Page 94 of Pucking Secret

I laugh bitterly. “No, Gerald. Everything I have, I earned despite you, and everything I am? That’s because of Stacey and Millie. They’re my family — not you.”

At the mention of Millie, his expression shifts, a sly smirk spreading across his face. “Ah, yes. The little brat. I suppose she’s why you’ve gone soft. Tell me, Owen, where’s the letter?”

I narrow my eyes. “What letter?”

He pulls open a drawer and slams a piece of paper onto the desk. “The fake letter I sent to Stacey, of course. The one that should’ve opened her eyes to what a mistake you are. As opposed to this weak, pitiful one you tried to send.”

I snatch the paper up, my blood boiling as I scan the page. It’s the letter I wrote for Stacey…the one I thought that she was supposed to have received instead of the trash she got. Gerald’s had it all this time?

I would give anything to beat the shit out of him right now, but the consequences aren’t worth it. I won’t give him another ounce of ammunition to use against me.

“You son of a bitch,” I hiss, slamming my fist onto the desk. “Why did you switch my letter?”

“You should be thanking me,” he sneers. “If it weren’t for me, your life would’ve been ruined. You would’ve stayed the same pathetic, trashy little boy I took in all those years ago when I married your mother. That whore and her little bastard would’ve just held you back…”

Enraged, I lunge across the desk, but before I can get a hold of him, the office door bursts open, and my mom strides in.

“Enough!” her voice rings out, sharp and commanding. She glares at Gerald, her chin held high.

“Margaret, stay out of this,” he snaps.

“No, Gerald. I’ve stayed out of it for far too long,” she says, pulling her phone from her purse. “I recorded every word of this conversation. Do you think your siblings will be happy to hear how you’ve manipulated and threatened this boy for years? How you’ve destroyed real lives for your own gain? What do you think will happen to the precious Weston name if this ends up in the press?”

He pales, his mouth opening and closing like a fish as he stares at her in total shock. I’m rather stunned myself…I haven’t seen Mom this fired-up and assertive in years.

“Just…just hold on a second,” he stammers. “There’s no need to get my siblings involved in this.”

Gerald’s cockiness and entitlement melts away at the possibility of having to face his older brothers. He’s always been intimidated by them. Has always been trying to prove he’s better than them, even though everyone knows that couldn’t be further from the truth. Gerald knows that everything he has is because of the generosity of his brothers. If they cut him off and kick him out of the family’s company, he’ll have nothing. Seeing him so vulnerable here — seeing him in such shock — makes me feel an emotion I’ve never felt for him before: pity.

“You stole seven years from me with my granddaughter,” Mom continues, her voice breaking. “That’s so cold-hearted, I can hardly believe I married a man like you. I’ve stood by you for years, but this time, you’ve gone too far. I’m done.”

“Done?” he sputters. “You’re done? What, are you going to leave me, Margaret? Are you forgetting that our prenup states that if you walk away from this marriage, you get nothing!”

“Oh, I remember,” she snarls. “And I don’t care. Keep your money, Gerald, if your siblings let you. I don’t want it, and I don’t want you. My lawyer will be in touch.”

“Margaret!”

Ignoring him, she turns to me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Let’s go, Owen.”

I nod, grabbing the letter from the desk as we walk out of the office together, leaving Gerald behind once and for all. He sits there, hunched over his desk, stunned and completely alone.

The drive to the airport is quiet. My mom grips the steering wheel, her gaze steady on the road ahead, but there’s a softness in her expression that wasn’t there before. She seems more relaxed. More at ease. Like a weight has been lifted from her.

As she pulls up to the drop-off area, she parks the car instead of letting me out at the curb.

“I want a proper goodbye,” she says, giving me a small smile.

I step out and grab my bag from the backseat. When I turn around, she’s already standing there, her hands shoved into the pockets of her coat. She looks small, but strong. I’m not worried that she’ll go back to Gerald. Her mind is made up, and I’ve never been so proud of her.

I pull her into a hug, holding her tight. “You sure you’ll be okay? You can come with me now, if you’re worried?—”

She leans back and pats my cheek, her eyes glistening. “I’ll be more than okay, Owen. Don’t you worry about me. I’m going to stay in a hotel while I tie up the loose ends up here, but once that’s done… I was thinking I might join you in Colorado. If you don’t mind, that is.”

My throat tightens, and for a moment, I can’t speak.

“Are you kidding?” I finally manage to choke out. “I’d love that, Mom. Millie’s going to lose her mind when she finds out her grandma’s moving close by.”

Her face softens, and she brushes stray hair out of my eyes, just like she used to when I was a kid. “I’d like to get to know her. And Stacey again. I’ve missed so much already. It’s time to start making up for it.”

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