Worthy

by Evie Matthews

  Caitlin suddenly felt uneasy. Audrey’s words came across like a thinly veiled warning.

  Standing up, Audrey went to the bar and claimed her abandoned glass of wine. “I don’t want to mince words with you, Caitlin. You seem to be a fine woman. I’d like to know if what is it that you want from my son?” Audrey asked haughtily, her voice sounded condescending.

  Caught off guard, it took Caitlin several seconds to respond. “I…I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “Is it money? I can give you the money you want.” Audrey did not raise her voice but her words cracked in the air like a whip, lashing at Caitlin.

  Shocked, Caitlin could only gape at her. Surely, she did not hear her correctly.

  At the look of her stunned face and feigned innocence, Audrey felt irritation bubble up inside her.

  “Okay, I’ll be blunt. I have a copy of a newspaper article showing you with an older man—Senator Palmer at his hotel room taken just this week.” Audrey’s eyes pierced through hers as she handed her the newspaper.

  Caitlin gasped when she saw the pictures and read the malicious article. The page headline read, “Is Sebastian Avery Smitten With Senator Palmer’s Mistress?” Caitlin reeled in shock. The newspaper had a picture of her and Sebastian along with some furtive photos of her and Gordon on several occasions. One showed her kissing her dad on the cheek in the entrance of his hotel room and another enjoying dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.

  Given that they were alone and the public had no clue about her real connection with Gordon Palmer, they were bound to assume she was his mistress.

  “I had to pay several hundred dollars to have this page removed from the paper. A concerned friend alerted me just in time. No mother would want her son to be dragged into this kind of scandal.” Audrey said wryly.

  Caitlin obstinately kept her silence. She did not want to blurt out words she would later regret. She also knew she had to protect her father. She could not defend herself and tell Audrey that Senator Gordon Palmer was her father. It would not only sound absurd to her, it could put her father’s bid for re-election next year at serious risk.

  It was the reason why her father had asked for her understanding. He was just waiting for the elections to end before he could publicly acknowledge her as his daughter. Gordon simply did not want his daughter to be used as a pawn in the dirty and cruel world of politics. Apparently, the precautions they’d taken were not enough.

  “I don’t know if you love him or it’s just for the money but this gossip is bound to leak sooner or later. I refuse to have my only son dragged into this mess.” Audrey continued her little tirade.

  Audrey’s words were not menacing at all. Those were simply the words of a mother protecting her son, as any mother would do. Caitlin knew it and fully understood her. But the unfair accusations cut her to the core. Even if she could explain and correct the misconception, it would not change one thing—she does not belong in their world. In her eyes and the rest of the world, she would never be good enough for Sebastian Avery. And so Caitlin was forced to endure the biting words in silence.

  “I really don’t have any objections to whom Sebastian chooses to bed. But I do want to have a say when it concerns his future and the future of our company. I won’t have the Avery name sullied.” Audrey continued.

  Despite her resolve, tears started to roll down her cheeks. For over a week, she’d made herself believe they were ordinary people and that everything in her life had finally started to fall into place. That finally, she would have a little ray of sunlight in her bleak, problem-riddled existence. That the fates were finally smiling down on her. Sadly, reality had a jarring effect on what had seemed to be a fairytale romance. Like her mother, she was deemed undeserving of a happy ending.

  History had somehow repeated itself, Caitlin though cynically. Now, she can imagine how her mother must have felt when her father could not marry her because she was not born rich and did not belong in their elite circle.

  Caitlin somehow had a fairly good idea how this would all play out and she did not want any part of that. She had been through a lot in life, but she refused to just stand there and allow people to trample on what little dignity she has left.

  These people can be so malicious and wicked, Caitlin though disdainfully. If only they knew the truth. Her tears were falling in earnest.

  “Listen, I don’t know your story—why you do what you do—but Shawne’s death was a devastating blow to us, Caitlin. I just want to protect my family from further pain.” Audrey said quietly, her voice quivering with emotions.

