“Do you really want to go there?” Gavin questions as my phone frantically buzzes in my purse. I ignore it, but it just keeps sounding off to the point where I roll my eyes and pull it out. It’s an unknown number and I worry it's something for work.
“I’m going to go take this really quick,” I announce, holding up my phone and walking toward the beach. I’m still within sight of the table as I answer the phone.
“This is Dr. Morley,” I say.
“Check your email. Deadline is one week from today,” the deep voice says, before the line goes dead.
I swallow thickly as I glance down at my phone. My brows furrow and I scroll over to my email.
It’s some ridiculous account with letters and numbers and with my stomach churning I open the email.
Kate,
Do the right thing, or everything gets leaked. I don’t think the university would appreciate a deviant on staff.
Beneath the email is a link that I’m probably an idiot to click, but it’s from a standard file transfer site. My mouth drops as I look at all the contents in the file. My payments to Avalon, Gavin and Ben coming to my house, me dancing with Gavin and Ben at their grand opening.
What’s worse is all the other images of the other conquests I had prior to meeting Ben and Gavin are there as well. The images make me feel sick. But what’s truly making me feel disgusted is the fact that Will has been watching me this long, that he’s been invading my privacy for far longer than I imagined.
There’s no signature on the email, but it’s clear who it is. Part of me wants to act impulsively. But then that deep-rooted part of me that hates this motherfucker has me working through the best way to make my payback hurt.
My heart is racing as I flick through the images again, making my anger simmer even more.
He stole so much of my youth, stole so much of who I am, and he wants to take more? Will is so sure that he knows me, that I care too much about what people think, that I’d give into his demands. But little does he know that Gavin and Ben aren’t just some fling and I’m not ashamed of who I love.
My heart is racing and the idea of this honeymoon bubble being popped so fast, having to deal with this fucking blackmail, has me sick to my stomach. But I won’t let him bully me, I won’t let him take anything else from me. Slowly, piece by piece, a plan forms in my mind, an eerie calm washes over me as I walk back to the table with a mission in mind.
“Everything okay?” Gavin asks as soon as I sit down.
I take a deep breath and face my gaze to Lincoln; he looks confused that my attention is set on him.
“How would you like to be the largest shareholder of Dennis Commercial?” I ask him.
He takes a deep breath, scrubbing his hand over his stubble as he takes in my words.
“Tell me everything,” he says, and I place my phone on the table.
I’m ready to take the revenge I’m owed. Will Dennis doesn’t know who he fucked with. That weak woman who was on auto-pilot is dead and he’s about to face the new and improved Doctor Katherine Morley.
37
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION
Lincoln and Kateare listening intently to the lawyers as they discuss everything. Since Kate’s the primary shareholder, she should get all financial documents without a problem.
We’re just hoping that it doesn’t tip Will off. Not knowing what he’s capable of, she’s living with us, all four cats and all. While Mikey has taken to the change easily, the other three mostly stay hidden around different spots. I don’t hate it, and shockingly, neither does Gavin.
I’m not sure if the plan is to just keep her moved in? But I don’t hate the idea. In fact, I’m hoping she agrees, whether we move into her place, her into ours, or we find something new that works for all of us. But maybe I’m way ahead of myself, we all just admitted our feelings, that's good enough…for now.
“I knew that prick was hiding something with these lowball bids. He’s trying to liquidate the business and get all the proceeds, cutting out all his shareholders completely. He’s been buying everyone off over the years.” Lincoln questions.
“He used our shared money to buy off the other owners?” Kate asks, and I’m not sure I’ve seen her so pissed.
“It looks like he’s been doing this for the last five years. Slowly taking sums and using it to pay off other shareholders,” the lawyer says.
Kate’s eyes look watery and she nods her head. “He was probably cheating for that long,” she says and I rub her back.
“I still don’t understand why he would want to buy my shares,” Kate says.
