Page 44 of Corrupt Me

“I haven’t forgotten, and I’m good at multitasking.” My voice sounds robotic—no inflection, no emotion.

“Spoken like someone who would never dedicate herself to achieving greatness.”

“If you say so, Father.”

“Such an ungrateful brat.” His hard stare accuses my mother, and she downs a glass of wine.

“Is that all?” I ask, eager to leave, hating who I become in their presence.

“Do you have better things to do than meet with your parents?” she asks haughtily.

I burst into laughter. “Actually, I do.”

They gasp. It takes everything in me not to roll my eyes at their shocked, fish-out-of-water expressions. I stand up, my appetite gone, along with my desire to spend another second in their presence.

“We didn’t excuse you,” my father says, pointing his knife at my chair.

“Why do you hate me so much?” I’m so done tiptoeing around them like I am walking on eggshells.

This question has plagued me for years, but I’ve always waited for the “right” time. There won’t ever be a good time, though. It will hurt anyway, but now I’m better equipped to face it.

The fact that they can’t answer is answer enough.

With steel in my voice, I say, “I will lead the media company and do my best.”

“You better. We haven’t worked this hard for one mistake to cost us everything,” my mother says.

The mistake, of course, being me.

“Mother, that is your problem, not mine.”

I move to leave, but my father’s voice stops me. “Stop being difficult.”

“And you stop thinking you can tell me what to do anymore.”

His brown eyes pierce mine, and I hold his gaze.

“Let’s keep up appearances for the outside world, as always. But don’t call me to dinners anymore. It’s a waste of all our time.” With that, I turn and leave.

Tears well up in my eyes. Rejection cuts deep, leaving pulsing wounds inside. While I am proud to have finally stood my ground, I mourn the parental love I have never received and never will.

As I drive away, I notice lights on at Cillian’s house, with Blake and Hunter’s cars parked outside. I pull in behind Hunter’s car, feeling drawn to go inside. His presence alone would ease my anguish, but I don’t want to intrude on his family time. I am about to start the engine again when there’s a knock on my window. Startled, I look up, and Hunter’s there, yanking the door open.

“What did they fucking do?” he asks, anger blazing in his eyes.

My shoulders droop, my chin quivering. No words come out.

He pulls me out of the car and to his chest, and I bury my face in his warmth. I wish he’d hold me and never let me go.

“It’s me. I must be the reason. I’m just not lovable enough.”

“Shut up and never think like that. Never let me bloody hear that shit again.”

I tip my face up to him, and the soft expression on his face has my heart doing acrobatics, tumbling from one corner to the other. He rubs his nose against mine, and butterflies swarm in my belly, making me lightheaded as I suck in a breath, not wanting him to stop.

“You’re lovable, Bailey. You’re the most lovable person I have ever met. Fuck your parents and whoever doesn’t see that.”

You included, I want to add, but I keep my mouth shut.

---