“What news? I’m confused,” I stammered while reaching for my phone.
“Oh! You haven’t heard yet. Your mother lied about her pregnancy. I sold the story last night. Seems she faked the doctor appointments, the ultrasounds, everything.” No. Certainly he was wrong. Mom wouldn’t have done that.
“You’re lying,” I whispered.
“Nope. That would be your mother. My source is legit. Her doctor? Not so much. Had his license revoked years ago. She’s a fraud. It’s quite the scandal. I think Joseph might leave her. Do you think your grandfather will still pay for your school? Sorry, I’m tossing a lot at you, but I’m curious.”
I started breathing heavily. Saint stalked closer. My thudding pulse pounded as my phone started to ring. “You need to leave. I got a protective order against you.”
Saint tipped his head back and laughed. “I think you should get a protective order against Joseph and Jack. They’re going to be so mad, don’t you think? I mean, it’s kind of cliché. The poor waitress seduces the politician. Pretends to get knocked up. The story practically writes itself. I mean, seriously, it’s beautiful.”
My phone stopped ringing. My throat was closing. Why was he so determined to ruin my family? “You don’t look so good, Vera. Do you need to sit? I can wait for your comment.”
I looked around me. Some students were starting to stare. I reached for my phone. Two missed calls from Mom. One from Hamilton. “Please leave,” I pleaded.
“Please don’t call the cops. It’s so tedious. Don’t you think you have bigger things to worry about, Vera?”
The way Saint said my name made me feel like snakes were crawling over my skin. I felt like I was going to puke. “Help,” I choked out. The panic I felt was tangible. My throat was closing up, and I couldn’t breathe.
“Did you know she was lying? It’s no secret you couldn’t have gotten into this university without the Beauregard help. You and your mom are close, right? I mean, you had to have known.”
“I didn’t. I never—”
“Back the fuck off,” Jared yelled before surging forward. He put both hands on Saint’s chest and shoved him backward, sending Saint to the ground with a thud.
“That’s assault, buddy,” Saint growled while helping himself up.
“You’re fucking with my girl, dipshit. Get the fuck out of here. Now.”
Saint smiled and dusted off his hands before cocking his head to the side. “You sure are protective. I didn’t realize you had a bodyguard.” Saint looked Jared up and down, his thin lips pressed into an angry line. “I’ll leave you be. I think I have enough information for my follow-up interview. I hope you don’t get too comfortable here, Vera.”
I continued to hyperventilate as Jared wrapped me in his arms. What the fuck just happened? “Come on. Let’s get you home.”
“I need to call my mom,” I murmured. My anxiety was so bad I felt like I was going to pass out.
“You can’t do anything until you sit down and calm your breathing. I’m grabbing us an Uber. I don’t want you walking like this.”
Jared guided me to a nearby bench, but I was on full alert, worried Saint would appear out of nowhere again and antagonize me. Jared rubbed my back. “You’re going to be okay. I’m here. He can’t hurt you.”
“How did you know to come see me?” I asked in a shaky voice.
“I felt bad for storming off. I saw that guy bothering you and ran over. I’m so sorry, Vera. I should have never left.”
“I really need to call my mom,” I whispered again. Faked a pregnancy? How? Darkness crept around my vision. I felt like I couldn’t get a full breath. Heaving in and out, I watched as Jared stared at me, concern in his gaze. “Can I call her? I really. I really need to call…”
15
I grabbed the cup of tea in front of me with shaky hands. I needed to figure out why Saint was so obsessed with my family. Today, he’d taken things too far. This wasn’t just investigative journalism as he so eloquently put it. Saint had a vendetta, and I was determined to figure out what it was.
After taking a slow sip of the calming chamomile, I called my mother for what felt like the fiftieth time. I expected it to go straight to voicemail like it had before. After reading the scathing report of her faked pregnancy, I couldn’t even blame her for wanting to hide from the world. Saint didn’t hold back any punches. He dug deep into our family, picking at our poverty like it was an old scab to make us look like a duo of gold diggers. He even played up my genius, making it sound like I was the brains behind her stupid plan, and she was the hussy executing it.
“Hello?” Mom’s worn voice answered.
“Mom,” I exclaimed. “What is going on? Why are they lying about you in the papers?” She let out a huff of air. Time stretched. My chest squeezed with every second that she didn’t respond. “They are lying, right?” I asked.
“It’s not a lie, baby. I’m not pregnant.”
I nearly dropped the phone from shock. “What?” I asked, certain I hadn’t heard her correctly.
“I had a scare. I was a month late, and I told Joseph. He proposed the next day, and I couldn’t say no. This was our chance, baby. Our chance to finally be taken care of. I got my fucking period a week later. Of course, when I want to be pregnant, the world has to take a shit on my plans.”
I ignored her statement, though it felt like she’d stabbed me in the chest. “So, you’ve been lying all this time?” I asked in disbelief. “I-I saw the test, Mom. In the bathroom.”
“I bought it off eBay.
