Title Page

 

Believe Me:

The Story of a Narcissist

 

Tracilyn George

 

 

©2019 Tracilyn George

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination.

 

Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is coincidental.

 

1

Clancy Kilpatrick stood at the pier, his blue eyes gazing upon the horizon. Life had been tough for him in Ireland but, he always believed the future for him was bright.

As a son of a fisherman in a family of ten, money was at a minimum. If they wanted anything more than food and shelter, they needed to work for it.

He hated the thought of leaving his family but; he wanted more than Quigley’s Point could offer. The United States presented him the opportunity at a better one.

“If anyone can do it, you can, Boyle,” his father told him. “Your mother and I are proud of you. We raised you to the best of our ability. You possess the right attitude and work ethic to make it.”

His mother gave him a warm hug before he boarded the ship to New York. “You be careful over there. It’s a strange, new world. You won’t be able to identify the good from the bad.”

Clancy kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll be fine, Mum. But, I know it would do me no good to tell you not to worry.”

He gave her a tight hug. “I love you, Mum. You, too, Dad.”

Clancy waved as he walked up the plank to the ship. He fought back the tears as he saw his parents for the last time.

Clancy took the largeness of the city as a challenge to conquer it. The man didn’t fear starting from the bottom or getting his hands dirty.

The Irishman left the boarding home early the next morning for Manhattan. He realized finding a job would be hard for him since he didn’t much experience and because he was Irish. At least he had a positive attitude and resolve.

By noon, he wanted to admit defeat even though he hated even thinking it. He stopped at a small bagel shop for a quick bite.

The dark-haired beauty behind the counter caught his eye. He beamed as he placed his order of a ham on rye and a glass of milk.

Bertha looked at him with her steel-gray eyes, smiling in return. “Can I take you to dinner sometime?” he asked.

She shook her head in shock. “Maybe,” she replied in a thick German accent.

“Fantastic!” he exclaimed with elation. “Why don’t we go out tonight, then?” When she said yes, Clancy he forgot about his lunch and rushed out of the shop. He resumed his quest for a job. Within half an hour, he saw a help-wanted sign on the door of an advertising agency.

Clancy adjusted his tie as he walked in with confidence. She offered him a seat while the receptionist disappeared to find the manager.

She returned with a portly man in his late forties. The husky gentleman smiled, extending his hand.

“The name’s Kennedy Carmichael. Come on in to my office.” Kennedy held the door open for Clancy and waited for the young man to sit.

Kennedy’s demeanor eased Clancy’s nerves. “So, tell me about yourself,” Kennedy requested. His voice had a hint of Scottish lilt.

“My name is Clancy Kilpatrick,” he answered, his own voice full of Irish brogue. “I arrived here yesterday from Ireland, searching for something more.”

The Scotsman’s brown eyes sparked with warmth. “Did you come over alone or with family?”

Clancy man smiled. “Well, I arrived alone but, I met a lovely young lady today at the bagel shop down the street. I even asked her for a date. Otherwise, no one.”

Kennedy let out a belly laugh. Something about the man sitting in front of him attracted the Scotsman. The boy deserved a chance.

“Well, young Clancy. We’re looking for someone to work in our mailroom. It doesn’t pay much and the hours are long. Would you be interested?”

Clancy tried to contain his enthusiasm. “Would I ever!” he exclaimed with delight. He had to make the best of this opportunity and prove his new employer right in putting his faith in him.

“Fantastic. I’ll see you tomorrow morning at 9.” Kennedy extended his hand. Clancy grasped it, shaking it with vigor.

He jumped out of his chair, heading back to the bagel shop to talk with Bertha. The gray-eyed girl was still behind the counter when he arrived.

“Did you come back for your lunch? You dashed out of here so fast, we wondered if you were hungry.”

Clancy smiled. “I was hungry but, you had me so excited, I forgot I ordered something to eat. Good news is I remembered AND I found myself a job! Who thought meeting you would bring me good luck?”

Bertha turned beet red. Flattery was something she never encountered before. She handed him a plate.

“Here. You eat this before you become more delirious.”

“Are you still planning to go out with me tonight or was it a ruse to get me to leave you alone?” He watched as she fidgeted behind the counter.

“Don’t worry if you don’t want to go. It won’t offend me.”

She gave half a smile. “Let me think about it for a minute.” She paused. “Okay. I thought about it. We will go tonight.”

