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“It’s me. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. I thought we told each other everything.”
“We made a sex tape. He told me he was just going to use it for his enjoyment. When things didn’t seem like they were going to work out between us, he told me he’d sell it. First, he threatened to send it to your father, then he said he’d sell copies to the press and online.”
I feel the bile threatening to come up. This is definitely worse than I imagined.
“What are you going to do?” I ask.
“Whatever he wants me to do. I can’t fight him now.”
“What does he want?” I ask.
“He wants me to be with him.”
“Mom, you can’t do that.”
“I have to, Clark. What other options are there?”
“I’ll figure something out. Don’t commit to anything yet,” I tell her.
She nods, but I’m not sure she believes me.
That’s the first and last time we discussed anything, because the next day she was in a car accident, and she’s been in a coma in the nursing home ever since. The blackmail moved from her to me, because he knew I had nothing. It was either do whatever he wanted me to do or lose my mom.
He threatened that if I even mentioned anything to anyone, or tried to do it all on my own, he’d still release the video.
I’ve been struggling with what to do ever since.
My phone rings, pulling me from my thoughts, and I scowl when I see that it’s him calling.
“Clark, I hear congratulations are in order.”
I’m not sure who told him about Mitch and me, but I didn’t say a word to Riley. I didn’t want her to somehow ruin it, like her father is trying to do.
“I have a proposition for you,” he says.
“Oh yeah?” I grunt, already over this conversation.
“It’s almost August, and the holiday season will be here before we know it. I’ll make a sizable donation to the nursing home your mother is in, so long as they understand that her stay there will be free for the foreseeable future.”
“What’s the catch?” I ask.
“You need to propose to Riley by New Year’s Eve,” he says firmly.
“Fuck you,” I spit out.
“Now, is that any way to talk to your future father-in-law?” he asks.
“You’re not helping me. You’re blackmailing me.”
“I still hold all the power. We can carry on with this ‘will I’ or ‘will I not’ pay for her care for the month, or I’ll pay for it forever. Your choice. You have until Thanksgiving to let me know what the plan is,” he says, before hanging up.
“Fuck you!” I roar, throwing my phone across the room.
There’s no way I can marry her. That would be like signing a death wish. I can’t do that. I refuse. But then there’s the matter of my mother. What will I do? I have a feeling the only option for me is to marry Riley. I don’t think this is really up to me, he’s already made up his mind.
I’m feeling pretty fucking helpless right now.
* * *
