Obsession (2 page)

She had seen Monica only once so far.  She was beautiful, with long brown blown-out hair and golden skin.  Monica was working as a PR consultant, and was the usual career ladder climber.  Her goal in life was to be on top, and she was working hard to look perfect, achieve success in her job, and have the perfect man beside her.  She believed that Rick was the One for her and that made her obsessive.

Allison had seen all this during the few short minutes she had spent with the woman, as it was transpiring in her behavior and words.  Monica wanted it all, and was ready to do whatever it took to achieve her goal.  According to Rick, she had done it before with her previous boyfriends, but with Rick, things were getting really out of hand.

Allison liked Rick, and he obviously liked her, but their relationship had just started, and she really hoped to see where that would take them.  Actually, she was ready to fight for him.  Therefore, if Monica wanted war, war she would have.

“What do you think I should do?  Let go of Rick?  Satisfy her desires?”  Allison asked her friends and co-workers.

“Never,” Tom said quickly.  “But, I think that it would be good if Rick speaks to her, explaining how things are now, and that he does not want her in his life.”

“He did that,” Allison signed sadly.  “It did not work.”

*********************************

The night of the same day, Allison went to Rick’s house for dinner.  They had agreed to meet there so that they could discuss Monica and the way her behavior was affecting the two of them. 

Rick’s house was a beautiful mixture of old and new styles, designed to bring out the idea of home and family.  Allison loved it, and was more than happy to spend the evening in it.  Her artistic nature was challenged by the art and combinations of styles in it, and Rick was more than happy to let her explore and make comments.

The plan for the evening included having a quiet dinner, watching Battlestar, or simply being together.  An evening like this one wasn’t something that Rick had ever enjoyed before, but Allison was slowly changing him.  He had fallen for her, even though she was not his usual type.

Rick was an environmental lawyer, who was very passionate about the environment and its protection.  His talent and passion were helping him rise fast in his firm, a fact that made him very attractive to Monica.

“Where are you right now?”  Rick smiled at the beautiful woman, sitting at his table, but was obviously thinking about something else.

“Sorry,” Allison returned his smile.  “I was thinking about Monica and her recent behavior.  Have I told you about my college experience with stalking?”  She could see him lose his smile and become uncomfortable, but it was no use to drop the subject now.

“No, you didn’t.”

“I was stalked by my roommate, who wanted to imitate me, be my only friend, and almost make me her property.”  It was hard for Allison to relive those painful memories, but she knew that Rick needed to know all the facts, in order to understand her.  “Annie was a very private girl, who had had a hard childhood and even harder school experiences.  We quickly became friends, but I had no idea that I was the only friend she had ever had.  When her behavior became too obsessive, I tried to put some distance between us, but that only made her try harder.  That is when the stalking began.  Annie started to follow me everywhere, to the point that I could not even go to the bathroom alone.  She imitated my clothes, started to attend my classes, even tried to insinuate herself into my family.” 

With every word, Allison was becoming more and more agitated, reliving the horrible events from a few years ago.  Rick was shocked to hear what she had to go through.  He wanted to offer comfort and protection, but when he tried to take her hand, Allison shook her head and continued.

“I had to do something, so first I asked for help the guidance counselor at the college and then went to the police.  They said Annie was suffering from some kind of disorder and needed special care.  She was sent to a clinic, and I never heard from her again, but it was horrible what I had to go through.  The constant watching, the fact that she wanted to be a part of everything in my life, the hiding, the lies... I don’t want to go through this again.”

“It is all my fault.  I dragged you into this.  I am very sorry Allison, but I really have no idea what to do.  She is acting crazy, and that scares me.”  Rick was desperate to make her understand that he needed her.

“I know,” Allison stood up and went around the table.  “Let’s go and watch some TV, I had enough of Monica for tonight.”

They cleaned up after dinner, and walked into the living room together.  Rick left the lights off, and pointed to the comfortable sofa in front of the TV.

