Almost Ruined His Life

His gaze was fixed on me. "Did you wed my son for financial gain?"

I was furious internally. I had the impression that I was under attack from all sides. Rosemary, Julia, a strange man, a stalker who had been sending me menacing letters, and now Jeff. I pretty much believed Rosemary had to be behind that letter to me, even though Nicholas hadn't confirmed it yet.

I spat, gazing at him, "No. Who said that to you?"

"I don't believe that matters," he countered

'Is this guy serious?'

"I believe it to be crucial." I kept a close eye on his expression. "Did Rosemary tell you that?"

His expression of composure briefly turned surprised, and I realized I was correct. That fucking bitch.

"Rosemary has a close relationship with Nicholas and has known him all of his life. She's concerned about his life."

He gave a weak excuse, and my mouth gaped. "You truly don't know anything, do you? You are somehow unaware of what truly occurred because she has sold some sordid tale to you."

He started to look furious, but I didn't care. I had had it with the way he treated his son, and by extension, me. "I'm attempting to understand what's happening so that I can guard my son."

Rolling my eyes, I said, "Guard your son?" I snorted. "Since when were you concerned with defending him? When he really needed you, where were you?"

"I've always supported him."

I gave a headshake. "You weren't, though. Both Nicholas and I love each other. Your dear Rosemary hurt him, and now she's attempting to break us apart in order to hurt him once again. You know what? You can go and inform her that all her plans are in vain. I won't treat him like she did."

He arched his brow as if he didn't understand what I was saying. "How she treated him? What are you referring to? They were a couple, but Nicholas broke things off. He hurt her deeply."

I softly shook my head. "You truly don't know your son at all." My heart ached for Nicholas. My Nicholas. It was understandable why he had issues with his father.

"If you know all the answers, then please enlighten me." His arrogance was apparent in his voice.

I intended to declare Rosemary to be a nasty whore. Perhaps it was time to finally come clean so that he would understand the truth. Would I make Nicholas angry?

I moved closer to him. "Rosemary is a manipulative, and calculating bitch and she shouldn't be trusted."

He was shocked that I would address him in this manner. Probably no one ever did so before. "Explain to me why I ought to believe you."

"Your son is the one you should put your faith in," I screamed. I paused and took a few long breaths. If I didn't calm down, this talk would likely have a tragic end. However, it was challenging since I felt as though I was experiencing a multitude of emotions at once. I mostly wanted to strike the table and jolt him awake so that he paid attention and took me seriously.

"I have faith in my son."

"Your method of expressing it is inadequate." I tightened my grip on my thighs in an effort to relax. "Did Nicholas tell you he broke up with Rosemary or was she the one who gave her side of the story? Did you ever ask him what really happened or did you just pin all the blame on him because of what she said?"

I nearly saw the thoughts running through his head as soon as his eyes landed on the table. He said nothing, so I carried on.

"Do you realize how horribly she betrayed him?" He clenched his jaw but remained silent. I wasn't sure if he accepted my story or not. "Did you know that she nearly ruined any chance he had of starting a family? A family that was his own and unrelated to a parent who would never believe him when he said something. A parent that would rather support someone who had hurt him."

He raised his eyes at that. His face turned pale, and his mouth opened. I could only hope Nicholas wouldn't be angry with me for this.

He responded shakily, "I don't believe that."

I continued to look at him. "I believe you do. You probably have a gut feeling that I'm telling the truth. Consider how heartbroken Nicholas was after the incident and how he later had to cope with it all without any help from his father."

I left him there and got up and went to the refrigerator. I sat back down after grabbing two water bottles, setting one in front of him. We sat there in silence as he fiddled with his bottle.

Finally breaking the ice, he continued, "I knew your father."

"Really?"

He turned to face me and smiled a little. "Yes, I did meet him while I was living in Atkins. He was a good, honest man."

Even though I was still upset over how he treated Nicholas, my heart grew softer as a result of the wonderful remark. Was this his attempt at making amends?

I blinked. "I don't remember a lot about him because he passed away when I was small. But those who did always had positive things to say about him." I took a moment to carefully consider what I would say next. "Every day, I long for my parents to be here. Nothing is more important than one's family."

He took a large drink of water before responding to my question. "You're correct in that."

He appeared to be changing his mind. He showed that he agreed with what I told him. that there was a chance his relationship with his son could yet be saved.

We both suddenly looked up, when Nicholas appeared. He offered me a small smile before turning to his father with a glare.

"Why in the world are you here?"

As Nicholas stood behind my chair and placed his hands on my shoulders, I forced the lump in my throat to go down. I wasn't sure what to say when Jeff was hesitant to respond. The work I had made in trying to heal their relationship would be destroyed if I told Nicholas that his father had come to make accusations against me.

Even though I was still upset with Jeff, I really wanted him and Nicholas to get along. He was, in a sense, the grandfather to my unborn child. The most significant thing in the world was family.

And as a result, I needed to figure out how to get them to truly communicate.

Yes, I was aware that they would have to resolve the issue on their own, but occasionally foolish male ego and pride needed a reasonable middleman to set them on the right course.

In my superior female wisdom, I had decided that I should serve as the mediator.

I watched a flash of astonishment cross Jeff's face as I continued, "He stopped by to say hello, to see how I'm adjusting to married life."

He nodded as I gave him a look of pure 'I-dare-you.'

"Yes. I decided to stop over and see how you two were while I was in the city. Your mother continually reminds me that we don't see you often enough."

Nicholas' grasp relaxed as he prepared to sit on the chair next to me.

"Well, I suppose that's sweet of you." Nicholas made an astonishing and rather suspicious noise.

I grabbed his hand and squeezed it under the table. An uneasy hush followed. Jeff almost made me kick him to force him to say more, but thankfully I didn't have to go to that extremity since he spoke out on his own.

"So everything is going fine at RHI? I saw that your most recent deal was a success."

The sound of pride in his father's voice and the fact that he had shown even the slightest interest in his business caused Nicholas to gape.

"Yeah. It is perfect."

I resisted sighing because I wanted Nicholas to give a little bit more. However, in all honesty, the small conversation that followed over the next fifteen minutes was the best outcome I could have hoped for.

At least no more hostile looks or remarks were exchanged. It was a positive development.

Although Jeff didn't linger for long, he smiled and nodded as we led him out. I thought it meant he took what I had said to heart and would mend fences with his son.

Soon after, Laura prepared dinner, delaying Nicholas' inquiry until we were about to go to bed. I struggled to keep my eyes open while I undressed since I was so absolutely worn out from the day.

He said as he brushed his teeth in the sink next to mine, "Are you feeling okay?"

I replied simply. "I'm exhausted."

His eyes lit up with worry, but I lacked the strength to reassure him. After rinsing my mouth, I trudged into bed, wearing only a big t-shirt of his. I sighed with relief when my head hit the pillow. I barely responded to him when he scooted close and spooned me.

His fingers brushed my stomach from under the t-shirt. It felt reassuring and warm, so I snuggled into him further.