Love Reset: Chasing Her Back

"Don't ever say such again!." A feminine voice could be heard from the living room of Reed's villa.

"Mother, please I need to save my company, let me just work there for a while until the compa....".

"Shut your twerp you trash, which company?" She cuts in. The disdain in her eyes was evident as she looked at the feminine figure kneeling in front of her.

"But mother".

"Don't ever call me mother, I can never be the mother of a wretched thing like you". The woman, Mrs Cynthia Reed sneered interrupting the young lady kneeling before her.

"That company is my sweat, I just can't sit back and watch my years of labour go down the drain".

"Are you trying to say my family mismanaged the company?" Mrs Cynthia asked.

"No, I.. mother...I" Pearl stuttered, she knew it would be difficult to get what she wanted.

"Wow, look who we have here, my loser sister-in-law, on her knees?". a familiar voice spoke behind her. " What else do you want from us?" Turning to the woman seated in the living room, "Mother, you shouldn't allow an unfortunate being like her to ruin your day".

"Speak of the little devil" Pearl muttered, when she saw the owner of the voice.

Mrs Cynthia nodded, "I don't know why she didn't die with the person who brought her to this family"

Pearl bowed her head in shame. She couldn't meet the gazes of the people before her. One was her mother-in-law, Cynthia Reed and the other was her daughter, Tricia Reed.

Her knees were hurting from how long she had knelt down trying to beg her mother-in-law and her fragile heavy eyes held unshed tears. She tried not to cry in front of them. Especially not in the presence of this little devil. Never!

"Mother, you sounded so serious on the phone, I had to cancel my date with..". The newcomer stopped in her words and snorted.

Pearl was full of regrets. She had made the wrong decision coming to meet her mother-in-law to allow her to go to her company. She had returned to Zenith City three years ago and started her company. She met Lady Reed,the grandmother of her husband, Julian Reed. Lady Reed loved her instantly and thought she was brilliant and hardworking. Everything was going on until Lady Reed died. It seemed the universe turned against her instantly.

Ever since the death of Lady Reed, her husband and his family had despised her and called her names. They forced her to hand over her company to Julian and to sign a prenup. She had done it without arguing, especially if that's all it could take to make things better for her. She became a maid in her marital house.

Right now, her company was going bankrupt and nothing was done to save it. She had decided to meet her mother-in-law to ask for her permission to return to the corporate world for a few months until the company stabilizes. Funny how, she had believed handing over her company would make her husband and his family love her.

"Listen up, How about we strike a deal, I'll give you what you want. I'll talk to my mother to just give you a month to go back to work. Before the deal, let's play a little game" Tricia bringing Pearl out of her thoughts.

Pearl sighed, raising her head to look at her sister-in-law. She could see the sneer on the faces of her mother-in-law and her daughter. She hesitated.

"Come on, don't do that. It's just a simple game and nobody will get hurt". Tricia assured her when she saw how hesitant Pearl was.

Pearl knew the outcome of the game wasn't going to be good, she clenched her teeth as she agreed to do it. Tricia had assured her everything would be okay, which she doubted.

"I'll play".

"You know I just got back from a date, yeah I had to cancel because you wouldn't stop disturbing my mother. I'm allergic to dust and you know that, since you're here I'd like you to help clean my shoes, starting from my feet, they're sore". Tricia smirked as she looked at Pearl.

Tricia nudged her mother's arm and they both smiled at each other. Tricia knew how to humiliate Pearl.

"I....i.." Pearl paused, looking at the frown on their faces. "Fine, I'll do it" she mumbled as she approached Tricia stooping down to remove her shoes first.

"Hey, not so fast loser, you still have one more thing to do before this. Go on all fours and bark like a dog" Tricia said, smirking at Pearl.

Pearl raised her head to look at the person who just told her to bark like a dog. Is this the game she had agreed to play? Tricia was having fun humiliating her.

Tricia glared at Pearl," Having second thoughts already?"

"No, I'll do it".She replied hurriedly, going on all fours.

"And go easy with my legs, they're sore and those shoes are expensive". Tricia added.

"Woof ! Woof !!"

Tricia laughed out loud as she patted Pearl's head " Good girl, my dog deserves a good name, what do you think?"

Pearl just nodded her head. She would do anything just to save her company, she can't afford to let breadwinners get back on the streets.

"Good girl, I'll call you bitchy. Hey bitchy, you'll have to use your tongue to lick my shoes. Please, no saliva I don't want my body reeking of trash" Tricia added, making Pearl freeze for a while.

"Bitchy, you dare not refuse it. It's just a thin line between you and what you want". Tricia frowned as she looked at Pearl who seemed lost in thoughts.

"I'll do it". Pearl sighed as she swallowed what was left of her pride. She knew she would be ridiculed the most, whether she did it or not, but she had no choice but her company is more important than her pride.

Her eyes were red with humiliation as she proceeded to lick Tricia's shoes clean. This was the worst day of her life. She felt her pride trampled upon.

" I didn't expect that you were really a dog. Where's that pride of yours?" Tricia laughed as Pearl continued to lick her shoes.

"You've truly got no shame as a lady,I'm grateful my son doesn't love you. You're a desperate person and at this rate you could kill" Cynthia spat at Pearl.

"I wonder how you'd walk into that company with pride as a boss. When you have none in reality".

Tricia clenched her fist, Bang!

She suddenly punched Pearl's back, making her fall flat on the ground hitting her head as she wasn't expecting it. Shewinced in pain.

"You're not even worthy of cleaning my shoes or touching anything in this house, not even that company. Do you think I'll allow your dirty body to touch me? Can you even afford my shoes?" Tricia laughed as she ridiculed Pearl who was struggling to stand up.

Pearl's head dropped low as she clenched her fist tightly listening to the words of Tricia. She knew she wouldn't say this to her face if she hadn't married Julian. And now, Tricia had the guts to insult her. Someone who doesn't even qualify as a cleaner in her company. They're age mates but she had built a name for herself which the Reed's have stolen for three years.

"I wonder what Lady Reed saw in you". Cynthia laughed as she looked at her.

"Maybe her useless pretty face, and how did grandmother end up being bewitched by this twerp?" Tricia mocked her.

"She's just worthless, her face doesn't match her personality". Cynthia added.

"That aside, back to the deal". Tricia smiled as she looked at Pearl whose head was still down.

"What.....*

"Shut up you fool, I'm still talking" Tricia snapped at her.

Cynthia cleared her throat, " Bitchy, sorry, that name doesn't suit you. You've been married for three years and my son hasn't touched you. Aren't you ashamed?".

Pearl raised her head and stared at her mother-in-law. How is it her fault that Julian had refused to share the same bed with her?

"Shouldn't you be concerned your son might have reproductive health issues?" Pearl demanded, she had endured their humiliations, but she wouldn't sit back and watch someone blame her for Julian's misfortune.

"Shut up idiot, who do you think you are talking to in that manner?" A voice interrupted Pearl.