Clancy smiled with glee. “Fantastic!”

He gobbled down his late lunch and headed back to the boarding home to change. He arrived at the bagel shop around six to pick up his date.

Bertha met him at the door, wearing a simple blue dress and matching flats. Other than a touch of red lipstick, she wore no makeup.

Clancy found her striking. She flushed when he told her he thought she was beautiful.

They spent the evening at the small diner near his boarding house, talking more than eating. She told him about her life in Germany and why she came to the United States. He told her about his reasons for leaving Ireland.

The pair weren’t long in figuring out they had fallen hard for each other. Within the month, they married by a justice of the peace with Kennedy and Alistair as their witnesses.

Kennedy found himself impressed by Clancy’s strong work ethic and dedication to the job. Clancy always showed up on time, never missed a day of work and was friendly with everyone at the agency.

Six months after his first day on the job, Kennedy called Clancy into the office. He was nervous as he feared losing his job.

He enjoyed working for the Carmichaels. They were a jovial family and treated their employees as one of their own.

Clancy rubbed his hands upon his pants, doing his best to ride them of the sweat built up on his palms. Kennedy walked in a few minutes later and took a seat.

“Relax, Clancy, you’re not in trouble.” His eyes glittered in their usual warm manner. “Would you be interested in interning?”

The mail clerk had no clue what his boss was asking. “What’s interning?”

“You’ll be learning the business side of advertising. I’ve seen the doodles and sketches you’ve done and I think you have potential. I’ve shown them to Alistair, and he agrees. His opinion is you’ll do well in this business. He wants to take you under his wing and show you the ropes.”

“Would you be interested?” Kennedy leaned across his desk, looked into Clancy’s eyes and smiled.

Clancy felt grateful. “Yes, I am interested! I never thought my little drawings would take me anywhere.”

The fact his bosses thought he had potential flattered him. It thrilled him to have the chance to move up in the company.

Kennedy loved seeing the jubilance on Clancy’s face. He loved the man’s passion for learning new skills and his dedication to the company.

“Fantastic! Go on up to Alistair’s office. He’s waiting on ya, laddie.”

Kennedy chuckled as he watched Clancy dash upstairs. That kid will be one to watch, he thought. He’ll be running this place someday. Or running his own company.

2

Bertha Strum grew up in Berlin, the only child of Agatha and Karl Strum. Her parents volunteered in times of crisis and did not discriminate against their neighbors.

The Strums owned a small factory. Bertha worked in the plant, alongside both Christians and Jews.

She, as with her parents, treated them as equals and saw no difference between them. They believed people should be able to worship as they saw fit. Everyone else needed to mind their own business.

The Strums defended their employees whenever they faced hatred. “Leave them be,” Karl shouted. “They’re not hurting anyone.”

The mob outside his factory became more raucous. “Jews are destroying our country! We need to exterminate them!”

“They are doing no such thing,” Karl replied, infuriated. “If anyone is destroying Germany, it’s Hitler and his damned Nazi Party. Now, get off my property before I call the police.”

The mob leader gave an acerbic laugh. “Go ahead!” he dared. “They’ll only side with us. They have no use for Jewish sympathizers.”

Karl wanted to protect his employees but, he was facing a no-win situation. He called everyone to the middle of the factory floor, announcing the factory’s closure.

“But, I will compensate you all. And I’ll do everything in my power to get you all to somewhere safe.”

True to his word, Karl moved them out of Germany and into the United States. He sent Bertha with them, advising her to look out for them.

He provided his daughter more than enough money to live on. “Become a business woman, daughter, as soon as you can. We gave you the skills to succeed. Do not worry about your mother and me. We will deal with whatever comes our way, good or bad.”

Bertha followed her father’s orders. With documentation in hand, she boarded the boat to America. She accepted a clerk position at a local bagel shop.

She wanted to establish herself before launching her own business. Her parents had taught her well, and she learned with earnest.

She found homes for her father’s former employees as promised and factory jobs in the city. Bertha informed potential employers how hard-working they were. They would prove themselves loyal to their new bosses.

They neglected to teach her about love and how love may change her focus. When Clancy asked to take her to dinner, it threw her off.

She agreed on the spot. His blue eyes and Irish brogue had her smitten.

Since their first date, the pair became inseparable. Their friends and coworkers insisted they were soulmates.

“What d’ya think, Bertie? Should we break down and tie the knot?” Clancy asked. “Everyone else tells me we should.”

