Page 62 of Mr. Almost

The clicking of heels has us standing up straight and facing forward. I bite back a groan when I see Mrs. Williamson and awoman with her. Both women are insanely put together, but the other woman is gorgeous. She’s tall, but her heels make her body look even longer. She’s thin with her hair and makeup perfectly done, and she has on a designer outfit with her handbag, which I know costs more than two months’ rent, resting on her forearm.

“You’re still here,” Mrs. Williamson sneers.

“Lovely to see you again, Mrs. Williamson. Would you like me to page one of your sons to let them know you’re on the premises?” I say politely.

She looks me up and down. “That won’t be necessary. Victoria and I know the way. She is engaged to Mason after all.”

I feel my stomach drop to the floor and fight the urge to vomit. I know it can’t be true, but that doesn’t mean the punch didn’t hurt any less.

Just the thought of him being engaged to someone else makes my stomach feel sour. Looking at the model in front of me makes me feel even worse. She is everything that I would expect Mason to want. Instead, he spends all of his time with me.

Hating how insecure I feel, I decide to play her game with her.

I look over at Victoria and offer a smile. “Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials.”

Victoria ignores me as she looks around. “This place could use updating,” she says absentmindedly.

I feel Tristen bristle next to me and I grab her arm, reminding her to be silent. The last thing she needs is Mrs. Williamson’s and this woman’s attention on her. My eyes quickly drop to her ring finger and find it empty.

There are just some things I know about Mason without him having to confirm.

I know that if he were engaged, the woman would have a ring the size of the Titanic on her finger.

I know that if he were engaged, he wouldn’t be at my apartment every night, our daughter be damned.

“Just know that when Mason and Victoria wed, my son will forget all about you and your spawn,” Mrs. Williamson spews.

I was planning to stay polite. Do everything I could to make sure they don’t have a reason to fight me, but fuck this bitch. I refuse to let her talk about my daughter that way.

“Your son’s choices are his and his alone, Mrs. Williamson. You can talk all the shit in the world about me, but keep my daughter’s name out of your mouth,” I tell her, my heart racing.

She makes a noise in the back of her throat. “I thought I got rid of you once, but clearly I was wrong. You aren’t good enough for my son.”

“I know.”

And it’s true. I do know I’m not good enough for Mason. He belongs to someone like Victoria, but for some reason he wants me. Or at least he claims he does.

She continues on like I didn’t say anything. “Soon enough, you and that child will be a distant memory, and you won’t get a penny out of us.”

“Okay,” I tell her.

I would hate losing Mason. It would likely kill me, but to never have to see her again? That would be a blessing.

She looks like she might say something else, but a voice from behind her stops her.

“Mother, I thought Mason told you that you weren’t welcome here,” Max says coldly.

She waves her son’s comment away. “Like I told your brother, my name is on the side of the building, I’ll go where I want to go.”

“Both of you, follow me,” Max demands.

When both women step in front of him, he shoots me a look, asking if I’m okay, and I offer him a weak smile.

Tristen turns toward me when the three of them finally step out of view. “What the hell was that, and are you okay?”

My hands shake as I pick up a piece of paper. “I need to make sure to get Iris this invoice. I don’t know how it ended up down here.”

Tristen gently removes the paper from my hands and sets it down on the counter. “Talk to me, Liv.”

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