Page 115 of The Stranger
“I thought we were going to meet downstairs.”
She waves a hand. “I came in early to visit my son and since I had some spare time, I thought I’d check out your new workspace and make sure you weren’t placed in the dungeon somewhere. Although, I know Spencer would never do that to you. Shay-lee was lovely enough to bring me up here.”
My eyes dart to her, and I can see she’s riveted by our exchange.
Yikes.
The situation only escalates when Marcy steps out of her office. “I thought I heard voices out here. Oh … wow … Mrs Prescott,” she says, surprise in her voice. She steps forward and offers Eloise her hand. “It’s so lovely to see you again.”
“It’s lovely to see you too, dear.” But I can tell by her tense smile she has no idea who Marcy is.
“Is there something I could help you with?” she asks.
“No, I’m here to take my sweet Delilah to lunch.”
Ugh. Just the thing I was hoping she wouldn’t say.
As the week progresses, the speculation increases. I even got wind of an alleged secret betting ring, where employees could place down money either for or against Spencer and me being in a relationship. It’s nuts, and I feel sick about it.
I’ve told so many white lies over the past few days, denying all the gossip, that I’ve lost count. I would never consider myself a dishonest person. All I’m doing is defending Spencer’s honour. I was even forced to lie to Marcy, who flat out asked me if something was going on. I’m sure she had her suspicions anyway, since she hasbeen privy to his calls and occasional visits to this floor. She was the one who told me about the bets being placed.
I’ve gone as far as asking Damien to drop me off around the corner instead of out the front of the building. He wasn’t keen, saying,“Mr Prescott would not be impressed or likely approve,”but he was the very reason I was doing it, and besides, what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Thankfully, in the end, Damien agreed to do what I asked of him.
I have mentioned none of this to Spencer because I’m worried about what he might say. His privacy means a lot to him, and I know how hard he has worked to prove he’s nothing like his father.
Around midmorning, I get another call from Shay-lee. My heart drops as soon as I hear her voice, but when she tells me it is my mother on the phone this time, my anxiety morphs into something else.Panic.I never know what to expect from my family, and this will be my first conversation with her since the disastrous engagement party.
“Mum,” I say when the call is put through.
“Lilah, how are you?”
“I’m doing okay. How are you?”
“The last few days have been … rough, to say the least, but I’m doing okay, I guess. Better than your sister and father. They exchanged some heated words on the way home … it wasn’t pretty, and Abigail has been locked away in her room ever since.”
Her words have me wincing. I’m grateful that Marcy is away from her office at the moment—attending a group meeting—so I can speak freely. I still keep my voice low as a precaution. The last thing I need is to add to the office gossip.
“I’m sorry for how things played out, Mum. I neverintended to ruin everyone’s night. It was the last thing I wanted. Despite what everyone may think, I meant it when I said I have made peace with them being together. I wasn’t trying to break them up, but I thought Abby had a right to know what Kayne was doing behind her back. I had to go through extensive testing for STIs, and it was not only humiliating but really scary.”
“You don’t need to explain yourself to me. I understand you were just trying to help your sister, and I’m sorry you had to go through that. It’s just unfortunate that all the lies and betrayals had to come out in front of all our family and friends. Those kinds of conversations are best done behind closed doors.”
“I agree.”
“Kayne came to the house last night. He had a long conversation with his grandfather—the paster—and was advised to take ownership of his sins. He seemed genuinely sorry for all the things that he had done and was very apologetic.”
“Hmm,” is my only response. Is he sorry for the things he’s done, or just sorry he got caught out?
“He mentioned apologising to you as well. I wanted to give you a heads-up.”
“I’m not interested in anything he has to say, Mum. Like I said, I’ve made peace with it all. He did me a favour. I’m happier now than I’ve ever been.”
“I’m glad to hear that. You and Spencer are a couple now?”
“We are.”
“Your father and I think he’s a little old for you, but you seem happy and that’s all we want for both our daughters.”
“I am happy. He’s good to me. He treats me waybetter than Kayne ever did, even before I found out about the infidelities.”