She rolled her eyes up as if she had to ponder it. After several minutes, she gave her answer. “Let’s do it!”

After five years of hard work and long hours, Bertha had established two employment agencies. She founded her first in New York, servicing New York City and Newark.

The other in Washington serviced the DC area and Baltimore. She even expanded the bagel shop to 20 locations across the country.

Clancy rose through the ranks to vice president at Carmichaels. He, too, had put in long hours and hard work and they rewarded his dedication with the promotion.

Because of their faith in him, Clancy returned their loyalty to them in kind. He also had a twinge of guilt.

A big part of him wanted to venture out on his own. The Carmichaels gave him a chance when no one else would.

He decided he needed to speak with Kennedy. The man had been like a second father to him and he owed him as much.

Clancy respected the man who welcomed him and made him a part of the family. He tapped on Ken’s door.

“Hey, Ken. May I speak with you for a minute or two?”

The Scotsman flashed his signature broad smile. “Any time, laddie. Come on in.”

Clancy sat across from his boss, wringing his hands. His stomach churned in anxiety.

Kennedy eyed him with his usual warm magnetism. “What’s going on, laddie? You’re never for a loss of words.”

Clancy took a deep breath and exhaled. “I wanted to tell you all how much I love all of you and my job. Thing is, I have this nagging urge to venture out on my own. I wish I could express how guilty I am about it.”

Kennedy, ever the jovial person, maintained his easy-going demeanor. “I always figured you had ambition. There would be no holding you back once the fire was lit within you. You’ve brought so much to our little company and would hate to see you leave.”

His boss continued. “But, you’re destined for bigger and better things, laddie. I only hope you’ll take everything you’ve learned here with you when dealing with both your clients and your employees.”

Kennedy smiled. “Let me give you a piece of advice; the secret of success is how you treat them. If you show loyalty and respect, they’ll return the favor. If you treat them as mere pawns, you won’t be able to keep them for long.”

This last statement hit Clancy hard. He recognized Kennedy meant it as fatherly advice but, it still stung. He hated letting down the one person who gave him the chance to succeed.

“Go on with yourself,” Kennedy replied. “You’re not betraying us, laddie. If you ventured out on your own without telling us, then we would think you were betraying us. But, you’ve respected us enough to tell us how conflicted you were. I hope you will show the same esteem when you decide you’re ready to leave.”

Kennedy always made Clancy feel at ease. Clancy cherished his boss’s loyalty and friendship to him. He always was direct and offered advice when needed.

Before leaving the following year, he informed Kennedy and Alistair before announcing it to the rest of the company. Once they all gathered in the meeting room, Clancy gave a brief speech.

“I wanted to tell all of you, I am venturing out on my own. I’m terrified and excited at the same time. Ken and Al have given me their blessing. I am honored by their faith in me and gave me the chance to prove myself here.”

Clancy took a deep breath. “Not only do I want to thank them for their loyalty, I wanted to thank you all for your fantastic work and dedication to the company. I will remember all of you with fondness. Take care of yourselves and be the best you can be.”

They all wished him well and Clancy swore he would remember everything they did for him.

3

Bertha’s pregnancy came as a shock. She and Clancy hadn’t planned on having children. They had gone ten years into their marriage without discussing the possibility of growing their family.

It wasn’t because they thought they’d be bad parents. They never thought about it. They were busy building their business empire.

Clancy was quiet for several minutes when she told him the news. He looked up from the couch and smiled. “Well, isn’t that wonderful!” he exclaimed.

Bertha loved seeing at how genuine his joy appeared to be. Her gray eyes teared up as her husband grabbed her and spun her around. “Easy now,” she warned him.

Clancy kissed her cheek. “A little Kilpatrick is on his way! What on earth are we going to name him?”

Bertha giggled. “You’re confident it’s a boy.”

“Yes, I am. A boy won’t have me wrapped around his little finger like a wee girl would.”

His wife gave him a warm hug. “Any thoughts on what we should name him?”

Clancy thought for a moment. “I would love to name him Kennedy after the one man who helped launch my career.”

“Good idea. I want to honor my father, too. We can use Karl as the middle name.”

Her husband’s blue eyes sparkled. “I can’t wait to meet him.”

Bertha was about to agree but, a horrific thought crossed her mind. “I realized his initials will be KKK. Should we worry about it?”

Clancy pulled a face, scrunching his nose. “No. It will be fine.”

