Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 31741 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 159(@200wpm)___ 127(@250wpm)___ 106(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31741 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 159(@200wpm)___ 127(@250wpm)___ 106(@300wpm)
There’s a horrified silence.
“But what about me?” Minnie finally cries. “What about my welfare? And the baby too? Oh my god!” she chokes, tears in her eyes.
I pause, ashamed at my actions.
“I know it sounds bad, but at the time, I wasn’t thinking straight. I figured you’d have the kid, I’d give you some money for your trouble, and hire a nanny to look after the baby. Then, the child could go to boarding school later. It sounds rancid, but rich men have children all the time, and pay other people to take care of them. So yes, that was the plan when all this went down. But things changed,” I say quickly. “I fell in love with you along the way, Minnie. I love you so much, and I want this child. I want us to be a family, and I’d do anything to take back my actions and re-write the whole situation.”
To my horror, the beautiful woman’s crying now. Tears run down her cheeks as she sobs, and immediately I’m on my feet, kneeling in front of the golden goddess.
“Please don’t cry,” I beg in a broken tone. “I’ll do anything to make this better for you. For us. I’ll set you up in a house of your own, and hire a nanny for the child. I’ll set up a trust fund for the baby, and there will be a trust for you too, sweetheart. Neither of you will ever have to worry about money, even if you never want to see me again. I deserve it,” I add in a defeated voice. “God knows I deserve every ounce of hatred that you must feel.”
“But I don’t feel that!” Minnie cries out between sobs. “I want to hate you so much, Brad, but I love you. I love our child too, and I want to be a family. I just don’t understand how things got so mixed up along the way.”
The words are like a ray of hope piercing my heart. My chest contracts painfully, and I raise myself to sit on the divan next to Minnie. I’m almost afraid to touch her, but I gently take one of her hands and squeeze.
“We’ll find a way,” I say in a broken tone. “I love you so much, Minnie, and it’s a genuine promise. My words may mean nothing to you, and I can see why you’d feel that way since there’s been so much fucking scheming behind the scenes. But I want you to know that what I feel for you is real, and I’ll do anything you want, Minnie. Just say the word.”
At that, the young woman throws herself into my arms, her tears still coming fast and furious.
“I want to work on things,” she chokes out. “I want you to stop lying, and to be straight with me. I want Joelle out of our lives forever,” she manages in a shaky voice. “My mother is poison, and I can’t have someone like that around my child. I want us to work together to make things work because I can’t do this without you Brad!”
I gather Minnie in my arms before seizing her mouth with my own. Her lips are plush and pliant, parting immediately beneath my demanding ones, but my hands are gentle as they trace over her voluptuous figure.
“I know,” I rasp. “I’ll make sure we never see Joelle again, and you and the baby are safe with me,” I pledge. “Always, Minnie. I love you, and we are going to make this work.”
Then, our lips seal again as her tears start anew because love can be difficult sometimes. Hell, my own eyes are beginning to tear as well because this is a pivotal moment in our relationship. But we’re going to give it a try, and I’m going to do my goddamn best to please Minnie because her happiness is everything to me. Yes, I started out as her stepfather, and her boss, and a man hell-bent on revenge against her mother. But along the way, I was also charmed by the young blonde’s innocent, trusting manner, and the goodness of her heart. In the end, I realized that my so-called “revenge” means nothing, and that I was wasting my time. After all, everything I want is right here, in my arms.
“I love you,” I murmur into the delicate seashell of her ear, rapturous to have Minnie in my embrace once again. “I’ll always take care of you. I’ll always be here for you. Anything you want, at any time.”
Then, the words I want to hear are repeated back to me.
“I love you too, Brad,” Minnie whispers while kissing me once again. “We will figure it out.”
With that, the next chapter of our lives begins because there’s no sense in dwelling on the past. Our past grievances are just that: in the past, and with both of us pledging our hearts, there’s only one thing to be done ... to stay true to one another as we chart a new path together.