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The conversation had clearly annoyed him, and it bled through his tone. “My mother likes you just fine. I think you’re letting your own insecurities color your perceptions.”
She froze. “My what?”
He picked up a pen, twirling it between his fingers in an absent fashion. “I can tell you’re uncomfortable around my people sometimes, Sondra. That’s all I meant.”
“Your people? Oh, do you mean the upstairs people? Yes, I suppose I do find it intimidating, and I should have stayed downstairs with the rest of the help.” Sondra turned to the stack of papers on his desk. “Let me sort these and get caught up on the particulars for a few moments, and then we’ll get to work.”
“Sondra, I didn’t mean that at all.”
She stared at him, wanting to tear into him, but also seeing the sincerity in his expression. “Yeah, I know you didn’t, but it’s still true. Your people aren’t my people, and your mother is very aware of that.”
He shook his head. “You’re judging her unfairly.”
It took every ounce of self-control not to tell Jake exactly why she had arrived at her deductions. His mother was clearly his blind spot and pressing the issue would only lead to more conflict between them without resolving anything. “Maybe so. I’ll work on that.” Before he could reply, she hefted the stack of papers and escaped to the outer room of the office, closing his door softly behind her.
She dropped the papers on the desk she had used before realizing all the pertinent information would be at Eleanor’s desk. Former desk? Ex-desk? Eh, what did it matter? The other woman was gone, which brought a cheerful smile to her face when sat at that desk to sort through the paperwork.
Sondra let all thoughts of his mother fade to the back of her mind. A small voice whispered in her head that ignoring the problem wouldn’t make it go away, but she was able to disregard that by turning up the music and humming along.
CHAPTER TWO
Things had been a little tense with Jake the rest of the day, and Sondra had made no effort to follow him to his apartment or invite him to hers. Neither had suggested dinner or any other activity, and they had parted with cool goodbyes when the elevator opened on her floor.
She woke with a headache and burning eyes from the tears she had fought to suppress since yesterday’s squabble. It made her miserable to be at odds with him, but she didn’t know how to solve it. Sondra couldn’t imagine having to tiptoe around the subject of his mother forever, but facing it head on might make their fragile union dissolve.
Meaning she was better off without the relationship if it couldn’t withstand a dose of honesty about his mother. Cool logic told her that, but her heart protested the idea of being without Jake. With a sigh, she got out of bed and decided she would worry about all of it later.
At least he hadn’t requested her back in the office today. She had introduced him to Linda yesterday afternoon, and the woman had slipped into Eleanor’s role with ease. It was for the best, because she really didn’t want to work for her…lover, baby daddy, boyfriend? None of the labels felt complete, but she didn’t tax her brain trying to find the right one.
Instead, she focused on breakfast after fighting her morning round of nausea. By eleven, she was showered and dressed, sitting at the computer to work on one of the assignments from the temp agency. It was mindless transcription, and she slipped into a trance induced by the droning voice of the man detailing profit-and-loss reports for the quarter.
The doorbell ringing jerked her out of her reverie and made her spill her bottle of water when she accidentally hit it with her elbow. “Just a second,” she called, mopping up the mess as best she could with a handful of tissue before heading to the door.
Her earlier queasiness returned with a vengeance when she saw Whitney standing on her doorstep. Sondra thought about slamming the door in her face, but decided not to do so. What would be the point? The other woman clearly wanted a confrontation, and if she didn’t get it now, she would persist until she did.
Pushing the door toward the jamb, she didn’t bother to lock up as she turned to watch Whitney moving through her apartment with a disdainful eye. It had to be an affectation, because the place was elegant. Sondra probably could have lived in the Taj Mahal, and Mother Jacobi would have found it distasteful just from her presence.
“You must be quite pleased with the results of your little trap.”
Sondra took a deep breath. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mrs. Jacobi.”
Whitney arched a perfectly dyed brow. “Of course you don’t. A girl like you just happens to get pregnant by the heir to billions of dollars and the CEO of one of the most powerful companies in the world? What a convenient accident.”
