Bereft - Jennifer Foor Page 0,19

look amazing. If you wanted my attention, you’ve got it.”

I let the door close, but felt it necessary to explain. “I didn’t wear this for you, Chad. Like I said before, I didn’t have anything else to put on, and I wasn’t sure where we were going. This is a business meeting, correct? I don’t want you getting the wrong idea.”

“We’re on the same page. Forgive me for overstepping. Where are my manners? What I meant to say was that I like the change. You look happy. Good for you.”

If he only knew how wrong he was. Inside I was the saddest soul. I just prayed I could get through the night without tears. I had to stay focused on my future, because without it I may as well have been dead.

Chapter 7

Grayson

I’d been at the office but gotten nothing productive done. Kyla continued to call so many times I had to block her number. Then she somehow got the office number and tracked me down. I assumed I had a business call, but instead heard her voice on the other end of the line.

“This is Grayson.”

“Why are you avoiding my calls? Did you block my number?”

I rubbed my temples as I spoke into the receiver. “Yes. I told you to leave me alone. Kyla, this has to stop. I need to repair my marriage.”

“Why? You know I can make you happy.”

“You don’t know what I need. You never have. Sex isn’t fulfillment. Please stop calling me.”

“I need you. I feel like I can’t live without you.”

This girl was insane. She was going to stalk me, I just knew it. I closed my eyes and knew what had to happen. “If you don’t stop this right now I’m going to have to tell Stephanie what’s going on.”

“You wouldn’t. She’ll hate you.”

“At this point, I already hate myself. It can’t get much worse than that. I’m asking you again, Kyla, please stop calling me. Whatever happened between us is over. It should have never happened. I hope you have a good life, but I’m going to need you to stay out of mine. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll cut ties with Steph too.”

“She’s my best friend.”

“As far as I’m concerned, you betrayed her. She’ll never forgive you.”

“She’ll never find out.”

I hung up on her and asked my secretary to hold my calls. For the next hour I sat at my desk contemplating how I was going to tell my daughter what I’d done. She would hate me. She’d never forgive me. We’d been through hell when her mother passed away. The woman had been in and out of institutions her whole life. When she was on her meds she was a good person, but off them, she was a danger to herself and others around her. When she died it was like a weight was lifted. I no longer feared coming home and finding my child harmed or worse.

Rachel had come into our lives and picked up the pieces. She’d accepted Stephanie as her own and helped me raise her. We were married two years after first being together, and I never regretted a single moment of our marriage. Now I was determined to fight in order to save it, even if I had to throw myself under the bus to make it happen.

I waited until I knew she’d be out of her last class of the day to call. Dialing her number made the hair on my arms stand up. This wasn’t how I wanted to go about ending my relationship with my daughter, and ultimately the bond she shared with her very best friend.

When she picked up the line, I realized there was no way I could break the news over the phone. We were going to have to meet.

“Hi, Daddy.”

“Hey, babe. How’s it going?”

“Good. What’s up? Is everything okay?”

“Actually, I was thinking I could drive out and take you to dinner. Are you interested?”

“You’d drive an hour to take me to dinner?”

“I’d do anything for you. How about I pick you up around five?”

“Okay. Are you alright? You sound weird.”

I knew I couldn’t tell her the truth, because she’d be on the phone with her mother, and then she’d know the hard reality I was faced with. This had to come from me, not Rachel. We may have only been married for seven years, but she’d spent the past ten being the only mother my daughter had left. If something was happening between us she