Page 24 of Billionaire Retreat

She held up a hand. “Please spare me your sordid lies.”

“Sordid! Listen, I’ve had enough of you. I’m not sitting around listening to this.”

I stood up and she did too, grabbing the piece of paper on the table and thrusting it into my hand.

“That’s 250,000 dollars. I don’t care what you do with it, just stay away from my son.”

I looked down at the check in my hand and couldn’t believe all the zeros. My heart skipped a beat as I thought of a million and one ways I could use the money. Apparently, I had stared a bit too long because Mrs. Wallace had a small smile on her face once I finally looked up. Actually, it was more of a smirk. As if she knew all along that she could easily buy me. I tried to give it back to her but she stepped away from me.

“Take your money. I don’t want it.”

“Of course you do. You’re an out of work actress. You’re unemployed and living with your parents and sometimes your cousin.”

She’d had me investigated. I felt anger towards her for violating my privacy. No one had a right to do that. She’d gone too far.

“I don’t want or need your money,” I said coldly, my voice shaking. I felt nauseous, but I wasn’t going to show weakness around this woman. I said with conviction that I didn’t actually feel, “I’m going to reach Griffin. And you can’t stop me. It’s not illegal to speak with him.”

I could feel the tension between us as she carefully considered her next words. Her eyes flashed with anger, but she managed to control herself. She took a deep breath and gave me a tight smile. “Then go speak to him. He’s right across the street.”

I stared at her, not believing that she was telling the truth, and she smiled tightly again. “Trust me. He’s right outside. If you want to go talk to him… go do it.”

“I will,” I said decisively.

I turned away and marched out the door. I heard her coming behind me and I ignored her as I scanned the beach in front of me.

I saw him then. He had his hands on his hips, wearing swim trunks and a plain white t-shirt. I couldn’t help myself, I smiled upon seeing him again… completely forgetting my reason for needing to speak with him. He looked so attractive and happy.

I moved toward him and noticed that something to his left had caught his attention. And then I saw them. A tall, attractive, young lady and a little girl. They were waving to him and he smiled and moved in their direction. He picked up the little girl and spun her around. She seemed to be about four. He placed her down and bent to tickle her while smiling up at the woman who beamed down at him. They walked away together, Griffin holding one of the little girl’s hands and the woman holding the other. They continued to walk down the beach, the little girl happily skipping along between them.

“Is that his family?” I asked softly, ignoring the pain in my gut that made me feel as if I had just been kicked in the stomach.

She nodded and said, “That’s my granddaughter, clearly.”

“So, he’s married, with a family?” I forced myself to ask.

“I’m sorry,” she said in response, but she didn’t sound sorry. She sounded satisfied. And why shouldn’t she be? She’d gotten exactly what she wanted.

I didn’t want to believe what I was seeing. And I forced myself to think of any explanation. Something else, anything else. But I watched him playfully toss the kid onto his shoulders and then toss an arm around the shoulders of the woman. They were clearly a family and I felt like a voyeur, an intruder.

I turned away, not saying another word to Mrs. Wallace. I hurt so much, I could barely breathe and I didn’t want her to see me like that. I didn’t realize until I almost ran into someone that I was crying. I made it about a block before I couldn’t see any longer because that’s how fast my tears were flowing. I found a bus stop and sat there and sobbed. I must have been loud as even the nearby homeless people moved away from me.

I didn’t care that I was making a scene as I buried my hands in my face and let it all out. I was disappointed in myself. I felt dirty. I was an adulterer. I was a terrible person. And now I was pregnant by a man who already had a family. I’d just been his entertainment. I laughed bitterly to myself. After all, wasn’t I supposed to be an entertainment specialist?

I felt someone tug at my sleeve and it was the little girl I’d seen previously at the ice cream shop.

“Here,” she said handing me a tissue. “My momma said you could probably use this right now.”

I realized her mom was standing next to me. “Whatever it is, it’ll get better,” she said simply before giving me a kind smile and taking her daughter by the hand and walking away.

Her daughter looked back and gave me a small wave, I waved back to her. She turned away and her mom smiled down at her. I stared at them until they were out of my view and suddenly I didn’t feel as scared anymore. I had to move on from the pain and move forward. Life was moving forward and, whether I liked it or not, I had to make a choice. I could wallow in self-pity and uncertainty, or I could grow up and be the person I needed to be for my daughter. The type of person who didn’t sit crying at a bus stop.

I wiped my nose and buried the pain, at least for now. It was time to stop with the self-pity. Hadn’t it been Griffin himself who’d told me to be more confident? And if I didn’t feel confidence, that I should fake it? That’s what I decided to do. I ignored the self-pity that clawed at me like a bad stomach bug and made a promise to myself that I would do what I needed to do to provide for myself and my daughter. I was like a single tree being blown around by a tornado, but I had to stand strong for my daughter. I was done taking a beating. I had a little one who was counting on me to be strong. I’d forget about Griffin for the moment and focus on her.

I pulled out my cellphone, dialed my mother’s number.

“It didn’t work out, but I’m coming home. We’ll be ok, Mom.” I truly felt that I’d be fine with the baby. And with confidence that I didn’t need to fake, I said, “I’m scared, but I know I can do this on my own.”