Page 56 of Entrapped
Vaughn reached across the desk and grabbed my Donald Duck figurine, rolling it around in his hand. It was one of my favorites, a small piece of happiness in an otherwise complicated life.
“I had a birthday card for you instead,” he said, his voice softening. “I was waiting to give it to you.”
I raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “Liar. You embarrassed me when it was already hard enough. The king of Windmere Haven waved his wand and made my life even worse. Thank God I had Easton.”
The memory of that day flashed in my mind—how I’d hidden in the greenhouse after school, too embarrassed to face anyone. Easton had found me there, holding a cupcake with a single candle, offering a small comfort on a difficult day. The tables had turned a few months later when his mother died, and I was the one who comforted him.
“Easton,” Vaughn repeated, a hint of jealousy in his tone.
I ignored him, my mind already retreating to those distant memories, where life had been simpler, before the tangled web of the Ashworth family had ensnared me.
"Joey..." Vaughn's voice was softer now, almost pleading.
"Please, Vaughn," I interrupted, my tone firm. "If you love me like you say you do, let me be. Let my marriage to Colson blossom."
He scrubbed his face with both hands, frustration radiating from him. "He chose you on purpose, you know that? He knew how I felt about you, and he did it anyway. Colson has always been in competition with me. I'm his fucking son."
It was the same old argument. I pointed a finger at him, my anger flaring. "This is your fault. All you had to do was not be embarrassed to date me. To have the courage to tell your stupid friends you were in love with me. But you didn’t. And now, because it wasn’t fair, you want to destroy my marriage?"
"I don’t want to destroy your marriage," Vaughn snapped back. "I’m just telling you what to expect. You’ll have this baby, and when it’s ready to go to college, Colson will be in his mid-sixties."
I slumped in my chair, his words hitting me hard. I’d done the math. I knew how old Colson would be when our child graduated high school, moved on with their life. I also knew I would lose Colson long before I was ready, but I tried to push those thoughts aside.
"I’m aware," I argued, my voice trembling slightly.
Vaughn drew in a deep breath, his eyes narrowing as if he’d just realized something. "Oh shit, you’ve fallen in love with him."
The words hung in the air, heavy and toxic, like a poison cloud. I didn’t respond, couldn’t respond.
"That’s my business," I finally managed, my voice barely above a whisper.
Vaughn rose from his chair, his expression turning colder. "He’ll break your heart. You and that child will become irrelevant to him. Maybe he’ll be there for plays, parent-teacher meetings, or graduations, or maybe he’ll be in Tokyo for some meeting. He did it to all of us."
Tears rimmed my eyes as I watched him walk to the door, his back stiff with unspoken anger. "Vaughn," I called out, my voice breaking.
But he ignored me, the sound of his footsteps echoing down the hallway. The last thing I saw before he disappeared was my Donald Duck figurine in his hand, taken like a final, cruel trophy of our fractured relationship.
With nausea as my constant companion, I buried myself in the preparations for the annual Ashworth New Year's Eve party. The Ashworth mansion was abuzz with activity, as if the very walls knew that this event was the pinnacle of Windmere Haven’s social calendar.
The ballroom, which had been empty just days before, was now being transformed into a shimmering wonderland. The decorators worked tirelessly, draping the room in all the colors of the season—rich burgundies, deep greens, and glints of gold and silver that caught the light just so.
A caterer was handling the food and wine, thank God. I could barely stand the sight of a kitchen, let alone the smell of anything cooking. The thought of the elaborate menu—caviar, lobster, filet mignon—was enough to make my stomach churn.
But I couldn’t afford to let anyone see my discomfort, especially not tonight. The elite of Windmere Haven would be in attendance, and I had to appear flawless, the perfect Ashworth wife.
It still felt strange to be so fully accepted into their world. The women who once barely acknowledged my existence now sent endless invitations, requesting my presence at luncheons, charity events, and shopping trips. I declined most of them. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate their newfound attention, but the truth was, I felt out of place without Colson by my side.
These women had grown up in this world; they were effortlessly elegant, perfectly poised. I, on the other hand, still felt like an imposter, a girl from a different life wearing the Ashworth name like a mask.
Tonight, though, I couldn’t hide. Colson and I would be front and center, the hosts of the evening. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror as I dressed. My gown was a sparkling silver, the fabric catching the light and reflecting it back in a thousand tiny stars. It clung to my body in all the right places, the neckline plunging just low enough to be daring, but not scandalous. I ran a hand over my belly. In a few months there would be a bump as our child grew.
Colson appeared in the doorway, adjusting his cufflinks. He was wearing a Tom Ford tuxedo and looked devastatingly handsome, every inch the powerful, sophisticated man he was. His eyes metmine in the mirror, and for a moment, everything else faded away.
“Joey,” he said softly, stepping behind me. His hands slid around my waist, resting on my stomach. “You look stunning.”
I leaned back into him, savoring the warmth of his body against mine. “So do you,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. I felt safe with him, like nothing could touch us as long as we were together.
His lips brushed my ear. “Tonight will be perfect,” he promised.
