“You’re so lucky. I wish I could find some rich dude to fall in love with me. Sadly, the only guys I attract are broke assholes.”
I laughed as she continued to complain about the men she’d dated. Hearing her horror stories made me realize just how lucky I was to be with Robert. I’d needed to talk to someone like this. Sarah’s excitement calmed my nerves. I had made the right decision. I was doing the right thing.
I made a quick stop to Bob’s office on my way out to let him know that I would no longer be staying in his office at the gym. He seemed surprised that I’d moved in with my boyfriend, but only wished me well. The girls had waited outside of his office and I met them at the door to leave together.
After chatting together for a few more minutes, Sarah waved at Junie and me as she headed to her car on the opposite side of the parking lot. I’d parked next to Junie this morning, so we walked across the lot together. I glanced over at her, but she refused to meet my eyes. She hadn’t said a word about the ring on my finger, but I had a good idea of what she was thinking. Junie had never approved of Robert, and now that I was engaged to him, I doubted if she had changed her mind.
I mumbled a good-bye to her as I headed to where my car was parked. I was surprised when she called my name. I turned back around to see her standing where I’d left her.
“Yeah?” I asked.
“Do you love him?” she whispered the words, but she might as well have shouted them at me.
I flinched before I could stop myself. “I care a lot about him, Junie.”
“But you don’t love him,” she said.
“I won’t hurt him.”
She looked at me, sadness filling her eyes. “I never said you would. It’s not you that I’m worried about, Claire. Men like Robert don’t think like the rest of us. He’s rich and powerful. He didn’t get that way by being a nice guy. I just don’t want you to be played or hurt by him. Please think about that before you go through with this.”
The pain in her voice made me wonder just who her ex-husband was. All I knew about him was his name—Jack. Anytime she’d mentioned her divorce, I had sensed her pain, and I hadn’t wanted to pry and cause her more anguish. Now, I felt like I needed to know.
Before I could ask her any of the questions burning through my mind, she was already in her car and pulling away from me.
I was surprised to see that Robert’s car wasn’t in the garage when I arrived home. He’d mentioned the night before that he would be home early. I checked my phone, noting that I had no missed calls or texts from him either.
I shrugged it off as I climbed out of the car and headed inside. He had probably ended up working later than he planned or had errands he needed to take care of. Maybe he’s trying to arrange our wedding, I thought grumpily.
The house was completely silent as I climbed the stairs and turned down the hallway to my room. I raised an eyebrow in surprise when I noticed my bedroom door was partially open. I always closed my door, probably out of habit from living with foster siblings for so long. I assumed that it must have been the maid who had left it open, which is why I stopped short when I walked into the room. The maid wasn’t there, but someone was, and that someone was making himself comfortable on my bed.
“What are you doing in here?” I asked Cooper.
He looked up from the file folder in his lap and stretched. “I was just doing some light reading.”
“In my room? On my bed?” I asked, disbelief coloring my voice.
“Well, I was kinda waiting on you to get home, too.”
“Why?”
He held up the file folder. “I spent my afternoon getting to know you, Claire. I have to say, my dad leaves out the most interesting files. I saw it when I talked to him earlier, and I decided to grab it after he left.”
I stepped closer to him and saw my name written on the top of the file. I reached out to take it from him, but he held it out of my reach.
“Give that to me,” I demanded.
“Why? You already know everything that’s in it,” he taunted. “It’s your file after all.”
“Give it to me!” I reached for it again.
This time, he held it out to me. “Wow, someone’s grumpy today.” He sat up.
I glared at him. I opened the folder and started reading through the papers inside. I couldn’t believe just how much information there was. Robert had everything—medical records, dental records, my high school transcript, a list of every foster home I’d lived in. He even had information on my mother’s death and the actual notes my CPS worker had written about me over the years. I flipped through more pages, and my mouth dropped open in shock. He had a detailed account of the night with Jason that I tried so hard to forget. There was even a piece of paper listing my prior boyfriends, which had the least amount of ink on it.
“Oh my God.” I sank down onto the floor.
“It seems my dad had you thoroughly investigated before he let you into the house.” Cooper paused. “I have to say, I thought your file would be different.”
“Why?”
“Well, I figured your boyfriend list would be longer. I also expected something along the lines of gold-digging whore to pop up. But no, your life is nothing like I expected. You are nothing like I expected.”
“Sorry to disappoint you!” I snapped, unable to keep my composure any longer. I knew Robert had said he’d checked into my background, but I’d never thought that he’d dug this deep.
“I’m not disappointed. I’m just surprised. I guess I now see what my dad sees in you.”
“And what’s that? Let me guess—a charity case. You both feel bad for me, right?” It bothered me that both Robert and Cooper knew every detail of my life.
