Page 13 of Celebrity

I rarely discussed the hurt I felt about my marriage with anyone. I was ashamed of putting myself in this position. Even Dev’s sister and my best friend thought I was a moron for how I’d allowed him to treat me. She’d wanted me to leave Devin years ago.

“Feel better, now that you got that off your chest? I expected you to explode months ago.”

I could almost envision the smirk on her face as she said that.

This was her plan. To get me to release the frustration and anger.

“Yes. You’re such an ass.”

“Takes one to know one. Seriously, I wouldn’t worry about your marriage staying a secret for long. The moment you file the candidacy paperwork for US Senate, nothing about you is going to remain quiet.”

I shifted the phone to my other ear and pinched the bridge of my nose. “I know.”

“The paps are going to have a field day when they discover that you had a secret wedding four years ago to ultra-conservative Louisiana Senator Richard Camden’s eldest son.”

“I never hid it. I just never acknowledged it in public.”

“Answered like a true politician.”

“Whatever,” I mumbled as I pressed the speaker button, then set the phone on the counter and took a sip of my coffee.

“How do you think your parents will react to the news you’re running for Senate?”

Great, something else to worry about. Sarah was full of happy thoughts today.

“Papa is going to lose his mind when the press starts hounding him. I doubt this will lead to a family reconciliation. He is all about donating to both sides of the aisle and using those associations to his benefit. Having a child enter the political game instead of business will be insulting to everything he believed he put into his children’s upbringing, even from me the black sheep of the family.”

“Oh, come on. My parents would be so thrilled if I jumped into politics, especially against that jackass Anthony Sanders. That man is a no-good, double-talking, sexist piece of shit.”

I almost asked her to tell me how she truly felt about my future opponent but decided against it. If Sarah got on her soapbox, it could be an hour before she came up for air.

“Yes, but that’s your quote-unquote family business.” I air-quoted my words with my fingers. “Remember when I told you how Papa reacted the day he found out Ashur joined the Air Force?”

“You said he was livid and tried to use his connections to stop Ash from enlisting.”

“Well, that would be mild compared to a child entering politics. At least most of his influence is in Texas and doesn’t reach to Washington State.”

“What about your mom and brother?”

“Mommy supports me unconditionally and Ash already knows about my plans. I told him what I was preparing to do when he came up for a client meeting. The second I tell him I filed, he’s going to start contacting donors.”

Ashur was the one person I had no doubt would stand behind me in anything I pursued.

“And Devin’s parents? They’re about to get a double whammy—not only is their son married, but their daughter-in-law is going to be the politician.”

I sighed. “Well, once they get over the shock of finding out about Devin and me, their reaction won’t be any better than my father’s. No, that’s not true. Dev’s mom will support me. She is all about women entering the congressional ring. Dev’s dad is the one who’ll go ballistic. The good senator will view it as a slap in the face. Dev was supposed to follow in his footsteps and become part of the next generation of Louisiana senators. When Dev decided to become a judge, Senator Camden’s plans for his son’s future changed to him someday holding a seat on the United States Supreme Court.”

I could almost see the shock and anger on both our fathers’ faces.

“Sorry I brought it up. I never meant to upset you.”

“It’s okay. I have to face the facts of any political bid I consider.”

“I hate to break it to you, but you have something more important to worry about. Your estranged husband is going to move into the mansion you built together. You better figure out where he’s going to sleep, and it better not be with you.”

I ignored the warning in her voice.

“Thanks, Sarah. I can always count on you to prioritize my stress.”

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