Chapter 14 - A Friend or a Foe?

Junior finally decided to resign on his job after his dad agreed to give him a weekly allowance. He didn't resign because he's tired, he did it on purpose to have more time on discovering about what Eliza has been up to at Cambridge before they met each other. Eliza once mentioned to him that Mr. Hugh Darcy his father's second cousin is the one who helped her when she was still new at Cambridge so Junior decided to meet him at his main office in the club he runs at Cambridge

The club was close at day so he went there at night. Outside, he was determined that he could actually get inside easily and pass the guards because he's already 20, but the guards still questioned him because he was short and still looked like a teenager.

"Listen, you have to trust me, I'm already 20, I'm turning 21 this September, I really have to talk to your boss.." He said while forcing himself to get inside.

"Our boss hasn't arrived yet, you have to wait here outside" said one of the guard that pushed and dragged him outside.

"I'm his nephew, I'm a Darcy..Just let me in."

"Whatever."

Junior's attention by caught on a fancy car stopped in the front of the bar, its Hugh, he finally arrived. Junior rushed into him but when Hugh recognized Junior, he turned back trying to avoid Junior.

"Uncle Hugh!" Junior called and stopped walking away.

And Junior came closer to him.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you too young to go here?" Hugh asked Junior.

"I'm already 20 years old, and getting inside isn't my plan, I went here to meet and talk to you. You're the owner in this club right?"

"Nope, I'm just a regular customer here, and apparently I'm going home now." Hugh said while opening the door of his car.

"Stop! I know everything, Eliza told me about you." Hugh stopped moving.

"I beg your pardon? You mean Eliza Cleaver?"

"Yes, she's my girlfriend."

"Oh dear."

Hugh let Junior inside his club and continue talking inside his office. On their way inside, Junior can clearly see the strippers dancing on the pole, he can also the woman been mistreated by the customers, threw bottles on them and forcing them to do things that they don't want to. A woman with a drip of blood on her forehead starring at him whom he thought begging for help and he can't do anything about it so he avoided his eyes on the poor women and continue following Hugh to his office.

"How long have you known Eliza?" Hugh asked

"Month already."

"Did she really told you everything? Including how she was treated by her colleagues?"

"Not so, she only told me how you helped her. But I wanna know what she was like here. At first she told me that she worked at the bar but now in the club? How so?"

"I first met her at the road, that was four years ago, she was just like 17. I was driving, didn't pay attention much on the road and I didn't notice Eliza who is giving flyers, I hit her, thankfully it wasn't that bad since I was driving slow because of the traffic. So I rushed her to the hospital, after she was cured, I talked to her, asking if should I call her parents, but she said nothing can do, she was in Cambridge all by herself, she ran away from her home. She didn't accept the money I gave to her as a compensation, she only asked if I could help her find a permanent job so that she could eat completely 3 times a day. But a doctor approached her and told us that she need to undergo another test because she's HIV positive. I was shocked at first, imagining her age is just the same as my daughter. She didn't told me the truth where she got that disease. I hired her as a dishwasher at my bar, I provided her food, shelter and a mini apartment as her salary. Of course I still give her a few quid, I'm glad she survived and became more mature, on her 18th birthday, I gifted her fancy things that she never had before, cellphone, watch, necklace and throw a party at my bar. Then I promoted her as my trusted cashier, she was so happy that she hugged me as if I'm her real father." Huggy took a sip on his drink and handed Junior one glass of it.

"One night, she confessed to her friends at work about her medical condition, but it didn't went of what she expected, they stayed away from her because they're scared and my employees made me choose if I should fire Eliza or all of them will resign. I have no choice but to follow the majority, Eliza lose hope of finding a new job since most of it needs a medical record. So I confessed to her that I also runs a strip club at Cambridge, I can transfer her there as a cashier again, she was thankful to me again, but she still have no idea what awaits here, toxic and exotic environment, most of the employees here are former convicts. I said to her that this is the farthest I can do for her, she have to endure the violence every night. She was once beaten by a mad customer and there is nothing I can do about it."

