Total pages in book: 196
Estimated words: 180438 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 902(@200wpm)___ 722(@250wpm)___ 601(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 180438 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 902(@200wpm)___ 722(@250wpm)___ 601(@300wpm)
Apparently, as she was laid up in the hospital, she had already started to suspect that her cohorts were ready to leave her in the dust. No one was happy with the fact that she hadn’t done what she was supposed to, which from reading between the lines, I took to mean her taking over my life completely.
It was almost like watching a horror movie as she wailed about either Noel or Nicole being next in line to be my keeper. I was barely human in these people’s eyes, I guess. Just something to be passed around for their own gains.
I’d long come to terms with the fact that this girl never truly loved me, but this was sick. I’m sure she never expected anyone else to hear this, and from the looks of it, she didn’t hold anything back.
No one in the room spoke, and even Janie looked like she had sobered up in the ten minutes since it all began. She looked at me as if asking for help, but there was nothing I could do, even if I was so inclined. “This will all be released the second you open your mouth; you’re free to choose the time. What do you say?” She sounded like a kid, but her words were those of someone older.
“You little bitch, who are you? Show your face. This is one of your people, isn’t it? Or one of them.” She glared at Travis and Jared while struggling to fight back tears before dropping to the floor in defeat as if all the life had been sucked out of her.
I’m human, so I felt a pang of pity for her as the realization of all that she had lost hit me. I’d left her with nothing, not even enough to buy a loaf of bread. I was sure that her father would be of no help to her since she had failed at her mission and she had no friends except the Hudsons that I knew of, and I’ve always known they didn’t even like her.
I don’t want to be that guy. The kind of man who thinks only of his public image, and I know from experience that the fans would be with me one moment and against me the next, and as much as I hate her guts and could give a fuck what anyone was going to say or think of her situation ever got out, it was obvious that the girl had problems.
She’d only gotten her modeling career up and running because of her association with me and with some help from Mary, no doubt, but what was to become of her now? Even if what happened today, along with the footage from the hospital, never came to light, her reputation was already damaged beyond repair.
I have no doubt that once the dust settles and Elena and I make our reunion public, things will only get worse for her. Last night’s online session had more than proved that. It’s funny. I didn’t give a damn about her when we were married, but now, seeing her in this state, I felt a small hint of guilt because she hadn’t done this alone.
No matter what she or anyone else had done, there was no denying that I, too, had played a part. That I was the one who had gone along with it all and that without me, none of this would be happening. I wasn’t about to show her any compassion now, though, not only because it might give her the wrong idea, but I don’t think my girl would appreciate it given the circumstances.
“Well?” The voice came through the speakers again, making Janie jump.
“I want out of here.” Janie gave me a look of hate but had the good sense to keep her mouth shut. She started to leave, but Jared stopped her and turned to the screen.
“Are we done here?” How he could remain so unaffected after everything that had gone on here is a mystery.
“Yes, take her back to her childhood home. Janie, feel free to make use of the house for as long as you need; you can only stay there on one condition, though, your parents are never to step foot on the property again.”
“You’re giving me the house?” That seemed to sober her up some, and I was a bit confused at the largesse. Mengele, as her father calls her, never struck me as the giving type.
“Yes, as long as you realize that the people you grew up with, the people you shunned and bullied in the town you grew up in, are still going to be your neighbors.” Damn, that’s cold.
Chapter 85
*Elena*
What in the world is going on? Am I having an episode, or is this really happening right now? Things seem to be moving very fast one moment, only to slow way down the next, and everything is all out of place. My head was still spinning from my earlier rush of anger, and I could tell that any second now, I was going to lose my breath or have a total meltdown.