Stranded

by Chance Carter

  My stomach dropped and my blood turned cold. “Okay,” I said, my voice shaking.

  “I was alerted this morning by the bank.”

  Walter’s whole demeanor had changed. He was cold, serious, stand-offish.

  “Derek has transferred a sum of fifty-thousand dollars out of his account. They thought it was strange, and I was contacted.”

  I began to panic. I felt like a deer caught in the headlights. Suddenly, I understood that this was the version of Walter that Derek spoke of. Cold. Unattached.

  “Initially, I wasn’t concerned. But I was with Mr. Harrison when I heard, and he prompted me to investigate further. We looked into the Rittsman Enterprise database, and discovered that you were only just hired as an intern last week. A secretary there confirmed that you had come in for the interview, and that she got the impression that you and Derek had never met before.”

  I couldn’t meet his eyes. I glanced over at Marshall, who smiled wickedly at me.

  “I hope you have an explanation,” he said. “Because this doesn’t make an ounce of sense.”

  I couldn’t lie to Walter. I didn’t want to. He deserved the truth.

  “I don’t know what to tell you,” I said, my voice cracking.

  “Start with explaining what’s going on,” he said, his impatience evident.

  I hesitated, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to come back from this. And Derek, he would hate me. This would ruin our new found relationship.

  But I had to own up to it. It was what was right.

  “I didn’t know Derek until last week,” I admitted. Walter’s face crumbled. “I met him when I was applying for an internship at the firm. Later that night, we ran into each other, and hung out. He told me about you. And came up with a plan. He said that if I posed as his girlfriend and… and pretended to be pregnant, it would make you happy. It would help you die in peace.”

  Walter’s face was stone. Marshall looked like a snake that had won the lottery.

  “I was hesitant,” I said. “But agreed. I wanted to help him. I liked him a lot. I convinced myself that it was the right thing to do.”

  “The money,” Marshall reminded me.

  “He wanted to pay me to do it,” I said. “But I didn’t want it! I didn’t do anything for money. I told him not to give me anything.”

  “Sure.” Marshall’s eyes became slits, and he smirked. “That’s what you claim, Miss Parker. But the evidence points otherwise. You saw someone vulnerable—a man grieving his ill father—and decided to take advantage of him. You sold yourself for a vacation and some pocket change.”

  “That’s not true!” I said desperately.

  “Isn’t it?” Marshall crossed his arms. “Listen to what you did, Miss Parker. Not only did you claim to have a long-term relationship with a stranger, you went so far as to fake a pregnancy with him. That sounds like mentally disturbed behavior, if you ask me. But you’re trying to tell me that you wanted to what, make Mr. Rittsman feel better?” He laughed. “That’s ridiculous, and it’s insulting that you believe us so stupid to believe that.”

  “But—”

  “You already confessed to it,” Marshall said. “There’s not much you can say for yourself. You’re only making it worse by trying to defend your inexcusable actions.”

  I turned to Walter, praying that he would understand, that he wouldn’t turn away from me. “Please.”

  “You lied to me,” Walter said, his old voice trembling, with sorrow or with anger, I wasn’t sure. “And now I feel as if I have lost both a daughter and a grandchild at once. That is an immense pain, Amy. And knowing that my son would do this… I am astonished. I am wrecked. I trusted you.”

  “Derek only did this to please you,” I said, my words carrying more blame than I intended. I was panicking, though, lashing out. “He said that this was the only thing he could do to win your satisfaction, before it was too late. He was desperate. I couldn’t say no.”

  “Of course you could have,” Marshall said. “You barely knew the man. You still barely know him.”

  “But I do,” I said, gesturing wildly with my hands. “I do know him, now. And you, Walter. This past week, I’ve gotten to know both of you. And you feel like my family. This feels like home. I’m not here because I want money, I’m here because I genuinely care about Derek and you. I really did think that lying to you was the best thing.”

