20. GAMES PEOPLE PLAY
CHLOE
It was all fun and games until the blackmail started.
Lydia had asked me for five million dollars . And I said yes. Gene had told her he was good for up to a million. She felt that Mimi Jones had lowballed her at seven-hundred-and-fifty thousand.
I needed to be the most generous so that I bought her loyalty. It definitely wasn’t worth five million, but it was worth something. I hoped.
No matter who ended up paying what, Lydia and my father were moving up a few tax brackets.
As to how she’d gotten our Beacon Hill address, she said Mimi Jones had texted it to her. “She wanted me to call WMUR and bring them with me to surprise you,” Lydia said. “But I figured your husband might pay more, so I wanted to talk first.”
“You were right.” She would never stop extorting us; I might as well accept that and pray they didn’t blow through all the money at once at another casino.
I didn’t know how Bryce was going to react to more blackmail. But at the moment, I had to make Lydia happy so she would leave us alone.
I sat alone for hours, reeling after Lydia had left. I was too upset to text Bryce and tell him what had happened. There were too many red flags to count, but this seemed a clear indication that Mimi Jones was completely out to get me. Tate wasn’t her only weapon.
Fuck! Like I needed more trouble!
And I still needed to deal with uploading Gene’s stupid form. What did he want from me, anyway? To sell my husband out? Deep down, I feared that was exactly what he wanted…
My last face-to-face conversation with him echoed inside my head.
“The way I see it, I’m still saving my company. I have a new perspective on things. Like I said, desperation makes things very clear. I know what I want now. I want my company to go on the way it was intended. I want Bryce to run things the way he’s supposed to…
If Bryce was about to be voted in as full CEO, Gene wouldn’t feel his son was running the company as intended. He’d feel it was being stolen from him. I shivered, remembering the rest of what he’d said.
“You have a lot to lose. When I say that, I’m not just thinking of your marriage. I’m thinking of your brother.” Gene didn’t blink as he’d stared me down.
I called Dale, quickly checking in to make sure that Noah was okay. Dale said everything was fine: they’d been fishing that morning, and Chef was making chicken tenders for dinner along with hand-cut fries. Security was tight at the house because of the recent press situation.
But would security protect Noah against Gene Windsor?
I felt the walls closing in on me. Mimi, Gene, Lydia… oh my. I’d made a mess of things without even trying.
Before I could face filling out Gene’s form, I scrolled through my calls to find Tate’s number.
“Chloe?” She sounded wary. “Why’re you calling me?”
“Because I wanted to know how it’s going with Mimi. Did you tell her that Bryce and I were having problems?”
“Yeah, but she didn’t seem really happy with me.” Tate sighed. “She was pissed that you guys left. She’s mad that her daughter doesn’t seem to care too much, she’s obsessed with some rocker dude. But it seems like Old Mimi’s got all the time in the world, and she sure has an axe to grind.”
“Can you tell me exactly what happened?” I needed to get Mimi managed somehow, some way.
“Why should I tell you anything, huh?” Tate asked. “She’s the one who’s paying me.”
Ding ding ding. My conversation with Lydia came back to me. I figured your husband might pay more…
“Maybe I’m going to outbid her,” I said, “but I’m not making any promises until I hear more.”
“Hmm, okay.” Tate sounded intrigued. “I told her that you and I were getting close and that things seemed rocky between you and Bryce, but she didn’t seem satisfied.
I get the feeling that she wants to blow your shit up.
She’s angry, huh? Somebody did something to her. She really hates this family.”
I sighed. The fact that Daphne had slept with Mimi’s husband, not to mention gotten pregnant, was obviously a huge issue.
I hadn’t helped matters by marrying Bryce and eliminating any possibility, no matter how small, of a reunion with Felicia.
Then I’d gone and humiliated her daughter by beating the crap out of her at that wedding.
Way to go, Chloe. How was I going to make this right?
“Tate, how did she find you?” I asked. I’d never heard back from Elena about that. “How did she know about me?”
“She hired a private investigator—that’s what she told me. And she found me on the Sugar Finder app. You were on there, right?”
“For a hot minute.” The investigator must have found out that, somehow traced me to AccommoDating, and dug up Lydia’s name and address, too.
