A wife for my brother

Beverly’s posture remained serious and her face indignant as they rode down the lift. She was sure that this would regain Daniel’s trust, that she would be free of guilt, and that now that Deanna had left him, she would finally get her chance. But she had to be careful.

When they arrived at the office of the head of security, everyone was surprised, the owner rarely went down to the basement.

– Good morning, Mr Colins –

– Good morning, Mr Crusher. What brings you here? –

– I need to ask you a few questions about the security cameras upstairs. Recently, the footage from those cameras was accessed and I would like to know what happened.

– That’s impossible, they’re under lock and key.

– Well, it happened and I need to know who and how –

– I see, come this way please –

He took him into an adjoining room. Mr Collins was standing there waiting.

– What’s going on? – Daniel asked.

– You have to swipe your credential to enter the room.

– My credential? –

– Your security identification badge. The only people who can open the door are those with Alpha security badges, and they are the owners. No-one else can get in, not even me.

– Don’t you have it with you? – Beverly asked.

– I don’t even know where it is. I’ll call upstairs and have them bring it down.

His secretary arrived with the aforementioned card and they were finally allowed in. A single computer kept a record of what was being filmed in his office and the boardroom. The head of security typed in some commands and the two sequences appeared on the screen. One was Daniel’s office.

-You can access the logs from this terminal,” he said and walked away.

Daniel sat down and started typing in dates and times and the various videos kept coming up until he got to the one he was looking for. He couldn’t watch it again.

And then the access logs showed him only one entry. Only one entry in 2 years of footage, and just as Mr Colins had told him, only the owners had access to that computer and what was stored on it. And not only did they show the entry for the videos, they also showed that a single copy had been made.

Daniel’s pulse quickened, he began to fidget in his chair without getting comfortable, he had to loosen his tie and then he exploded. He struck the table three times with his open palm, he was furious.

Beverly jumped back a little.

– What’s wrong, Daniel? –

But he didn’t answer her. He stood up abruptly and stormed out of the room.

Beverly leaned over to read what was on the screen – Oh my God! She pulled out her phone and, with slightly shaking hands, called her office.

– Get people to Harry Crusher’s office right away, he’s going to kill him! –

Daniel’s head was foggy, all he could see in front of him was a grey cloud that wasn’t going to clear. The lift didn’t come and he impulsively ran up the stairs, striding faster and faster. I’m going to kill him! His anger had turned to fuel and was burning his body.

Harry was in his office with Camilla and Susan when Daniel burst through the door.

– Daniel? – Camila was surprised.

But Daniel didn’t notice anything, just Harry’s face looking at him quizzically. He went over to him.

– It was you, you bastard! – He shouted at him before driving his fist into his brother’s face.

It caught him off guard and Harry fell backwards, his head hitting the desk.

– What are you doing Daniel! – Susan despaired.

On the floor, unfocused and completely confused, Harry tried to sit up and then noticed a shadow looming over him. He heard Camilla’s screams and Susan’s pleas.

The grip on his lapels felt like steel, lifting him a little off the ground and then suddenly dropping him. He heard more voices and Daniel cursing. When he was finally able to sit up and concentrate, he saw his brother being held by three men and he tried to shake them off.

Susan rushed to his side as Camila had a nervous breakdown. Everything was a mess.

– You fucking scum, I’m going to kill you! – Daniel kept shouting at him.

Beverly appeared in the doorway, agitated, having run from the lift to Harry’s office.

– Daniel, stop! – She shouted at him too.

– WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING DANIEL! STOP IT! – Susan stood in front of her brother to stop him.

Apparently, her firm voice had worked, snapping Daniel out of his reverie, for he stopped, stopped struggling. When the men finally released him, he realised what he had done, but he was not sorry.

-Leave this company today, if I see you again, I’ll kill you! Do you hear me? –

He looked at no one and walked out. He walked past Beverly, who tried to stop him, but he wouldn’t even let her touch him.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

The men from the law office helped Harry into a chair and left. Beverly closed the door behind them, the scandal Daniel had caused would spread like wildfire, first through the building and then out. That didn’t worry her. But she had never imagined that Harry, of all people, would be capable of such a thing.

– What on earth? – Harry held his face, which was starting to turn purple.

– What have you done to him, Harry? – Susan asked him as she put some ice cubes from the small fridge bar into her handkerchief.

– How should I know? He’s crazy! He hits me and you ask me what I did to him?

– He was angry, something happened to make him act like that. Daniel is aggressive, but never to this extent –

– My God! Your face, Harry! – Camila told him, crying.

– I’m fine, Mum, it’s just a bump –

But the blow hurt like a trailer full of concrete had fallen on his head.

– Beverly, what’s all this? – Camila asked when she realised she was standing there.

– Do you know what’s wrong with him? – Susan asked.

She bit her lip and sighed.

-We went down to the security area. Daniel wanted to find out how the video sent to Deanna got out… It’s restricted access, only the owners can see it… There was only one access… With Harry’s security pass –

– What?! –

Susan looked at Harry and gave him another punch, this time on the shoulder.

– What have you done? –

– What are you talking about?! I never accessed any video! –

– Well, that’s what the computer says down there. Your name and the video you made a copy of –

– Harry! – Camila looked at him in surprise.

– That’s not possible! It wasn’t me! –

– My God, Harry, you’re the worst – Susan stopped filling the handkerchief with ice.

– This is stupid! I never went down to Security! –

– That woman is gone and she’s still causing trouble in the family! – Camila said.

– How can you blame her, Mum, when your son is responsible! – Susan was outraged.

– I would never do that to Deanna! –

But try as Harry might to defend himself, the evidence showed otherwise. Beverly didn’t even suspect it, but this new twist was the opportunity she’d been waiting for for many years.