Page 20 of Entrapped
“Bitch,” she spat, her words slurred, her eyes narrowing as she glared at me.
I froze, the scene before me unraveling like a nightmare. At the entrance to the kitchen, Colson stood with half our guests, their expressions a mix of dismay and disbelief. This wasn’t just a mishap—it was a disaster. The dinner party I had meticulously planned, every detail accounted for, was spiraling into chaos before my eyes.
And then it happened. Simone clutched the counter for support, her body lurching forward as she vomited all over it. The rancid smell hit me before I could even react, and I gasped, instinctively covering my mouth. The chef, who had just placed the Beef Wellington fresh from the oven on that very counter, looked on in horror as the main dish was ruined in an instant.
“Simone!” Colson’s voice thundered through the kitchen, his face a mask of fury. “Get her out of here!”
The staff moved quickly, ushering Simone out of the kitchen, while the rest scrambled to clean up the disaster she had left behind. I could see the embarrassment in Colson’s eyes as heturned to our guests, forcing a tight smile as he led them back to the living room, trying to salvage what remained of the evening.
I took a deep breath, willing myself to stay composed. This was my moment to step up, to fix what I could. I pulled the chef aside, my voice calm but urgent. “Can we salvage dinner? We still have appetizers circulating, dessert is ready in the fridge, and the side dishes are safe in the oven. But we need a main dish, something that can be served quickly.”
The chef nodded, his expression determined. “I’ll figure something out, Mrs. Ashworth. We’ll make it work.”
I thanked him and stepped back, my mind racing. I should’ve seen this coming. Simone had always been a thorn in my side, always looking for a way to undermine me in Colson’s eyes. But tonight, she had crossed a line. The venom in her gaze, the deliberate way she had tried to humiliate me in front of everyone—I couldn’t let it go unanswered.
As I watched the staff clean up the remnants of the ruined dish, a cold resolve settled over me. Simone thought she could sabotage me, that she could make me look weak, but she was wrong. I was done playing the polite hostess, done turning a blind eye to her petty games.
It was time I put Simone in her place. She needed to understand that I wasn’t someone she could walk over, that I wasn’t going to let her destroy everything I had worked for. The next time she tried to come after me, she wouldn’t be met with kindness or understanding.
She would be met with the full force of someone who had nothing left to lose.
Colson pressed a kiss to my cheek, his voice warm with approval. “You recovered wonderfully tonight.”
I narrowed my eyes, frustration simmering just beneath the surface. “Colson, I want her out. I can’t deal with her anymore,” I hissed, trying to keep my voice low.
He shook his head, his expression softening. “I can’t do that. Where would she go? I still control her credit cards and trust fund.”
A bitter laugh escaped me. “Are you joking? You pay her two hundred thousand dollars a year, plus bonuses. If she can’t live on that, she needs more help than we can give her.”
“She’s my daughter,” he said, as if that excused everything.
I slid onto his lap, straddling his hips, and looked him directly in the eyes. “She’s almost twenty-five, Colson. She’s not a child anymore, but you treat her like one because you feel guilty. It’s over. I can’t function with her in this house. For fuck’s sake, she almost killed me.”
His grip settled tightly on my thighs, his eyes darkening with memories. “When I buried Poppy, I stayed after everyone else walked away. I promised her I’d take care of our children.”
I softened slightly, understanding the weight of that promise, but I couldn’t back down. “And you have, but it’s time to cut the cord. What happens if you go on a business trip and leave me alone with her? She’ll try it again.”
Colson shook his head, his voice firm. “I don’t believe that.”
My frustration boiled over. “How many dinner parties does she have to ruin?”
He sighed, a look of resignation in his eyes. “None. She won’t ruin anymore,” he promised.
I took a deep breath, feeling a small victory but knowing it wasn’t enough. “At least move her into the guest house. It’s beautiful, and it’s barely used.”
Colson studied me for a moment, weighing the options, before nodding slowly. “I’ll talk to her about it tomorrow.”
It wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but it was a step in the right direction. As I rested my forehead against his, I couldn’t help but think of the key I’d hidden away. The lies and secrets were piling up…I had a lot of work to do.
I moved off him and rolled to my own side of the bed while he stayed on his. Colson shut the light and we went to sleep but sleep didn’t come long after I heard his even breathing. And sometime after, I heard our bedroom door creak open. In the dim light, I saw a silhouette. I wasn’t sure who it was, but I was pretty sure it was Simone.
She stood there and my body tensed, coiling up tight in case she decided to attack. Who knew what she had with her – a knife, a gun or some other weapon. She could hurt me before Colson stopped her. He was blind when it came to her, and I didn’t know why.
I ticked off three minutes before the door closed again and I was able to breathe. Colson never woke, and I decided to see how the discussion about moving went before I brought it up. It would reinforce my belief that she had it out for me and the cameras in the hall would be my evidence.
Two days later, I couldn’t take it anymore. Simone's little stunt the night before had pushed me to my breaking point. Empty bottles, cigarette butts, and the remnants of a wild night had littered the living room. It was obvious she was trying to get under my skin, and I wasn’t going to let her win this time. I marched straight to Colson's office.
I didn’t bother knocking. The door clicked shut behind me as I strode in, my heels echoing off the polished marble floor. Colson looked up from his desk, his eyes narrowing in irritation.
