Page 93 of My Forbidden Boss

This man, who I’ve built up in my mind. Who I’ve given power over me. Who is nothing but scum. The worst kind of human being. A man lacking in morals and integrity. Who had it in him to abandon a woman in need and baby. His baby. Who wanted nothing to do with us because we couldn’t do anything for him.

I see it all so clearly now, and I can only see it because now I know the difference. I know how a man acts with integrity. How a man can care. The lengths he’ll go when he loves someone. I see the entire picture in multicolour, high definition, and I wonder how I could have been so wrong.

Max will have no more power over me, or Mom. Ever again.

I bend close enough for him to lean back and give me a confused look. The sound his cheek makes when I slap him resonates around the cafe. Several people nearby startle, but I pay them no heed.

My voice hisses in my throat, and I curl my stinging palm into a fist. “Don’t you ever contact me or my mother again. You’re nothing but a worm. An afterthought. I don’t want to see your face, hear your voice or know of your existence. You’re nothing to me and I will never, ever, do anything for you again in my life. Do you understand me?”

Max’s face drops. The look he gives me almost makes me giggle. Not a good giggle, but a choked sound of enraged shock that bubbles up from my repressed core.

“You will never control me again.” I ignore the hush that’s fallen over the crowd, make my way out of the café, across the street and crumple into the car, leaving Max behind still sitting at the table. It’s a shame I won’t be there to see his face when he knows he’s been played, but I will give Max no more of my time. It might take time for Tristan to take care of the new zeros he’s soon to see in his bank account. Then again, I want nothing more to do with my father. Not even to gloat when he finds out he’s as poor as me.

“You were magnificent, love,” David says. He leans towards me, puts his hands on my face and holds me still as he kisses me.

I sit back, breathless. The job is done. Mom and I can leave.

And I can’t tear my gaze from David.

Mom shuffles in the back seat. “I’m proud of you, sweetie, facing down your father like that.”

“Don’t call him my father. He doesn’t get to have any importance in my life,” I say.

The only man who gets to have importance in my life is sitting next to me. Supporting me. Being there for me.

I want to say so much to him. I want to let him know that now I have the choice, I don’t want to be anywhere else.

I want to tell David I love him, but I can’t tell him here. I want it to be between us. In private.

Besides, I’m sure Mom knows exactly what I feel. One glance over my shoulder and I see the satisfied lift to her lips.

“I told him what I thought of him. That he has no more control over me. I told him I want nothing more to do with him ever again,’ I say.

Mom reaches over the back of the seat and squeezes my shoulder. “No one deserves to say that to him more than you. How do you feel?”

I search inside myself. Feel my lips lift and huff. “I feel light. And free. I feel free.”

I brush the first press of tears.

David’s cell pings. “It’s from Tristan. Good news. Max Bourke is now dirt poor.”

Mom cheers. She throws her arms up, doing a dance as much as she can in the back seat. I laugh, watching her happy for the first time in forever.

“Let’s get you both home. This is cause for celebration,” David says.

We pull into traffic and I tell them word for word what I said to Max, reliving my anger and how good it was to put him in his place.

“Shall we go out, Mom?” I say.

“Ai Fiori does a particularly good steak,” David says.

I laugh and say, “Yes. Let’s go,” because damn it, I can afford to take them all out. Lightness fizzes from my insides and over my skin.

“I don’t have anything to wear,” Mom says.

“Well, how about I take you out so you can get something to wear,” I say.

Mom sinks into the backseat, stunned. “Yes. I believe I would like that.”

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