KEPT_ A Second Chance Fairy Tale(61)

Looking up, he clears his throat and asks, “Financially. Did you help her get Gabe’s estate settled so she’d have the money right away for whatever expenses he’d left behind, or ones his son would require?”

Margret looks directly at me, narrowing her eyes.

“No, you didn’t. You were…” Michael stops and looks over my head at Jane. She smiles smugly while handing him a file I didn’t know she’d brought. Michael flips it open, his fingers running the length of the page before he says, “Looks here like you donated nearly five thousand dollars to Gabe’s childhood little league team.”

“That was a sponsorship,” she justifies. “They were in desperate need.”

“Desperate need,” he utters in disgust. Michael doesn’t contemplate for long. “A month later, you gave another ten thousand dollars to Gabe’s old bowling coach. Is this right?”

Margret offers no answer.

I sit up in my chair, pissed to know she was giving money away to everything about Gabe, but I never saw a dirty red cent for his son.

Evil, mean little witch!

“Mrs. Monroe?” Michael prods for an answer. When she says nothing, he continues. “When Gabe died, he left Lucy what little they had in their account. It wasn’t enough to cover the cost of moving, deposits, or setting up the apartment she and Dillon still live in today.”

Margret’s lips tighten right before she sits up and attempts to interrupt. “My son provided for his family.”

“He provided for his family,” Michael repeats her statement, then sits back in his chair. “When he died, the life insurance she received was next to nothing. The bare minimum. You were aware of this.”

Margret stays quiet, understanding that wasn’t a question which needed to be answered.

“Also,” Michael continues, “you purchased three round-trip tickets to Hawaii two weeks before he died. Two adults, one minor. None of these tickets were reserved for Lucy.”

My body rocks once. That can’t be true. Sure, it’s possible Margret knew about Gabe and Victoria, but did she openly furnish gifts in the form of vacation destinations?

God, no. Please, you evil wench, say no.

“He never loved her,” Margret sneers. “He told me she was immature and should never have been a mother.”

Her nasty message is clear. She knew what was happening. Everyone did.

Except for me.

“I hate you,” I hiss to myself, but soon feel the unburdened sense of satisfaction when her eyes come to mine.

“He didn’t want to marry you. You got pregnant and, being that my son was a gentleman, he did what was right and married you,” she tells me, adding further insult to my deepened injury.

“What was right…” Michael trails off. “Your son was a fucking idiot.”

Hearing Michael’s curse, incited by his added anger, I sit up straight, as Jane clears her throat.

Margret places her hand to her chest, clearly appalled by Michael’s statement. “You can’t–”

“Quiet, Cruella,” he spits out.

I can’t even…

Gasping for breath, I’m thankful I didn’t have a mouth full of water. If I did, Jackson would be drenched in it.

Nothing stops Michael from continuing, not even Jackson’s nervous, but surprised face. Michael addresses him directly. “Jackson, let me tell you what I know.”

He waits for Jackson to get his thoughts together. After he nods, Michael continues. “Lucy Monroe is a devoted mother of a great kid she single-handedly raised. I know because I’ve spent time with him. He loves his mother, and there’s no better place on earth for him to be than with her.”

I hold my breath and feel my face warm.

“Although Lucy didn’t have much to give him by way of money, she showered him with as much love as she had to give. Essentially, Dillon wanted for nothing, but that fact had nothing to do with his dead father’s mother.”

Once clearing my eyes of tears, I turn in my seat to chance a look at Michael. He’s relaxing. With each sentiment said on my behalf, the once wired state of his body is slowly waning.

“I also know she’s a hard worker, although stubborn to a fault when it comes to clients she wants to help,” he adds, turning to me and winking so fast, I almost miss it.

Jackson’s focus hasn’t left Michael’s. Any sign of annoyance he once had in regards to him being here is gone.

“She’s been my assistant for nearly two months. She’s been the bane of my existence for just as long.”

Ouch. That one hurt.