“Allison?” he asked.  The man had been worried about her since they had learned that it was Monica harassing them both.  It did not matter that she wasn’t talking about it, Rick could easily gauge her fear, as it was palpable.

Allison sighed.  She turned to look at him, “Rick, I am okay.  I was just thinking.”  She had been doing a lot of that in the last couple of weeks since she had learned about Monica and her relationship with Rick had become more serious.  She was still afraid of her own feelings, but Allison was starting to come to terms with them.  She knew that her behavior was concerning him, though.

Rick’s gaze dropped to her hands.  She was holding them in front of her as a kind of protection against whatever was scaring her.  He moved towards Allison then, and reached out his hands with a soft smile on his face, “Can I?” he asked softly.

“Of course,” was her answer, and Rick smiled once again, as his hands covered hers.

“Hey there,” he exclaimed excitedly.  “There is nothing in this world that could separate us now that we have found each other.  I don’t know where this will bring us, but Allison, what I know is the fact that Monica, or anyone else for the matter, will not be able to keep us apart.  I like you very much, and want to get to know you better.”

Allison smiled at his words.  She loved seeing how excited Rick was about this, about them together.  She knew that there would not be any problem between the two of them.  Monica was the one she was most concerned about.  She was kind of cold and distant, while acting all caring and obsessed.  It bothered her, but she didn’t feel like bringing it up with Rick.

He pulled her into a hug, “How are you feeling, Allison?  Do you need anything?”

She rolled her eyes at him, “I am fine, Rick.  You don’t need to mother me.”

Rick smiled, “I just want to help, especially since I am the one causing the problem.”

“Don’t say that.  You are not to blame for the actions of that woman.  And I know that you want to help me, it is just that I don’t have an idea how to do so.”

“What would you say, if we just forget about it and watch some bad TV?”

“Because it is a little geeky does not make it bad.” 

Rick snickered, “Don’t be so dramatic.”  He reached for the TV remote, and laughed at her fake angry face.

“Oh Rick, you are... you are something else.”

*********************************

Chapter 2

“They say I am obsessed with Rick, but I see it as taking what is rightfully mine.  It is not about sex or even love and romance, no, he is mine and no one else is going to have him.  Those feelings inside me are becoming more demanding and seem endless – I cannot fight them.” 
Monica’s Diary
.

The next day after work, Allison felt a strange craving for popcorn.  Funny or not, it often happened that she would go out to the store for something as trivial as ice cream or popcorn.  She needed very little to be happy and many times, food was bringing her some relief after a stressful day.

Monica was still sending messages and calling her, and Allison could see that things were escalating.  The messages were becoming more personal, filled with small details, which showed that the woman was watching her every move.  It was unnerving, it was scary, and most of all it was making Allison fear about her relationship with Rick.

Everything between them was great at the moment, but there was no telling what the future would bring.  Dramas and problems like stalking could bring down much stronger and longer relationships than theirs.  What if Rick suddenly decided that she was not worth all the headache Monica was causing?  What if, after seeing her dedication, he decided that Monica was the one for him?  There were too many questions, and no answers able to calm her down.

Allison was so lost in her thoughts that she did not even see the other car until it was too late.  The dark blue vehicle hit her from behind, clearly trying to drive her off the road.  She panicked, and in her rear mirror; Allison could see Monica’s determined face and hard stare.  The woman was ready for murder.

It was hard, but Allison managed to remain calm, hit the pedal to the metal, and escape her stalker.  She could see the other car stopping and then turning around, probably satisfied with what she achieved for today.

*********************************

Monica watched the other woman get into her car and drive towards the nearby store.  She had been watching her house for an hour now; hoping that Rick would come, so that she could speak to him.  But this was even better.  Now she could show the bitch what she was made of and what she was capable of doing for the one she loved.

Monica waited for her to exit the store, and followed her on the way back home.  She already had a plan and was only waiting for them to reach the right place.  The road was passing near a small garden, which at this hour during the winter was deserted.  The space just opposite the garden was perfect for her plan, as it ran steep down, and was covered in too much snow.

