Sweet Revenge

“What in the hell were you thinking?” Leia demanded.

“I was thinking Laney, you, and me—that would be a sweet afternoon.”

“You are despicable,” Leia said. “I can’t believe you just did that.”

“You wouldn’t believe a lot of the things I’m capable of,” I said with a laugh.

“You say you want me to hire a nanny to help with the kids and then you sexually harass the best candidate during the interview. Are you high or something?”

“I’m high on life,” I said. “Besides, would you really want someone who looked like that being so close to me all day? You trust me way too much. Or was that your plan? You catch me and a hot nanny on some nanny cam and then it’s all over the internet and you sue me for divorce where I’m left without a pot to piss in. Please. I’m on to your bullshit traps.”

Leia ran her hands through her hair and squeezed her neck as she squealed in rage and frustration. “You are so paranoid. Seriously, you should be in the funny farm. You are not normal.”

“That’s open to interpretation,” I said. “Besides, if a chick like that can’t take a joke, what do you think she’d be like as an employee? What type of questions did you ask her anyway?”

“I didn’t ask her how she dealt with sexual harassment from her employer,” Leia said. “And what difference does it make to you? I hired the last nanny we had. Did you have something to do with her leaving?”

I shrugged. “I doubt it. She left of her own accord. She was working out ok, I thought. Why would I want to get rid of her?”

“Why do you do anything?” Leia asked. “I swear, I’m so sick of your games. How much do you want? What will it take?”

“What?”

“I’m serious. How much will it take for you to go away? Fifty million? A hundred million? I’m at the end of my rope and I’m willing to pay you to go away.”

I laughed. “Wow, I never thought you’d try to buy me off. The offers are tempting, but I don’t think so. You see I have big plans and those plans depend on a solid stream of cash flow; not a limited amount.”

Her eyes went wide. “A hundred million dollars is a limited amount?”

“It has a definite number attached to it, so… yeah.”

I wasn’t going to let her off the hook that easily. But later as I thought about it I almost decided to accept the offer, but this was not what I initially wanted. I had big dreams and when I had the means available to me, why would I stop at that small amount compared to the fortune I had access to?

Besides, it would mean admitting defeat and I wasn’t going to let that happen.

“I just don’t know how to deal with you,” Leia said. “Why are you this way? I don’t deserve to be treated like this.”

“No, you don’t deserve it, but you didn’t deserve to be born into a billion-dollar family either. I was born into a poor one. So, let’s not start talking about what each other deserves. Let’s talk about what is. I’m going for a ride. I’ll be back later.”

Once I was on the open road with my motorcycle, I felt at peace. It would tie your head in knots listening to Leia talk and whine about how bad she had it. The woman I’d met last year had a sense of humor and she was excited about the future. She wanted things. But she had changed and decided to become some boring family woman and now she was really a drag to be around. Everything she thought of or wanted to do had the kids at the center of it. I couldn’t have competed if I’d wanted to.

I couldn’t help but feel a bit rejected, and even though I told myself that I didn’t give a care at all, it still hurt. And it pissed me off. Leia was going to start giving me better treatment. I was not going to play second fiddle to those little bastards.

Chapter Seventeen

Leia

I put Alex back in his crib and covered him with a blanket. He was so peaceful when he was sleeping. Glancing over at Nicki I found myself wondering how two amazing miracles had come into my life so quickly. No matter how awful Ted had become and the things he said and did to me, I could never allow myself to fully hate him because without him I would not be the happiest mother in the world. I’d dreamt of being a mother since I was a little girl, but nothing could have prepared me for just how strong my love for my children would be. I loved them so much more than I loved myself. No matter what Ted did to me, as long as he never hurt my children then I could be happy.