Donnie smiled. “Hi, Charlotte. How are you?”
Not very well. I gestured to the table. “Let’s sit and talk.”
My mother took her usual place at the head of the table. Senator Williams sat across from me, and Donnie sat by my side.
As if on cue, one of the maids appeared with two sets of plates, cutlery, and glasses. Then two other maids brought the food to the table.
When they disappeared into the kitchen, my mother turned to me. “This is a wonderful surprise.”
I wouldn’t let her shift me off track. “We need to talk.”
“Of course,” she said.
“Mom, I want to tell you about me. I like to draw and roller-skate. Tracy isn’t my best friend—Liana is. And MaryAnn and Becca. The three of them are not rich, but they aren’t poor either. Speaking of people without money, I was dating Mason, the guy the newspaper accused of sending those photos.”
My mother cringed. “Charlotte, why are you telling us this?”
“Mason is a simple guy from California, who has little money, and he’s not ashamed of it. I wasn’t ashamed of it.” My mother gasped, but I kept on going, “You also don’t know that Donnie found out about this guy and me. Donnie sent someone to follow me, taking pictures of everything I did, and then he threatened Mason. If Mason didn’t break up with me, Donnie would send the pictures to the newspapers.”
“That’s not true,” Donnie interjected.
I pulled out my phone from inside my purse and put it on the table, in a place everyone would hear it. I pressed play on the voice recording of Donnie talking with Mason about the threat, the blackmail, and the pictures.
My mother gasped, Senator Williams pressed his mouth into a thin line, and Donnie looked everywhere but at me.
“There,” I said, taking my phone back. “It’s all out in the open. You can’t blackmail me or Mason anymore.” I turned to my mother. “And you can stop blaming Mason and me for what happened.”
Surprising me, my mother was the first one to speak. “When we agreed to have Donnie and Charlotte together, I didn’t think you would stoop this low, Senator Williams.”
He shrugged. “I had to do what I had to do.”
A new bomb had been armed. “What?”
My mother looked at me with shielded eyes. “Some time ago, Senator Williams and I agreed that you and Donnie should be together. You could be wonderful together, even if you didn’t want to pursue a political life. You would be the perfect wife for an important politician. We knew this and we knew the entire country couldn’t help but fall in love with you two, leading Donnie to be everything, including president of this country in the future. I thought your relationship with Donnie would happen naturally if he was always by your side, here and at every event we attended, if he asked you out on dates.”
I gaped at Donnie. “You knew of this agreement?”
He nodded. “When they told me, I was all in. Come on. Look at you. You’re gorgeous. If I have to spend the rest of my life with the same woman, you are the perfect candidate.”
“Holy crap,” I muttered, feeling like a used plastic bag.
My mother reached for my hand. “I’m sorry, Charlotte. I just wanted what was best for you. I never thought this would happen. I didn’t know what they were doing to keep our agreements.”
I pulled my hand away from her. “I can’t believe this. First, you want me to live a life I don’t like. Please, respect me. Learn to respect me, to respect who I am and what I like. Only this way we’ll be mother and daughter again. And you can start by sending these two out.” I pointed to Donnie and his father.
“Don’t underestimate me, girl,” Senator Williams said, his voice outraged.
I shook my head at him. “I don’t. I knew certain politicians used all the resources available to get what they want. I never thought you would be one of those. Worse of all, you went too far. I won’t let you or your son treat me like a doll that can be bought and used for whatever you like. I have my own dreams, my own path, and I want distance from both of you.”
My mother looked at them, and for a moment, I thought she wouldn’t do anything. “I lost my husband. I won’t lose my daughter. I’m sorry, Senator Williams, but I need to ask you to leave.”
The man glared at her. “You do know what this means? Our alliance will be compromised. You won’t have my support anymore.”
“And you won’t have mine,” she said. “I’m okay with that.”
Senator Williams punched the table.
“Don’t forget I have this recording,” I said, showing him my phone. “I can send this to the press at any time if you don’t leave us alone.”
With his fists clenched, Senator Williams stood. “You’ll regret this,” he barked. “Let’s go, son.”
With an uncertain frown, Donnie looked at me. “I’m sorry for having hurt you. It wasn’t my intention.” Really? Either way his plan went, I would end up hurt. “I just like you too much and I had to do what I could so I wouldn’t lose you. I hope one day you can forgive me.”
In his dreams.
The men left and I sagged in my chair, feeling as if a thousand-pound boulder had been lifted from my chest.
“Please believe me when I say this, I didn’t know they would go this far,” my mother said. “Though, I still can’t believe Senator Williams and Donnie would do this to us.”
“I know, but I also know that you made this damn agreement with them. You totally ignored me.” I should hate her right now, but she had also been hurt. Her beloved career had been tainted and I had to respect that. I guess we both could sympathize with the situation.
“I’m sorry.” Tears brimmed in her eyes. “Can you forgive me?”
“I’ll need a little time for that.”
“I understand.” She paused before putting on her business hat again. “We still have a big mess to clean up.”
“Well, if you let me help, I think I have an idea about that.”
She patted my hand. “How about you tell me about it over dinner?”
I wasn’t sure that was the best idea. I needed some time away from her. I wanted distance from everything and everyone. I wanted to dive into a bed, hug a fluffy pillow, and sleep for two weeks at least, while my mind healed of everything I had just learned. I had to figure out who I was and what I wanted without anyone’s influences.
I should go and leave the patching-up for some other day, but the hopeful shine in her eyes melted my resolve.
“All right. We can discuss it over dinner,” I said.
My mother squeezed my hand, and then reached for the wine.
Chapter Twenty-One
Mason
I entered the diner and found David in the same corner booth as two days ago.
“Hey,” he said as I sat across the table from him. “How is work?”
“Good. Had a long meeting this morning about the new bridge project they are trying to snatch.”
“That’s exciting,” he said, looking up from the menu.
True. But having been accepted into an entry engineering job was the only exciting part of my life right now. Classes would start next week and I wasn’t even excited about that. Ever since the big mess with the photos of Charlotte and me two weeks ago, any excitement was gone.
After I had given the recording to Liana, I thought Charlotte would call me and tell me she understood I hadn’t done anything, that she still wanted to be with me. But she didn’t. I called Liana and she said Charlotte needed time.
Time for what? To process the fact that I wasn’t the one to blame?
I sighed. This project could raise my spirits a bit though, and I hoped my company snatched it.
“Are you ordering the usual?” David asked, returning his attention to the menu.