Chapter 28

"What in the hell are you doing in my office?" Julian roared. "I fired your ass remember?"

Theresa sat up very erect in her chair with her hand neatly folded in her lap. She didn't bat an eye.

"You can rant and rave all you want but I'm not going any where." She said boldly. "Not until I get what I came here for."

"And that is?..."

"I have something you might be interested in." She replied. "In fact I know you will."

"If this is one of your schemes to get money out of me, then you better get up and leave now because I will not give you one red cent."

"Oh come now Julian, once you see what I have in my possesion, you'll be begging me to sell it to you at any price."

Julian eyed his greedy, scheming, ex-wife suspiciously. "Whatever you're peddling, I ain't buying." He sneered. "Now be gone."

Theresa stood up and placed the huge leather bag she had brought with her on his desk and pulled out the hedious red and black bird statue...

Julian gasped...

"Mother of God! I thought that horrid thing was long gone."

Theresa smiled maliciously. "From your reaction to the bird, I'm sure you know what goodies it contains."

How could Julian forget? He and Eve had spent the better half of a year searching for the damn thing, which included spending a day at the city dump!

"How in the hell did you get your greedy little claws on it?" He asked roughly.

"It's been under your cluless nose the whole time." She said triumphantly. "Underneath all that junk and clutter you have at home, I wasn't surprise you missed it, after all it is an antique." She smirked.

"Been surveying the Crane's heirlooms have you?" I better call and have the servants count the silverware to make sure we have a complete set." Julian quipped.

"I came upon this ugly thing quite by accident. I was wondering why the Cranes would keep such an eye sore unless it was worth something. I picked it up to get a better look, I don't know how it happened maybe it was fate that I found it and the secrets it hold."

"I could just imagin the greedy glazed over look you had in your beady eyes." Julian cracked. "I bet you salivated over the thought of some lost Crane treasures."

"What I found was better than jewels." She said. "Far more valuable."

"Why did you wait until now to use this leverage against me?" He inquired. "You could have used it in exchanged for custody of our son and alimony."

"I-I didn't need it until now." She stammered.

Julian chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"Don't tell me...let me guess...this got somethimg to do with that dumbass idiot you tricked into marriage."

Theresa swallowed hard - she was determind to keep up her bold front.

"No, not-not really." She stammered. "I-I need the money for me - Ethan had asked me for an annulment."

"Well I'll be damned, the boy found his balls...good for him."

She narrow her eyes. "For a tidy sum of two million dollars, I can prevent TC Russell from beating your brains out."

Julian got in her face. "You blackmailing slut!!" He spat. "You must be out of your motherf*&^ing mind, I don't give in to threats!!"

"Well there's a first time for everything." She sang sweetly. She pulled out the explict photos of Julian and Eve doing the nasty in every position possible and laid them in front of him one by one.

"I think we tried every position from the Karma Sutra that time." Julian said fondly as he studied the photos.

Theresa wrinkled her nose in disgust. "You pig." She spat. "I can't believe Dr. Russell let you do those disgusting things to her."

Julian laughed. "You did."

"Don't remind me." The thought of Julian touching her made her physically ill. "Two million dollars to prevent your death." She offered again.

"Why would you want to ruin the life of a woman that has been nothing but kind to you, not to mention she is the mother of your best friend." Theresa chased away the guilt she felt in her heart.

Julian took out his check book from his desk drawer, he reached for a pen.

"Is that all the photos?" He asked. "I will not give you anything if you are going to come back later and try to blackmail me again."

"It's all here." She said, her heart pounding loudly in her chest.

"Good." Julian replied as he wrote out the check.

He thrusted it in her hand and gathered up the photos.

She watched as he took a match and set fire to them.

"I'd just save your miserable hide." Theresa smirked.

"You got your money now get out!!"

Theresa put the check up to her lips and kissed it. "How sweet." She taunt. "I'ts been nice doing business with you Julian but I have to go."

As she got up to leave, Julian burst into laughter.

"Aren't you going to look over your check to make sure that I dotted every 'i' and crossed every 't'?" He asked.

"No, I trust you." She replied.

"Since when?" He cracked "How can you be so sure that I haven't cheated you?"

"Because you love breathing without assistance." She snapped back.

"Come on Theresa, put my mind at ease and yours, why don't you make sure I spelled your name correctly."

"Julian..."

"Humor me."

"Oh alright." She sighed impatiently.

She examined the check and gasped...

The check read:

Pay to the order of: One Stupid Ass Bitch

In the amount of: NOT One f*&^ing Red Cent!!

She looked across the desk at Julian, he looked like the cat that ate the canary and the fish.

"Stupid, stupid bitch." He grinned. "Did you actually think that you can waltz in here and blackmail Julian Crane? Never fuck a fucker because you will get fucked everytime. Now get the hell out of my face!"

"I'll tell Coach Russell!" She threaten

"I don't give a damn." He sneered. "Tell him.."

"I will." She said meekly. Her confidence began to falter when she realized Julian meant every word he said.

"You go and tell TC about Eve and my past." He dared. "I promise that it will be the last time you will see him standing."

Theresa face crumbled as she watched the photos disinegrated before her very eyes...

Much like her brilliant scheme to blackmail Julian...

"Get the f@#$ out of here before I change my mind and call the cops." He said coldly. "Now SCAT!!"

Theresa gathered her things and left with the sound of Julian's cruel laugh ringing in her ears...

"There's more than one way to skin a rat." She muttered.