“I don’t have to tell you to guard my grandson with your life Delores and of course, no one is to be let in, no one, except my husband if he comes by. I forgot to tell him where I was headed since his son didn’t give me any warning.” She said all of this as she all but dragged me to the door.
Her driver was sitting back, reading the newspaper when we approached her town car, and he hopped out to open the door for us. “Where to?” She looked at me, and I had to think hard to remember my address. I rattled it off, and he put it into the GPS, and we were off. “Okay, give me the condensed version.” She turned to me as the car made its way down the driveway.
I had a few fits and starts, but eventually, I got it all out. How I’d been packed off to boarding school at a very young age, how I’d never seen any of my relatives since then, and had only spoken to the woman who calls herself my mother a handful of times in my teens. What I knew of my family was learned from newspaper clippings and gossip.
I’d remembered my dad and the time we spent together, but those memories were a bit hazy since something had blocked them off for a while. I remember laughing and playing with him and being extremely comfortable and safe in his presence, something I never did in my mother’s.
I told her of my running away from the boarding school and changing my name and everything leading up to the day I met her son. Then I told her about the phone call that had ended it all. “What made you think that she could hurt my son? Did you think he was that weak?” Her question is one I’d been asking myself only lately.
At the time, it made sense; this lingering feeling of dread I have where the monster is concerned had convinced me that when she said she’d destroy him, she meant it. “I’m not sure why; I just know she’s capable of hurting him. Besides, I didn’t want your family dragged into my mess.” That was really the leading reason behind my decision to leave. I couldn’t bring myself to involve Calen with the darkness that was my mother.
I may not remember everything about my childhood and why I have such a deep intense fear of her, but what I do remember is horrible enough. I got the idea the second time she left me stranded at the boarding school when all the other girls had gone home, and there was only a skeleton crew left, usually the strictest and most unbending nuns there who were barely better than she was.
I got it when I had to go without so much that the other kids had and when they’d laugh at me and call me poor and other less delightful things. I didn’t understand fully until I was about twelve, and a new girl had questioned me about who I was and why I was the only one stuck there when everyone else went on holiday.
She’s the one who looked my father up on the Internet. I hadn’t thought of him in years because each time I did, the pain in my head and heart was too much to bear. But each night, she’d come to my room and read about him. It was then I learned about the buildings he’d designed, and a whole new world opened up for me.
I could see a part of my dad in his buildings, could read what others thought of this great man I barely remembered from my youth. My memories of him had already started fading by then, and I could hardly remember what he looked like. “I think that’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard you say. You’re my family now too; how could you think so little of us that you’d think we’d want you gone to spare us whatever ugliness you suspect your mother of?”
When she put her arm around me, I felt like a fool. I wish I could be as nonchalant as she about this, but she just didn’t know what kind of person the monster is. By the time we pulled up outside, I was a nervous wreck. First, she walked over to Calen’s car that was parked in front of ours and knocked on the window. I approached just in time to hear her warn Jeremy, the driver, not to call her son or else.
The poor man looked torn but withered under the look she gave him before turning back to me. “Where are your keys?”
“Calen took them, but I have a spare in the sconce next to the door. Follow me.” All the way up in the lift, I wanted to turn around and go back as much as I wanted to burst through the door and save Calen from her.
My knees shook, and my hands began to sweat when we stepped off into the hallway leading to my apartment door, and I knew I was going to be sick. I found the key and started to unlock the door, but my mother in law stopped me with a finger to her lips. She gestured for us to put our ears to the door and listen after looking around to make sure no one was around.
It was too much! Each word was like a dagger in my chest, and though I’d long stopped questioning why my own mother hated me so much, it was hard to hear. A cloud of darkness came over me when Calen mentioned her plans to kill the baby and me, and I looked at his mom in shock.
I shook my head and mouthed the words ‘I didn’t know.’ It’s true. I never knew about the money, never even heard of it, never gave it a second thought. My friend at boarding school had never found anything about a will or me being an heir. There was no mention of anyone looking for me, and I was made to believe my whole life that there was only her, that I had no one else.
Each new revelation hit me like a ton of bricks until she came to the last one. As she spoke the words out loud for the first time, it was like being dragged back in time. The sights and sounds, even the heavy scent of blood, came crashing in on me, and Rebecca had to hold me up when I slouched to my knees.
There was a buzzing in my ears, and I couldn’t breathe as tears poured from my eyes. I saw that day, the day I’d blocked out for so long as if it were yesterday. I can still remember the feel of the sun on my face coming through the window in daddy’s study. I’d heard the raised voices and came running. Even then, I didn’t trust her. In my young mind, I knew she would hurt my daddy just like she did me when no one else was around.
It was supposed to be me and daddy’s special day. He’d promised after the last time he saw the bruises on my legs that he would take me away so that she couldn’t hurt me any longer. I was excited I can feel that same excitement beating in my chest now as I recalled that day. I was to wait in my room for daddy to come get me, but then I heard the bad voice.
