Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 65683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 328(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 219(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 328(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 219(@300wpm)
“Who’s yours?” Sam was already inside. Wait. He was already inside? Wasn’t he waiting for me to text him?
I was so confused until Phoebe walked up to him and looped her arm within his. “So glad we all finally met. Vaughan, this is my boyfriend, Sam. We’re in an open relationship, which I’m sure means so many exciting things for you tonight, right, Tru? It is Tru, right?”
“Sam? What are you doing?”
His face momentarily paled. “What I had to.”
Phoebe smashed her face against his in a painful-looking kiss, then pulled back. “See, Tru? He understands the order of things.” She turned to Sam. “Kneel.”
And he did.
He slowly went to his knees while she patted him on the head.
I was going to vomit.
That woman.
These people.
I ran away from Vaughan and from what I thought I knew of Sam. I ran down the hall until blackness took over my line of vision and went into the first room I could find.
Only to see Sandra on her knees.
In front of Vaughan’s father.
CHAPTER 28
TRU
Then
“Oh my God!”
She stood in place with one hand over her heart, and the other sternly placed on the breakfast table, supporting her weight. I sensed that her composure was buckling, though she portrayed otherwise.
“Do you feel any remorse? Because you don’t get to pretend to.”
“I love him,” she simply stated.
My eyes instantly widened. “So… that makes it okay?” The fact that his dick can’t stay in his pants. How can you let him do this to you?”
Her eyes widened.
I never spoke to her this way, but this was my last straw. I couldn’t deal with these people anymore. They were insane.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done to me? Do you even care?”
I sucked in air and disgustingly shook my head. “You have no idea what you’ve done to my life! It was so much easier for you to ignore me and keep pretending that your marriage means something to all these high society people when we both know it’s a joke.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. Our marriage isn’t a scam,” she justified, but it meant nothing.
Nothing that came out of her mouth really did, did it?
I took a much-needed breath. “This is seriously messed up, and you’ve been pretending to live in this perfect fake little fairy tale you’ve created for everyone to see when it’s just a smokescreen.” I wrapped my arms around my body, suddenly feeling more cold and alone than I’d felt in my entire life, and that was saying something. Vaughan. I needed Vaughan. He’d become my shelter, my comfort, my home. This, with Sandra and her lies? Was not my home. It would never be.
“That’s enough,” he roared from behind me.
I closed my eyes, hearing his voice.
I waited for the storm to wash over me.
I was sitting in the eye of it, awaiting the mass destruction that would wreak havoc on my being. It would take me right along with it, and I would let it.
I turned around and looked deep into his broken eyes that mirrored mine.
Vaughan.
He didn’t know.
I couldn’t tell him.
He wiped away my tears, and only then did I realize I was crying.
“I’m so sorry, Van.” That was all I could express.
I felt like I was standing in quicksand, and it was taking me under, along with anyone with me.
Love was blind.
Love was selfish.
Love made us stupid.
L-O-V-E, a four-letter word that meant something different to everyone.
All sides of love.
The different shades and colors.
“You knew all along?” he asked.
I could only nod. “I walked in on them last week.”
“So you knew all the shit, them, my dad, and never said anything?”
Sandra chose that moment to walk out of the room like she didn’t just wreck me and throw a cataclysmic bomb onto Vaughan’s and my relationship.
And I couldn’t stand the expression on his face.
It wasn’t filled with love and adoration, the look I’d gotten used to after so many times of whatever we’d been doing.
Now his eyes read something between the lines of distrust and hate.
Vaughan
Tru nodded her head. “I was planning on telling you tonight, actually. I was scared and worried. I’d walked in on them like within a week of getting here. You guys have different rules! Obviously! I mean, look at what Phoebe did to Sam! Just because he’s a foster kid? Or because he’s poor? He was on his knees!”
Vaughan jerked back like I’d slapped him. “Are you actually comparing me to Phoebe right now?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. I’m just saying, I didn’t know you well enough to suddenly be like oh, guess what I saw! Plus, would you have even believed me?”
I wouldn’t have wanted to, no. But she should have at least told me that my dad wasn’t my real dad. Shame chose that weak moment to shift into anger, anger directed at her as if it was her fault, but I needed someone to blame, to project all of this shit onto. “I would have believed you because I love you, but I guess even love isn’t enough for some things. Am I even good enough for you now that you know?”