by E. L. Todd
***
“Don’t panic!”
“Don’t panic?” Troy asked incredulously. “You just told me I might be out of a job! I just bought a beach house. What do you mean don’t panic?” He paced my living room with tense shoulders.
“It might not even go anywhere,” I said. “Isabella hasn’t even contacted me.”
“That doesn’t mean she isn’t going to. She’s probably planting evidence and building a case as we speak!” His eyes were about to pop out of his head.
“Stay calm.”
“You stay calm!” He pointed at me.
“I am calm,” I said quickly. “Look, we’ll get through this. We just have to be smart.”
“Let’s kill her,” he said seriously. “I have a few friends that know about this stuff.”
“We aren’t killing anybody,” I said immediately.
“I’m not going to let this bitch ruin my life. The gig we have is incredible. I’m making half a million a year. I’m not giving that up!”
I grabbed his shoulders and steadied him. “Hey, we’ll be okay.”
He pushed me off. “I told you to be careful. You didn’t listen to me.”
“I am careful.”
“Then why are we in this situation?” he demanded.
“It has nothing to do with me,” I said. “Don’t blame me. We’re just unlucky.”
“I’ll say…”
“The only other option I have is betraying Aspen and I can’t do that.”
He put his hands on his hips and stood in the middle of the room.
“What?” I asked. “You want me to throw her under the bus?”
He was quiet for a long time.
“She’s the victim in all of this.”
“No,” he whispered. “I don’t want you to screw her over. She’s a really nice person.”
I breathed a sigh of relief, glad he was on my side. “I’m sorry this is happening. But there’s a chance that it might not go anywhere. It’s not like she can prove I had sex with her.”
“She can just get another guy to do it and leave evidence.”
“Well, unless the guy steals my cum, he’s going to have a hard time pretending to be me.”
“That’s true,” he said, sounding a little more optimistic.
“Don’t worry the guys just yet,” I said. “Let’s handle this on our own before we bring them into it. No reason to cause a panic.”
“You’re right,” he said.
I clapped him on the shoulder. “We’ll get through it. We always do.”
“I hope so, Rhett. I hope so.”
Aspen
Rhett seemed off lately and I couldn’t figure out why. He was extremely distracted and seemed to be thinking of other things when he was with me. He wouldn’t tell me what was on his mind but he said I wasn’t the cause of his distress. He promised me so I decided to stop worrying about it. Rhett was still with me all the time so I didn’t think he was having doubts about our relationship.
Meanwhile, guilt was eating me alive. I felt like I should tell him about John. The incident was two weeks ago and nothing happened since but I still felt deceitful. I just loved what Rhett and I had and I didn’t want to ruin that by bringing up John, someone I loathed. It didn’t make sense to me.
I couldn’t tell if Rhett was the jealous type but he might be. He said he didn’t like it when I spoke to Rich at the bar. It might push him away, and he was already acting odd so I didn’t want to give him another reason to be distant.
I decided to keep it to myself. If something else happened with John, then I would come clean. If not, I would let it go. Since John and I already said everything that needed to be said, I didn’t think there was any reason for us to cross paths again. It was over—for good.
When I was in my office, Jane spoke over the intercom. “Mr. Lane would like to see you in his office.”
“Thank you.” I finished my email then headed for my father’s office. Dad never called me, usually saying whatever he needed to say over the phone. But when he did, he made me walk all the way to the other side of the building like a show animal. It irritated me beyond reason but I held my tongue.
I knocked on his door then stepped inside. I froze when I saw someone I hoped I’d never see again. John was standing near the desk, his hands in his pockets. Dad was sitting in his chair, spinning a pen through his fingers.
When will this nightmare end?
I walked forward, keeping my composure. “You want to see me, sir?”
“Sit down,” Dad commanded.
I hated being told what to do. I loathed it. But I did it anyway, acting like an obedient dog.
Dad rose then came around the desk. “John and I were just talking about you.”
I eyed him, giving him an obvious look of hate. I didn’t bother dimming it in front of my father. That’s how pissed off I was. “Oh?”
“He told me he made a mistake by being with Isabella. He apologized to me for over an hour,” Dad said.
“Over an hour?” I didn’t mask my sarcasm.
Dad either ignored it or didn’t pick up on it. “He seems really sincere.”
“Well, I forgive him,” I said quickly. “Can we move on now?”
“That’s wonderful news,” he said. “I always hoped you two would find your way back to each other.”
“Whoa…what?” My eyes widened in confusion.
“John asked for my permission to marry you,” Dad said. “Of course I gave it to him.”
I rose to my feet, the anger consuming me like a lit firework. “What?” I couldn’t process this. I couldn’t handle it.
“I want you to marry John,” he said. “Rhett is a fine young man but John has always been my pick.”
I tried to keep my breathing calm but I was struggling. I’d been mad a lot during my life but I’d never been this blindingly angry. “Even though he cheated on me and humiliated us?”
“Him coming back to you restores that good faith,” Dad said with a stupid smile.
“Or makes me look pathetic for going back to a cheater!”
