AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Suddenly, all of my longing for him vanishes. He looks unfamiliar to me in his expensive clothes here in this ridiculous suite. And that smirk on his face…it’s one I’ve seen before. On his father, Thomas, and on my father as well. It’s a boastful sort of look worn by rich men who feel like they own the world.
“I don’t understand how all of this is happening,” I gape in disbelief. “You know what kind of man Theo is. But you’re seriously considering partnering up with him…and you’re already on his payroll, which is funded by who knows what.”
“Investors,” he snaps. “We’ve told you that. Investors.”
I shake my head and cross my arms, looking away to keep from screaming, demanding to know who all of these mystery investors are.
“Everything’s ruined,” I mumble, holding back tears. “I can see it written all over your face. You’re enjoying this too much. You want to stay here in Jameson and work with him. I know it. Your mind is made up.”
I want him to immediately argue back, swearing he’s still thinking it over. I need him to tell me I’m wrong, but instead, I’m met with a chilling silence. He leans forward, perching his elbows on his knees as he runs his hands through his slicked-back curls. “I want some solid way to be able to provide for you and our future,” he says firmly. “That’s what I was taught to do for a woman I love. And maybe working for Theo is my best possible option for doing that.”
“And what if I’m not in the picture?” I ask, flying to my feet. “Because that’s exactly what’s going to happen if you stay here.”
His face drops. “Are you giving me an ultimatum?”
“No, that’s not what I meant,” I argue, wondering if it’s a lie. “I just meant…I can’t stay here in Jameson. I’ve told you that. If you stay…what happens to us?”
“I’ll have enough money to fly and visit you, or to pay for you to visit me,” he assures me. “Just like we planned to do before I lost Jameson.
I want to believe him, but for some reason him staying here and working for my father feels like losing him to something more than distance. It feels like the Emmett I know will eventually be lost forever and I can’t explain why.
“I want to go home,” I sob. “I’m sorry. This is all so lovely. But I feel sick suddenly, and I just want to go.”
It’s painfully silent as he drives me home, but thankfully he doesn’t seem offended that I had to go. I guess he really must have built up a really nice stack in this short bit of time, because he doesn’t seem at all worried that the money o
n the hotel room went to waste. I’m quick to tell him goodbye in my driveway, feeling anxious to crawl into my bed.
Once I’ve tossed aside my little black dress, which I now hate by association with this night, I throw on the most comfortable pajamas I own and grab Marissa’s diary before climbing under the covers.
Dear Diary,
Prom is just a couple of weeks away, and I am so excited. And so very in love with Thomas. Really, I am. There is…just one little thing bothering me. The other night, my parents and I went to the Jameson manor for dinner. Everything was so lovely, and the evening was going perfect. Thomas’s mother even showed me her jewelry collection, pointing out which pieces she’d give to me once Thomas and I are married one day.
But as I walked out of her room, I noticed the study door being slightly open. I stopped and listened for a moment, even though I know I shouldn’t have. Thomas and his father were talking my dad into some sort of business deal they schemed up. I almost walked away because it seemed so ordinary, but then I began to realize exactly what it was they were really talking about.
It was some kind of crooked deal that I know is illegal and takes money away from a lot of hard-working, less fortunate individuals. I was so upset at the thought of my father being involved with something like that, but even more upset that Thomas would be involved and drag others into it.
Later in the evening, we took a walk. I know he was eager to get me alone so we could kiss and touch, which I normally can’t wait to do. But I was so bothered by what I overheard, it’s all I could think about. He asked why I was so quiet, so I tried to confront him about it.
He turned cold and angry. He pointed to the manor in the distance, telling me that all of it would be ours someday. But that the life he wanted to provide for me wasn’t cheap. I argued that we could live a less extravagant life if it was the difference between swindling innocent people or not.
He snapped and told me not to concern myself with these things. It would be my job to manage the manor and one day have our children. He told me I’d never want for anything, but that I needed to stay out of his business when it came to our financial affairs and how he made his money.
I didn’t know what to say. I had never seen that side of him before. But as awful as it sounds, I thought back on the jewelry his mother promised to me and thought maybe he was right. I wouldn’t even know any of this if I hadn’t been eavesdropping.
Is it okay for me to ignore anything bad he might be doing…and just sit back and enjoy the life he provides me? It’s not like I’m the one running those bad business deals after all. I don’t know, diary. But I do know I love him more than anything in the world.
-Marissa.
I toss the book to the floor and flip off the lamp before rolling over in the darkness. I pull the covers around me tight, needing their comfort and warmth. I think about Marissa’s comment on her future mother-in-law’s jewelry and can see myself following Emmett into that expensive hotel, and again when I almost let everything slide after he put that necklace on me.
If I give in and let Emmett enter into this business with my father, will he one day become just like his dad? And will I eventually become like Marissa? So heartless and cruel that I’d turn my back on my own son out of greed?
19
Chapter Nineteen
The next day at school is long and tortuous. Emmett and I sit together at lunch barely speaking to each other, and I find myself avoiding him to rush home after school. Only what I rush home to is just as daunting. The excitement of shopping for a prom dress with my mom is lost in my anxiety about everything happening between Emmet and me.