When Allison’s car reached the spot, Monica gained speed and hit her from behind, aiming to bring the car out of the road and into the curb.  Allison, however, did not lose her cool and stepped on the gas, successfully escaping the trap.

Monica was a little disappointed, but not at all unhappy with how things turned out, as she was sure that the woman would be scared and would  soon be running for her life.  All in all, things had turned out better than what she imagined.

*********************************

Allison barely made it home, too shaken from what happened to even consider calling for help.  She used the remote control to open the garage door, and once inside the house, made sure that all doors and windows were closed and locked.  She was shaking and feeling the cold fear stinging at her heart.  Allison knew that her actions and thoughts were paranoid, but she could not act differently.

Monica almost killed her...

She grabbed her phone, and quickly dialed Rick’s number.  She needed someone here with her, and the first name that came to mind was his.  The man was slowly becoming an important part of her life, and Allison was almost afraid to think what would happen to her if he decided that it was too much for him.

The phone rang three times before Rick picked up. 

“Rick, you need to come here...” Allison sobbed into the cell phone, incapable of saying more.  “Please, just come...”

“What is wrong?  Are you okay?  Please, Allison, tell me something?”  He pleaded with her.  “I am coming, just wait for me...”

“Okay,” she muttered in a small voice, already feeling better by simply hearing his voice.  “I am okay, but something terrible happened.”

“I am coming... do not worry... I would be there in a few minutes...”  He hung up the phone, and Allison felt the cold returning, but the common sense that had saved her so many times before won over the panic, and she was able to go to the kitchen and drink some water.

Rick arrived in less than fifteen minutes, and Allison thought that he must have broken all the speed limits.  She saw him parking, and opened the door, locking it again once he was inside.  Then she threw herself into his arms seeking the comfort only Rick could give her.  Only when his hands came to embrace her trembling body did she allow herself to cry and relax a little.

“Come on, Allison, it is okay now.  I am here... stop crying...”  Rick spoke slowly, as if afraid to scare her more, and gently moved them to the living room.  “Tell me what happened?”

“Monica,” she sobbed out.

“Shit!” he exclaimed.  “What did she do this time?”

“I went to the store and on the way back, she ran at me with her car, almost forcing me out of the road.  It was horrible... I thought this was the end...”

Rick watched her horrified face, and felt the same terror clench his heart.  Monica’s obsession was becoming dangerous.  So far, it was annoying to have her follow them around, but now, now she was threatening the life of the woman he felt deeply about.

“Did you see her?  Are you sure it was really her?”

“Yes,” Allison almost cried out.  “I clearly saw her face in the mirror, and it was her blue sedan that hit my car.”

“This is horrible.  I wanted only to be sure, I wanted it to be a simple road accident.”  Rick wanted to calm her down.

“Would you stay here tonight?  I don’t want to be alone.”

“Sure, I will stay.”

“Listen, I know that until now I did not want to know much about Monica, but I think it is time for you to tell me everything about her.”

Allison looked so fragile and yet, Rick could see her whole body ready to fight.  This little woman was stronger than any other woman he had ever known.  She knew what was important, and had no intention to let someone else take it from her.

“Okay, I will tell you all I know about Monica.”

They adjusted their positions on the sofa, so that Monica was facing him, and Rick took her hands in his.  He felt a little uneasy talking about Monica, his ex, to his current girlfriend, but Allison had every right to know what the other woman was capable of, and what to expect from her.

“I met Monica at a business meeting a few months ago, and we went out a couple of times, before I started to see her for what she really was.  I actually ended it after only three weeks of seeing her.  So, Monica is the worst nightmare of every single man.  She is clingy, possessive, crazy to the point of driving you exasperated.  She was constantly calling me, using sex and her appearance to keep me by her side, and trying to force me to do things I would not normally do.”