A Redo (Sterling Shore 6)

No paternity tests were allowed. Prize had to take her word that the young child was his. And according to our source, everyone in his family has warned him that she’s conning him. The child might not even be his. But Prize refuses to hear reason.

“To be fair, he always wanted to be a father. I just wasn’t ready,” Erica told us. “I wanted to wait until we’d been married for a few years. I think she waited for this moment, this opportunity, and now he’s been targeted.”

Like so many people today, Thrash was a ward of the state. Her foster parents informed us that they asked her to move out when they lost control of her. She was six months pregnant before she confessed it to them, and when asked what the father’s name was, she claimed to not know. Yet she managed to find him all these years later.

Her foster mother—who wishes to keep her name private—said Thrash has always been quiet and calculating. They had hoped she would turn out better than some of the children who have crossed their threshold, but alas, they feel as though she has just resorted to conning wealthy men.

Afraid that this article might prompt Thrash to run and take off with Prize’s alleged daughter, we posted a picture of Thrash. It was recently taken at the Prize home during the Sterling Shore Christmas party after an altercation with Wren’s ex-wife.

Erica Prize assures us Wren Prize is handling the situation with the grace of a saint and the heart of a prince.

My tears continue to drip as I read the article for the hundredth time. I can’t believe this. I never… How can anyone write these lies and get away with it?

“Fuck them all,” Bella says while putting a cup of coffee in front of me.

“Angel is with Melanie, isn’t she?” I ask.

I had to pull my daughter out of school today to let her escape this, but I was afraid of the scene that might ensue if I had showed up. Melanie was irate when she heard about the article. But I was too numb to process anything.

“Yes. She just called to check on you. Angel hasn’t heard anything from the other kids or the teachers. That private school is used to dealing with bullshit rumors that explode like this in the media. Thank God Wren changed her school.”

Wren. I can’t even… I don’t think… There are no words. He’s called at least thirty times, but I can’t answer my phone.

“How long did Tria say we could crash here?” Bella asks.

Tria’s house is massive, and she doesn’t use it since she lives with Kode. I don’t know why she doesn’t just sell it, but I’m thankful she called and told me to crash here until this dies down.

“She said indefinitely, and she’s not telling anyone I’m here, not even Kode. But I don’t think I can even stay in Sterling Shore. People are verbally attacking me around every corner. My heart is still in my throat like I’m waiting on a physical assault. I don’t think Angel is safe with me right now, because they posted my picture, Bella. They might attack me if they see her in the car with me out of fear I’m running away with her.”

She rubs my arm soothingly as she sits down next to me.

“It’ll be okay, Allie. Wren was furious this morning; now we know why. He’s going to handle this. I feel sorry for the dick who published this and even sorrier for the asshole who wrote it. Just let him handle it, and when it all dies down, we’ll resume life.”

I laugh bitterly. “In case you’ve forgotten, I got fired for hitting Jillian. Then you got fired for going crazy on the human resources department. We had security escorts to our cars. Life won’t resume. I’m finished here. You still have a shot at finding a private practice, as long as you let Wren use his pull. Not me. I’m done. I can’t stay in a town that will possibly ruin my daughter toward me. Wren and I will just have to work out a schedule so that he gets to see her as much as possible no matter where she and I go.”

My tears leak a little harder, and I curse while roughly wiping them away. I really hate crying, but my heart and mind are both breaking right now.

“Allie, don’t ruin this thing with you and Wren over Erica’s fucked up mouth and Billy’s eagerness to get at his brother. You know that’s got to be the family informant. Everyone loves you.”

I shake my head, curling my knees to my chest. Fired, flogged, and crushed all in one day. Normally I’m not into pity parties, but right now, I’m having one. I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t be.