Page 85 of Marriage (Red, White &) Blues

“I’m going on the trip,” he said.

“Okay.”

“No. Their numbers aren’t adding up. If I’m walking away, then I need to protect myself and my reputation.”

“Areyou walking away?”

“And never looking back.”

Free from the campaign. Free from the company. It seemed Blake and I were finally going to be free of the Parkers.

Chapter Nineteen

Ah, the innocence of youth. I missed it. I missed it more than I could say as I sat in my wheelchair, stunned at the news story on the television.

The movers showed a couple of weeks ago to relieve us of our no-longer-wanted furniture before others dropped off the very wanted new stuff. As I was no longer able to decorate the house, we put Jupiter in charge of that task while I healed—but I had final say on all decisions.

Once Blake returned from the trip, he tendered his resignation. Robert took it about as well as you’d expect. Blake made the company loads of money, and one thing most rich people loved more than anything was to make more money. Then he’d come home for two days and left again, to meet with another corporation that would cream in their collective suits to have my husband on board.

Our original plan made sense.

Now?

Fuck!Yes, I said it because this was afucksituation. Why? Because pictures of me from our day at the beach flashed across the screen. Unflattering pictures of me in my bikini—that was unflattering angles. I liked how I looked in that bikini. Blakeliked how I looked in that bikini. As evidenced in one of the pics. One showed me lying on my bath sheet, propped up on my elbows in what was framed as a sexy, flirty pose talking with Ryan. In reality, I’d sat up to see where Lorelei had gotten off to. Then the next, I was making out with my husband, but no one could see his face. His back was to the camera which made it look like I’d gone from flirting with one man to making out with another, and all behind my devoted husband’s back according to the lead-in.

I’d tried calling Blake at least five times since the first news story flashed across the screen. I figured he was in his meeting.

Private conversations that I’d only shared with Pen, Sierra,and Loreleipopped up on the screen in flashing words and spoken by anchors to make me sound like some kind of sex-crazed, wanton hussy. A nympho of the highest order.

My stomach dropped as Olivia and her husband…Ryan. And Lorelei and herhusband, John gave interviews. Single and ready to mingle?God, stupid, stupid, stupid Gloria. As the hot tears fell harder, I screamed. Maisie came running into the room to check on me.

“I didn’t…” I cried to her. “I never…”

“Shh…” She tried to console me. “I know you didn’t. Don’t think for a minute I believe any of that. Neither will Blake.”

“How would you feel being called a whore?” I sobbed. Ugly, blotchy-face sobbed.

Finally,finally, after a hundred thousand phone calls to my husband from me and Maisie, and Dee, and probably everyone else they’d pulled into my nightmare to try to help, he called back.

“Sweetheart,” he snapped into the line when I answered. “What the hell is going on?”

“Have you watched the news?” I asked.

“What—no. I was in the meeting with the company board. What happened?”

I swallowed hard, pinching my eyes shut while answering, “Turn on the news.”

“Which channel?”

“It doesn’t matter.” My voice broke on the last word.

“Sweetheart,” he said again, this time softer. “What?”

“Just watch.”

In the background, I heard the television flick on. I heard the different channels. Then I heard, “What the fuck?”

The tears poured harder.

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