THE PLAN

**A Body in the Living Room**

"This is not supposed to happen now! I have so many plans to make and so many things to do before all this nonsense," Juliet fumed. How could this man not wait? Why would he do the deed while I was at the office? How could he just act like that without even letting me know? Now I come home to see this mess—oh no, Donald has finished me!

What am I supposed to do with a dead body in my living room? She felt betrayed; after all, they had a plan they were supposed to stick to. Why would Donald renege on the deal? Why would he carry this out without telling her the plan had changed? She pulled out her phone and dialed Donald's number, shaking with fury.

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**The Phone Call**

He answered on the second ring. "Hello, Juliet. What is it? I'm having a hard time right now—it's not a good time to call—"

"How dare you tell me that, Donald, after what you just did!"

"Calm down."

"I should calm down? After the mess you caused in my house?" she shouted.

"Stop shouting at me, Juliet. It seems you're forgetting who you're talking to. How dare you raise your voice at me? This better be the last time, or else."

"But how could you betray me like this? Why didn't you let me in on the plan if it changed?"

"Shut up!"

"But—"

He interrupted her. "Just shut up, you fool! You don't go yapping on the phone about things like that. How dare you try to ruin me?"

"I don't understand. How can I ruin you when you just did the same to me?"

"Oh Lord, how did I get into a partnership with such an idiot?" Donald muttered. "I have always been a good manager. How did I even meet this woman?"

"You know I can hear you, Don."

"So what? Are you going to sing our plans to the whole world?"

"No."

"Then why are you here running your mouth, Juliet?"

"But how could you do it like that without my knowledge?"

"What are you even talking about, Juliet? What did I do?"

"Well, you know how we planned to kill my boyfriend so we can run away with his wealth?"

"Of course I do."

"No! It seems you don't know, and it seems like you don't care about the plan at all!"

"Why would you think that?"

"Because I just came home from work and Diddy is dead on the floor with blood everywhere! Now you see why I'm angry? We planned to kill him, but not like this! Why did you do it without telling me?"

Donald laughed—a hard, long laugh over the phone. Juliet grew even angrier listening to him. "What is so funny, Don?"

"Well, you must be joking, because I haven't been to that side of town in two months. In fact, I'm out of town as we speak. So if you think I did anything, you are dead wrong... unless you're just missing me and want those orgasms you crave so much, huh?"

"So if you didn't kill him, who did?"

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**The Dead Man Rises**

Suddenly, she heard someone clapping behind her. She spun around to see Diddy standing there, clapping his hands. She was stunned; the phone slipped from her hand, hitting the floor as Donald's voice faded out.

"So, what am I hearing, Juliet? Are we for real, or are we in Hollywood shooting a movie scene?"

"I'm sorry, Diddy, you wouldn't understand... it was just talk, I—"

Diddy cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Never mind, Juliet. You were planning to have me killed so you could take my property. Wow."

"I'm sorry."

Diddy laughed harshly. "Wow. You're sorry about having me killed and stealing from me? No remorse at all, Jully."

"I was just trying to see your reaction," Diddy continued. "I wanted to pretend to be dead to see how much you loved me—to see what you would do if you saw me lying there in a pool of blood. I went to the butcher and asked for a pint of blood after I told him my plan. He was kind enough to give it to me. I came back home to play dead, hoping to see you grief-stricken. But I was utterly disappointed. Not only did you do nothing, but I had to listen to you call your boyfriend to complain that he killed me without your permission! Why, Juliet? After all I've done for you and your family? After all the sacrifices I made to make sure you were comfortable? Why? SPEAK UP!" he shouted.

She broke down in tears. "I'm sorry! I never loved you! I've always been in love with Donald, but he's poor and can't give me the life I want. I thought I could get it from you."

Diddy laughed again. "Truly, you are a foolish woman. How did you think you could steal from me? What exactly would you take? This house and everything in it? They aren't even mine. This is all my elder brother's property. I'm just looking after it for him while he lives abroad with his family. He only comes back once a year."