  It became clear to Caitlin now. Audrey was asking her to stay out of Sebastian’s life. “Here… take this.” Audrey handed her an envelope, which no doubt contained a cheque—the price of leaving Sebastian.

  Hiking her chin, Caitlin looked at Audrey squarely in the eye. “Save your money. Believe it or not, I don’t want any of it.” It was as if someone had slapped her over and over. These rich people are so full of themselves, Caitlin thought scornfully. They think their money is the solution to everything.

  Anytime now, the dam holding her turbulent emotions was bound to break. Her muscles quivered in her effort to control her tears. She needed to get out of there and fast, she thought as she furiously wiped the tears.

  Summoning her last ounce of courage, Caitlin stood up and hiked her chin up. “Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Avery. I hope you understand I cannot stay long. I will leave it up to you to come up with an explanation on my behalf.” Caitlin said coldly as she hurriedly grabbed her purse and turned to leave.

  Audrey watched Caitlin walk away. She was not proud of what she had done but she knew in her heart it was the right thing to do. Sebastian has a very promising future ahead of him and she certainly would not watch anyone trample that.

  After half an hour, the father and son finally stepped out from the library, laughing. Roarke was tapping Sebastian’s back, “I can’t wait for you to join me, son. We’ll make a great team,” his voice reflecting his pride.

  “Me too, dad,” Since Shawne’s death, this was the very first time the family had bonded again and Sebastian realized he missed his parents.

  Looking around, his eyes naturally searched for Caitlin. He only found his mother in the living room nursing a glass of wine. Sitting beside her and kissing her forehead, “Where’s Katie?”

  “She said she had to leave.” Audrey feigned casualness.

  Startled, Sebastian sat straight and looked at his mother incredulously, “What? How—where is she?” Sebastian demanded.

  “I told you she already left.” Audrey repeated.

  Looking at the no-nonsense face of his mother, he stood up to look around. Roarke gave Audrey a hard look, getting the idea that she was behind Caitlin’s sudden exit.

  “What did you tell her, Mom? Surely she would not simply get up and leave without a reason.” Despite his mounting anger, Sebastian forced himself to control his temper.

  “I just showed her this. Maybe you should read it too, since I paid handsomely to silence it.” Audrey handed him the newspaper and walked out. Roarke followed his wife to their bedroom.

  Upon reading the headline and a couple of lines, Sebastian was reeling in shock. There was no denying the fact that it was Caitlin with Senator Palmers. The picture showed her wearing the same clothes she’d worn several days before when she went on a date with him. Had she been stringing the Sebastian and the Senator along?

  He found it difficult to believe but the evidence was right before him. And the fact that she had walked out without offering any explanation could only mean she was guilty as hell. Just when he thought he had her all figured out, she turned out to be one scheming, opportunistic bitch! Given that Caleb was now well, there was no other explanation for it. Money drove her to stoop so low and sell her body to the highest bidder.

  Vaguely, he knew he should be grateful for his mother’s intervention. Once again, she had managed to save him from making a great fool of himself and
breaking his heart into million little pieces in the process—not that he isn’t hurting right now. The betrayal left a foul taste on his tongue.

  After his talk with his father, Sebastian was well aware that any form of scandal could be detrimental to their business. The real estate market had still not recovered from the economic downturn and any scandal, no matter how small could be considered a chink in his father’s armour.

  He stared at the newspaper for several minutes. His mother claimed she paid just to have it removed from circulation. Heaving a deep breath, Sebastian walked up and knocked at his parent’s bedroom. He could hear the sound of the two arguing.

  “Still, that does not give you the right to meddle in your son’s affairs. You have no right, Audrey. You are his mother. Stop playing God!” Roarke’s voice was thick with anger. For years, he had come to rely on his wife overseeing their personal affairs. Despite her unorthodox ways, he knew she always had their best interest in mind.