“I do feel bad for you, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I know how bad it hurts to lose your mom, and I’m sorry that you lost yours. I’m also sorry you had to grow up in the system. Just by reading your file, I can tell that you’ve had a rough life. But I also noticed something else. No matter which house you were in, CPS almost always noted how you would take care of the other kids. I expected you to be here because of my dad’s money, but I don’t think that’s the case. You wouldn’t still be working your shitty waitress job if you were. You would’ve quit the second you moved in here. I know why my father is so drawn to you, Claire. You’re innocent and naive, and that’s perfect for what he wants in a wife. He can shape you into whatever he wants, and then he can control you.”
“What are you talking about?” I demanded.
“You’ve only seen one side of my father. He has plenty more sides, I promise, and I have no doubt that he’ll show them once you’re stuck with him in a sham of a marriage. He needs a pretty face, someone who will do whatever he wants with only a little persuasion, and that’s you, wrapped up in a nice little package with a bow on top.”
“It’s good to know you think so highly of me, Cooper.” I glared at him.
“Hey, I think more of you now than I did last night when I saw you wet and nearly naked. Speaking of that little outfit, I had some awesome dreams last night.” He smirked at me before continuing, “You’ve had a shit life, Claire, so let me give you a little advice. Run like hell. The life you are walking into will be far worse than what you’re walking away from.”
“You know nothing about me. Your father makes me happy, and I haven’t felt that way in a really long time. He loves me.”
He laughed. “Just like I said, you’re naive. My father doesn’t love anyone but himself.”
“You’re telling me all this just to tear us apart. He told me about your relationship with him, Cooper. I’m not stupid. I know you’ve had a hard time since you lost your mom, but you have no right to take your anger out on me!”
He stood so fast that it barely registered in my mind. He crouched down on the floor next to me and glared. “This has nothing to do with my mother or my relationship with my dad. This is about you. I’m trying to keep you from making the biggest mistake
of your life. He will destroy you. This is the one and only time I’m going to try to help you. Get the hell out of this house, and never look back. Once you say I do, it’ll be too late.”
I watched in silence as he stood and walked out of my room before slamming the door behind him. I pulled my knees up to my chest and rested my forehead against them.
Cooper is lying. He has to be.
That was the only reason I could think of that would have made him say those things to me. He hadn’t really wanted to help me. He hated his father. Cooper had lied to hurt us both.
I refused to let my mind even begin to contemplate the idea that Cooper might be telling the truth.
Between Junie’s and Cooper’s warnings, Sarah’s excitement, and Robert’s soothing words, I felt like I was being ripped apart. I wasn’t sure which way to turn anymore. I wished my mom were around to give me advice. It was too bad that was impossible—just like the situation I found myself in.
Robert found me an hour later. I was still sitting on the floor with the file clutched tightly against me when he walked in. He saw the file in my hands, and his eyes grew cold with fury.
“Where did you get that? Were you in my office?” he demanded.
I shook my head as I held it up to him. “Cooper.”
He cursed before taking the folder and tossing it on my dresser. He leaned down and scooped me off the floor. I curled into his chest as he carried me down the hall and into his room. I glanced around briefly, taking in my surroundings. I’d never been in Robert’s room before. His bed sat off to the left. It was the biggest bed I’d ever seen. The headboard and footboard were made from a dark wood. He had a matching dresser across the room from it. Two doors were on the right side of the room. I assumed one led to his closet, and the other had to go into his office since I hadn’t found it anywhere else in the house.
He laid me down on his bed, and it felt like heaven. He climbed into bed behind me, and my body relaxed into his.
“Whatever he said to you, don’t listen to him. I’m sorry, Claire. I thought I’d dealt with him today, but obviously, that wasn’t the case. I’ll have him out of here by next week.”
“No, don’t do that. He’s your son, Robert. You can’t just kick him out.”
He muttered something under his breath that sounded like, I wish he weren’t. Finally speaking to me again, he asked, “What did he say to you?”
“Nothing really. He just went over all the information you’d gathered on me,” I lied. I wasn’t sure why I had lied for Cooper, but I had done it anyway. I didn’t want him and Robert to fight anymore. I knew they didn’t get along, but I wouldn’t come between them.
“I’m sorry you had to read it. I was going to get rid of it. I called him into my office this afternoon to discuss you. He must have seen it on my desk and picked it up when I wasn’t paying attention.”
“I feel violated, Robert. I knew you’d looked into me, but seeing the file was a whole different matter.” I closed my eyes, trying to block out the whole situation. If only it were that easy.
“I know, and I’m sorry that I hurt you, but we’ve talked about this before. You know I had to be sure of who you were.”
I simply nodded, still not opening my eyes. I was tired from not only working, but also from my conversations with Junie and Cooper. All I wanted to do was sleep.
“I have something for you,” Robert finally said when he realized I wasn’t going to speak.
It took everything in me not to groan. I was tired of getting presents, especially after I’d explained to him that I didn’t want them.
“What?” I asked.
“Open your eyes and see,” Robert coaxed.
I opened my eyes to see his hand holding a debit card in front of me. I rolled over to face him. “What’s that?”
“A bank card.” He gave me a duh look.
“Why do I need that? I already have one.”
