MANDY
“Stupid, stupid, stupid.” It was the wine. I need to stop drinking red wine—it’s the sulfites that make me horny then give me a massive headache the next morning.
I wish I had the key to my room so I could lock him out.
I am so humiliated. Salinger literally does not want to have sex with me. All those times he said he didn’t want to fuck someone like me, he really did mean it. So what is he doing, just screwing with me? Keeping me compliant?
He wants to win.
I heard him on the calls, the single-minded way he speaks, hunts down information, wants assurances that his firm will be on the top of the pile.
He’s probably only interested in me because I won’t tell him Jaxon is the one stalking me. It’s a control thing for him. He doesn’t actually care about me, despite all his pretty words about protecting me and keeping me safe.
This is some sort of sick game for him.
My phone brings me back to the harsh reality of my situation.
Randy:Clarke & Turner is at the Seattle Bar Association dinner. They want to know when they can expect to hear from us about scheduling the handover of Pepper.
My legs give out, and I sink to the floor.
That’s the problem with relying on a man, especially one like Salinger—it’s too easy to get lulled into a false sense of complacency, too easy to believe you’re safe and everything’s perfect when you’re wrapped in his arms. I have real problems. I’m going to lose Pepper, my baby, my family.
There are footsteps outside of the door.
“Mandy.” His baritone is dispassionate. “Do you want dinner?”
I can’t answer him, too busy trying to silence my sobs.
“I’ll leave the door unlocked. Come down when you want something to eat.”
On my laptop, I pull up the terms of the settlement, though really it’s the terms of my surrender—hand over Pepper and pay money I don’t have.
I wish I had gone to law school like my dad suggested instead of deciding to take some time to figure out what I want to do in life. Now it’s too late.
Mandy:Isn’t there any way out of the contract?
Randy:You can’t fight against people like that. It’s best to just give in to their demands.
I spend all day Sunday on law forums, trying to find some loophole, some insight, to make this all go away.
Salinger finally gives up on drawing me out, leaving food outside of the door. I grab it like a little groundhog when I know he’s not out there.
I’m afraid if I see him, I’ll spill everything about Jaxon and the lawsuit and beg him to fix it.
I cannot drag him into my problems. He doesn’t care about me. Besides, if I do give in and let him handle it, I would be beholden to him for the rest of my life. He would own me completely. I would trade one controlling man for another.
As the trap Jaxon has set slowly closes on me, I wonder if being trapped with Salinger wouldn’t be better.
It’s not evennine in the morning, and I’m already going to have a panic attack.
Unknown:Did you think I wasn’t going to find out?
Unknown:You’re a hypocritical little slut, you realize that, right?
Unknown:You wouldn’t sleep with me, but you’re sleeping with him.
Unknown:You women are all the same. You all want the same top 10% of men.