“No one is going to think that,” Dad said with a wave. “And John’s company combined with yours will make us unstoppable.”
I turned to John. “Did you even break up with Isabella before talking to my father?”
“Of course, I did.” His eyes didn’t contain his sincerity.
“Liar,” I hissed. “I know you, John. I know when you bullshit.”
He looked away and avoided my gaze like a coward.
“So you have her to go back to if I say no.” I shook my head. “Despicable.”
“If you say no?” Dad asked. “You’re saying yes. This is the perfect arrangement.”
I turned to my father. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” he said. “This is what I want.”
I almost screamed. “But it’s not what I want. I’m in love with Rhett.”
“He’s a fine young man,” Dad said. “But he’s just not right. John can give us everything we want.”
I shook my head and tried to stay calm.
Dad seemed to know I needed some privacy. “John, wait outside please.”
“Of course, sir.” John walked out and shut the door.
I fantasized about throwing my father off the balcony of his office. And watching his body break as it hit the street. Perhaps I’d become hateful and dark. But I was too far gone.
Dad continued when we were alone. “Aspen, this is the best move.”
“I’m not marrying him.” I wouldn’t compromise on this. Never. No way.
“You will,” he said coldly.
“Forget it,” I said. “I won’t change my mind.”
He stiffened, like he’d been slapped.
Take that, asshole.
He stared me down with his conference room eyes. “Aspen, you want this company, don’t you?”
This had to be a nightmare.
“If you don’t marry John, I won�
��t give it to you.” He said it simply like he didn’t really care about the conversation. “I won’t compromise on this.”
I breathed hard, feeling my heart slam into my chest like it might give out. My eyes burned from tears that emerged from anger. I’d never been so poorly treated in my life. My father was my biggest tormentor. He made Isabella look like a butterfly. He would forever hold the company over my head, and he would forever make my life miserable. I wanted him to die. I wanted him to disappear. I just wanted him gone. “I don’t want the company.” My voice came out surprisingly calm.
Dad’s eyebrows raised, like he hadn’t understood me. “Excuse me?”
“I don’t want it.” My voice came out stronger. “I wanted to run this company because I know I would do the best job. Maybe the only thing that’s important to you is money, but that matters the least to me. Leaders care about the common good, not the self-interest of one selfish man. I absolutely hate it here. I hate seeing you every day. I hate having you as my boss. I’ve been biding my time because it’s my duty to make the world a better place.
“But I’m done with your bullshit. You’re the coldest and cruelest man I’ve ever known, and every time I look at you, I feel sick inside. Vomit forms in my throat and it never stops. You disgust me. Disgust me.” I’d never been so cruel in my life. I’d never said such mean things. But I couldn’t stop.
Dad stared at me blankly, his thoughts and emotions unknown to me.
“I am not a mare that you can pick a stud for. I am not a cow that you can pick a bull for. In case you forgot, I’m a human being with thoughts and feelings. And more importantly, I’m your own daughter. But you’ve never cared about me. When John broke my heart, I lost fifteen pounds and cried in the bathroom every day at lunch. You never noticed the weight loss or the redness in my eyes. Whenever you brought it up and I would cry, you commanded me to stop. I’m sorry I’m not a farm animal that can be as emotionless as you want. I have feelings as any normal person does, and if that’s displeasing to you, I don’t care.” My eyes started to burn and the tears fell. “Tell me to stop. Tell me to knock it off. Dismiss me!” The warmth fell down my cheeks and into my mouth. I didn’t wipe them away, not caring how I looked or how I sounded.
“You’ve been the worst father to me, and you’re a terrible human being. Instead of standing beside me and being the crutch I needed, you made me feel pathetic for John leaving, like it was my fault. When he came in here and asked to speak to me, you were supposed to punch him in the face. That’s what a real father is supposed to do, not shake his hand and give me to him. You’re a monster.”
Dad didn’t move. He hardly breathed. He just stared, looking at me like I was a TV.
“No one has ever hurt me the way you have, and stupidly, I’ve tried to get your approval for more years than I can count. I took golf lessons so we had something to do together, but when I showed you how good I was, you called me a dyke.” The memory burned painfully. “A dyke…”
Dad finally looked down.
“You wouldn’t survive without me running this company. You just hit a golf ball around and schedule lunch dates with your buddies. You take lavish trips with your stupid bimbos but you’ve never even taken me out for ice cream. You raised a pathetic excuse for a son but you don’t acknowledge a single good quality I possess. And when Mom was in the hospital…” My voice faltered. “You never came to see her. When she lost her mind, you never held her hand and made her feel safe. When she went senile, you didn’t even check on her. The second she was sick, you abandoned her. I was the only one who took care of her. Maybe you paid the medical bills but that doesn’t matter. What I did mattered. How do you sleep at night? How do you continue this existence of utter meaningless? If I died, would you care? If I were in the hospital, would you even send me flowers?” I knew the answer. “No, you wouldn’t. I mean nothing to you. There’s no one on the planet that means anything to you.
