by E. L. Todd
“I don’t know…he probably wants to be alone.”
“You won’t know until you pay him a visit.” He kissed my temple and let his lips linger.
“I guess I can try.”
“You want me to go with you?”
“No, it’s okay. Shower and eat dinner.”
“What did you make?” he asked.
“Actually…nothing.” I’d been sleeping all day and playing with Cedric.
He chuckled. “I can manage. I used to feed myself before I got married. I can do it again.”
***
I knocked on the front door with Cedric bundled in my arms.
Mom opened the door, her usual warmth absent. “Skye, now isn’t a good time…”
“I know. But I thought Cedric might cheer him up.” Cedric always made my day wonderful.
Mom continued to stand in the doorway, like she was unsure if she should let me in. “He’s not himself right now. He’s taking everything very hard.”
“Like always,” I said. “Which is why he needs us. At least let us say hi.”
Mom reluctantly opened the door wider. “He’s in his study.”
Dad was hardly in there so things must be really bad.
I walked up the stairs to the second landing then approached his office. The door was cracked slightly and hardly any light was stretching across the floor. I gently pushed it open and saw the lamp on in the corner. Dad sat behind his large mahogany desk, a bottle of scotch pressed to his forehead like it was keeping him cool.
I’d never seen him this low.
“Dad?”
He slowly lowered the bottle then looked at me with dark eyes. He seemed confused, like he wasn’t sure if this was a dream or not. He blinked a few times before he focused. “Skye? What are you doing here?”
“Cedric and I wanted to visit.” I sat in the cushioned armchair facing his desk.
“You shouldn’t be here.” The anger was in his voice. He wasn’t himself at all, and then I realized he was drunk. I’d never seen my father this way. It was a new side to him.
“Actually, I think we should be here.”
He poured another glass of scotch and downed it like water. He didn’t seem to care that I was there at all.
“Dad.” I kept my voice gentle so he wouldn’t snap. “You’re better than this.”
“Not according to the entire country,” he said bitterly. “I’m some sleazebag that lies to my wife and tries to screw a prostitute. I hang out in strip clubs and try to catch tail. Instead of being home with my family I’d rather be a drunk. No, I’m not better than this…”
Dad had been through a lot but I’d never seen him lose his way like this. “Don’t let it bring you down like this. You’re stronger than that.”
“I’ve done so much for so many people…and then it’s just taken away from me.”
“Who cares what that stupid whore said,” I said. “I know the truth. So does Mom. Everyone that you’re close to understands what really happened. Never once have we doubted your story. You’re the greatest man I’ve ever known.”
That pulled him out of his stupor slightly. But like a shooting star, it disappeared just as quickly as it arrived. “I’ve let everyone down. I’ve let your mother down.”
“No, you haven’t,” I said gently. “Mom knows you would never do that.”
“Its humiliating,” he whispered. “The stripper said she would keep her mouth shut if I paid her twenty million dollars. The money doesn’t mean anything to me, but if I paid her it makes me look guilty. I shouldn’t have to do that so I didn’t. But maybe I should have…”
“You made the right decision. She’s not getting Preston money for lying. That’s not how it works.”
“But this is much worse. I used to be the definition of a family man. Now I’m some fallen angel. People look at me like I’m some kind of disgusting pig.”
“Dad, you’ve never cared what people thought of you. Why do you care now?”
“Because it affects my family,” he whispered. “I don’t want Cedric to grow up in a world where everyone says his grandfather is a liar and a cheater.”
“He wouldn’t believe it anyway.”
“It might…since it’s all he’s ever known.”
He really had hit rock bottom. I rose from the chair and came around the desk with Cedric in my arms.
Dad stared at me with a raised eyebrow.
“Take him.”
He held up his hand. “No.”
“Dad, it’ll make you feel better.”
“I said no.”
I pulled his arm down then forced Cedric into his chest.
Dad immediately grabbed him like I thought he would. He supported his head and kept him close to his body. He looked down at him, love glowing in his eyes.
“This is what really matters, Dad. Us.”
Dad didn’t pull his eyes away from Cedric’s face.
“Don’t listen to what everyone else is saying. Who cares what’s in the papers. Nothing has changed with us—your family. Always remember that.”
Dad pulled Cedric closer to him then kissed him on the brow. “You’re right, pumpkin.”
I grabbed the bottle of scotch and threw it away. “No more drinking.”
“Okay…”
“And no more pity parties.”
He kept looking at Cedric. “Okay.”
“Remember, you’re just hurting Mom when you act this way.”
His eyes filled with pain, like that was the worst thing he could possibly do. “You’re right…”
“So, no more. Okay?”
He nodded. “Okay.”
Chapter Nine
Sean
I handed Riley the check. “I want everything you can find on her.”
He nodded and shoved the check into his pocket. “If there’s anything worth knowing I’ll find it.”
“Thank you.” I found the best PI in the city, and I was sure he would deliver everything I needed.
“I’ll let you know as soon as I find something.” He shook my hand then left.