  “But you didn’t take into account that I would find out,” Walter said. “Your scheme was hitched on me being a blind fool. How can you say you care for me, when you sat across the table from me and batted your eyes and promised me a grandchild that is never going to exist? I know women like you, Amy. I’ve married women like you. You’re just after the money.”

  His words felt like a slap across my face. “I don’t know how I can prove to you that I’m not.”

  “Tell us why you were so inclined to help Derek with his crazy plan,” Marshall said, shrugging. “A reasonable explanation. That’s all it takes, Amy. But there isn’t one. Because you know, as well as Mr. Rittsman and I, why you’re here, and what you wanted from this experience.”

  I looked between them, the words escaping my mouth before I could even process what I was saying. “Because I love him.”

  Both of them froze. Marshall stared at me, then started laughing, a harsh, barking sound.

  “Love, Miss Parker? You claim to love this man, who you met less than a month ago. Oh, and he just happens to be an older, wealthier man who needed a young, pretty lady with whom he could fool his father.”

  “I do.” I had never been so certain of anything, or so desperate to prove it. I understood, on a rational level, that it was insane. I knew how it looked. But I had to show them the truth. “I love him. From the second I saw him, I was drawn to him—and he was to me. I know it. There is something between us that is magnetic and irresistible. Yes, we made a lot of stupid mistakes. But this past week has only brought us closer. I can’t imagine my life without him. I didn’t do it for the money, Walter, I did it for your son. I would do anything for him. Anything in the world.”

  Walter stared at me. I could see in his face that he wanted to believe me, but his reason wouldn’t allow him to. He had been lied to too many times in his life already. He had been taken advantage of so much that he couldn’t recognize the truth in my words.

  “You need to leave,” he said.

  “Please,” I cried. “I know I lied. But only about the situation. Everything I’ve felt has been real. You’re like a father to me, Walter. I don’t want to lose that.”

  “Don’t make this more unpleasant than it has to be,” Walter said. “You’ve been caught and called out, Amy. And you need to leave my estate now. Because I did grow fond of you, I’m not going to pursue any legal charges, despite Mr. Harrison’s advice to the contrary. But if you ever return here, ever attempt to contact me, or my son, that will change immediately. And I will be on guard. You’ve broken my heart, Amy. There is no forgiveness for that.”

  He turned away, tears in his eyes. I was already crying.

  “Wait,” I said taking a step toward him. “Please. I’m sorry. I can… I can explain better, or…”

  “Escort her out,” Walter said to the two security guards. One of them wrapped their hand around my upper arm, pulling me, not gently, toward the door. “And call her a cab.”

  The security guards practically dragged me away. My mind was frozen. My legs didn’t work. I felt like I was breathing too rapidly. My chest was caving in, and I was overcome with nausea. The whole world was spinning.

  Marshall followed us out, walking next to us as the guards led me all the way out the front door, down the long, winding driveway, and to the gates, where we waited for the cab to arrive. The guard finally released me, even though I hadn’t been putting up any struggle. I put my hands on my knees, trying to steady my breathing.

  There has to be a way to fix this. But my thoughts were too scattered. I couldn’t come up with a solution t
o this problem that I had brought upon myself.

  “I did warn you,” Marshall said, so smugly. I stood up and turned to him, shocked that any human could be so vile, that he could take so much pleasure in turning someone’s life upside down.

  “Excuse me?” I said.

  He smiled coolly. “I told you that I would catch you. I knew exactly what you were up to, and I wouldn’t stand for it. You had plenty of chances to end it, but you chose to drag it out. You’ve brought this upon yourself.” He shrugged his thin shoulders. “Of course, if I were Mr. Rittsman, I would have sued you for fraud, or extortion. It wouldn’t be hard. He has the money to wave his hand and have you in prison for a long time. But the old man is too soft for that.”

  I stared at him. “You. You made him suspicious of me. You encouraged him to dig deeper.”

  “Sure. He was too blind to see that you were manipulating him. So when the money turned up, and he was ready to say it was just a gift, I prodded the bubble. I called the firm. I figured out what was really going on. I pieced it all together. You’re welcome.”

