Jack chewed on the inside of his cheek.
“Just like Hamilton?” I asked, finishing his statement for him. “The son you sent away?”
“He wanted to leave. I gave him an out. He asked for a normal life away from me, and I gave it to him. I can give you the same thing if you’d like. University in Europe. A job at one of my companies. This is a choice—a choice your mother made for the both of you when she got knocked up and trapped Joseph in a marriage. If I weren’t running on a platform that prioritizes family values, I wouldn’t have even considered it. I have too many corporations relying on the legislation I pass to let anyone ruin my chances for reelection. You can think I’m cruel, but it’s just business. I’m just giving you an opportunity to be a part of the family, Vera.”
I wasn’t sure this was a family I wanted to be a part of. I placed my hand on the door handle, desperate for space from Jack. “Vera,” he called after me as I exited his car. I kept walking. “Vera!” I put more distance between Jack and me, mulling over Jess’s words as I did.
“Everyone hates him eventually…”
6
Mom had called me six times in the last two days. I texted her, blaming poor cell service in my new apartment for not answering her call. She was very worried about me. News about Saint breaking into the Beauregard home and accosting me became public, and there was a lot of sympathy surrounding the entire ordeal. I went to the grocery store for some comfort food last night, and someone took photos of me buying ice cream and Coke. The gossip was nauseating. Some said I was eating my feelings. Naturally, there were comments about my weight. Some said I was too skinny. Some said I had gotten fat. There was also gossip that my late-night food run was a product of pregnancy cravings. Now that Mom and Joseph had announced her pregnancy, everyone was curious about our family. Apparently, there was a good portion of the population that believed Mom and I both got pregnant at the same time. They called it the Mother-Daughter Pregnancy Pact.
I hadn’t really paid attention to the gossip before, but ever since my talk with Jack, the universe kept throwing it in my face. People called us white trash. Every news organization painted my mother as a gold digger cashing in on an opportunity.
Luckily, Greenwich University was used to catering to the elite, so they had good security on campus. My apartment had guards around the clock, so I felt safe.
But I also felt trapped.
Mom was worried and wanted to hear my voice, but I was too twisted up inside. If she could hear or see me, she’d recognize the anger buried in my tone. I was still livid with Jack, and yet I couldn’t blame him, either. My brief brush with this Saint gave me a glimpse into their world. Jack was just trying to protect his legacy, but I was coping with the trauma of where I’d come from. I couldn’t figure out if he was conditioned to be heartless and treat the world through such a business-like lens or if he was just that blasé about how he conducted his family’s affairs. Either way, it left a really bad taste in my mouth. In my mind, Jack was my sweet, trustworthy grandfather. I really liked him. Was it all an act? And if it was an act, how did he become so good at pretending to care?
Jack just wanted to safeguard his reputation and wealth. I saw the signs. I knew that this rushed wedding and the rumors were true. I just hated that Mom’s new beginning was starting off on the wrong foot. She deserved better. It wasn’t her fault that her only daughter was a product of rape. And she shouldn’t have to hide what happened to her or be bullied for her upbringing. I knew that every single person in the Beauregards’ circle would look down their noses at us more than they already were if they knew the truth. In some ways, I was thankful that Jack managed to bury the story to protect Mom. I just hated that he even had to. And more than that, I hated how indifferent he was about the entire thing.
I was sitting on my oversized plush couch, flipping through help wanted ads online when yet another call came through, but this time it wasn’t my mother’s name on the caller ID.
I answered the video call, and Jess’s face appeared. “Hello there, stranger,” she said with a grin. “Hamilton and I are going out tonight, you want to come?” Behind her, Hamilton was shrugging out of a shirt. I couldn’t help but stare at the dips of his hard body and the tan skin that stretched over his large muscles. Holy shit. He looked far too beautiful for his own good. “I’m going to take your drool as a yes,” Jess teased, snapping me out of my staring. Hamilton turned his head over to us and then looked down at his abs, brushing his fingers along each muscle in a playfully teasing way. He knew exactly what he was doing—and I loved it.
Wait. No, I didn’t. Bad, Vera. Very, very bad.
“I’m not drooling,” I rushed out. “And where are we going? I’m not even sure I like you, remember?”
Hamilton chuckled and picked up a black shirt before putting it on. “Were you mean to my little rose petal, Jess?” he asked. Rose petal? Why did that make my cheeks feel hot all of a sudden?
Jess’s eyes widened. “Yours, huh?” she asked before continuing. “And maybeeee,” she replied. “Come on, Petal. Let’s go. Don’t you want to meet people? You wanted to make friends, right?”
“Where are we going?” I asked, my mind
