Page 36 of Contract Of Shame

Chapter Eleven

“Darling, you should have brought a guest with you.” His mother false kissed his cheeks in a sort of French style. Richard knew he looked a mess. He hadn’t eaten, and the only reason he’d turned up is because his sister had begged him to.

Scarlet hadn’t called or sent any word, and what little information he’d gotten out of John Barnes had been the boy was stable. She refused his telephone calls, and the gifts he had sent to her were sent back. Today was Saturday, and at least he’d see her at work on Monday. He prayed she wouldn’t quit.

“You know me, Mother.” The woman didn’t have a clue about his son.

“Well I have to say I’m pleased you didn’t bring that frump you’ve been seen round with.”

Richard tensed, his fists forming. “What did you say?” he asked.

“That woman I’ve been getting reports on. A small fat girl with blond hair. Please, darling, you can do so much better, and remember image is everything. I mean I know Wayne’s fallen far from the tree, but that’s to be expected. and Opal has finally gone on a diet....”

He placed a finger over her lips. “Don’t say another word if you don’t want a scene at this anniversary, even if this whole load of shit is false.” Richard smirked when his mother glanced around to make sure no one had heard him shout the last word. “Another warning. Don’t throw any of your sluts in my direction.” He grabbed a shot of whisky from a passing waiter and went to join Lily and Wayne at the table farthest away.

Lily looked behind him, hopeful.

He sat down under their scrutiny.

“She still not phoned you back yet?” Wayne asked.

He shook his head.

“Wayne, would you take him and give him a change?” Lily handed her son over to his dad. Wayne chuckled, and Richard wanted that. He wanted to be a dad.

“She’s not coming back, Lily,” he said to the sweet woman at his side. Richard took a large swallow of whisky while he watched his sister play with the young children at his parents’ wedding anniversary.

“You love her?”

“Why can’t you just let it go?” He glanced around in case Wayne had come back with the little guy. The man was super protective of his wife.

“He’s gone to change George,” Lily said.

“Sorry for yelling.”

“Good. You can make it up to me by explaining what happened with Scarlet. You were so happy. I can’t accept it’s over. You spent most of your time staring at her with love in your eyes.”

He snorted. “That was lust.”

“Don’t be fucking crude. What did you do?” she asked.

Richard stared at his best friend’s wife. He saw the concern and the worry, and he couldn’t keep it in anymore.

He told her the whole story. The contract and Harry. What had happened in the aftermath. How Scarlet despised everything about him. “I don’t get it. I was prepared to give her the world.”

Lily sat silently at his side staring out at the sea of people dancing and laughing. “Let me get this straight. You cornered Scarlet into signing a contract to screw her body for a week, and in return you’d pay her money which would supply all medical professionals and care for Harry?”

“Yes.” He hoped for some form of explanation into the female mind.

“And that’s different from what Wayne did to me because?”

He glared at her and thought about what she said. “Wayne was trapping you into marriage.”

“As opposed to being trapped in a loveless physical relationship that wouldn’t last any longer than a week?”

“You make it sound bad,” he said.

“No. The fact that it is bad is the reason it sounds bad. I can’t believe, when you were so against what Wayne did to me, you did worse than that with Scarlet. At least he offered me marriage. You didn’t offer her anything.” Lily sipped her water.

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