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“I don’t want to talk about her,” Gabby told him. “Let’s just go. I suddenly don’t feel so well.”
He waited until they were home before he brought up the subject again and this time she knew she couldn’t put him off.
“Come on Gabby, I think it’s about time you tell me the truth about Haley. Who is she and why is Donald Graves so interested in her?”
She sighed as she took a seat on the couch, crossing her legs under her and grabbing a pillow to mangle with her hands as she told him part of the story. “Haley and I were instant friends, it didn’t matter she was two years older than me, we liked the same things, listened to the same music, were interested in the same career fields. We were at college together until she graduated and moved to Boston, getting a position at Graves. After I graduated, I moved up to Boston with her and also got a job atGraves…Donald is a disgusting low-life and I wished I’d never met the man.”
“I can second that, so where does he factor into this?” Wyatt asked.
“Haley wasn’t his assistant, turns out they had been in a relationship of sorts and it didn’t end well. Haley got pregnant and when I found out who the father was, and how much of a creep he was I knew I couldn’t work there anymore. On top of all that was the fact that he literally beat them, both Haley and her child.”
“Why isn’t he in jail then?”
“Haley wouldn’t press charges, she was worried about her baby, so instead she left town, and I came back here. Guess he’s missing having a punching bag around,” she said with a light shrug.
Wyatt got up and paced the room shaking his head in disbelief. He finally stopped and turned to face her, “My god, and yet you still put a million dollars into his accounts? A man you obviously despise, what the hell did I ever do to make you hate me more than him?”
“I don’t Wyatt,” she said returning his gaze and lifting an eyebrow in order for him to see the bigger picture.
“You don’t hate me more than him?”
“No, I only hate you a little for catching me. Donald on the other hand, let’s just say there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to ruin the man,” she told him with a devious grin.
“But you helped him.”
“Did I?” she said, giving him a long, smug look that had things finally falling into place.
“You played me. You freakingplayedme,” Wyatt shouted.
“It wasn’t so hard to do though, was it?” she asked walking over to him. “Tell me a part of you isn’t still completely elated over taking him down.”
“I wanted to destroy him because I thought he was using my money to further himself.”
“He does that by beating women and children Wyatt, which is worse?” she inquired and at his look of agreement she nodded. “Does it really matter the reason behind the destruction of Graves? You benefit from it, the company certainly benefits from it, and me…well, I sincerely hope I’m there to see his face when he realizes that it’s all gone.”
“You’re evil Gabby,” he whispered into her ear as she lifted her head to meet his lips.
“Determined Wyatt, I saw a way to take down the man who took my best friend away from me. You were so hell bent on finding your money I couldn’t pass up the opportunity,” she sighed. “Now you are going to wait until I can be there to see him fall, aren’t you?”
“Gabby, this isn’t a game. We have a child growing inside you. I’ll play this out, it’s too late to stop it anyway, but we need a truce between us. Tell me where the money is and we can start over, we’ll wipe the slate clean and once this baby gets here, we’ll be able to enjoy our family, and stick it to your sister too.”
“Ah yes sweet Viola, the girl who one day loves you and the next hates the sight of you,” Gabby laughed. “Well, we still have nine months to decide what we’re going to do. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, who knows, maybe some of the money will turn up when you least expect it to…”
Wyatt groaned as she walked away and headed towards the bedroom. The girl was smart, no denying that, but so was he…maybe Haley was the answer he needed. If he could find her, bring her back here to Gabby, maybe she’d finally stop the games and they’d be able to cherish the family they’d created. Maybe her mom knows who Haley is…they were having dinner with them tomorrow. He’d just have to get her alone for a few minutes and work his charm.
Chapter 9
Wyatt walked towards the study where he’d seen both Owen and Maggie headed. Their voices carried through the door, as did Viola’s, who was arguing with them. He turned to go back to the living room to watch the game with Gabby’s brothers when he heard her name tossed out. He stopped and listened, hoping he’d discover something about his wife that he could use to his advantage.
“I swear you two doted on Gabby from the second she was born,” Viola raged. “I’m sick of being the one left out, the one who’s overlooked because precious Gabby needs attention. That’s all she’s ever had. From Sam and Nate, from the teachers at school because she wassospecial and brilliant, from the boys I dated. Do you know how many of them admitted to me, tome, that the only reason they came back for a second date was to see my sister? Do you know how it feels to find out your sister is suddenly getting married to the catch of the town and have to stand by seeing her get everything she’s always wanted? And you two are the worst. You’ve never punished her a day in her life. Remember the night she didn’t bother coming home? She was about seventeen, and you two just let it roll off as if it was nothing. Oh, she played it as though she’d fallen asleep at a friend’s house but come on that is the dumbest excuse ever. IfI’d done something like that I would have been grounded for a month.”
“Alright maybe we were a bit easier on Gabby than the rest of you, but there was a four-year difference between you,” Maggie stated trying to calm her daughter down.
“I know I was the baby for four years until you brought home the odd duck,” Viola said.
“Don’t take that flippant tone with us Viola, you may be nearly thirty-two years old but I can still wash your mouth out with soap,” Maggie said sternly.
“See, you’d never say something like that to Gabby.”
