Total pages in book: 148
Estimated words: 135517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
My heart raced in my chest, and my knees shook with sheer excitement at this turn of events. To think that just a few minutes before he came looking for me, I was at my worst, only for things to turn out this way. I’ll never doubt the power that Mom holds again. But most importantly, I can’t wait to rub this all in Mary’s face.
He put the papers away again once I was done, and we got to our feet with my hands still held in his. “When can we move in?”
“Not yet, I’m having the place remodeled just for you, and it’s going to take some time. Right now, I’ve hired someone to take care of upgrading the electricity and stuff like that, but once they’re done, I plan on getting together with your mom to help me decorate it as a surprise for you.”
Why did I become so worried? I should’ve known that Mom was always right. She’d got me to the altar after all, and that was the hardest part of this whole thing. “You should start making plans for a party, kind of a housewarming. Let’s say in another couple of weeks. Things should be done by then. Remember, it’s supposed to be a surprise, so don’t go asking your mom about it. She won’t tell you anything anyway because I’ve sworn her to secrecy. Now I have to get back to work, we start shooting in a month, and I still have a lot of work to do.”
The kiss on my cheek was better than nothing and filled me with as much joy as if we’d shared a passionate kiss. A memory of some tabloid article with him kissing Elena years ago flashed into my head, but I brushed it aside. That’s one of the recurring memories in my head because I’ve always wanted him to kiss me that way, but he never did; he never treated me the way the cameras had always captured him treating her.
I don’t have to care about any of that now; I’d finally won. And once I get everything settled, with the Saunders group on my side, I’ll be sure to make everyone pay for the way I’ve been treated. Starting with Mary and that MengeLiNi person, whoever she is.
I hugged myself with glee and rushed to find my phone to call Dad. Won’t he have egg on his face once he hears?
***
*Ryder*
Damn, my acting skills must be better than I thought. I can’t believe that worked. I kept a straight face until I was back on my side of the house and had to hold my hand up for Zak to wait when he came toward me as soon as I cleared the door. “One minute.”
I rushed to the bathroom and threw up violently. I’d been very worried that I’d be found out, that I’d lose this chance and never be given another, but she’d bought it. I was free, well almost. I can’t put into words how I felt. Not even getting off drugs had given me this much elation. I felt alive in a way I haven’t in way too long, and all I could think about now was that I was almost in the clear. Soon, there will be nothing stopping me from taking back my life.
I got cleaned up and headed back into the room where Tyler and Zak were both waiting. I think I saw them clearly for the first time, these two men who I hadn’t known until a short while ago, who had, for whatever reason, come all the way here to help me get through this. For as long as I live, I’ll never be able to repay them for what they’ve done for me.
“Well? Did she sign?” I nodded my head at Tyler and passed him the signed papers that were pretty much my life. I was still coming to terms with the fact that it had been that easy. They told me that it would be, that now was the perfect time to strike, but I didn’t believe it. How could something that I’d stressed over for so long be that easy? It had taken less than ten minutes after all the countless hours I’d spent going out of my mind. But they knew, they always know.
I’m still not sure how they knew that her visit with Mary would have her so frazzled that it would be the catalyst we needed to get her to sign without even reading the documents, just as long as I said my lines right and with just the right amount of feeling. “I need to sit down.”
I also had to put my head between my knees and breathe really hard to offset the nausea that was still riding me pretty hard. My limbs felt a bit weak, and there was a tremble in my hands and knees, a tremble of relief and a release from the tension I’d been under when I had to sit there and look at her with a smile on my face when what I really wanted was to chuck her ass somewhere and be done with it.