was such a fool," she said on the verge of tears, "I never thought she'd drink it."

"What if I said the teenage skank came to me after the stroke to find a way into the Delmas residence?" Herve asked.

"Tee...she's a student!" Aunt Harriet cried, "that nasty bastard!"

"Shh, the nurses don't allow loud noises around me," Herve pointed out, "yes she's a student and she wanted to know how our then headmaster was and if she could drop off a gift."

"Didn't she ask to see my sister as a worried student?" Aunt Harriet asked and Herve shook his head, "slut, who is she?"

"Aelita Hopper."

"No...you can't..." Aunt Harriet said in disbelief.

"She came by the house with Ulrich," Herve stated, "ask Sissi if she wasn't off with Ulrich and if Aelita never disappeared at some point...upstairs."

"Are you saying...oh my goodness...in...not the bed!" Aunt Harriet said horrified.

"He screws students, would he care?" Herve countered.

"What do you want me to do?" Aunt Harriet asked totally committed.

"The boy with her, Ulrich, he protects her secrets," Herve said, "beat me up because I told her boyfriend Jeremie she was cheating," he told Aunt Harriet, "look at me, I didn't even say who."

"And he did this?" Aunt Harriet asked, "what would he have done if you did?"

"Guess."

"I'm guessing you want me to help you take both down?"

"Of course."

"Name it," Aunt Harriet hissed.

Chapter Completed

More scheming in an already enthralling story. What will Herve do to Ulrich. You have to read in the next chapter. But I will say this, it's a doozy. Please read and review.