Page 52 of Baby for My Billionaire Rival

“But then your product might become cost-prohibitive.”

I shake my head. “Not when –”

“You’re not above globalization, Simmons. You’re going to have to deal with it at some point and if you’re going to sit here and argue with me in front of everybody you better be willing to do it one on one,” Caroline shouts, her voice tremoring.

My brow furrows.

“Alright, this is getting a little…” Fig starts to intercede but doesn’t know what to say. Neither do I, honestly.

Caroline’s eyes are filling with tears. She whips back around, shoves her stuff in her bag, and runs out of the lecture hall without looking back.

“Okay then… maybe we should take a little break and cool it on the globalization talk, huh?” Fig implores.

The next day before class, I’m talking with Greg Pollard. He’s leaning on my desk, talking low. “That was a serious tiff you and Gladstone got into yesterday, huh?”

I don’t look up from my notebook where I’m taking a painstaking amount of time to write out the date. “Yep.”

He licks his lips. “I could have sworn you guys were like friends or something.”

I stop writing.

“To be honest, a lot of us thought you were dating.”

I laugh without humor. “Good one.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Caroline descending the stairs with Amy.

I’m going to make this one hurt.

“Yeah, nothing is happening between us,” I say a bit louder.

Caroline perks up.

“Then, you wouldn’t mind if I… you know?” Greg says with a small shoulder shrug, his eyes traveling over to Caroline.

I gesture toward her with an open palm. “Be my guest. I’m not her dad or anything.”

Greg smiles. “Right on, man.” And with the subtly of a peacock in full bloom, Greg heads over to Caroline on the stairs, shouting out her name and asking if she needs help with anything.

I watch the two of them interact, Caroline smiling sadly as Greg forcefully takes her Louis Vuitton from her. He rushes toward her seat, but she remains frozen in time. We are looking at each other without looking at each other.

I don’t think she’s wearing any makeup. And her usual manicured appearance looks grayed out, like Dorothy returning from Oz to the real world.

I know I’m partly responsible for that. Maybe completely responsible…

Maybe I don’t love her like I thought I did. Because if I loved her, I don’t think I’d want her to hurt as badly as I do.

Chapter 17

Caroline

Beeler and Brown sit across from me with rosy flushed cheeks. Both appear to be eager to see my cleavage again.

“Well, I’m so happy to be able to sit down and go over what’s been working in our agreement with you, gentlemen.” Emphasis on the sit down. Because I’m certainly not going to be standing up and getting their attention with my tits this time. In fact, I’m pretty covered up and my face is almost devoid of makeup.

That was less about keeping out of trouble and more about keeping my mascara from running.

I’ve cried every day since Jake broke my heart. Heaving sobs in my car before classes, after classes, in front of the television, hidden in public bathrooms. I can’t seem to stop. It’s getting ridiculous. One man can’t possibly be worth all of this heartache.

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