I knew what that meant when she spoke like that in heated anger. I’m not sure what I meant to do; maybe in my innocence, I thought I could protect my dad from her meanness. My flesh grew clammy and cold now as I remembered the sound of the gun going off, the look of shocked horror on daddy’s face as his eyes met mine for the last time, and the smell.
I heard screaming in my ears and realized that it was in my head; it’s the sound I’d made that day. The last thing I remember from that day is the threat she’d made that she’d do the same to me, but somehow what she said after was much worst to my five-year-old mind. She knew how much I feared the dark since shut me up in a dark space until I screamed myself hoarse was one of her favorite things to do.
But that day, she’d threatened to bury me alive if I ever said a word. I don’t remember much after that. Not even the memorial service that had been a few days later. My first real memory after that day is of the boarding school she’d shipped me off to. Now a lot of things made sense.
The meds she’s made them force-feed me, the way they acted whenever I said anything about any of the things the other girls were tormenting me with. Or the way they seemed to think that I was incapable of telling the truth. She’d obviously convinced them that I was a liar so that if I ever mentioned what I saw, what she’d done, no one would believe me.
As the truth of her words settled in and with Rebecca there holding my hand, the fear I once felt turned into white-hot anger. I’ve never wanted to hurt anyone as much as I wanted to hurt her now. She’d taken so much from me, everything and everyone I loved, including my husband. But hearing that she’d planned to kill my son was the last straw.
I wasn’t even aware of putting the key in h the door. But when it crashed against the wall, the sound reverberated and seemed to strum through me. I stared at her for a few seconds before making my way across the room, ignoring Calen’s order to come to him
. I heard the drone of Rebecca’s voice saying something to him, perhaps calling him off; I’m not sure.
I could hear the beat of my heart in my ears could feel its erratic pace, but what I saw on her face made me see red, and that’s why I pulled my hand back and slapped her as hard as I could. That smug self-assured look filled me with such anger that I couldn’t restrain myself, and I used both hands to slap her face over and over again.
I didn’t hear her screams of rage, didn’t see Rebecca holding back Calen, didn’t hear him calling to me, but I was tired when I finally felt his arms come around me. “Okay, it’s, okay baby, that’s enough now, come back.”
The monster was screeching bloody murder and making threats against us, but Calen wouldn’t let me turn to look at her.
“You’d have to make it out of here first.”
“Mom!”
“What? Who’ll miss her? Between Gerard and Jeremy, I’m sure we can get the body out of here without anyone noticing.” I couldn’t believe it, but I laughed so hard Calen had to hold me up. It was his mutters that kept me in stitches, or maybe I was having a psychotic break because this was surely no laughing matter.
“Wait, wait, I know Dana called her the first time; who tipped her off this time?” Until Rebecca said it, I hadn’t given that question much thought. I just figured Ann was doing one of her routine check-ins since there’s never any rhyme nor reason to them. But now I waited for her answer.
I was finally allowed to look at her still from the safety of Calen’s arms and saw the damage. If she were anyone else, I would feel sorry and for her and have a whole lot of remorse for what I’d done, but as it stands, I couldn’t find it in me to care all that much. She had a split lip and a black eye. My dad was dead, and I’d almost lost my husband.
It was at that moment that I realized it was finally over. The panic in my heart eased when I looked up at Calen and saw the love in his eyes, and I smiled. For the first time in my life, I smiled with no trace of a shadow, no worry in the back of my mind that this could all be taken from me. The threat was gone.
I hugged him so hard my ribs ached, but when he hugged me back just as forcefully, it didn’t matter. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time as every emotion known to man coursed through my body at the same time. “Get a room, you two. Hey, you still haven’t answered my question; how did you know my daughter came back home?”
“Your daughter? She’s not…”
“You want me to knock some more teeth out of your head? Do you know who I am? If I say she’s mine, she’s mine. I’m sure Sterling would approve, seeing as how we’re the same ilk. I’m sure wherever he is, he’s much happier knowing that his beloved child has found a home with a mother who loves her the way she deserves to be. Now answer the question before I make sure you take nothing with you when we kick you off of my daughter’s estate.”
It was like watching the clash of the Titans. Two matronly women squaring off against each other. One bloody and beaten and the other with not a hair out of place.
“What difference does it make?” Ann gritted the words through her teeth.
“Well, she’s the one who told us that you were going to be here. How do you think my son knew to come here? You didn’t think Giselle told him, did you? As afraid of you as she was…”
What? I almost started to correct my mother in law but stopped when Calen squeezed me gently, and then I saw why. Somehow Ann found the energy to be pissed off at what she perceived to be Dana’s betrayal. With one last hateful glare in my direction, she dragged herself up off the floor and headed for the door.
“Are we just going to let her leave?”
“Yes, she won’t get far. How much did you hear?”
“Everything.” I looked up at him so happy I could fly.