His wife breathed a sigh of relief. “I guess it’ll be okay,” she agreed.

“But, we should hire a nanny. With our work schedules, we won’t be able to devote full-time with him.”

Clancy gave her a big hug. “A nanny would be helpful but, he will need attention from us. He should be our top priority.”

Bertha and Clancy welcomed little Kennedy Karl Kilpatrick several months later. Several nannies took over the care of the boy after his birth. Despite wanting to devote time to their child, they found themselves too busy with their work.

Ken proved to be a cantankerous child, difficult and unruly from the moment he came into the world. Clancy rubbed his temples in frustration. “How many nannies have we gone through in the past two years?”

Bertha took a seat next to her husband. “There have been so many, I’ve lost count. I don’t understand what is making him so rebellious. We give him everything he wants and then some.”

“That’s the trouble, love. We give him what he wants and not what he needs.”

His wife let out a long breath. “What do you suppose he needs?”

“What he needs is a good, swift kick in the arse and more discipline. It’s our own fault. Our guilt made us give into his every whim.”

Clancy feared it was far too late to clamp down on their son. Ten years of letting him get away with bad behavior meant the impossible task of reversing the trend.

“We no longer need nannies. He’s old enough now to be on his own for a few hours after school. If he’s given responsibility, it might teach him the way life works.”

His wife was not so sure. She feared leaving Ken to his own devices would only make the situation worse.

“I don’t know, love. He’s so out of control and we have only ourselves to blame. You’ve already said it. We need to be stricter with him. We’ve never told him no and stuck to it.”

“You’re right, me love. If we don’t change, we can’t expect it from our son. It’s time for us to put our son in his place.”

Ken scowled as he sat on the bench with the rest of his Little League baseball team. Why was his coach not playing him? He was the best player on the team.

“Where did you get that idea?” questioned Andy, one of his bench mates.

“It’s true,” Ken told him. “Everybody knows I am.”

Jeff joined the conversation. “You’re full of crap. Yesterday, you struck out all four times you were up.”

“And you couldn’t catch if your life depended on it. We lost be time because of you.”

Their coach shushed them. “Knock it off. I’ve had enough of all the bickering.”

“But, Coach, they started it,” Ken whined.

“Enough, I said! Sit down, Ken, and be quiet. Maybe if you weren’t always over-exaggerating everything, you’d find you would have fewer arguments.”

Ken plopped back onto the bench, pouting. How dare his coach talk to him like that! Why didn’t he back him up?

“I’ve explained it to you already, Ken. You have this inane need to inflate your own ego. You brag about accomplishments that never happened. I don’t understand where you get these fantastical stories. But, I’m telling you, Ken, if you don’t stop fabricating facts, you’ll find yourself in deep trouble.”

The young boy resented being lectured. He heard enough from his parents. No one understood him and he was doing his best to tell them.

“You’re going about it all wrong, Boyle,” his father told him. “If you want people to like you, stop trying to make yourself more than what you are. I guarantee, if you drop the pretense, you will attract people to you.”

Ken pouted as he crossed his arms in front of him. His coach told he would speak with the boy’s father. “I believe it’s best if Kennedy leaves baseball. He doesn’t seem to understand it’s a team sport. I’ve tried to explain it to him but, he doesn’t appear to understand the concept.”

Coach continued. “Or he doesn’t want to understand. Either way, his attitude is affecting the rest of the team.”

Clancy told the coach he appreciated his candor. He understood his son had a tempestuous attitude.

They blamed themselves for not spending more time with him. “We can’t go back in time,” Bertha told her husband one night in bed. “From here on out; no more going easy on him.”

Clancy exhaled a loud breath. His wife was right. Then again, she was always right. Their son deserved better than what they had given him to this point.

“What do you suppose we should do, my love?”

Bertha was at a loss. They tried everything they could think of to get through to him.

“We may have to send him to one of those boarding schools. Nothing we’ve tried has worked. Maybe boarding school will give him the discipline he needs to straighten up.”

Ken longed for his parents’ attention. They were so busy working; he wondered if they had forgotten about him. “Go find something to do,” Clancy advised.

“But, I have no one to play with,” whined Ken. “Nobody likes me.”

His father looked up from the stack of papers on his desk. “Well, whose fault is that?” he asked.

“If you didn’t go around ordering people what to do, you might find things go better for you.”

