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My heart stops. I can’t believe he would do this. No, wait. I can. More importantly, what did Ledger say? A giant lump forms in my throat as I watch the three dots bounce as he types.
Ledger
He bribed me with a check for 10k.
Next, a picture of the torn check comes through. I exhale a sigh of relief.
Ledger
Fuck his money.
Olivia
I could kiss you right now.
Olivia
But also, wtf? There has to be some misunderstanding.
My phone pings again, but this time it isn’t Ledger. It’s my father.
Dad
Stop by the house after work. We need to talk.
Why does that sound so ominous?
Olivia
I just got a message from my dad. He wants me to go to the house after work. I’ll ask what all this is about.
* * *
Once I’m finished with work, I head to my parents’ house. When I pull up to the closed gate, I punch in the code and the wrought iron gates open. As I snake up the driveway the expansive house comes into view through the trees. I park my SUV in front of the closed garage. I pluck my purse off the passenger seat and make my way to the front door. Twisting the knob, I let myself in. Hushed murmurs can be heard in the kitchen, so I follow the voices down the hallway to the arched doorway. My mom sits at the kitchen island with a folder and papers strewn out in front of her while my dad stands on the other side. I approach the situation cautiously with the information about paying Ledger off tucked in my back pocket. I want to know what they have to say first.
“Hey everyone. What’s going on?” Both their heads turn to me. Their faces are not warm and inviting. I slow my pace as a ball of anxiety settles in my stomach.
My dad glares at me. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
“If I knew what you were talking about, I might be able to answer.”
He grabs a couple of papers in front of my mom and pushes them toward me.
“Explain yourself.” He glowers.
I flip the papers over and pictures of me and Ledger at the lake come into view. The pictures I had him take of me on his bike. My heart drops to the floor like a lead weight. With trembling fingers, I flip through page after page of printed photos.
“These are all over the internet. Everyone now knows the senator’s daughter is a whore,” he spits.
I flinch at his words. “How did you get these?” My voice is shaky.
“On the internet. They’re out in the public for everyone to see. When I had the IP address tracked, guess who it belonged to?” My gaze shoots to my dad. “Your tattooed boy toy. Can’t you see he’s using you? I’m sure he’s raking in the big bucks selling these online, especially to my campaign challengers.”
There is no way Ledger would post these. He wouldn’t do that. Deep down, I know he wouldn’t. Hell, he didn’t want to take the photos. I convinced him to do it. “You’re lying.”
He slides another piece of paper toward me. I peer down at the black ink showing a string of numbers with Ledger’s name and his internet service provider. He rests his palms on the counter and leans in, trying to intimidate me. “Now, I’m lying? Do you not realize how damaging this is to our family? To my career?” He slams his fist on the island and I jump. “I can’t believe you’d be so selfish. That you’d trust a degenerate over your blood family. You’re mother tried to set you up with a good man from a good family and this is how you repay us?” He picks up a couple of the printed photos and tosses them at me. They float down to the counter, a couple of them falling to the floor.
I scoff. “We may be blood, but that’s the only thing that connects us. Ledger has been in my life for only two months, and in that short time he’s been there for me, supporting me way more than you have in thirty-one years. So yes, I’m going to trust him a hundred times out of ten.”
