Page 55 of Whispers of Obsession
Sean’s smile, blinding in its belief, sends a chill down my spine. “Yes, thank you, Cora,” he says, oblivious to the deceit laced within my words. “Please, come see me in my office after you check on my son.”
As I rise to my feet, my gaze meets Heather’s, and if looks could kill, I would be dead a hundred times over. Her glare, sharp and cutting, follows me as I hurry out of the room, my heart heavy with dread.
The moment I step into Slater’s bedroom, I am greeted by a voice dripping with venom. “Didn’t I warn you not to come back here?”
The force of the shove sends me crashing against the wall, the breath knocked from my lungs in a gasp of pain.
“F-fuck! Cora?” Slater’s voice wavers, and he staggers back, a look of horror crossing his face. I drop to my knees, my legs unable to work as my brain overrides all thought, buttrying to breathe.
“What the fuck, Slater?” I demand, my voice trembling with confusion and fear when I finally catch my breath. I stare up at him with wide eyes, not recognizing the wreck of a man before me.
“You need to leave. Now,” he hisses urgently, his eyes wild with desperation. “Leave, Cora, and never come back here.”
My frown deepens, my mind reeling with disbelief. “You’re not making any sense,” I protest, climbing to my feet.
I stare in dismay as Slater drags his hands through his hair. He looks so unlike himself. So out of control. So…terrified.
“Then let me be clear. Leave this house. If you don’t, I won’t be able to help what happens next. I can’t protect you. I can’t even protect myself.”
“Wha–” I start to ask, but Slater is already retreating, leaving me alone in the wake of his frantic warning.
As I struggle to make sense of his words, a chilling realization dawns on me. Is he talking about his father? Unable to shake off the weight of his outburst, I return to the dining room with a heavy heart, forgetting all about Sean’s command to see him in his study, the taste of fear lingering on my tongue.
As I take my seat, my mother smiles up at me, her cheeks flushed from the wine she's been sipping. The corners of her lips curl with a warmth that doesn't quite reach her eyes, a facade of happiness masking the tension that simmers beneath the surface.
Across the table, Sean swirls his whiskey in its glass, his gaze fixed on me with a fierce, displeased intensity that sends a shiver down my spine. I can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to his scrutiny than meets the eye.
Does he know what’s wrong with Slater? Did he deliberately send me after him, knowing my presence wouldn't make a difference to Slater's mood? Is he relishing his son’s visible distress on his own birthday, or is he pleased that I've returned alone, without Slater by my side?
With Slater gone and the meal nearing its end, I find it increasingly difficult to justify my presence here. But my mother shows no sign of wanting to leave, her attention fixated on the lavish spread laid out before us.
“You’ll be starting college soon, isn't that right, Cora?” Sean’s voice breaks through the tension, pulling me back to the present moment. I shake my head in response.
“Not unless I can secure several scholarships…” I meet his penetrating stare head-on. “I’ll probably just have to settle for a job somewhere local. The hours at the ice cream parlor aren't enough to make a decent full-time wage.”
“Hmm,” Sean murmurs, taking a sip of his whiskey as if mulling over my words.
“She’s so smart, I only wish I had the funds to pay—” my mother begins, but I cut her off with a hiss.
“You do more than enough for me,” I interject, my tone sharp with embarrassment and a hint of irritation.
“How sweet,” Heather sneers from across the table, her voice dripping with sarcasm, and I feel my hackles rise in response.
“The last time I saw you, you looked...different. What’s changed?” I tilt my head, unable to resist needling her. “Oh, I see. You’ve had a face lift. Hope that wasn’t too expensive.”
“Cora,” my mother scolds, but I ignore her, focusing instead on the arrival of the final course, which mercifully puts an end to my own verbal sparring. I missed the first course, but I don’t really care. I’m not hungry anymore, and I just want to leave.
The second dinner draws to a close, and Sean rises from his seat with a sense of purpose. “Cora, come with me,” he commands, and I glance toward my mother, silently pleading for her to accompany me. Instead, she simply waves me along after him, her expression unreadable.
“I’m glad you’re here tonight,” Sean says as I step into his office, gesturing toward the small love seat. Rather than taking his usual place behind the desk, he sits beside me, and the close proximity sets my nerves on edge. I know it’s deliberate too, and it makes me severely anxious.
“I wouldn’t miss Slater’s birthday,” I reply, trying to keep my voice steady, but the tension in the room is palpable.
His eyes flash with anger.
“Oh? I was hoping you missed me.” Sean’s statement catches me off guard, and I stumble over my words in response.
“Oh, uh, yeah,” I mumble, inwardly cursing myself for the lack of conviction in my reply. But I know that ‘fuck no’ might be a bit over the top.
