Perfectly Lonely - Jessica Marin Page 0,15

my ass trying to save us, Rhys! What more do you want from me?” I yell, as the stress of the situation washes over me.

“I want you back in Vancouver, in your office, finding and courting investors,” he commands. “You have two weeks to get your shit together in Chicago and then I expect you to come back and completely take over in the quest of saving this company. You will be the one rebranding our image. You will be the one convincing people that Wilson Enterprises is still worthy of their business. You will fix this mess since you helped create it!” And with that, he hangs up on me.

I look down at the now silent phone and throw it on the couch. I walk over to the mini bar and pour myself a large glass of bourbon.

One sip.

Two sips.

And then I hurl the glass as hard as I can against the floor, watching it shatter into what seems like a million pieces. I fall to the floor, my knees absorbing the impact as I scream out my frustration at what life has thrown my way.

Rhys is right that I helped create the situation that my family is now in because when I started to investigate why my father was holding me back from taking the company to greater heights, I uncovered his dark secrets.

The secret of embezzling money from the company.

It took me awhile to figure it all out, but when I did, I immediately went to our family home in Victoria, hoping to talk with him in his private office. My mother greeted me at the door and told me he was upstairs, working on budgets with the accountant.

Instead, he was fucking his accountant from behind.

Everything happened in slow motion from that moment on. It was an out of body experience as I approached him, pulled him off of her and shoved him to the floor. An uncontrollable fury took over my body, making me a completely different person.

A person who was experiencing the worst kind of betrayal and hurt from his own flesh and blood.

I didn’t hear his whore screaming at the top of her lungs due to my roars of rage filling my own ears while my fists smashed continuously into his face. I didn’t feel his blood splattering all over me, nor did I feel the arms wrap around me as I was hauled off of him by the house staff. All I remember was his face as he was struggling to breathe through his broken nose and mouth. I remember hearing my mother’s cries and the heartbreak written all over her face when she came in and saw what was happening. And I will never forget the words I left him with before I departed.

“I hope you fucking go to hell!”

He died two hours later of a heart attack.

7

Layla

“You realize things are about to change, right?”

Change. A word that triggers warning bells in my head. I don’t do well with change and for Robert to suggest it as imminent makes me uncomfortable. I loudly gulp down the delicious cider that my taste buds were soaking in and look at Robert with raised eyebrows. We are sitting in our favorite Irish pub, O’Malley’s, treating ourselves to some cocktails and bad food due to the whirlwind of a day it has been.

“If you are referring to me winning the lottery so I don’t have to work anymore, then I gladly welcome that change.” I give him my best signature smirk and stuff my mouth with some French fries. It has been an emotional day starting with my conversation with Jenna on our walk this morning and then the arrival of Cal. I wish I could say I was happy to see him, but his appearance signifies the end of my alone time with my best friend. Selfishly, I’m not ready to give her up yet.

“I’m referring to Cal being back in town. Did you see the way his whole face changed when he saw her? He was ready to pounce on her and he didn’t care who was around. It was so fucking sexy!” Robert sighs and I can’t help but roll my eyes at him. Robert is the optimistic romantic — wants love for everyone and is always on the search for his future boyfriend, but Cupid’s arrow keeps missing him. His last couple of boyfriends just ended up in lust, not love, and Robert is quick to cut it off if he sees