Page 59 of Grumpy Bossy Billionaire Enemy

“I got her to do it,” I said to Troy when we met at the tennis court that evening.

Two men were already in our favorite court, so we waited till they had finished. Troy looked worse than he had looked the last time I saw him. His hair had been hurriedly trimmed, and his beard hadn’t been dyed in a long time. Troy looked over at the court like he was interested in the game the two men were playing; on the other hand, he seemed lost in his thoughts.

“I got Julia to consent to the paternity test,” I said as we both looked ahead at the court.

Troy was silent for a moment as if he hadn’t heard me at first. “I knew you could do it,” he replied. “I often wish I had your brain.”

“Yeah, I wish I had your patience,” I complimented Troy.

He told me he would schedule the test for tomorrow, but his low enthusiasm for the news got me asking what’s wrong with him.

“Is it about Camille?”

Troy chuckled, “Everything about my life at this moment is about Camille.”

“What’s up, bro?” I asked. “What’s going on with Camille. Is she still mad at you?”

“No,” Troy said. “I did what you told me to do. I offered George Howards a seat on the board, but he refused.”

Troy continued, “He transferred the offer to Camille. He wants Camille to take his place.”

“That's a good thing, right?” I nudged his elbow. “It means Camille is as influential as any other person on the board. It also means that her status has been elevated. On the social scale, Camille certainly qualifies to be your wife.”

“Yeah, she does,” Troy answered. “But Nancy showed up in Richmond yesterday.”

My eyes widened, “Nancy? Your Nancy?”

Troy nodded, “Yeah.”

“Why is it a big deal that your college girlfriend showed up unexpectedly?” I asked. “Do you think Mom knows about this?”

“I’m sure she has everything to do with it,” Troy replied. “It’s not about her presence. It–”

“Are you still in love with Nancy?”

Troy glowered over at me. “No.” His eyes said he was sincere. He was not in love with her any more, and he’d done something he wished to keep a secret from the whole world.

“What did you do with Nancy?” I asked. “Did she have a baby for you like Julia did?”

“No! God, no!”

“What is wrong with Nancy showing up in your life, knowing she’ll soon leave.”

“Nancy and I once took a trip to Vegas after graduation. We thought we should celebrate leaving college, and we did some things I’m not proud of.”

Troy went on, “We got married in Vegas. We were drunk and jokingly tied the knot.”

I laugh heartily, “And here I am thinking that I was the wild one.” I was sorry that I laughed. “You did what?”

“It was all a joke, you know. Apparently, the marriages done there are all valid and legal. Nancy kept the signed certificate, and she’s back to claim that we are still married by law.”

“That’s wild.” My mouth hung open as I listened to Troy.

I was proud that Troy had lived above the cornered life he was subjected to; on the other hand, I felt bad for him and for what Nancy’s presence could do to his marriage.

“Do you think Mom is playing her games again?” Troy couldn’t hide the frustration in his voice.

I scoffed, “Oh, I think she knows everything about Nancy’s presence. I think Nancy is her queen in this game.”

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