“I’ve put up with this treatment for too long. I’m not going to sit here and let you treat me like this. No. No. No. So accept this as my resignation. I’m officially out of your life.” I gave him the meanest glare I could muster before I headed to the door. But I stopped and turned back to him. “You haven’t acknowledged my birthday in ten years even though I get you a gift every year. You’ve never spent Christmas with me, forcing me to spend it with Harper. You’ve never made me smile. You’ve never made me laugh. And there are days, like today, when I wish you would just die.”
I walked out and shut the door behind me.
John stared at me, concern in his eyes. “Aspen—”
I slapped him as hard as I could. The hit came out of nowhere. My actions were uncontrollable. “Go back to Isabella. You two are perfect for one another.” I didn’t look at him again as I marched to my desk.
Jane watched me with sad eyes. “Aspen, are you okay?”
I grabbed a box and quickly stuffed anything important inside. “I just quit.” I sniffed then wiped my tears away. “He’ll hire someone to replace me by tomorrow.” I grabbed my box and purse and approached her desk. “It’s been a pleasure, Jane.” I quickly shook her hand then walked out, grateful I would never have to step inside of that prison again.
***
I called Rhett the moment I got inside my apartment.
“Hey, Battleship.”
It was so nice to hear his voice. It sounded so upbeat, so warm. My horrible day almost melted away just at the tone of his voice. “Can you come over?” My voice was full of tears.
His voice turned serious. “Are you okay, Aspen?”
“Can you just come over?”
“I’m on my way,” he said. “I’ll be there as soon as I can, okay?”
“Okay,” I whispered. I hung up then stood in the kitchen, unsure what to do with myself.
Two minutes later, he burst through the door. His blue eyes were wide with panic, and he immediately came to me and cupped my face. The pads of his thumbs brushed my tears away. “Aspen, I’m here. It’s okay. I’m here.”
I wrapped my arms around him and held him close. My head rested on his shoulder and I closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of him in my arms. It was hard to stay angry when I felt something this incredible. I had a love all women wished for. I had a man who loved me for who I was. He was my best friend as well as my lover.
“Talk to me,” he whispered.
I finally stopped crying then leaned back and faced him. “My dad told me he would only give me the company if I married John.”
Anger burned in his eyes. Now they were gray, smoldering, and threatening.
“So I quit. I got so angry that I exploded and told him off for everything he’s done to me…I told him I wish he were dead.”
“Good,” he said. “You had every right to say that.”
“I just couldn’t do it anymore. How could he want me to marry a man who hurt me so much?”
“You don’t deserve that, Aspen. I’m glad you quit. You made the best decision.”
“I wanted the company but…”
“It’s okay,” he said. “There are other ways you can pursue your passion. There are other ways you can help the environment. This isn’t the end, Aspen. It’s never the end.”
I nodded and my breathing returned to normal.
“You’re going to be so much happier now,” he said. “And don’t stress about money. You can live with me until you find a new job—or live with me permanently.” He smiled slightly.
“Are you asking me to move in with you?” I asked with a light laugh. “Right now? Really?”
He shrugged. “If your answer is yes, then yeah, I’m asking. If your answer is no, then I’m just an insensitive jerk.” He rubbed his nose against mine. “Do you have an answer?”
“I’d love to live with you.”
He beamed. “I knew that’s what your answer would be.”
“God, you’re cocky.”
He chuckled. “I just know how much my girl loves me.
I knew how much you wanted the company…marrying John would have been a simple solution.” His eyes filled with emotion.
“You’re the only man I would ever consider.”
“I know.” He stared into my face, affection in his eyes. “This actually worked out for me as well.”
“Meaning?”
He sighed. “About a week ago, Isabella threatened to destroy my company if I didn’t tell your father I was an escort. I said no, obviously. And she just served me today.”
My jaw dropped. “What…why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I knew you would have told your father and lost everything you were working for.” His thumb moved down my cheek then rested on my neck. His eyes glowed like a thousand stars in the night sky. “I couldn’t let that happen. I knew how important it was to you.”
“But not more important than you.” That bitch really had no limit to the terror she would cause. She would do anything to make someone miserable. “That’s not even fair. She’s my problem, not yours.”
“We’re family,” I said. “What’s mine is yours.”
Rhett was a treasure I never expected to find. He came in such a pretty package but I never expected him to be so pretty on the inside as well.
“I’d never betray you, Aspen. You know that.”
“I do,” I said quietly.
“And I knew you would never marry John to get what you wanted.”
I shook my head dramatically. “I would never marry him. Period. He came to me last week and tried to get me back. I kicked him out of my office. The sad part, he’s still with Isabella. Is that the most messed up thing you’ve ever heard?”
“No,” he said simply. “It sounds like John and Isabella are the opposite sides of the same coin. They should get married.”
“They really should,” I said. “And that’s just sad.”
His hands moved to my shoulders and he looked down into my face. “It looks like our lives just got a million times better. Chase is my brother again, going to ball games and the movies, and you’re finally free of that tyrant you call a father. I think we need to celebrate.”
“That I don’t have a job?” I teased.
