Page 51 of Billionaire Retreat

“Stop. Dad wasn’t our kind, and yet you married him.”

Her lips grew tight. “This isn’t about your father.”

“In a way, I think it is. From what I understand, you went out of your way to make sure Nina never got to me.”

“I did what was best. She’s a predator. A gold digger.”

“Stop, Mom. Just stop—”

“You heard her! She took my money! She doesn’t have a conscience! I paid her off for cheap!” she spit out, her voice growing shrill. She was finally losing her composure and we stared at her. As if realizing it, she straightened her shoulders and slipped a hand through her perfectly coiffed hair. “Ask her,” she finally said.

Griffin turned to me. There was no accusation in his eyes. In fact, he just looked tired. His eyes were guarded, but he looked exhausted as if he had had all he could take emotionally for one day. Apparently, Mrs. Wallace was always a handful.

“She implied that you had a family. So yes, I took the money. I... I needed it.”

“See there! I told you,” she said.

“You lied to her and told her that I had a family?” Griffin said.

“Not exactly. I might have implied it but she drew her own conclusions.”

“You’re lying! You did more than imply.”

She shook her head. “Who are you going to believe? Some floozy that whored herself on an island or me?”

“Woah, woah, woah,” said Jackson cutting in. “I told you, Mom, they were entertainment specialists. Not whores.”

If she hadn’t been implying that I was a whore, Jackson’s interjection would have been funny.

“If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck and acts like a duck, Jackson, then it’s a duck,” Mrs. Wallace said coldly.

“Or a goose... they look a lot alike,” Jackson quipped.

“Shut up, Jackson,” Mrs. Wallace snarled. Jackson promptly excused himself.

“Mom, you have to stop,” Griffin said ignoring Jackson.

“Stop? Stop what?”

“Interfering with our lives.”

“Interfering? Me helping you avoid a scandal is what you consider interference? Me trying to get the rubbish out of your life is a disaster?”

“I’m not garbage,” I growled, finding my voice.

“You’re right. You’re way worse than that. At least garbage knows its place.”

I was done talking. I was ready to strangle that old lady. I jumped down from my barstool and was making my way over to her when Griffin stepped in between us.

I knew then that it was time to tell Griffin everything.

“After she called security on me, I gave Cliff my number and contact information. She must have got it from him because she arranged to meet up with me at an ice cream shop on the beach. I thought I was meeting up with you, but she turned up instead with the $250, 000.”

“So I lied. I was just trying to protect you from the ugliness of life. Is that so bad? Why do I feel like I’m on trial here? I did nothing wrong,” she screeched.

“I saw you playing on the beach with a little girl and I saw you hug a woman. I thought you had used me, especially after you left so abruptly.”

Griffin looked confused and then turned to his mom and said, “How could you?”