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“You need to be more present in Michael’s life. You can’t keep living like you aren’t a single dad. You have a 15 month old baby who needs you. You aren’t some single bachelor who doesn’t have domestic affairs to handle.”
“Are you insinuating that I don’t love my son?” I could hear the growing irritation in his voice.
“No, that’s not what I’m saying at all. But what I am saying is that you aren’t present. No judge will grant you permanent custody of a child you barely see. You need to spend more time with him. You need to learn him.” A small smile found its way onto my face, “he’s so smart. He almost said dada today.”
His features softened. “He did?”
I nodded. “He’s growing every day. You don’t want to blink and then suddenly miss half his childhood. You need to do better, Mr Farrington.”
He stayed quiet.
“I know I may be overstepping the line but saying all of this…”
“Overstepping was when you told me of my wife’s affair. Overstepping was you insinuating I was a horrible father because I work countless hours to keep the very empire my son will inherit afloat. Overstepping was you thinking that you could destroy my marriage and seemingly think you have a chance with me. Quite frankly you are far from my type. So if you have some delusion about us being something in the—”
“Okay, woah.” I interrupted him. “Back the fuck up for a minute. You think that I told you about Adriana’s affair because I wanted you?”
He stared at me.
I let out a humorless laugh. “You have got to be kidding me. I didn’t tell you about Adriana cheating on you to get with you, Mr Farrington. I don’t want a relationship with you. I did that so you would know the truth. I want nothing from you aside from my monthly paychecks and for you to be more present in Michael’s life.”
He tilted his head to the side as if analyzing me. “The thing with women like you is that you have these fairytale views on life. That some prominent man will come and sweep you off your feet and rescue you from the trenches of poverty.”
The audacity of this man.
“I am simply not that man.”
A wave of embarrassment and shame washed over me. This man was calling me a gold digger to my face. I knew I wasn’t one but it still made me feel upset. What right did he have to say those things to me? Just because he had money didn’t give him the go ahead to be an absolute tool to his employees.
I pushed off of the marble and looked at him. “With all due respect Mr Farrington, you are being a complete asshole. I don’t know what stick you have up there but you have no right to insinuate such things like that about me. If it weren’t for Michael I would quit right here, right now. But that baby boy needs someone in his corner who won’t upend his life. Instead of blaming others as to why your life is a complete mess right now, maybe you should look to yourself. People only cheat when they are lacking something. So ask yourself what did your wife lack from you that she had to go find it in another man.”
With that I walked out of the kitchen and headed to the guest room. The man was insufferable and infuriating. Working with him for the past seven months had been torture. I had constantly walked on eggshells but tonight he had gone too far.
I was no one’s doormat. It didn’t matter if you were a multi-billionaire or a homeless man on the street. No one disrespected me.
THE PLOT THICKENS
Gabriel
“She is making a mockery of our name, Gabriel.” My father sipped on his whiskey across from me.
I had come to the Farrington Estate to visit my parents. That was a lie. I wasn’t visiting. I had been summoned by my father. He was up in arms about Adriana’s interviews.
She was selling her side of the story to the highest bidder. From what I had heard, she had made at least ten million dollars so far. With this new book deal she had coming up she was set to make at least 2 million. She was selling my family to the public and she was loving it.
The Farringtons were extremly private people. We did well to keep out of the public eye. They knew of us but they didn’t know about us.
“What do you want me to do?” I asked my father. “The woman refuses to shut up. She is asking for a bigger settlement deal. She is relentless.”
My father set his glass down and looked at me with a cool gaze. “Then you give her the money, Gabriel. What is an extra 3 or 4 million?”
“She is asking for an extra 30 over the 60 I have already agreed to. Not to mention the child support she wants me to pay every month. The woman is trying to bleed me dry.”
Joshua Farrington scoffed. “The company made eight times that in the first quarter. I don’t understand why you’re complaining. Is money really worth the secrets of our family being exploited.”
I downed the remainder of the drink. It was only noon and my father had me nearing drunkenness.
“Because if I yield she will only ask for more. Her net worth plummeted to near nothing due to our divorce. She wants our marriage back. It’s why she has been prolonging this entire process.”
