Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 53052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
“Is everything okay with you and Chandler?” he asks.
I curl my fingers around the sofa cushion. I don’t want to lie to him, so I say, “We’re not serious. He needs someone from the right social class on his arm and since I’m not seeing anyone, I help him out.”
Dad leans forward in his chair. “Changing the subject, I heard you were attending the charity gala tomorrow night for the children’s hospital. Your mom and I will be there, too.”
“Yes. I told Chandler I’d be there.”
I push myself up to a standing position and walk over to the chair. “I need to go home. I have work in the morning.” Leaning down, I kiss his cheek. “Night, Dad. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“Good night, princess.”
I can’t help but smile at the endearment. That’s my dad. I stop in the kitchen and spend a few minutes with my mom before thanking her for dinner and heading home for the night.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Taylor
Two Months Later
I spend the day schmoozing potential donors. I meet with the franchise owner of a chain of coffee shops who is contemplating donating twenty-five thousand dollars to Chandler’s campaign. As much as I want out of doing anything for him, working on his contributions is another thing he gives me no choice about.
Afterward, I drive to the infant and children’s hospital and speak to the human resources department about unpaid internships for the high schoolers our foundation helps. Following a productive discussion, the coordinator accompanies me to the elevator and waits for it to open before saying goodbye.
Once I’m alone, I lean back against the wall in exhaustion. I’ve been so tired lately, I wonder if I’m coming down with something. As I step out of the elevator, my phone buzzes with a message. I pull the cell from my purse, look at the screen, and see it’s from Chandler.
I’m joining you for dinner at your parents’ house tonight.
My stomach churns and I sigh. I’ve been fortunate that lately he’s been too busy with work to bother me. Because it’s an election year, he’s been campaigning, and it’s been keeping him occupied day and night. The break has been good for me, which is why him intruding on my family time aggravates me. My parents have connections and are a part of the society Chandler wishes he came from. His association with them came about thanks to his reaching out to the charity, and yes, sucking up to my dad and other board members.
I text back something cool but polite and shove the phone back in my bag. Then, I head to my car and drive home. I’ve been renting a small patio home in a family neighborhood. I pull into the driveway and park. I’m warm and not feeling well, so I grab my purse and rush to the front door, key in hand. By the time I make it inside, I’m nauseous and run to the bathroom. I barely have time to sink to my knees before I get sick.
Resting my forehead on my arm, I wait a few minutes, giving myself a chance to calm down and be sure I’m not going to throw up again before pushing to my feet. I brush my teeth and open the doors under the sink for some mouthwash.
The first thing I see is a box of tampons and a shocking realization hits me. I didn’t get my period last month. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.
Now my stomach is rolling for a whole different reason. I bend down and pick up my purse I’d dropped on the floor and leave my house again.
I drive to the pharmacy, buy two pregnancy tests, and go back home where I proceed to take both. The two tests are in agreement and show PREGNANT in bold letters.
I wash my hands and clean up, then walk to my bedroom and lie down on the bed, my hands on my stomach. My flat stomach that won’t be flat for much longer. I close my eyes and think about my life. I make a good living. I can afford to raise a baby on my own and keep working. My parents won’t flip out much. Mom talks about wanting grandbabies enough that I know she’ll be pleased.
I can even see myself getting excited about the notion … except my life isn’t my own. Which means I have very little time to figure a way out of the threats Chandler issued before I start showing and he discovers I’m pregnant with another man’s baby.
Being alone allows me to think about how I ended up being blackmailed by Chandler. Before I knew what a slime he was, I worked on his campaigns, mostly on donor relations, given how prominent my parents are in the community. And there were obviously emails between myself and various donors. One of the biggest, Victor Hale, became furious when a reporter contacted him about a state contract he received that looked like it was given in exchange for his large campaign donation.