  “You don’t understand. You will never understand. Can’t you see?! A heartbreak on top of Shawne’s death could shatter Sebastian! I am merely protecting him.” Audrey responded with equal fervor.

  “Protect? Protect from what Audrey? If you continue acting like this, you will drive your only son away and you have yourself to blame!” Sebastian’s father pointed out vehemently, trying to talk some sense into her.

  “Yes! I am protecting Sebastian! In case you have missed the newsflash, that girl is Senator Palmer’s concubine and your son is too smitten to see through her!” Audrey is now livid with righteous indignation. As far as she is concerned, she is only doing her role as a mother.

  The shuffling sound at the door made the two look towards Sebastian, who stood there with a grim expression on his face. Silence filled the room. The two men were still reeling from the bomb Audrey had dropped. Despite her domineering ways, Sebastian had never taken his mother for a liar. And she could not have faked the photos.

  “It’s okay, Dad. Mom is right, you know. She’s one hell of an actress,” Sebastian said derisively. Had it not been for his mother, she would have continued stringing him along in her grand scheme and been made to look like a huge fool for all the world to see.

  “Sebastian, I’m sorry honey. I didn’t mean to break it to you like that.” Audrey went to him, arms outstretched.

  Without a word, Sebastian turned about and left. He is too numb to feel anything. He thought Shawne’s death was the most painful thing he ever had to endure—this one made him experience the same hell all over again.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Caitlin did not know how she managed to board the bus and made her way back home but somehow she did.

  It was a good thing her mother wasn’t home to ask her about her trip. She honestly didn’t think she could deal with it.

  Lying in her bed, she tried to replay the scene with Audrey over and over again, as if exorcising herself from the pain. Despite the hurt, she understood where Audrey was coming from. Caitlin would not want to sully their family name in any way. She just had to learn to accept and live with the fact that she does not belong in Sebastian’s world.

  Sebastian must have read the paper by now. Caitlin could not help but flinch at the thought. She knew he would hate and curse her for it and she could not to do anything to defend her herself.

  Their love story was rather short-lived, but it was filled with so many memories. At the thought, tears started streaming down her eyes. Without holding back, she allowed her emotions to flow freely, grieving at the loss of love and of what might have been. So this is how it feels like to have a heart broken, she mused. She felt gutted.

  Amanda arrived home from work in the early morning. Checking to see if Caitlin was already home, she peeped in her room. The bedside table cast a warm glow across Caitlin’s tear-stained face.

  Amanda stared at her daughter for a while. Her baby had become a grown woman and she was too busy to notice her transformation. Now that Caleb was on his way to full recovery, Amanda intended to stick to one job and resolved to spend more time with her family.

  Caitlin woke up at the sound of the floorboards creaking only to see her mother looking down at her sitting on a corner of her bed. “How was your trip?” Amanda asked softly.

  Caitlin sat up and hugged her mother, tears falling again in earnest. Despite the questions racing through her head, Amanda simply held her daughter and allowed her to cry. It was heartbreaking to watch her daughter cry in anguish. More so when she knew she could not do anything about it.

  When Caitlin finally felt she had regained her composure, she told Amanda everything that transpired in New York. As she recounted her conversation with Audrey, Amanda just listened, tears falling down her face. She never thought her daughter would also suffer the same dreadful fate as hers. If only she could spare her the pain.

  After a while, Amanda held Caitlin’s face between her hands and looked deeply into her eyes, “I need you to be strong, Katie. You will learn to put this behind you… like I did. Whether we like it or not, life goes on.”Amanda said softly, smiling sadly.

  “I know, Mom. I know. It’s better this way.” Caitlin answered quietly. The light in her eyes seemed to have been snuffed out. It all seemed unfair. She’d walked away without vindicating herself or clearing her name. But then, life is never fair. She just had to roll with the punches.

