Read Online The Silver Lining by Jennifer Raygoza - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jennifer Raygoza
Ads: Link
At least not at first.
“You are not going to devalue our name any more than you already have. As of about an hour ago I was emailed links to a handful of websites with articles claiming I threw you out on your release day, and now you are broke and living it up with some poor housemaid of mine. I saw the pictures, James. Do you know how bad this made me look?”
“Oh, I see. This is about you. Image is everything.”
“Why are you doing this to me?”
I grabbed my chest and laughed. “You?” I chuckled again. “This isn’t about you.”
“Everything you do is about me. You are my son. Your actions reflect the King name.” Her tone was sharp enough to cut through bones. Not glass. Bones.
“Your son? I’m just your son when it benefits you.”
She exhaled and shook her head. She puckered her lips and looked at me with disdain.
“I have a proposition, James. One in which I think you should take.”
I stood there quietly with my arms crossed. Is the devil offering me a deal? This won’t be good.
“You come back home. You come work for me and we put this behind us.”
“You can’t be serious? Why would I do that?”
“Because if you don’t I’ll fire, Emily.”
I shook my head at her. “Bullshit. No deal.”
“Alright. I’ll just call and tell her you have something important to say.”
I thought about Emily and her mother. I remembered her face. I remembered that kiss.
I placed my hands on the top of my hat, and paced a few steps. I hated this.
“Fine. I come back home, but I am not working for you.”
“Not yet at least. That will do for now I suppose.”
“What do you really get out of all this?” I asked. I was just disgusted with her.
“What do I get out of this?” She chuckled. “Sweetheart, the question is what do we get out of this?”
I could barely stand to look at her. I looked at the trees, then the flowers, then the man walking by. Nothing seemed to help this feeling, this negative energy, this weight of doom I would call my mother.
“I get to go about my day with no accusations attached the King name. You get to live a nice, comfortable life at the King estate, and Emily gets to keep her job. I should fire her for calling in sick today, but that’s another story. You see, perception is everything, even if the reality of it is not.”
I wanted to tell her about Emily. I wanted to let her know what a rough time she was going through, but to my mother she wouldn’t care. It didn’t affect her so why bother. It might even put Emily in a position where my mother would figure out a way to wrap her around her little finger.
“When does it stop? This make believe world you live in where you think you’re queen.”
“James, you are just like your father. All full of hope and love.” She cleared her throat. “You don’t win a race without trampling over your opponents, and the queen doesn’t get a castle without killing off a few commoners.”
That was the shittiest thing I had ever heard. I was done with her. I’d had enough. I turned to walk away, but stopped and swung around.
“I’d be careful if I were you. Every queen is knocked off her pedestal at some point, and it’s usually by the people close to her.”
“Is that a threat, James?”
“No. I’d say it’s more of a plan.”
“Are we playing a game now? Is this what you want?” She looked down, and picked at her nails.
“No, but you seem to have made the first move coming here. Now it’s time you wait for mine.”
“Prison has changed you, but it hasn’t changed you that much.” She smiled.
“You’d be surprised.” I nodded once at her and walked away.
Chapter 4. Heartless Bitch
It was now four hours into my shift, and I couldn’t continue to wipe down this bar anymore. It was damn near spotless. I needed something else to do to keep me busy. At least that way it appeared like I was working. Standing around made me feel useless, but what was I supposed to do. It had
“You are not going to devalue our name any more than you already have. As of about an hour ago I was emailed links to a handful of websites with articles claiming I threw you out on your release day, and now you are broke and living it up with some poor housemaid of mine. I saw the pictures, James. Do you know how bad this made me look?”
“Oh, I see. This is about you. Image is everything.”
“Why are you doing this to me?”
I grabbed my chest and laughed. “You?” I chuckled again. “This isn’t about you.”
“Everything you do is about me. You are my son. Your actions reflect the King name.” Her tone was sharp enough to cut through bones. Not glass. Bones.
“Your son? I’m just your son when it benefits you.”
She exhaled and shook her head. She puckered her lips and looked at me with disdain.
“I have a proposition, James. One in which I think you should take.”
I stood there quietly with my arms crossed. Is the devil offering me a deal? This won’t be good.
“You come back home. You come work for me and we put this behind us.”
“You can’t be serious? Why would I do that?”
“Because if you don’t I’ll fire, Emily.”
I shook my head at her. “Bullshit. No deal.”
“Alright. I’ll just call and tell her you have something important to say.”
I thought about Emily and her mother. I remembered her face. I remembered that kiss.
I placed my hands on the top of my hat, and paced a few steps. I hated this.
“Fine. I come back home, but I am not working for you.”
“Not yet at least. That will do for now I suppose.”
“What do you really get out of all this?” I asked. I was just disgusted with her.
“What do I get out of this?” She chuckled. “Sweetheart, the question is what do we get out of this?”
I could barely stand to look at her. I looked at the trees, then the flowers, then the man walking by. Nothing seemed to help this feeling, this negative energy, this weight of doom I would call my mother.
“I get to go about my day with no accusations attached the King name. You get to live a nice, comfortable life at the King estate, and Emily gets to keep her job. I should fire her for calling in sick today, but that’s another story. You see, perception is everything, even if the reality of it is not.”
I wanted to tell her about Emily. I wanted to let her know what a rough time she was going through, but to my mother she wouldn’t care. It didn’t affect her so why bother. It might even put Emily in a position where my mother would figure out a way to wrap her around her little finger.
“When does it stop? This make believe world you live in where you think you’re queen.”
“James, you are just like your father. All full of hope and love.” She cleared her throat. “You don’t win a race without trampling over your opponents, and the queen doesn’t get a castle without killing off a few commoners.”
That was the shittiest thing I had ever heard. I was done with her. I’d had enough. I turned to walk away, but stopped and swung around.
“I’d be careful if I were you. Every queen is knocked off her pedestal at some point, and it’s usually by the people close to her.”
“Is that a threat, James?”
“No. I’d say it’s more of a plan.”
“Are we playing a game now? Is this what you want?” She looked down, and picked at her nails.
“No, but you seem to have made the first move coming here. Now it’s time you wait for mine.”
“Prison has changed you, but it hasn’t changed you that much.” She smiled.
“You’d be surprised.” I nodded once at her and walked away.
Chapter 4. Heartless Bitch
It was now four hours into my shift, and I couldn’t continue to wipe down this bar anymore. It was damn near spotless. I needed something else to do to keep me busy. At least that way it appeared like I was working. Standing around made me feel useless, but what was I supposed to do. It had
Similar Books