  “But you were wrong,” I said. “About me.”

  “Am I, though?” He rolled his eyes. “Please. You can drop the facade now. It’s only more embarrassing for you to keep insisting that your motivations were moral. We all know you’re just a greedy bitch.”

  I punched him across the face before he could see what hit him. The guards leapt forward and grabbed my arms as I screamed at him.

  “Fuck you,” I yelled. “I had something good in my life. I felt more safe and happy and loved than I ever have before, and you took that away from me for no reason other than your own twisted pleasure. Fuck. You.”

  Cupping his nose in his hand, which was streaming blood, Marshall glared at me for a few seconds before turning and heading back to the mansion.

  I shrugged off the grip of the guards, and turned toward the street, trying to contain my tears. I couldn’t show how completely crushed I was. The despair washed over me and I felt lost.

  The cab finally pulled up. I climbed into the back seat. It occurred to me that I didn’t have any of my things. I didn’t care. All I could think of was Walter’s disappointment. And Derek, what would he think of me now?

  Chances were, I would never see him again. That was the worst part.

  As the vehicle pulled away and the mansion faded from view, I finally broke down.

  Chapter 24

  Amy

  It was a long ride home.

  I felt like I couldn’t breathe. My hands shook as I held my phone. Thoughts of Derek barraged my mind.

  The memory of the disappointment and betrayal in Walter’s eyes scorched my mind. His anger felt like lashes upon my back. He had become like a father to me, and having that so harshly ripped from me was more painful than I ever would have imagined.

  And never seeing Derek again… that thought sent me into a full-blown panic.

  I tried to calm myself down. It’s going to be alright, I told myself. You’ll be fine. You survived without him before.

  Being around Derek had changed me though. He had given me confidence. I was more certain, more self-assured. His constant appreciation of me taught me that I was worthy of love.

  But, now that he was gone, I wasn’t sure I would be able to keep that, either.

  Of course you can. Just because he helped you realize it doesn’t mean that your value is determined by him.

  I thought about that for a few minutes and then I finally decided. I wouldn’t go back to the awkward, self-conscious person that I was before Derek, because that would mean forgetting him.

  Derek was unforgettable.

  Finally, the cab driver dropped me off at my apartment. I fished some cash out of my wallet, all that I had on me, and gave it to him, thanking him for the ride. He took it and didn’t say another word before he sped off.

  Feeling more wretched than I ever had in my life, I made my way up to my apartment building, unlocked the door, and walked in. It felt so empty, so small, especially without my dog there to greet me.

  God, I was so alone.

  I went to the kitchen to find something to eat, but nothing looked appetizing. So, I closed the fridge and went to my bedroom, where I fell onto the bed, buried my face in the pillow, and cried.

  I had messaged my sister that I would be home early and that she could bring Zeus home, but didn’t give her an explanation as to why. I was still laying face-down on my bed, about an hour later, when I heard her knock on the unlocked door, then open it, followed by the sound of Zeus’ huge paws racing across the floor.

  The bed shifted as the Saint Bernard jumped up and laid on top of me, covering me in his slobber. I rolled over to hug him, burying my face into his soft fur. At least he would always love me, no matter what I did.

  “Oh man, he missed you,” Abby said, standing in the doorway. She looked at me, noticed my tear-stained face, and stopped. “What’s wrong? Oh, no, Amelia. What happened?”

  “I screwed up,” I said, my voice quiet and hoarse. Zeus licked my cheek.

  Abby sat down on the bed beside me, pulling me into her arms and hugging me tightly. “It’s okay, dear. I’m sure we can figure this out. It’ll be okay.”

  “I don’t think it will, Abby.” I took a deep breath, trying not to spiral into sobbing despair again. “Derek’s father found out. About the lie. He threw me out. He thinks I was taking advantage of them, for money. He threatened me, told me that I can never see Derek again.”