His father didn’t understand; he needed to be domineering to get his own way. If he didn’t boss people around, nothing would happen for him.

“Don’t start with me, Boyle. Your mother and I didn’t get where we are by being demanding. Treat others with respect and loyalty and they will return the favor in kind.”

The teen brushed off his father’s advice. His father had no clue what he was talking about. They were living in a new time. No one valued loyalty and respect anymore.

“Is that a fact?” asked Clancy, feigning surprise. “Have you not heard the saying you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar?”

“What do I want with flies?”

Clancy was finding himself becoming agitated with his son. “The point is, me son, is you get more of what you want with sweetness than being bitter. You’ll do well to remember that.”

Ken stomped out of his father’s office. He believed Clancy was out of touch with the real world.

No one used tact anymore. People responded better to intimidation tactics.

“It won’t to make you happy, Boyle. If you feel the need to bully or brag to make friends, they will stab you in the back at the first opportunity.”

Clancy shook his head. Where did his son develop his obstinacy? Stubbornness had its place but, not when tactfulness was the better option.

Ken thought what he wanted. There was no telling him any different. Clancy recognized his son’s inflexibility would be his downfall.

The boy resented his parents’ sudden change in attitude. As far as he assumed, he did nothing to warrant the harsh discipline.

“Are you sure, Boyle?” his father asked. “How often were you at the principal’s office this week for your infractions?”

Ken stomped his foot. “They’re liars! They all started it. No one likes me at school!”

“Stop it, Kennedy!” his father shouted. “You are the one who is the instigator and everybody recognize it. Your mother and I have witnessed your hounding of other kids. You’re doing yourself no favors.

Life is hard, Boyle. You need to work hard and work smart to get through it. It’s all fine and good to stand up for your beliefs. I don’t hold it against anyone for standing up for their principles. But, you need to listen to other points of view.”

Clancy leaned over, staring into the boy’s eyes. “And I mean, listen to what they tell you and not let it go in one ear and out the other. Your opinion is only one of many.”

Ken turned red with rage. His father didn’t understand him. Other kids tormented as much as he did them. They envied him and they were all inferior to him. Ken was the best at everything he did.

Clancy gave his son a disapproving glare. “Now, Boyle, why are you lying? Your grades are mediocre and you’ve never done well in sports. I have no clue where you got the idea you are great at everything. As for the money part, the money belongs to your mother and me, not you. Get it through your thick head right now.”

Ken clenched his fists, his already red face darkening. “Why do you hate me? You’re supposed to be on my side!” he shouted.

Clancy grabbed his son by the arms, shaking him. “Knock it off, Ken. We don’t hate you and we are on your side. You need to realize the world does not revolve around you. If you behaved like a gentleman instead of a demon, we’d back you up.”

Ken scowled as his father continued his lecture. “Your mother and I no longer condone your bad behavior any longer. We’ve discussed it and we’re sending you to boarding school.”

Ken pulled himself from his father’s grip, incensed. “Go ahead,” he dared. “Send me away. See if I care. I’ll be glad to get away from everyone here.”

Clancy exhaled in frustration. “Fine. I’m more than certain you’ll be asking to come within a week.”

Ken rebelled against his parents’ change in attitude. The more they restricted his activities, the more he protested against them. “I still don’t understand why you hate me!” he screeched.

“We’ve been over this, Boyle,” his father responded in a soft tone. “We love you but, we can no longer tolerate your bad behavior. It’s because we love you we are being tough on you. You’ve gotten away with far too much.”

Clancy pointed a shaking finger at Ken. “It’s time for you to straighten up. There will be no more of your shenanigans to get out of responsibilities.”

“That’s not fair!” Ken yelled.

Clancy towered over his son. “It’s time you learned life is not always fair.”

Ken turned to his mother, looking for sympathy. “Come on, Mom! You can’t be supporting Dad in this.”

Bertha stood firm. “Yes, I am. We cannot put up with your nonsense any longer. We will no longer take your disobedience nor will we stand for your bad behavior.”

His parents watched as Ken launched into a tirade. “What did I do to you? Nothing! But, you want to punish me for being me!”

Clancy had enough and grabbed his son by his shirt collar. “Stop it!” he yelled. “Listen, young man. You have no interest in shaping up after we told you countless times.”

His blue eyes darkened as he continued to scold the boy. “So your mother and I are calling The Hartling School for Young Men first thing in the morning. We’ve already discussed with them what options we have. This school will not take your guff so you might as well accept it now.”