"What!" she exclaimed. "You mean none of this is yours?"

"Of course not. My brother sends a monthly payment for the maintenance of the estate; that's why I can live a good life. But here's the worst part: your parents and siblings are in the other room. They heard every word we said."

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**The Family's Verdict**

Juliet froze. She ran to the doorway and found her mother weeping. Her father, Mr. Burna, was slumped in a chair, nodding his head and muttering to himself.

"Mama, Papa..." Juliet whispered, reaching out.

Her mother pulled back as if Juliet were a snake. "Don't touch me!" Mrs. Burna wailed. "Is this the daughter I raised? We struggled to give you a name, to give you honor, and you were planning to spill blood for money that wasn't even yours? You are a stranger to me!"

Mr. Burna looked up, his eyes red with shame. "I worked my fingers to the bone as a laborer just to see you through school, Juliet. I thought if I gave you an education, you would have the tools to build your own life. But you chose the path of a vulture. You wanted to reap where you did not sow. You have brought a curse upon this family's head!"

Juliet fell to her knees, crying and begging for forgiveness, but her father turned his face away. Her younger brother walked up to her, his face twisted in a way a ten-year-old's should never be. "Big sister, I'm ashamed of you. Uncle Diddy has been so kind to me. He pays my school fees and buys me clothes. Dad just told us he even paid our rent. And this is how you pay him back? Right when he was about to propose to you? You claim to love Donald? That creep tried to assault Melissa! I hate you."

Diddy walked into the room and turned to Mr. Burna. "I'm sorry, sir. It didn't work out as planned."

"My son, you are a good man," Mr. Burna said. "Please forgive me. I am to blame for my daughter's behavior. I failed as a father. Murder... she was planning murder. Oh no, my heart is broken."

"Please don't say that, sir," Diddy replied. "You have a good heart. Don't blame yourself for the actions of a Jezebel."

Mrs. Burna turned to Diddy. "How can you be so kind after this betrayal? Murder!"

"Please, calm down," Diddy soothed.

Juliet turned to them, sobbing. "I'm sorry! Please forgive me! It was the devil!"

"Yeah, and his name is Donald," her younger brother piped up. "It would be best for everyone if you just went to him now."

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**What Goes Around**

"That's true," Diddy said firmly. "Pack your bags and get out of my house. Besides, Melissa and I have agreed to marry. She always suspected you and suggested this 'surprise' to see the truth."

Mr. and Mrs. Burna looked at each other and then at Diddy. "Yes," her father said. "We accept."

They all walked out, leaving Juliet alone to cry and beg to empty walls. She hurried out of the house, grabbed her phone, and dialed Donald. He answered on the third ring. "What is it now?"

"Donald, I'm in a mess. I need you. Please come back to me."

"Sorry, Julie. I'm busy. Besides, I'm at my wedding—it's about to start. Don't call me again." He hung up.

Juliet stood in the street, shocked, screaming words that made no sense. She felt as if the world was crushing her; she couldn't breathe. As she walked aimlessly, her mind already spinning with thoughts of revenge, she was struck by a hit-and-run driver. The impact crushed her spinal cord, leaving her in a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

The Moral Lesson

Juliet’s tragedy serves as a haunting reminder that trust is a fragile gift, and once shattered by greed, it can never be fully mended. She sought to build a life on the foundation of another man’s hard work, failing to realize that wealth obtained through deception is a hollow prize.

True prosperity is not found in the pockets of others, but in the sweat of one's own brow and the integrity of one's character. To depend on the wealth of others is to live at the mercy of their whims; to work hard for your own is to truly be free. In the end, Juliet lost everything—her family, her love, and her future—because she valued a shortcut over the slow, honorable climb of honest labor.

Enjoy this story, read The Price Of Freedom