Page 188 of Poison Vows

“I grew up there,” she says with a tight smile. “Moving back wasn’t a big deal. I already had friends there that I grew up with. I had this pretty close friend of mine that helped me out of my depression. She visited me a lot. We went for walks together. We went to the library together because she loved books a lot. She was from that illusive, highly restricted area.”

“The estates?”

“Yes! There!” she exclaims. “At the time, the estates were still so brand new, a marvel that stunned the entire state by how exclusive and impressive it was, far beyond the other beautiful mansions in the valley. One day my friend brought her friend along to visit me. That friend had a son around the same age as Samuel, so they started playing together.”

A trickle of unease starts dripping down my spine as I listen.

Could that friend be Craig Montreal? Which means the friend that came along was Christina… so who is the other lady?

“A year after I moved back, my friend became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She was so happy as she had gotten married three years before and they hadn’t had a child yet. I was so excited for her, so together with our other friend, we took a trip to Vegas to celebrate. Your brother was already four at the time.”

“Oh, God no. Don’t tell me I’m the product of an illicit night with a stranger!” I stare at her, wide-eyed.

She shakes her head, then continues her story.

“I met Teddy in Vegas. He was meeting with my friend, the one that had just had a baby for some business. I had no idea what she did for a living. All I knew about her was that she seemed to hold a very important position. She had tough security everywhere she went, as did our other friend, but havinggrown up in Westbrook Blues where wealthy people do weird shit, I wasn’t curious.”

It's her! Emmett’s mother!

“Teddy wasn’t a senator yet, nor did I know he was in politics. I just knew he had become part-owner of the football team Jared was in that very night.”

I stare at my mother, seeing the light in her eyes.

It’s not warmth, nor is it happiness.

It’s mirth.

“You wanted revenge.”

She quickly looks at me. “How do you know?”

“You wanted revenge on Jared for how he left you with Samuel, but at the same time you loved him, so what did you do? Did you approach Theodore Hughes with that single-minded intention to get him to fire your ex-lover?”

Beverly visibly shudders, taking a slight step back.

“To be fair, Teddy approached me first. He was flirting all night and was obviously into me. Maybe it’s because he saw how protective both my friends were of me, so he figured we were close, and I was maybe a ticket in for him. He was nowhere near the level of wealth as my two friends, but for whatever reason, after that night, he kept courting me.”

“Courting? Is thisPride and Prejudice?” I scoff, but what she says next stuns me into silence.

“Oh, baby girl, I really hope one day you experience what it’s like to be courted with sincerity, a single-minded focus only on you and a deep, intense desire just for you that lasts several lifetimes,” she says gently. “And judging by what we all witnessed a few nights ago, that might be the case…”

I stare at her, not knowing what to say.

“Anyway, fast-forward. Teddy and I married after three months of meeting. Then… I met Jared again at a dinner.”

From Beverly’s shifty eyes to the way her voice suddenly dips and stutters, I immediately know everything.

“You slept with your married ex that night?!” I screech.

“Yes, all right! I did it! I slept with the man! He was fine as hell!” she exclaims in a whisper-shout.

If this wasn’t insane, I would laugh, but this… this is something else.

“I slept with Jared again while we were both married and at the time, Teddy was traveling a lot, for months on end, so when I found out I was pregnant with you, I was already five months along. Just three days after I found out, I got news that completely destroyed me…”

Her voice trails off so suddenly, like she just lost her voice.

“What news?” I ask softly.

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