Woodway, Texas.
"What? This is impossible, this can't be happening!" a woman bellowed at the top of her voice after receiving an unpleasant report from the caller at the other side of her phone.
"You mean Ryan is well and on his feet?" The woman bellowed again after a while. "Send me the pictures you said you secretly took of him."
The woman disconnected the call, let out a string of curses before scrolling to her Gmail. Seeing Ryan's pictures, her head began to pound. She quickly navigated to her contact list and put a call across to the thug she had given the job to.
The leader of the gang sat in his house anticipating his remaining balance when a call came through. He smiled derisively, eager to pick the call.
He knew they didn't do their job well but he would stick to his plans with the guys. After all, it wasn't their fault that they couldn't do their job as they were asked to. If anyone was to blame here, it was her.
She had insisted that they carry out the task inside the college even when they asked to do it outside. She should even be applauding them for a job well done because they had to risk their own lives to carry out such a hideous act in such a well secured environment.
He would stick to their plans and lie to the woman. By the time she discovered the truth, he would have gotten his money and fled.
"Hello," a woman's voice poured in from the other side of his phone.
"Hello, Ma'am," The thug replied cheerfully. The calmness in his voice enraged the woman.
She inhaled and exhaled slowly to help regulate her boiling blood. If that was how he wanted it, then she would match him toe to toe.
"Yeah, how are you?"
"Oh how could I not be great after yesterday's job was well done!" He laughed.
"Alright then, I'll send you your money as soon as I drop the call."
"Oh haha! I knew I could always rely on ya, Ma'am. Feel free to call me anytime."
He was expecting a reply from his client, but when she didn't say a word, he continued.
"It was nice doing' business with ya, Ma'am."
Okay," The woman said and disconnected the call.
Okay!" The thug said, mimicking her voice.
"Okay, that was only what she could say to me, hmm! She is so rude, not even a proper thank you." he continued saying a lot of awful things about her when he got a notification on his phone. Smiling, he scooped up his phone from his side. The dumb old hag had finally sent him his money.
He unlocked his phone and instead of the anticipated credit alert message, it was a new mail. He muttered a foul word and navigated to his email. He shot out of his seat as he saw the pictures his client had sent him with a short note.
The woman stared blankly at her empty cup of coffee and without a word, she stood and went straight to her windows, moving the curtains aside. It was nightfall already. The stars and the moon brightened the dark sky.
Staring at the sky through her window, she mumbled to herself, "I can see you really have a good star, Ryan."
She shook her head. "Or should I say your father now? Well, I hunt stars and destroy them no matter how lucky they are and that is what I'll do to you, Ryan!"
She dropped back the curtains in place, whirled around and walked back to her table. She sat down on a seat adjacent to the table and started reminiscing about all the misfortunes that had befallen her. Curse that Mr William Miller!
"It's all your fault. It's all your fault my life went out of trajectory. It's all your fault that I can't boast of a family of my own. It's all your fault that I am without a child or husband."
The woman took up her empty cup of coffee and smashed it to the wall, groaning angrily. The mug shattered into a thousand micropieces.