  Caitlin reported back to work that night. Even on a Monday, Caprice was packed. Shannon was her usual vivacious self, prodding her for some details on her New York trip. Her friend certainly had no idea what happened, otherwise, she would never bring up the topic.

  Trying to mask the pain, she put on a brave smile and promised Shannon to fill her in on the details after work., She just has to learn to survive and put the past behind her—starting today. Life certainly knows how to throw those curve balls, Caitlin thought mockingly.

  When they finally got off of work, Caitlin invited Shannon at a nearby cafe. She knew she owed Shannon the truth. Besides, if she is not made aware it was over between her and Sebastian, her friend would no doubt hound her nonstop for details.

  For the second time that same day, Caitlin recounted the events. This time, she was devoid of any emotion. She had cried it all out already.

  “Oh, Katie, I am so sorry to hear that. I don’t know what to say.” Shannon said, reaching out to squeeze Caitlin’s hand.

  Quirking her eyebrow, Caitlin teased, “For real? Lo and behold, Shannon’s speechless,” laughing softly.

  “Well, when I think about it, I would like to give Sebastian’s mother a piece of my mind, if given the chance,” Shannon’s feistiness coming through.

  Caitlin simply smiled in response. She no longer wants to dwell on what happened but simply move forward.

  After a few minutes of silence, Shannon was still staring at her intently.

  “What?” Caitlin demanded, looking puzzled at her friend’s unusual behaviour.

  Laughing softly, Shannon revealed, “I’m sorry. It’s just that… I still cannot believe you’re a daughter of a United States senator. When you think about it, the resemblance is quite stunning. You have the same eyes.”

  Caitlin chuckled in response. She never really dwelled on it. In many ways, her father was still a stranger to her but she was grateful for the effort he had put in to catch up with the lost time.

  After a while, Shannon brought up the question that has been nagging her, “Don’t you think you owe Sebastian an explanation?” Shannon asked softly, her eyes looked worried.

  “What for? The truth won’t change anything. My father will not be able to protect me. I still don’t belong in his world, Susie. It’s better this way.” Caitlin said firmly.

  By keeping her silence and walking away, Caitlin will be able to protect the two most important men in her life. She simply wants to avoid the drama and save everyone the heartache—even if it meant hurting like hell in the process.

  “But Katie, don’t you think Sebastian needs a
chance to decide for himself? I’m sorry I have to point this out but the way I see it, you and his mom have sealed the deal for him. I think you owe him the truth.” Shannon persisted.

  Heaving a sigh, Caitlin just avoided her eyes and simply shook her head in response.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Sebastian had still not returned to New Jersey. Instead, he chose to spend the next two days drinking in his hotel room. Despite the numerous calls he received from his mother, he simply chose to ignore every single one.

  If anyone else had ever told him Caitlin was a kept woman, he would have punched that person in the face. It was too ridiculous to ever consider. But the picture tells otherwise and sadly, pictures don’t lie.

  He never would have thought she was capable of going through such an elaborate ploy and be with a man more than twice her age. She must have been very desperate. But then again, wasn’t money the reason why he got to know Caitlin? Inasmuch as he would like to understand her desperation to save her brother, it was just too much to take. Bottom line was, he’d fallen for a high-class prostitute. There was no way to sugar-coat the fact.

  Sebastian barked out a humorless laugh. He fell for her trap hook, line and sinker and he hated her for it. He had come across scheming women in the past and he was quick to see through their facade. This one had certainly caught him off guard.

  After several days of drinking away his misery, Sebastian finally decided to join the rest of the living. Before he returned to New Jersey, he decided to drop by his father’s office.

  Roarke was in a middle of a boardroom meeting when he was informed Sebastian was in his office waiting for him. Excusing himself, he stepped out and greeted his son warmly.

  “Sebastian! You’re here.” Roarke was smiling widely as soon as he entered the room. Sebastian was standing by the window, looking out at the busy streets outside.