Married life was wretched for me. Jake had big plans but he was too feckless to make a success of anything. He had lots of get-rich-quick schemes but somehow it was always the other guy that got rich. We just seemed to get poorer. I got a job in a hairdressers as soon as Tina went to school so we had a bit of money coming in. I worked hard and enrolled in night school and soon I landed a better job as a rep for a hair products company. By the time I was thirty I was running my own business with three beauty salons.
By that time Jake was completely useless. He drank, he whored around and he'd developed a worrying gambling habit. He'd never been much use in bed and he hadn't touched me for five years. I was happy though. At fifteen Tina was delightful. She doted on her useless father but treated me more like a big sister. So when she went into her rebellious teenager stage he got the worst of it. When she came out of it at seventeen she and I were best friends. The business was still growing nicely and we were comfortably well off -- or so I believed.
People said we looked like twins -- shameless flattery of course -- but we did look very similar. Same 5' 5" height, same 34:27:36 figure, same perky C cup breasts, very similar oval face and green eyes -- my chin is a bit more pointy. Tina's hair is very pale gold where mine is more red-gold.
I was very surprised when Jake and I were invited to a posh day at the races by one of his 'business contacts'. He rarely even talked to me anymore so I couldn't imagine why he'd included me instead of one of his regular tarts. When we got to the racecourse we were shown up to a suite in the main stand overlooking the race course. There was a huge security guy standing in front of the door. He examined our tickets and opened the door. As we walked into the suite a handsome guy walked up to greet us. He took both my hands and said "You must be Mary. I've been looking forward to meeting you!" He ignored Jake completely.
Jake wandered off to the bar while the good looking charmer put his arm around my waist and led me to the other end of the room. A waitress came by with champagne and my new escort took two. As we sipped and chatted I was more relaxed than I had been for months. I wondered how Jake could have swung a jolly like this?
After half an hour and another glass of champagne I was actually feeling happy. Then Richard -- my host -- said "Before the races start there's something I need to discuss with you. Would you step into the office?".
"Of course." I said, oblivious to the undertone in his voice.
He escorted me to a door a few feet away and we entered an office/bedroom. He closed the door behind us and went to the desk. He picked up a sheet of paper and handed it to me. It was Jake's gambling account. He owed £653,761.74.
I staggered back and sat heavily on the bed.
I looked at him. "How could this happen? How could you let him be so stupid! You must have known he couldn't possibly pay it back!"
He explained: "His debt to us was less than half of that. When I found that he'd been betting with six other syndicates I began to realise how deep he was in. He has no credit left anywhere in this country and he's been blacklisted by all the online outfits. He's a gambling addict though. He will find a way to bet again. I bought his depts off the others at 50p in the pound."
"Why have you brought me here?"
"To offer you and your daughter a way out. He has signed over your house and your business to me but he's still short."
I felt light-headed and my heart was beating wildly. I started to shake uncontrollably and things started to grey out. I wanted to cry but some how couldn't get my breath.
I must have passed out because the next thing I knew I was in the bed. My shoes had gone but otherwise I was still dressed. Richard was sitting in an arm chair by the bed, watching me. I started to cry.
Richard knelt by the bed and held me until I stopped crying.
"What do you want of me? Are you going to take everything I've worked so hard for?"
He squeezed slightly and kissed my forehead. "There's worse to come yet."
"What else could he possibly do to me?"
"He's promised that after we have taken everything you own you will pay the remaining debt to the syndicate with your body."
I stiffened and fought free of his grip. "He couldn't! He wouldn't do that to me! He is completely useless but he loves me! And our daughter!"
Richard stood and walked to the TV. He turned it on and returned with the remote. He played the video. There was no doubt, Jake had sold me -- and our daughter -- to this man and his associates. It was a long, rambling, cringing display of cowardice. Some bits will stay in my memory for a long time.
"The millstone is a useless shag really. No real sense of cock. But her cunt is still tight and her body's ok if you like 'em skinny. The kid's the same but she hasn't lost her cherry yet so you can break her in for me."
He was wrong of course. Tina gave her virginity to a sweet boy named David the year before. She'd told me what she was planning and I made sure she was properly prepared. On the night Jake was away somewhere and I was next door in my bedroom. They were so happy and the next morning she was radiant. David was so solicitous and proud as a peacock -- as he had every right to be. It's not often a young boy gets to pluck a cherry as sweet as Tina's. That relationship lasted a year but she still talks very fondly of David.
But I didn't say any of that to Richard.
"I am not responsible for his gambling debts and my daughter is certainly not!"
"Legally you might have a point. But by the time we've been through the courts you won't have any business left. You can't fight me and work at the same time. And Chrissie will suffer badly. She won't get to university -- if she's lucky she'll end up stacking shelves."
"She hates being called Chrissy." I said absently. "What do you want of me?" If I had to have sex with this man to protect my daughter then so be it but he wasn't touching Tina!
"If you'll spend a week with me at my house in Crete I'll pay all his debts. You'll keep your house and your business."
I thought for a while. This was too good to be true. But how could I keep Tina out of Jake's hands while I was away? And how could I stop him running up more debts while I was away?
Richard waited patiently while I thought it over.
"Well? What do you think?" He smiled. "I'm not that repulsive!"
He was in fact very attractive. If he'd tried to sweep me off my feet he'd probably have met with little resistance.