Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 70185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Still, she’d been kind to Mom and me these last few years, so there was a chance that things might go back to normal before long. All of that was making my anxiety even worse because I had no idea what Marcus’ next move was going to be.
I thought for sure that once he found out that Paul and I were having an affair, he’d fire us both, but instead, Paul got a promotion, and I hadn’t heard a peep about my job being in jeopardy.
Still, I can’t forget the angry twenty-two-year-old who had promised retribution for his mother’s death. I’d so wanted him to notice me, to acknowledge me as his sister now that his dad was married to my mom. But that never came, and so I’m left with this image in my mind of a vengeful person who was out to harm Mom and me.
I knew, even at that age, that having an affair with a married man was not the right thing to do, but Dad had died, leaving us penniless, and as Mom had explained, Marcus’ Mom wasn’t one of us; she didn’t belong.
She proved herself to be weak anyway, didn’t she? By taking her own life because her husband left her. She’d waited until after Marcus graduated to do it, even though she had known for about a year at that point.
Now I understand how easy it is to fall in love with someone, whether they’re married or not. How can you be held accountable for falling in love? If Paul and I had met at the time he got married, we wouldn’t have been able to be together because I would’ve been a minor in the eyes of the law. So isn’t it better that we met when we did?
Besides, Paul is an up-and-coming corporate executive. He needs someone like me on his arm, not some frumpy housewife.
I dragged him away from watching the car leave and headed for my car, which we’d driven in together this morning since we both had to be here at the same time. I’m not sure that I like her being here or being that close to my brother.
Why hadn’t she told him about Paul and me? And more importantly, how did she get the job working so close to him? There was nothing going on between the two of them because they were never seen together, and she always seemed very professional whenever I spied on her moving around the building.
But I can’t shake the feeling that something is very off. I’ll have to remember to ask Mom what she thinks when I see her next weekend. She’s away on one of her spa weeks to rejuvenate herself and will not be reachable until then.
Dad had asked to be left alone for the time being since he didn’t want to talk about losing his job. I’m pretty sure he’s worried about telling Mom. At fifty, she’s still much younger than him, and I think sometimes he fears that she will leave him.
But I know Mom, and she’s not going anywhere as long as the Devereaux business is still running. There’s no way she’d let Marcus have it all. I’m sure she’ll know what to do.
KAREN
“What do you mean the card is declined? Try it again. That’s a corporate account; there’s no way it can run out of money.” I hate dealing with these low-level humans who are so poor at their jobs.
“Sorry, Ma’am, but it’s still saying declined. No wait. One moment, please.” That’s more like it. He walked away to use the phone, and I waited none too patiently. I had a plane to catch to my next destination before returning home to my husband, and I was running out of time dealing with this.
“Ma’am!”
“Excuse me?” I glared at the officer who tried taking my arm. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“You’re going to have to come with us, Ma’am.”
“What? Why? Get your filthy hands off me.
“For using a stolen card.”
“What?” What a joke. “Are you insane? Let go of me.” What the hell is going on? I was cuffed, kicking and screaming, and taken to the car that was waiting outside and thrown carelessly into the backseat like a common criminal.
I screamed at them to let me call my husband, but they both ignored me until we reached the station. “I’ll have your jobs for this. I want my phone call.”
“Knock yourself out.” He pointed to the grimy-looking phone, and I wiped it down carefully before dialing my husband’s number, which I barely remembered.
I didn’t have my cell phone on me because I stupidly left it in the room when I went down to check out, so I didn’t have to rush at the last minute. This place still does things the old-fashioned way, which could be a real pain like now.