Page 37 of The Omega's Secret Baby
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “How bad is it?”
“Well, everybody thinks you slept with him. Little Rosie from the bakery even thinks you paid him for it, but that girl has always been a bit dumb.”
I groaned. “Do I really look like I need to pay people for that kind of thing?”
“Oh no, you don't. You're an attractive young alpha. Like I said, Rosie's just dumb.” Frederica gave me a smile before her expression became more serious again. “Everybody else believes that Elias seduced you. You know it's natural to blame that kind of behavior on the omega. Especially on one who's been unmated for so long and who doesn't know the father of his child.”
I sighed.Those stupid...
Eli deserved so much better than this.
“It was always me,” I told Frederica. I'd been the one to go after him when we were younger, and I was the one who'd kissed him this time. If people wanted to blame anyone, they should be blaming me. I just couldn't control myself around Eli. Hell, I didn'twantto control myself around Eli. Being with him just felt so much better than anything I'd ever experienced. When we were together, everything feltrightin a way that I couldn't even explain.
“I have no doubt about that,” Frederica said with a twinkle in her eye. “If you saw him and you decided that you wanted him... Poor boy never stood a chance.”
“Yeah... The first time I took him out, we went out into the woods to walk this dog I’d found… He told me about how much he loved animals and all he wanted to do in the future. He wanted to become a vet, you know? He’d worked really hard for his scholarship.” I’d been impressed, and I’d had no idea that I was leading him down this path when I eventually pushed him up against a tree just to kiss him. I had to make this right. Somehow. “Those rumors... Are they also about Jake?”
Thankfully, Frederica shook her head. “No. They haven't made that connection. Not yet, anyway.”
I grimaced again, because she was right. It was only a matter of time before people would come up with the wildest theories. And it would be best if Eli and I figured things out between us before we had the whole town trying to take part in that conversation.
I drank the last of my tea, wondering how to approach this topic with Eli when a maid knocked on the door. I turned to her, one eyebrow raised.
She cleared her throat. “Your mother would like you to join her in the sitting room. Your sister has arrived.”
I did my best to smile at the maid instead of groaning. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
I had no doubt what those two wanted to talk to me about.
And I only had to spend five minutes in the sitting room, watching my mother and sister exchange fake smiles while my nephew stared at his smart phone to be proved right.
“Darling,” my mother addressed me. “Your sister informed me that she knows a very lovely lady in search of a husband.”
“Oh, yes?” I asked. “And how would my wedding to this lovely lady contribute to the family wealth?”
“Oh, don’t be like that.” My sister glared at me while my mother’s eye brows arched up as if she just couldn’t believe the words coming out of my mouth. But I was so tired of this little game of pretend my family liked to play. We all knew why my mother wanted me to marry again, so why beat around the bush?
“Be like what?” I asked my sister.
“Difficult,” she said, shaking her head. “Marianne wouldn’t give you any trouble if you married her, and you’d be doing something good for all of us.”
Wouldn’t give you any trouble.Was that really the best I could aim for in a relationship? I felt almost bad for my sister that she didn’t see the problem with that.
That’s only because she hasn’t met someone she really loves. Not like you did.
“Listen to your sister,” my mother said. “She’s trying to help you.”
I had to keep myself from snorting, because I knew what my sister wasreallytrying to do. Grow the wealth and influence of our family because she thought her smart phone obsessed brat was going to inherit it all one day. She was exactly like our mother, doing what she thought was best for her offspring, however misguided her ideals were.
“I’m really not in the mood for this right now,” I said, stroking a hand through my hair. “I’m still trying to get over my divorce.”
“Oh?” My sister put her hands on her hips. “The divorce you asked for, you mean? Yeah, Mother has told me everything, and you clearly haven’t been making the best decisions. We’re just trying to help you get back on track.”
“Of course you are.” I couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of my voice, and I have to admit that I didn’t try very hard either. “I assure you I’m fine. And I will deal with things in time.”
“I’d just rather you deal with this before Father has to step down.”
“Karen!” Mother reprimanded her. “You weren’t to speak of this.”