  Abby stared at me, surprised. “Holy shit, Amy. That’s… I mean, pretty crazy, for one.”

  “It’s my fault,” I mumbled. “My fault for thinking I was doing the right thing. It was stupid of me to imagine that I could really live that sort of life.”

  “Oh, that’s not true.” Abby patted my back.

  “I made fifty thousand dollars for tricking an old guy into thinking I was pregnant,” I said flatly. “That’s pretty unacceptable. I deserve this.”

  Abby rolled her eyes. “Don’t be so melodramatic. Let’s look at the situation, okay? You met some rich, sexy billionaire, right? Had lots of fun with him. Then he asks you for a favor, right? And you’re like, sure. That’s normal. Maybe not a common occurrence, but I don’t think anyone would have acted differently in your shoes.”

  “But the favor,” I said, “was lying. And I got paid. I didn’t want the money, but does that really even matter?”

  “Of course it does! Listen to yourself, Amelia. You’re upset. You’re not thinking straight. Let me be your voice of reason. I know you. I’ve known you all your life. And I can say with complete certainty that you are the most selfless, generous, caring person that I have ever met. You would take any chance to help anyone, even if it meant hurting yourself.”

  “Yes, but—”

  “But nothing. Derek asked you for help. You gave him your time, your energy, your attention. Those things are invaluable, Amy.”

  “And I’m never going to see him again.”

  Abby studied me. “You really like him, don’t you?”

  I nodded. “Yeah. It was more… it was more than the deal we had, Abby. We really got to know each other over the week. To be honest, it’s gotten to the point where I can’t imagine my life without him. I don’t want to.”

  “Are you sure,” Abby said carefully, “that you feel this strongly about him? You’ve only known him for a couple of weeks. Could it be a very serious infatuation?”

  “I know how it sounds,” I said. “And I am sure. I can’t explain it. But I’ve never been so completely drawn to a person. Fuck, Abby. He’s wonderful. I don’t want to lose that. For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m living. I feel good, and happy, and like I’m worth something.”

  “Oh, Amelia. You don’t need anyone to be that.”

  “I know,” I said. “But he helped me understand what I was worth. And I never… I never told him how much he means to me. And now I’ll never get the chance. I was too scared that h
e wouldn’t reciprocate, that he would be scared off or weirded out. I would give anything, anything in the world, to see him and tell him. It doesn’t matter what he says, just that he knows. I could live with myself if I knew that he knew.”

  Abby grabbed my hand. “I believe you,” she said. “I can tell. He really means something to you. I have faith that you’ll see him again, Amy. Trust the universe.”

  I looked at her, tears finally breaking through the barrier. “Do you really think that?”

  “Absolutely. These sorts of things always find their way.”

  “Thanks, Abby.” I rested my head against her shoulder. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “That’s what sisters are for.” She kissed my cheek. “Now, how about we run to the store and rent some hardcore horror movies, and have a movie night?”

  I lifted an eyebrow. “Horror movies, really?”

  “Oh yeah. I have discovered that popcorn and a good scary movie are way better than ice cream and a chick flick for dealing with a breakup. Instead of feeding your heartache, you’re crushing it with terror, adrenaline and buttery goodness. Trust me.”

  “Alright,” I said. I would try anything, at this point, to get Derek off my mind.

  Some twenty minutes later, we were at the drugstore. While Amy was looking through the movie rental kiosk, I went inside to buy some candy and popcorn for our movie night.

  As I was walking through the store, one of the employees busy sorting a shelf caught my eye. She seemed familiar, but it took me a moment to realize who it was. Madame Zee, of all people. She looked wildly different, dressed in the store’s uniform, her bright hair pulled back in a tight bun. But she still had that mysterious, knowing look on her face.

  A psychic with a day job, I thought.

  I turned away, but she called out to me.

  “I remember you,” she said, lifting a finger and pointing. I turned back, smiling. “Devil, Lovers, Empress. A fascinating read.”

  I nodded. “Yup, that’s me. Or, just Amy, if you like.”