“It worked out for you, huh?” Tate asked.
“I’m not sure about that just yet.” My mind was racing. If Mimi had uncovered the details of my marriage to Bryce, Gene could do the same. He might have already.
“Did you mean what you said?” Tate broke through my panicked thoughts.
“About what?”
“About outbidding Mimi. And also, what you said about Colby before.”
I shook my head, trying to clear it. “What did I say?”
“You said he thought he…liked me.”
“I did mean it,” I said immediately. “I wouldn’t have said it otherwise.”
Tate was quiet for a moment. Then she asked, “What about you outbidding Mimi, huh? Did you mean that?”
I hesitated. I’d also meant what I’d said about Mimi Jones. But like Lydia, I would eventually have to put my money where my mouth was. That would involve explaining quite a few things to my husband.
Sometimes, the best defense was a good offense.
“I absolutely meant it. How much is she paying you?”
“Plenty. But there’s always room for improvement,” Tate said happily.
* * *
The next thing I did was text Midge and Hazel. Please keep an eye on Tate, I wrote. She should start behaving better. If not, LMK?
It was an odd feeling, texting Bryce’s maid with the spindly legs. But what had I read during my junior-year Shakespeare class? Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows. I hadn’t known what it meant until now!
Speaking of misery, I checked the clock. I had to upload Gene’s dreaded form before my twenty-four hours ran out.
Fuck. What was I going to say? Attorney Finley had instructed me to include details about the board’s proposed vote and Bryce’s feelings about the position. What the hell was I supposed to tell Gene Windsor—the truth?
The board has lost faith in you. They want you out.
They’re choosing Bryce over you.
He absolutely wants the job.
By the way, I signed a contract to marry your son. I worked for an escort agency. Mimi Jones knows all about it.
I might be pregnant…?
The last thought had me clutching my stomach.
Between dealing with Lydia and Tate—and all the money I was promising everyone—I still hadn’t taken the pregnancy test. I hustled upstairs to the bedroom, throwing my phone onto the bed.
I grabbed the test from under the bathroom sink and read the instructions: pee on the stick and wait three minutes.
I took the test, set it on the counter, and ran back to my phone.
The board is voting on Bryce’s appointment Monday morning. He’s not sure how he feels about it, I wrote. I should stick as close to the truth as possible—Gene would be able to find out about the board’s actions, anyway.
Bryce is doing the best he can. He cares so much about the company—he wants it to be successful. That was also the truth, but it probably wasn’t what Gene was looking for.
What else could I tell him? How could I keep him at bay?
Mimi Jones has been sniffing around, I wrote. She reached out to my stepmother, but I took care of it.
There. At least that was something. Maybe it would occupy Gene’s time, at least for a little while. I uploaded the form and cleared out the link.
As soon as I’d sent it, my phone pinged. It was a text message from a random five-digit number, which sent me to a link. Click here for an encrypted message. This link will delete in five minutes.
Hands shaking, I clicked the button.
You aren’t cooperating with me and you know it.
You’ve told me nothing.
I already know about the board’s plans, and I can more than handle the insufferable Mimi Jones.
If you don’t provide more information about your husband, you are going to pay.
I know about you, Chloe. I know who you are and where you came from. Your father and his disgusting wife are on my payroll. They have no loyalty to you. They don’t care if you live or if you die. They don’t care about your brother.
I’m on the sidelines, but I’m still calling the plays.
I am in charge. I am in control.
Remember, I have eyes everywhere.
I also have people who will do what I say no matter what. I have the means to execute my plans, even from here.
Talk to Bryce tonight and send me more information.
Otherwise, you are going to be a very sorry young lady.
I ran to the bathroom and threw up.
As I sat on the floor, arms wrapped around myself, I glimpsed the pregnancy test on the counter. I got up, unsteady on my feet, and grabbed it.
There were two pink lines. Pregnant.
I should fill out the form again. I could just picture it. Dear Gene, I almost forgot to tell you: your son’s having a baby with his escort wife. The heir to Windsor Enterprises has a whore for a mother. What do you think about that?
If I hadn’t been scared sick, I would’ve laughed.
Instead, I promptly threw up again.