Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 94048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Simon stands nearby watching with an expression that suggests he thinks I’m one second away from making my own crazy-girl closet.
“What the hell are we going to do now?” I ask him, finally getting myself under control. “If he didn’t cash that check, he’s going to fall behind on payments soon.”
“We’ll need a new scheme.” He hesitates and smiles a bit. “Assuming you don’t want to just tell him the truth.”
I laugh again at that, throwing up my hands. “What’s there to tell him? Oh, hey, Dad, sorry, we were reverse-scamming you, whoops. My ex-husband and I just wanted to put more money in your pockets but you figured us out. Aw, shucks, our bad, Pops.”
Simon rolls his eyes. “I’m not your ex-husband. I keep trying to say—”
I wave my hands and interrupt him. “Not the point. I’m seriously trying to come up with some reasonable way to spin this, because we obviously can’t just leave things like this.”
Simon seems to consider it, but he doesn’t get the chance to answer, because downstairs I hear the front door open and slam shut. And my father’s voice drifts up the steps: “Emily? I’m back. Damn doctor says I’m the healthiest man he’s ever seen. He says I’m the first human to live to three hundred. Go figure. You hungry?” His voice tails off as he shuffles back into the kitchen.
I stare at Simon, and he stares back. A smile quirks at his mouth and he shrugs. “Just go with the truth.”
Chapter 33
Emily
I head downstairs as my father bangs around in the kitchen. I find him putting a pan on the stove, the burner clicking then whooshing to life. He’s got grilled cheese fixings on the counter. “I can make you one if you want,” he says, turning to me, and stops short, looking surprised.
“Hey, Dad,” I say, wishing this moment would end, maybe with my violent and sudden death. “Uh, this is my, uh—”
“Hello, sir, we should officially meet. My name is Simon, and I’m your daughter’s husband.” Simon comes around me and offers Dad his hand.
Dad stares and shakes weakly, looking from Simon to me and back again. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were visiting. It’s great to officially meet the famous Simon. I just hope I don’t have to get in your face again.”
Simon grins. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”
Dad gestures at the spread. “You guys hungry?”
“No, we’re okay,” I say, speaking before Simon can accept. I nudge him away and turn to my father, a million thoughts rolling through my head, but the most obvious one is the loudest.
I never should’ve lied to him.
This whole secret extra money scheme came from a good place. I never wanted Dad to feel like a burden. It was bad enough, taking money from me, but taking it from a total stranger? Letting my random stranger husband financially care for him? I was trying to spare Dad’s already destroyed ego one more blow.
That was stupid. I should’ve just told him the truth from the start. Maybe he wouldn’t have liked it, and it would’ve hurt knowing his daughter married a stranger for him, but at least there wouldn’t be this terrible moment.
I take a long, deep breath, and decide to get it over with.
“Dad, I found that stuff in your closet, and you should know that the money wasn’t coming from the government. It was coming from me and Simon. I wanted to make sure you were taken care of, but I didn’t want you to feel like a burden, and so I cooked up this stupid, elaborate scheme, and I’m so sorry. I should’ve just told you from the start.”
He stares at me, his mouth hanging open, before turning to the stove and clicking it off. He doesn’t turn back right away, and instead stands with his back to us, and his shoulders start to shake. It kills me, watching him tense and shudder, and I think he’s crying—
Until I hear the laughter.
That makes me stand up straight, confused as hell. Why is my dad laughing right now? I just told him that I lied to him and tried to reverse-scam him, and now he’s laughing like that’s funny? His only daughter betrayed his trust. He should be screaming at me.
Instead, he’s cracking up. He turns around and wipes his eyes, he’s laughing so hard, and holds his guts with one hand while holding the other in the air.
“You schemed me,” he says, barking it out between fits. “You really schemed me! And I found it!”
I stare at Simon, not sure what to do. I might have to get some sleeping pills to make him calm down or something, because it sure looks like he’s having a fit. But Dad’s howling with laughter, and Simon’s grinning too.
“Okay, seriously, Dad, why are you laughing? What the hell is happening right now?”