“She dragged her crazy life into mine, leaving me no choice but to be consumed by her. She’s quick, smart, funny, and she’s made it impossible for me to walk away.”

There it is.

Michael hasn’t left me yet.

Thank you, God.

“She’s not what Margret paints her to be, Jackson. This is a losing case, not only because Margret doesn’t stand a snowflake’s chance in hell, but because if she continues with this charade, everyone in this state will know what a piece of shit she really is. I’ll see to that.”

Whoa.

“Now, if we’re done here, I’d like to go.”




Michael

“I don’t know what to say,” Lucy breathes in relief once we’ve filed out of the conference room with Jane.

“Honey, I think you just say ‘thanks’,” Jane replies, placing her hand on Lucy’s. I watch as she squeezes it gently, attempting to gain Lucy’s attention.

Lucy hasn’t taken her eyes off me since Jackson called the meeting over and openly humiliated Margret as he told her to find another lawyer, wishing her luck in hell.

“Michael,” Jane addresses. I turn my head and look down at her standing proudly by my side. I can feel Lucy’s eyes on me. “I’m headed back to the office. I’ll file and record all this nonsense in case it’s needed later. I’ll see you back there this afternoon?”

“Yeah, I’ll be in after this.”

Jane leans in to give Lucy a hug. She whispers something in her ear, and Lucy’s eyes water in response. Still, though, they’ve never moved off me.

“Michael.” Jane nods her goodbye before turning to walk away.

I’m left alone standing in front of Lucy. Her face is flushed, her relief evident now that the meeting is over.

“You’re good,” I offer. “If she bothers you again, let me know. Or Corbin.”

I’m not sure of the thoughts circling Lucy’s mind. I did this not only for her, but because I was right in saying Margret is a piece of shit. I took satisfaction in threatening her the way I did because, whether it’s professional to feel this way or not, the bitch needs to be put down.

“When you got here…” She pauses and her voice goes quiet. “I was happy to see you.” A spring of hope surfaces in my chest. “I wasn’t sure how it was going until you–”

“Lucy,” I say her name, hearing my voice beginning to break. My body wants to surrender to her close proximity. I want to hold her, but my heart knows it’s best to give her space. “I wouldn’t have missed this meeting for anything.”

“She’s awful,” she tells me with a half-smile. “I can’t believe I was married to her son.”

I offer her a small grin, if only to ease the tension between us. She’s filling the air with small talk when I’d like nothing more than to fill it with words letting her know how much I’ve missed her. How miserable I am that the smell of her in my bed has faded. How I no longer feel her strong presence even when I’m alone. How much she matters.

I want to tell her how much I need her.

Lucy smirks, the amusement in her eyes pointedly obvious before she whispers for no one else to hear, “You called Margret Monroe ‘Cruella’.” She holds in her laugh, but only for a second.

In my defense, I state, “I’m not entirely oblivious to those movies you and Grace love so much.”

Lucy’s head tilts to the side. “How is Grace?” she asks. “Deni and your mom?”

“Good,” I return. “Mom’s doing well. Grace is driving Denise crazy, which I love to hear.”

“Right.” She nods with a short smile, and awkward silence engulfing us.

“How’s Dillon?”

Lucy nods. “Good. He’s getting ready for school to start. He asked me to find him a baseball coach so he could start playing this fall.”

I imagine Dillon’s face, along with the persistence he inherited from his mother. Most likely, he stopped asking and is walking the line of nagging by now.

“I need to run,” I reluctantly inform. “Corbin’s in court, and Lillie’s pitching fits about working long hours.”

Lucy’s nose scrunches. “Lillie’s back at the office?”

“She is. She came back when she heard…”

“Heard I quit.”

“With Jane coming on board, we need the extra help.”

“Jane’s there now, too?” she asks.

Her curiosity is piqued. Maybe she holds some regret about her decision to leave, as well. She misses the office. She misses those who’ve grown to care about her as we have.

“Okay, go,” she instructs. “Thank you for everything.”