Page 74 of The Billionaire and I

It’s Aunty Theresa. Remember me?

The one who took you in? When you had nothing? When no one else gave a shit?

You stole from me, and you lied. And I ain’t ever gonna forget about it, BITCH.

I’M GONNA MAKE YOU PAY!

You AND that billionaire of yours.

She included emojis of an eggplant, a bagful of money, and a devil face.

I didn’t put my phone down—I threw it across the room. And then I ran into the bathroom and promptly threw up.

After I cleaned myself up, I took a deep breath and picked up my phone, even though I didn’t want to. The screen was cracked, but I could still see I had a missed call. It was another local number, but it wasn’t from my Aunty Theresa, thank goodness.

My phone flashed; I had a new voicemail. With shaking hands, I pressed the Play button.

“Jennifer, this is Lewis Bryson, Cole’s father,” said a man. His voice was deep, like Cole’s, but icy. “I don’t usually leave phone messages, but this communication required special consideration. Please listen carefully, as I’m not apt to repeat myself.

“I’ve been in contact with your family, in particular, your aunt. They know all about you. They also know about Cole. You might not care about my son, but I do,” he said.

I clutched my stomach.

“Your aunt seemed very interested to hear you were dating a billionaire. She said that you owed her quite a large sum of money. She also said you’d done some things you should be ashamed of—things you might not want my son to know.”

A cold sweat broke out on the back of my neck.

“Let me make this simple for you,” Lewis Bryson said. “Leave now and don’t look back. If you do that, I’ll ensure your aunt stays where she should: at the bottom of the trash heap. But if you defy me and stay with my son, I am going to fund her smear campaign. Your choice, Jennifer. Please make the right one. If not for you, then for my son. You have until noon today to leave the Liberty. Don’t say one word to Cole. Otherwise, there’ll be hell to pay.”

I didn’t bother throwing the phone. This time, I just dropped it.

It took me a full minute to process what had happened. My Aunty Theresa had found me because Cole’s father had foundher. He knew all about me. He’d listened to the terrible thingsshe’d said. He didn’t want me anywhere near his son, and I couldn’t blame him.

There was no question in my mind about what I was going to do.

There was only one way forward. There was only one way to survive this.Run.Running was the only reason I was still alive; I knew that. Being smart was my secret weapon, and I was smart enough to have learned the lesson when it was taught to me the hard way.

I looked at the clock. At twelve, Cole would come out looking for his lunch.

At twelve, I’d be long gone.

It was for the best. I was making the best choice for the man I loved.

Your choice, Jennifer,Lewis Bryson had said.

Please make the right one. If not for you, then for my son.

I’d never in a million years thought that my Aunty Theresa would come back. I’d thought she was dead. Poor lifestyle choices, ya know? But what I’d believed as a child had proven true: evil things didn’t die. They were like scenes from a scary movie or monsters in your closet; that shit could haunt you forever.

I scrawled out a note for Cole.

Hey Cole:

I’m sorry, but I have to leave. I’ve been doing some thinking and this just isn’t going to work. I’m not made for a real relationship. I can’t really picture living here in this fancy building, acting like I’m on the same level as you. Or even at the samelevel as Florence and Greta. They’re bitches, but they bought their own place, ya know?

I didn’t do that. I won’t ever be able to do that.

I don’t belong here. I don’t belong in your world.

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