Page 37 of Pretend for Me

“A chance? Are you fucking kidding me? Me being here should be proof enough for how much I’ve sacrificed!” Cassie yelled, not caring who overheard. She was pissed and not holding back any longer. This was a conversation they had avoided for too long.

“Sacrificed? Come on, Cassie, give me a break! A couple of parties every now and then is hardly a sacrifice,” Matthew insisted, walking toward the valet, needing to put some distance between them.

“You really don’t get it, do you? It’s not just the parties.” She looked down at her hands, clasped in front of her, willing the tears to not surface. She steeled herself and glanced back up at him, determination in her voice. She needed him to realize what this was all doing to her. “Is that what you want from me? To be like those people in there?” She threw her hands up, making wild gestures. “They have no substance, no depth; all they have is their money. They don’t laugh or give thanks for their blessings. They all have one face. You really want that? You want me to be that? I should just pretend, right?” Cassie sputtered, walking behind Matthew, wanting to throw something at him.

“I want you to be happy for me! Ever since I was adopted, you’ve been this different person. Like you resented me for getting a chance at a better life. I didn’t ask for this!” Matthew climbed into the driver’s seat once the valet pulled the convertible up. “I want you to want to be by my side. Like I’ve been by yours.”

“Yes, Matthew, I’m thrilled to accompany you to these stupid parties. Thank you. I should be grateful you’ve decided to include me in your new shiny life, I guess!” Cassie snapped, slamming the car door.

Matthew sat back in his seat, his shoulders slumped, and sighed. “When did things become so complicated between us, Cassie? We used to be effortless.” His voice was a broken whisper, the weight of their argument starting to take its toll on him.

“You made it complicated! You say I’m different? When you got adopted, you became ... you turned into this… this high-society Matthew, who likes fancy parties and girls like Natalia Harris. Someone who acted like they never had to go hungry. Someone who never had to live in fear.” Silent tears fell downher cheeks as she spoke, and she brushed them away with the back of her hand.

They were quiet for a solid ten minutes as they drove on the highway. The pair was scared to speak, in fear of what would come out of their mouths, if they continued this conversation.

The thoughts swirling in Cassie’s head caused her to break the silence. “You didn’t even ask me about Japan. You just agreed. Anything Daddy Dearest says goes, right?” Cassie sneered, looking out into the darkness, growing thankful when she saw their exit was approaching.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but as for asking you, would anything have been any different? You would still be pissed and hate this. I really hoped you’d be supportive, Cassie. Or at the very least pretend to be happy for me,” he pleaded, willing her to go back to her old self.

“You want me to pretend that you’re not acting like I’m disposable? Like it’s not easy for you to just leave me behind? I have been nothing but supportive. All I wanted from you was to have a little dignity. A shred of the old you. The boy who promised to sit beside me always, taking all my fears away. But you’re not that boy anymore.” She sniffled, willing her tears back. “There has to be a way out of this. Wyatt can’t control every move you make.” Cassie blew out a breath, not realizing how she had been walking on eggshells around Matthew for far too long.

19

MATTHEW

“Fuck!” I spat as I slammed my office phone into the receiver.

I repeated the same fucking song and dance over and over again. I’d call a name on the roster of investors and hit another dead end. The whole thing proved to be tremendously frustrating.

Holden observed quietly from his spot on the couch.

I really wanted to believe that this damning information against Wyatt wasn’t true. I really did. This after all was my family. Wyatt and Liz took me in when I had no other prospects. They were good people, right?

But I knew in my gut something was off. Somewhere along the way I’d lost my street smarts, but deep down that kid was still a part of me and I knew this situation was fucked. Parker wasn’t Wyatt’s favorite person. In fact, he couldn’t really stand being in the same room as him. He constantly judged him for being lower class, making snide remarks about how inept he found him to be.

Lower class ... just like how Cassie said all those people at my parents' parties had treated her. I wondered if my parents were among those that made her feel worthless.

I wincedwhile scanning the documents for more investors to call. Now that the floodgates were opened, I couldn’t lie to myself anymore. Certain things Cassie said struck a chord with me, and the more I reflected on the past, the more I realized how much I’d missed. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as I recognized I might have had blind loyalty to the wrong people if these allegations were true.

I proceeded to call more people on the list, seeing if I could gain any more knowledge on Nardini Industries, but with every dialed number, I came up short.

“What are you going to do at the shareholders’ dinner tomorrow night? I mean, how are you going to sit across from Wyatt knowing this?” Holden wondered.

I groaned, throwing my head back. “Ah shit, I forgot about that. Honestly, I have no fucking clue. I mean, this shit is pretty damning, don't you think?!” I shook the papers in my hand.

“Yeah, man. But, you need to know the truth, right? After everything, you deserve that much,” Holden reasoned.

I got up out of my chair and started pacing again. “Are you free tomorrow night?” I asked, trying to form some kind of plan.

Holden threw his hands up dramatically. “Do you ever listen to me? Lately, it’s been all about you, all the time. And I get it, you found your dream girl again, and you want to win her back. Not to mention, you’ve also got all this shit to deal with now.” He motioned to the stack of incriminating paperwork on the desk. “But sometimes, things need to be about me. Like I’m proposingto Bee, probably tomorrow night at the restaurant if the jeweler has the ring I want.”

“You’re going to propose this early? It’s only been, what, like three months?” I challenged him, sitting on the edge of my desk, arms crossed, waiting to hear Holden’s reasoning.

“Three and a half actually.” Holden waved me off.

“Three and a half.” I chuckled, looking at him incredulously.

“Look I know what you’re thinking—it’s too fast. I’m not ready to be tied down. I’m too good looking. And yes, those are all valid points, but the old saying is true: ‘when you know, you know.’ I could be on this earth for a hundred years and the only woman for me would still be Bridget.” Holden nodded at me. “Besides, I want to lock it down before we fuck it up like you and Cassie and have to wait years for our second chance,” Holden quipped.

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