Page 119 of Sins of the Father

I smile a little and slide onto his lap then caress the side of his head.

He closes his eyes again. Stress, anger, and anxiety grip his face, and I wish I knew how to take it all away.

He mumbles, “I know she chose to be with him, but I didn’t think the day would come where she would pick him over me.”

“Maybe she didn’t.”

His eyes fly open. “How can you say that? You heard the entire conversation.”

I stroke his cheek and his jaw spasms. “Maybe she’s protecting you?”

He snorts. “By letting me work on his campaign?”

“No. I don’t know what she knows, but I have a hard time believing she would hurt you. She loves you.”

He turns toward the window. His voice is laced with hurt. “She just proved she doesn’t love me more than her sugar daddy.”

I wish I knew what to say. Beth’s actions flabbergast me regarding her relationship with Maximillion, but I try not to judge. I feel sorry for her that she’s so blindly in love, she allows herself to stay in that type of relationship. The nasty expressions on the governor’s wife and children’s faces make me believe they know about Beth. Which means they probably are aware Steven and Quinn are biologically Maximillion’s. So the entire situation is sad to me. His wife stays with him, yet Beth also does. And I know Beth is in the wrong, but my heart still hurts thinking about what she must go through working for him and also being manipulated by him.

I was a wife who was cheated on, but I left. Maximillion’s wife stays, so maybe that is why my sympathy is less for her. I’m not sure but it’s the only conclusion I can come to.

The car stops in front of Jamison’s building. We get out, and Steven leads me inside and to the elevator.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m not sure. I might be able to talk to the board and have them override Dudmeyer, but I’m asking to go straight to the unemployment line if I try to go around him.”

The elevator opens, and we go into the house. Anna is on the couch, with a blanket around her, talking on the phone.

Her voice cracks. “Mitch, I don’t know.”

“Anna,” I cry out, and she jumps.

“I have to go.” She wipes her face.

“What are you doing?”

“No, I have to go. We’ll talk later.” She throws her phone in her bag that’s on the table next to her.

“Why are you talking to him?” I angrily ask.

She rises and grabs her bag. “Don’t start.”

I put my hand on her biceps. “Please don’t tell me you’re considering going back to him?”

“I don’t want to talk about this right now.” She turns to Steven. “Can your driver take me to Chase’s, or should I call his?”

“Sure.” Steven texts Ted.

“Hope has been asleep for an hour.”

“Thank you for watching her,” I say.

She slings her bag over her shoulder. “Anytime. I’ll see you later.” She hurries past me.

When she gets to Steven, he stops her. “Anna, don’t get back with him. You don’t deserve to be his punching bag or cheated on or any of the other bullshit he’s doing to you.”

She stares at him and wipes her face. “I have to go. Please don’t tell Chase you heard me talking to him. I don’t need to listen to it all night.” She brushes past him and leaves.

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