Mike walked in a moment later. “How’d it go?”
“Good, I hope.”
“If she’s a stripper then she has skeletons in her closet,” Mike said. “He’ll definitely find something and you’ll be able to discredit her over night.”
“Hopefully.” Instead of taking the heat lying down I decided to fight fire with fire. If this woman was going to ruin my reputation, then I was going to ruin hers. If she thought she could take down a Preston, she was stupid.
“Is there something I can do?”
“Just make sure I don’t drink.”
Mike eyed the bottle of scotch on my shelf. Then he snatched it. “Done.”
I knew he was going to enjoy that all by himself but at least he would be responsible. “How’s Conrad?”
“He’s fine,” he said. “He’s at home.”
“I’m glad he’s okay. Good thing he’s so tough.”
“Yeah,” Mike said. “And good thing Lexie didn’t take off.”
After what she did I didn’t think it was possible for everyone to still hate her. “She was admirable.”
“Cassandra is coming around…I am too.”
“At least you know she’ll always be there for Conrad when he really needs it.”
“I guess…”
“Just let it go, Mike. Accept her into your family again. We both know our kids have done some unforgiveable things.”
“Like?” Mike asked.
“Well, Skye lied to Cayson about cheating on him so he would go to California.”
“True,” Mike said with a nod.
“And Conrad had an affair with a married woman…” All of the kids had done something terrible at some point in their life. “Roland did the exact same thing.”
“Yeah…I guess you’re right.” Mike put his hands in his pockets. “Conrad really loves this girl so…she’s here to stay.”
If some
one told Scarlet not to be with me after what I did to her, I wouldn’t have the most amazing life right now. I messed up and really hurt her, but I spent the next twenty years making it up to her. And I think I did a pretty good job. “It’ll get easier as you go along.”
“Yeah…probably.”
***
Scarlet and I didn’t speak over dinner. I didn’t have much to say these days. In the back of my mind I was always thinking about all the rumors going on around me.
“Have you heard anything from that PI?” Scarlet asked. She munched on the brussel sprouts on her plate.
“No, not yet.” I hoped he wouldn’t take too much longer.
“What are you hoping to find?”
“I don’t know…something that will make the public not believe a word she says.” If I had to reveal something that could ruin her life, I didn’t care. I had every right since she tried to blackmail me. And then she went on national television and told a bunch of lies.
An eye for an eye.
“I just want this to go away,” Scarlet said with a sigh. “I don’t want vengeance.’
I did. “It will, baby. Just give it some time.”
She sipped her wine and looked down at her plate.
“I’m sorry I’ve been so…inhospitable lately.” I was ashamed of my behavior, actually. “I let it drag me down too much and I know it’s affected you.”
“It’s okay, Sean. We all struggle sometimes.”
It didn’t matter what I did or said, she always forgave me. I don’t know what I did to land such an incredible woman as my wife.
My phone rang in my pocket so I fished it out and looked at the screen. “It’s Riley.”
“Answer it.” She set her fork down and watched me.
I took the call. “Hey, Riley. What do you have for me?” I put the phone on speaker phone and set it on the table. “My wife is on speaker phone, just to let you know.”
“Hello, Mrs. Preston.”
“Hey, Riley,” she said. “Call me Scarlet.”
I preferred Mrs. Preston, actually. “You have anything, Riley?”
“I couldn’t find any real dirt on her, sir. I’m sorry. She’s just a young kid that needs money, in a nutshell.”
I sighed in disappointment. “Can you elaborate?”
“Her mother has been admitted to the hospital for breast cancer. Her insurance isn’t covering much of it so it sounds like she took the stripping job for the cash.”
I stared at my plate for several seconds. Of all the things I expected him to say, that wasn’t one of them. “Her mother has breast cancer?”
“Yes, sir,” Riley said. “I stopped by the hospital and was able to get some information. It’s stage three. She has a chance of getting better, but not unless she has the right treatment. Everything is paid out of pocket.”
I was speechless.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t find something more, sir.”
“It’s okay, Riley,” I said. “Thank you.”
“Let me know if you need anything else.” He hung up.
I stared at Scarlet, my mind crammed with thoughts.
“That’s so sad,” Scarlet whispered. Despite what this woman had done to my family, Scarlet pitied her.
And so did I. “That’s why she blackmailed me.” It was a perfect opportunity to get the money she needed for her mother’s hospital bills. She did what she had to in order to survive.
Scarlet nodded slightly.
The girl was only nineteen years old and she was about to lose her mother. She agreed to take off her clothes for a bunch of sleazebags to keep her mother alive for another day.
And here I was trying to get my vengeance.
I felt like shit.
“That poor girl,” Scarlet whispered.
When my mom had cancer, it was the hardest period of my life. Seeing my family go through that pain, especially my father, was heartbreaking. My family and I had all the money we would ever need so my mother got the best care in the country. But this girl didn’t have that luxury.