He sighed. “I had your old account closed and added you on one of mine. I transferred all your funds along with the money I got from selling your car into this one. I also put in a couple grand. If you need more, all you have to do is ask.”
“You closed my bank account? How is that even possible? Only I can close it!”
He smiled. “I know the manager, and since I was transferring the money into another account with your name on it, he didn’t mind helping me out.”
“I…you…” I started, but I couldn’t find the right words.
Once again, he was taking over my life. My bank account hadn’t had much in it, but at least it had been mine. Now, it was gone, and in its place was an account with his name on it, too.
“I figured it would be easier this way. With my name on the account, I can easily transfer funds.”
“I don’t even know what to say,” I said, barely hiding my anger.
He kissed my forehead. “You don’t have to say anything. You’re welcome, Claire. Also, I talked to your boss a little while ago.”
My entire body tensed. “About what?”
“I explained that you needed all of next week and the following week off. He was upset because he’s going to be a person short, and I suggested that he hire someone to take your place. We talked for a bit and decided that since he couldn’t hire a person for only a couple of weeks, you don’t have to go back. You’re free, Claire.”
I felt anything but free. “Come again?” I asked.
“You don’t have to work there anymore. He’s going to call a few people who put applications in before. Aren’t you excited to finally be free of that place?”
“No, I’m not excited! I have to call him before he hires someone else!”
I sat up and tried to stand, but Robert held me down on the bed.
“Why would you do that?”
“Because I like working there!”
“You’re being ridiculous! You’re not going back there!”
I finally freed myself from his grip and jumped out of the bed. I ran to the door and threw it open. I hurried to my room and grabbed the cell phone Robert had paid for. I dialed the diner’s number and waited for someone to pick up.
When Bob answered, I sighed in relief.
“Bob, it’s Claire.”
I saw Robert walking into my room, but I ignored him.
“Hey, Claire.”
“Look, I know you talked to Robert today, but there’s been a misunderstanding. I don’t want to quit my job.” When Bob didn’t reply, I spoke again, “Bob? Are you still there?”
“I’m sorry, Claire, but I already hired someone to take your place. Robert said you wanted to quit because you wouldn’t have time to work anymore.”
“Call that person back and say the position has been filled already, Bob! I don’t want to lose my job!”
“I can’t, Claire. I’m really sorry.” He paused. “I’m happy for you. I’m glad you found someone you love.”
The call disconnected before I could reply. Defeated, I tossed my phone onto the bed. Anger simmered under my skin, begging to escape. I turned to Robert and glared at him.
I exploded when I saw the smug grin on his lips. “How could you do that to me, Robert? I loved working there! You had no right!”
“I had every right, Claire. You have no reason to work there anymore. It doesn’t matter now. What’s done is done. All we can do is move forward.”
“Get out!” I shouted.
His eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Get out of my room. I don’t want to see you right now.”
“Claire—”
“Out!” I screamed.
I knew Cooper was probably listening to every word I’d shouted, but I didn’t care at the moment. I was too mad.
Robert glared at me for a minute before turning and walking out of my room. The door slammed behind him, like it had when Cooper left earlier.
“Fuck you!” I said as I glared at the door. How dare he do this to me!
I didn’t speak to R
obert for the rest of the night. Instead, I stayed in my room and shot dirty looks at everything within sight as Cooper’s words played over and over in my mind.
You’re innocent and naive, and that’s perfect for what he wants in a wife. He can shape you into whatever he wants, and then he can control you.
I couldn’t help but wonder if Cooper was right. Robert had been trying to control everything in my life—from my clothes to my bank account to my job. Nothing was mine anymore. If I left him now, I would have absolutely nothing. I would be worse off than I was when I’d moved in with him.
You’re trapped, a voice whispered in my mind, and he knows it.
I had no idea what to do. I couldn’t leave him, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stay anymore.
I knew I wouldn’t leave him. The thought of being on the streets with no car, no home, no job, and no money terrified me. It would be far worse than any foster home I’d stayed in.
“Goddamn it!” I shouted at no one in particular.
I took a deep breath to calm myself. I had to stay calm, or I would never figure anything out.
Maybe I was overreacting about everything. Maybe I’d let Cooper’s words taint my outlook on my new life. He’d told me he was only trying to help, but after his little speech by the pool when he’d literally called me a whore, I doubted that. He didn’t give a damn about me. He’d probably have a party if I left like he wanted.
I had to stay in control of the situation, no matter how lost I felt. I had no one but myself to blame for my current predicament, and no one would help me get out of it. As always, I was on my own.
I stood and walked across the room to my walk-in closet. I flipped on the light and peered inside. As I looked around at all the pretty clothes, I couldn’t help but wonder what was so bad about letting Robert stay in control. Yes, it was annoying, but at the same time, I had everything I’d ever wanted out of life. If I stayed, my life would only get better even if I did feel trapped.
I turned and walked back to my bed. I dropped down onto it as I thought about my options. There were really only two—leave or stay. Leaving meant losing everything. Staying meant I would have everything I wanted, but I would be at Robert’s mercy, totally and completely.
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