Junior was crying hearing those things from Hugh.

"I appreciate your kindness Uncle Hugh, I almost believed that there's no kindness left in everyone's heart, but you still has it, you helped a complete stranger." Junior said while wiping his tears.

"Did Eliza told you about her family background? She never told me anything about her parents and how did she got the disease."

"I actually went with her at Barnstaple yesterday, I have no idea what's actually going on there, all I know is that her mother is dying, didn't told me at the first place that her mother is actually dying in Leukemia caused by AIDS. Her mother Julia is a former prostitute at London, he got on a week relationship with Daniel Cleaver who she believed that Eliza's real biological father, but Daniel denied it. But still Julia registered him as the father of Eliza when she was born and Daniel doesn't still care about it, who would believe a prostitute. So Julia decided to go back to her homeland at Barnstaple and raised Eliza there by herself. She met Toby who later became her husband, a drunkard and a drug addict, Julia got pregnant from him but later the child died in her womb because Julia is already a HIV positive that time, Toby was completely mad at her and blamed her, he wishes that he shouldn't marry a former prostitute like her, so Toby beaten her all the time when he get back drunk, he later then found out that he was infected by the disease from her, to make it even, he raped Eliza many times and was arrested." Junior sobs and drink another glass of alcohol.

Eliza was traumatized by the incidents that is happening in her home. She blamed her mother and hated her, so she ran away and planning to go to Manchester, but her money isn't enough to buy a train ticket to Manchester, so she decided to go Cambridge instead. In her first day at Cambridge, she slept on the streets and slums. She begged for money in every person that passes her. She started to distribute flyers and they'll pay her at least 2 pounds per day. According to her, she intended to get hit by your fancy car, hoping that you might help her. She said she's very thankful that she met you."

"Is she gonna come back?" Hugh asked while holding his tears.

"After her mother's burial, she'll comeback." Junior replied while wiping his tears.

"Listen William, let's keep all this things as our secret, I know that your Grandpa Eddie is my father's only competitor in the next heir of Pemberley, but if they'll found out about this club, they will exclude our family."

"I understand Uncle Hugh, I'm not selfish at all, family is family, don't let a house destroy the bond." Junior said to Hugh with a smile.

"You always remind me of your father." Hugh said while shaking Junior's hair.

Hugh gave Junior three bottles of wine as his form of thanksgiving. When Junior went out from the club, one of Sam's men saw him and took a photo of Junior.

Irina immediately heard about it.

"So, Junior.. What's your deal with Hugh? You aren't that close to each other." Irina said while waiting for her dinner at the kitchen table.

Jim heard it and asked her.

"Junior? You mean William?" Jim interrupts her confused mother.

"Yes."

"What's the deal? I thought you don't liked him"

"He's been entering a strip club." Jim was shocked about it.

"What? I never thought he could do such hideous things like that."

"He is not what you think my dear Jim."

"Well I guess he's been lying to us with Billy, he's quite good at advices tho."

"And I would advice you to stop chasing Junior, he's no good for you."

"Okay, I kind of getting over him, he pushed me away on the day of Grandpa Eddie's birthday."

"Oh my poor baby Jim.. Don't come near to Junior again okay?" Irina said while hugging Jim. "By the way, has your father and Jerry arrived already?"

"Yeah, he went directly in the room and Jerry already asleep."

"And you too, you should go to your room and sleep now okay? It's already late." Irina commanded Jim and immediately went to his room.

William came to the kitchen where Irina is and made a coffee for himself without talking.

"Make one for me too" said Irina and William gave the cup of coffee he made and make another one then leaves without out a word.

Irina follows him and hugged him at the back.

"I'm sorry about not telling you." Irina said while hugging William's back.

"Okay, you can let me go now." William replied while trying to let go on Irina, but Irina keep insisting and even seduced William.