“Just leave it alone, Sean,” Scarlet said. “The damage has already been done anyway. Nothing we do at this point is going to reverse that, and if you accuse her of blackmailing you to save her mother you’ll just look like an ass.”
“I would never do that.” That was the last thing on my mind.
“Then what are you going to do?”
Something that didn’t make any sense.
***
“How much does Mrs. Rose need for her treatment?” I managed to book a meeting with her physician, Dr. Santos. He was the chief of medicine at the hospital, and the best oncologist on the east coast.
He scratched the back of his head and flipped through her paperwork. “The disease is advanced. Even if we invested everything we had the chances are still less than twenty-five percent.”
“I don’t care about that.”
He sighed and did the calculations. “With everything, including a hospital room, you’re looking at over a million dollars. This is under the assumption insurance isn’t involved. If she had better coverage the cost would have been completely different.”
I pulled out my checkbook. “Whom do I make the check out to?”
Dr. Santos stared at me in disbelief. “Mr. Preston, I’m not oblivious to everything that’s in the media. This girl stabbed you in the back on national television and you’re going to help her?”
“She’s scared and doesn’t know what to do,” I whispered. “If I were in her shoes and I had to save my mom I would do the same thing.” I wrote out the amount on the check. “Now, whom do I make it out to?”
He saw the determined look on my face and knew I wasn’t going to change my mind. “The billing department. New York Oncology department.”
I finished the check and handed it over. “Thank you for everything you’re doing for her.”
He eyed the check before he placed it into his folder. “No. Thank you, Mr. Preston. We need more men like you in the world.”
***
Scarlet had dinner on the table when I walked inside. “Hello, dear. How was your day?”
I hung up my coat and set my briefcase on the counter. “It was okay. How was yours?”
“Good. I watched Cedric.”
“That’s nice.” That kid was the cutest thing I’d ever seen. Being a grandfather was a special gift and I treasured it. I didn’t feel nearly old enough to be a grandfather, and I certainly didn’t look it. But that didn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it.
“He’s still here,” she said. “He’s down for a nap.”
I came into the kitchen and gave her a kiss. “Good. When will he be awake so I can play with him?”
“Probably in an hour,” she said. “Skye and Cayson wanted some alone time today.”
“That works out for us.”
Scarlet set the table and placed a frosty beer in front of me. “Anything interesting happen today?”
I had to tell her what I did. She would realize a million dollars was missing out of our bank account. “I went by the hospital and spoke to Angie’s mother’s doctor.” Angie was the stripper. I found out her name because it was plastered on every newspaper stand.
“You did?” Instead of eating she just stared at me.
“Yeah. And I paid for her medical bills.” I had no idea if Scarlet would be pissed or happy.
Scarlet’s face was unreadable. She stared at me like she didn’t even know me. Seconds stretched into minutes and nothing was said.
“I know I probably shouldn’t have done it but—”
“That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”
It was?
“Sean, you’re the most compassionate man I’ve ever known. That’s why I married you.”
“You don’t think it was a bad idea…?”
“The fact you helped her after what she did to you…is admirable. You did the right thing.”
My chest relaxed now that I knew she was okay with
it.
“No one else would have done that, not after she told the whole world a bunch of lies. But you’re different.”
“She’s so young…” I shrugged because I didn’t know how to express myself. “She didn’t know any better.”
“And you understand that.” She grabbed my hand across the table and stared at me affectionately. “I married a good man.”
***
“Let me get this straight…” Mike paced in my office, his arms across his chest. “She blackmails you for twenty million dollars and when you don’t give it to her she tells the world what a pig you are. And then you go pay her mother’s medical bills?” He stared at me like I was a psychopath. “Please explain to me how that makes any sense.”
“It doesn’t.” The sympathetic part of me was making all the decisions. “She only blackmailed me because she’s desperate for the money. She’s a nineteen-year-old who dropped out of college to take care of her mom. Come on, she was desperate.”
“Then why didn’t she just ask for a million? Why twenty?” he snapped.
I shrugged.
“You’re making all these assumptions. Maybe she is a conniving little brat. Maybe she was going to take the money and not give any to her mom at all.”
“I don’t believe that…” The PI explicitly said she was trying to look after her mom.
“A million dollars is a lot of dough…even for us. She didn’t deserve it, Sean.”
“Probably not,” I said. “But she’s drowning. She’s a stripper, for crying out loud. She hit rock bottom. You and I don’t know what that’s like because Dad has always taken care of us, but there are people in the world who don’t have that kind of luxury.”
Mike sighed like he knew I was right. “But that still doesn’t mean—”
“It’s done,” I said. “I used my own money so it’s not like I took it out of the company account.”
“That’s not why I’m upset,” Mike said. “I just don’t want someone taking advantage of you.”
“It was anonymous so she won’t know it’s me.”
“And you think she’s just going to blindly accept that?” he asked incredulously. “That some random rich person donated all that dough?”
Mike was giving me headache. “Dude, it’s done. Let’s just move on.”