CHAPTER 100: STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS HOT

Up until this very minute, I still couldn’t believe what my eyes had beheld the day before when I accidentally switched a channel while looking for something to watch to ease my boredom. My eyes literally bulged at the sight of those bundles of money all laid on top of the table. I didn’t get the chance to hear the first part of the live telecast, but it was enough for me to realize what recently occurred in Penelope’s life.


It appears that the woman whose photo flashed on the screen killed her biological father and they are now in pursuit of her. I cared less of what happened to her nor to the old man, which for me was evidently a karma to her for what she did to us, but what lingered in my head was the million dollars.


This gave me an idea on how to finally gain what Michael and I’s most coveted revenge. The fact of how much Penelope was willing to lay out such a hefty amount just to seek justice for her father whom she valued a lot, I bet she would pay more if it was her very own daughter’s life which was at stake.


I wouldn’t deny that for the past couple of weeks, there’s not a thing inside my head but thoughts on ways to achieve our revenge on Penelope. I didn’t merely wish to pain her and make her suffer, I hungered for her to be totally and extremely devastated where she wouldn’t want to see another day because of its impact.


I thirst for her downfall so badly and hanker after her ultimate defeat. I achingly desired to inflict retribution on her in any way possible and what I watched gave me the reformulated conclusion of what course of action I must administer. I simply needed Michael’s approval with what was brewing inside my head, because I knew someone who could help us to acquire people who would kill for anything in exchange for a huge sum of money.


I waited for Michael to wake up. I am itching for revenge that I wanted to start right away with my plans, the sooner the better and while the iron is hot. If Michael would agree with me, which I will persuade him to the best of my ability just for him to be in favor of it, I would immediately contact my old friend to commence my quest of vengeance.


The minute he opened his eyes, I excitedly uttered what I wished to convey to him. “It’s about time you woke up, Honey. There’s something I am dying to tell you.”


“What about?” He asked right after a long yawn.


“About our plan of revenge to Penelope. I already concocted a way on how we could finally get even with her, which will make her extremely devastated and completely out of her mind.”


“How?”


I folded my legs and sat in anticipation on the bed, looking him straight in the eye. “Yesterday, I came across a live telecast while searching for something to watch. I saw Penelope on national tv at one of New York’s news stations. She was in search of someone who goes by the name Nicole Christensen, who eventually murdered her father almost two weeks ago.”


“So?”


“She offered a million dollar reward for whoever could locate her whereabouts.”


“A million dollars huh. Well she’s filthy rich anyway, so she could afford to give away such an amount to have what she aimed for. But where could we possibly find this woman you were pertaining to? I bet a lot would grab this once in a lifetime opportunity just to help her find the culprit. Someone might have found that woman before we could even begin our search.”


“That’s not what I was pointing out here, Michael.”


“Then what?”


“If Penelope was able to shell out a million dollars just to find the person who killed her father, think of how much she would be more than willing to pay if it was her daughter’s life who was on the line.”


What I declared made him open his eyes widely and gawked at me with disbelief. “Are you telling me that we risk Michelle's life just to achieve revenge on Penelope?”


“Not merely risking her life, Michael.”


“No! No way, Pamela! I will not agree with this idea of yours. There must be another way to have our revenge on her, but risking my daughter’s life and putting her in danger to achieve it? Never! That’s way out of the topic” He was about to climb down the bed, but I swiftly held his arm and made him stay.


“Listen to me first, Michael, before you conclude” His gaze refocused on me again and waited patiently for what I was about to explain. “I knew someone, an old friend of mine at work, who knew people who would do anything in exchange for a huge sum of money. He could help us hire these people. We will make it appear that Michelle was abducted by a group of bad guys and will ask Penelope for a massive sum in exchange for Michelle. But in reality, we will just let those men take Michelle and give her to us after giving them their share. Then all three of us could go to a place where Penelope wouldn’t be able to find us. We could finally have with us your daughter plus a bonus.”


He eyed me with uncertainty. After a while, he shook his head a bit before speaking. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Pamela. How can we be sure that those hired kidnappers wouldn’t do anything to my daughter?”


“We would be in control over them, because only the two of us would have access to the ransom money.”


“Your idea might work, Pamela, but I don’t think it would be a good one, especially Michelle will be at stake.”


“Imagine that huge sum of money, Michael. What it would do to us, our future, together with Michelle. We could double, or even triple the amount, that Penelope offered for her father’s sake. This is a win-win situation for us, Michael. We don’t need to shell out anything, it would be just a matter of good negotiation with those people. I bet Penelope would even pay for a billion just to have her precious daughter back to her. Think about it, Michael. Think before you say no and disagree with my idea” I watched him speculatively as he obviously gathered his mind and thought about what I explained to him. “We could be filthy rich, Michael, that we will never get to be even if both of us work our asses to death. And aside from that, you can have Michelle back all by yourself. I bet my niece also wishes to be with you and see you.”


“Give me time to think about this first, Pamela. This is a highly crucial matter for me.”


“I know it is, Michael. Believe me, I don’t intend to risk my niece's life as well. She is important to me as much as she was to you. We will just use this opportunity to take our revenge on her ungrateful mother. I’ll give you the time you need, but it’s best if we strike while the iron is hot, while Penelope is in her tumult and chaotic stage now. This would be a perfect timing to collect her debts to us.”


I eagerly stare at him with positivity. I know he would agree with me. All he aches for is his daughter, to gain her back and be with him. He would definitely see it my way. I am certain of it.