“We’ll talk about you disobeying me later. I remember specifically telling you not to leave the house as for you, mom, I can’t even.”
“Oh hush, what’re we going to do about that? You know she’s heading to the estate.”
“I know, but I wasn’t kidding when I said I had people there already. We should be heading there too; there’s someone I want you to meet.” He looked down at me when he said this but refused to answer my questioning look.
“Son, how much did you value your friendship with Dana before all this?” Rebecca asked as we headed for the door.
“Why do you ask?”
“Um, I think that lady that just left here might make a stop before she heads to the estate.”
“What do you mean?” Rebecca rolled her eyes as if to say he was being dense. “If she’s killed before, she’ll do it again.”
“Oh shit!” He all but dragged me to the elevator.
“Wait, wait, are we sure we wanna save her?”
“Mom!”
“Damn!”
Calen
I made a call to Gordon on my way to the car to let him know I might be a little late. I’d planned on going there alone after he begged to be the one to throw Ann off the estate. He’s been waiting for more than twenty years for the chance, and I readily agreed.
Ann was just getting into her car a few cars down, and I thought of sending mom and Giselle on to the Winthrop estate in her car, but mom seemed to read my mind and hopped in the back of my car after giving her driver instructions to follow us.
“Follow that car that’s pulling out in front of us, Jeremy, but keep your distance.” I hadn’t planned for this little side trip, but hopefully, mom is wrong, and this woman isn’t stupid enough to be headed to Dana’s place. I knew I was wrong when she took the turnoff in the opposite direction from the Winthrop estate and headed into the center of town where Dana’s townhouse was located.
I’m not sure why I was still hoping that Dana’s betrayal had ended two years ago and that she hadn’t gone behind my back and done this shit again. But when the car stopped across the street from her place, and Ann jumped out looking around as if expecting to see us following, I knew it was a lost hope.
Jeremy, having sensed where this was going, had already pulled into a parking spot further down, and we waited until Ann had passed through the door before exiting the car. It’s the middle of the damn day, so I’m hoping she’s not dumb enough to commit murder, but who knows how her narcissistic ass would react.
* * *
DANA
* * *
I looked down at my thumbnail, disgusted with myself as I paced the living room floor back and forth. I’ve been biting my nails down to the quick since coming home the day before, and they were bloody and sore. I haven’t done this since my first year in college. Not since meeting and falling head over heels in love with Calen Addison the fourth.
I couldn’t believe my luck when one of the kids in the business and finance club said he knew him and had invited him to join. I’d been a nervous wreck for days knowing that someone like him wouldn’t be caught dead in our club when there were so many more to choose from, and in the end, I was right. He’d been decent enough to show his face and answer the hundred and one questions everyone had for the business guru who’d started working for his family business at sixteen.
Everyone at the school pretty much knew who he was; his name had been in business news magazines for years, ever since he’d taken the little arm of his family’s business that his dad had trusted him with and put it on the map in less than a year. As if his brains and business savvy wasn’t enough, his pictures in the magazines didn’t do him justice.
I knew that meeting him would be a once-in-a-lifetime event, and though I was sure he wouldn’t join our club, I knew that if I had that one chance, I could make it count; and I did. I used that first meet as a pathway into his life. It wasn’t hard lying and manipulating my way into his classes though the semester had already started, and most everyone tried turning me away. But that’s what money is for, and my mom and dad would do anything if it meant keeping me out of their hair.
After that, it was easy to pretend to have ru
n into him in class or outside of it and strike up a conversation. I’ve always been popular, have always been one of the ‘it’ crowd, so knew well how to work him. I didn’t show any interest in anything more than business, never once let on that I was in love with him. Maybe I was too good of an actress because for the four years we were there together. Then the other one and a half spent getting our masters at the same university; he had a parade of women in and out of his life, and never once, not even in a drunken stupor, did he ever look at me as anything more than a friend.
But that didn’t stop me though all was not lost. Because you see, I’d convinced myself that none of those women were wife material, that he was just sowing his wild oats until he was ready to settle down, and when that time came, it was me he’d come looking for. I swallowed my pride each time he had some bimbo on his arm and satisfied myself with thoughts of our future together.
I got really good at seeing the pattern in his affairs, and that too gave me solace. None of them ever lasted a year. Until her, until he bitch that stole him from me. I knew she was trouble that she was different from the day they met. It’s the way he talked about her, the light in his eyes that was never there for me or anyone else that came before her.
I can still feel the knots in my stomach that I had that day when he was telling Donovan and I about her over drinks. I can still see that stupid look on his face. I remember the way Donovan had reacted as if he too had seen it. He’d congratulated Calen in a way he never had before when talking about one of his conquests.
I’d looked back and forth between the two men feeling sick while trying to calmly convince myself that this time would be no different from all the rest. Until that night months later, when once again, it was the three of us, and he was showing us the antique ring that had belonged to his mother’s grandmother.
Dare To Love Again Page 17