"The kids are in their room asleep." she said while kissing William's neck and even rubbing his balls.

"I'm tired Irina, and I'm not in a mood." he said while walking away.

Irina just smirked at him at the back.

Junior invited Zelbert and Gerald at his apartment to help him drink the wine that Hugh gave to him.

"So William, how did it go at Barnstaple?" Zelbert asked while pouring wine on his glass.

"Eliza was grieving of course." Junior immediately respond, he promised to Eliza to not tell anyone about her real condition.

"What do you expect? Laugh?" Gerald interrupts.

"I mean how's Barnstaple, I've never been there before." Zelbert added.

"You're from Glasgow, isn't that near to Barnstaple?" asked Gerald to Zelbert.

"Glasgow is belong to Scotland you asshole and Barnstaple is in Western England, near the border between England and Wales." said Zelbert.

"Oh my God..So you're a Scottish then?" asked Gerald in amusement. "How could we didn't realize that in the first place?"

"No! Living there doesn't make you Scottish, my father is pure English and my mother is Irish, we just lived in Glasgow because my father was assigned there... Anyway, let's go back to Barnstaple, how is it by the way William?"

"It's beautiful there, a good place to self reflect alone." Junior said in an emotionless face.

"By the way, where did you steal this wines? You don't buy alcohols unless it's free." Gerald asked.

"It's from my Uncle, he owns a bar here at Cambridge."

"Your Uncle Willie?"

"No, it's Uncle Hugh, my Dad's second cousin."

"That's awesome, we could go back there when this semester ends."

"We could ask for a discount." Zelbert joked and laugh.

Junior loves his friends as much as he loves his family, but this time, he needs to limit the information he acquired he wants to share with them. He also don't want them to be dragged, Junior also noticed that someone is also following him in the past days and he didn't even told his parents about it. He keeps contacting Eliza but there is no reception on her place and that makes him worry more, he need to wait patiently for Eliza to come back.

Willie already arrived at Scotland and was still at shocked about what he discovered, but like Princess Irina said, he should pretend like he doesn't know anything. He doesn't seem to realize that Irina is actually threatening him, but he has no choice but to follow her orders. Regarding on his job, he was actually telling the truth that he is the only Journalist left to document the dangerous case. He then realize that if what if Sam is responsible on the massacre, so he called Irina to ask her if he could talk to Sam for a moment. Willie doesn't like what came up on his mind, the victims are all English and not Scottish and one of the victim is Mr. Brown who is interested in the position of being Prime Minister of England and the rest is his party and colleagues.

"Now what?" Irina asked on the phone

"Can you put me in line with Sam? I have something to ask to him"

"What is it?"

"I think you shouldn't know about this."

"I have to, what is it?". Willie hesitated to reply. "Willie, what is it?" she asked again with a suspicion.

"Can you ask him if he somehow had a mission at Scotland regarding the massacre here.?"

"Oh I forgot that my brother-in-law is Journalist..Okay, I'm aware about the massacre, and I'll be the one to talk to you about that... When Mr. Brown the secretary told the Queen that he's interested in the position of being Prime Minister of England, my father noticed that he is seeking help in the Prime Ministers of Wales and Scotland, and he doesn't seem to like it, so I helped Dad to eliminate Mr. Brown, I told Sam about it and that's it." Willie was frightened about what he heard.

"Did Prime Minister Wickham know about this?"

"Of course not, I just helped your brother, because no matter what happens, when Dad resigns, he must pass it to my husband."

"You've gone mad Irina." Irina just laugh at him at the phone.

"Now, what are you gonna do? Document it?" Irina asked while laughing. "Actually I want you to bribe it."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Yes, I know you can. You worked at BBC right? Don't worry, I'll help you with your promotion, just a piece of cake."

Willie is aware of what Princess Irina capable of, so he had no choice but to agree on bribing the documentary.