The man stood firm. “They are one of the toughest schools we found. Do you hear what I’m telling you?”

Ken stomped around the living room, red-faced. Why were his parents sending him away as punishment? “Yes, I hear you,” he answered in a fit of anger. “I will hate you both for the rest of my life!” He stormed off to his room.

Clancy yelled behind him. “Why don’t you pack your bags while you’re up there? It’ll help burn off your negative energy!”

4

Ken hated the thought of going the boarding school in the beginning. But, it didn’t take long for him to enjoy his new surroundings.

“I was way too smart for regular schools,” he told his new classmates. “That’s why my parents had to send me here.”

Ken enthralled his fellow students with his flights of fancy. None of them cared about the stories being embellished.

His new friends were so enamored with him; they took Ken’s stories and made them even more sensational. When the tales came back to him; his ego would continue to inflate.

When he entered university, he made certain to surround himself by people who he could impress with his bravado. The bigger the story, the more they adored him.

At last, Ken had the positive attention he had craved all of his life. And he was soaking it all up. Mid-way through his first semester at NYU, he was in the quad with a group of his lackeys. As per usual, he focused on how much money his family had.

A sultry voice behind him interrupted his monolog. “Money means nothing if you treat people like shit,” she stated.

“It won’t save you from someone you pissed off enough to see you dead.”

Ken turned to come face to face with a tall blonde woman. Her piercing blue eyes stared into his steel gray ones. “Excuse me?” he replied, offended anyone would have the audacity to say such a thing to him.

The woman inched closer, pressing her nose to his. “I said, you’re full of shit and you know it. I’ve heard these outlandish stories recounted by your flunkies here. Now, I see the jackass spreading them.”

Ken looked at her in shock. No one had the nerve to stand up to him. He now had a woman standing in front of him, challenging him. “Are you implying I’m not telling the truth?”

“Nope,” she replied, shrugging. “I’m stating for a fact, you’re lying. No one likes a blowhard. News flash; you’re no better than anyone else. The only difference between you and us is money. Be careful of what you say. Your words will be your downfall.”

Who was this mysterious woman who had dared to embarrass him? Did she not recognize he was Ken Kilpatrick? Those around him suffered through his tantrums and tactics. They would rather keep their distance from him over having to deal with his nonsense.

Who was she to confront him? She appeared out of nowhere, tore a strip off him, and then disappeared into thin air. Ken asked everyone he saw. None of them could identify who she was. He didn’t imagine her. The group he was with witnessed to her tirade and none of them had ever seen her before or since.

Ken assumed people were lying to him. Someone had to have information on her. She couldn’t vanish without a trace. He found his way into the Student Union Building and waited in line for coffee. His body froze when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

“I understand you were looking for me.”

Ken turned to face the mysterious blonde. His steel-gray eyes glared into her cornflower blue ones. “Why do you keep doing that?”

She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. “Doing what?”

“Sneak up on people.”

She shrugged. “Not my problem if people aren’t paying attention to what’s going on around them. They should focus on something other than themselves.”

Ken huffed. “Are you implying I am self-centered?”

“Not implying anything. Everybody can see you’re full of yourself. They don’t have the nerve to say it to your face.”

“And you do?”

Micheline stepped towards him, her face ice-cold. “I have no problem with telling you how things are. Or giving much needed advice even if the recipient doesn’t ask for it. I will tell you this, be careful of how you treat people. If you don’t, it may end up costing you more than you realize.”

The tall woman turned, disappearing into a crowd of freshmen.

5

Micheline took pleasure with playing with Ken’s head. She realized she shouldn’t but; she witnessed him playing his own mind games with other girls around campus. She had to do something in their defense.

It wasn’t right to raise their hopes only to have them dashed without explanation. Ken needed a taste of his own medicine and she was more than happy to serve it to him. She understood none of those associated with him would reveal her identity. None of them had any idea who she was.

Micheline majored in medicine. Any classes they shared would be few. Even if they recognized her, they wouldn’t tell him because of their fear of him.

She was not afraid of him even though she had heard of his temper. Her parents raised her to be tough and resilient. They taught her to be strong, to stand up for herself and not to back down from a fair fight.

Ken had no clue how to do this but, it didn’t matter. Micheline held her own against anyone. As part of a male-dominated family, she learned how the

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 04.10.2022
ISBN: 978-3-7554-2222-8

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