She straightened her spine. “You can believe what you like. I have no need to defend my actions.”
“You come from trash, so you’re bound to be trash. With your mother as an example, how could you turn out any different? It was inevitable you would use your body to gain advantage.” Whitney sneered. “I am surprised you succeeded, of course. Jake is usually much more selective in his partners. Tall, blonde, slender, and—”
“White,” she finished with a bite. “I guess he’s more like his father than you expected, huh?”
Her mouth tightened. “Whatever do you mean?”
“I heard you and Eleanor discussing ways to get him to marry her. Your secret about your husband preferring the…what did you say…oh, yes, the ethnic women in your employment isn’t so secret now.”
The older woman was tense for a moment, but then shrugged. “I don’t care if you tell the world about his indiscretions. I’m the victim of his infidelity.”
Sondra nodded. “Yes, I suppose so, and I have no intention of telling anyone anything.”
“For a price,” mocked Whitney.
Sondra shook her head. “I don’t want your money. I just want you to accept that Jake loves me, and we’re together.”
She snorted. “He can’t possibly love someone like you. It’s the novelty. Bluntly speaking, you aren’t good enough to be his mistress on the side, let alone his partner. You certainly are not acceptable to be the mother of the next Whitcomb and Jacobi heir.”
Knowing how she felt was oddly liberating. Of course she had known before, but hearing the blunt confirmation helped Sondra realize she didn’t care what the other woman thought. She just hoped Jake could accept that. “You’ve said what you came to say, so please leave my apartment now, Mrs. Jacobi.”
“I’m not through yet, so I’ll be staying in my son’s apartment for a bit longer.” Looking as though she was facing something unspeakably filthy, Whitney perched on the arm of the overstuffed loveseat to extract something from her purse. “There’s only one way to deal with a woman like you.”
“Keep your opinions to yourself and pretend like we can get along for Jake’s sake?” Sondra sighed, shaking her head. “No, I didn’t think that would be your solution.” She watched impassively as his mother wrote something and wasn’t surprised when she held out a check a moment later.
Her eyes widened at the number of zeroes. “Wow, you must really hate me if you want to give me this much to get out of his life.”
“There’s more required than you just disappearing.” Whitney cleared her throat. “You have an appointment in an hour with a discreet service.”
Her stomach twisted with dread, and she had an inkling of what the other woman meant, but refused to believe anyone could be so horrible. “An appointment for what?”
“An abortion. You have to get rid of that thing inside you before you get to keep that check. I shall accompany you to ensure the task is done, and then you’ll fly on my private jet anywhere you wish to recover. Anywhere far away from here and Jake, of course. Not that he’ll want to see you again once he learns you aborted his baby and left him.”
The door slammed against the wall, making both of them jump. Sondra was the first to recover, and her heart stuttered at the sight of Jake.
He looked angry, but she wasn’t completely confident she wouldn’t be the target of his wrath. “I wasn’t going to do it,” she said softly.
He barely glanced at her, but nodded quickly. “I know that, Sondra, and I had no need to lurk to confirm your reply. You want our baby as much as I do.”
She exhaled with relief at the confirmation his displeasure was all for his mother.
“Now, Wallace—”
“Get out, Mother.”
Whitney’s complexion paled. “Please, son, listen to reason.”
“There is no reason. You just offered the woman I love money to kill our child. Why would you do that?”
Whitney lifted her hand. “Please, darling, you have no idea about her background. She’s not worthy of you.”
“I know everything about Sondra’s background. She told me at the beginning of our relationship. I know her better than anyone. I clearly know her better than I know you. The woman I thought you were would never be so dishonest or despicable.” Jake looked more disappointed than angry all of a sudden, and his shoulders slumped with apparent weariness.
“I’m trying to protect you.”
“You’re trying to control me,” snapped Jake. “Eleanor called and confessed to me this morning that you’ve been helping her plot to get my attention so I would leave Sondra. She apologized and begged me to take her back, but I refused. I can’t trust her, and I can’t trust you.”
