Cruel Money (Cruel 1)

“Well, I’m sure I know why. The way he was groping you before.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. “We actually know each other from a few summers ago. It wasn’t a whim.”

But it was. And the look of anger and revulsion on her face made it all come into sharp clarity. I was trash. Dirt under her feet. Just the help. And she would never accept that I was anything more to her son than a phase.

“This was not how I wanted you to find out about me and Natalie.”

“How did you want me to find out?” the mayor asked. “Should I have walked in on you humping?”

“We’re together. We’re dating.”

Mayor Kensington actually tilted her head back and laughed. “I have never heard something more absurd.”

“I’m remembering why I didn’t tell you,” Penn said with a bite in his tone. “Why I don’t tell you anything. Why you’re not even a part of my life.”

“Yet you’ll take my money and house without a second thought.”

“I don’t need your money, and I stayed here to get away from you.”

“Not this old business,” she said on a sigh. “Must we discuss your poor little rich boy routine again?”

I felt like backing into the wall and disappearing entirely. No wonder Penn had never really discussed his mom. After seeing Court and hearing about their history, I hadn’t known what to expect with his mom, but this…this was just cruel.

And she was so popular in New York. She’d worked as a judge and then a state legislator for years before becoming mayor two years ago. Her approval rating was through the roof. She was tough on crime and an excellent leader. I didn’t know what the people of New York would think if they saw her now.

“Talk about whatever you want,” Penn said. “But Natalie is not some passing fancy. She’s not just some girl who happens to work for you.”

“She’s white trash from nowhere,” the mayor spat at him.

I cringed at the hate-filled words.

I hated them more because they were true.

Penn’s eyes rounded in horror. “You have no right to speak to her like that.”

“I’m telling you the truth because, doubtless, she’s lied to you about her upbringing.”

“What is wrong with you?” he asked.

“I checked her out before the job. We did a thorough background check. She’s a poor girl from Charleston. Her father is military, and her mother runs some kind of magic shop.” The mayor shuddered.

“Natalie never lied to me about anything. I already knew all of that.”

“Well, the only reason she’s even in this house is because of her recommendations. You deserve someone better than that.”

“Someone like what? A society girl? A brainless, shallow idiot who only cares that I have the right last name and the right amount of money? I don’t know how to say it any more plainly, I would never be interested in someone like that. So, what I deserve in your estimation doesn’t matter to me.”

“Not every woman of class is a brainless idiot. You just like to slum it.”

My jaw dropped. “You don’t need to keep insulting me!”

“Telling the truth is insulting you now?”

When she fixed her eyes on me, I knew that it wasn’t a good sign. I’d remained quiet through most of the conversation. Too in shock to know how to respond to his mother’s abuse. But I couldn’t let her keep going on like this.

“Mother, can we just speak in private about this?” Penn asked.

“We have nothing further to say to one another,” she said flatly. She seemed to realize that she wasn’t getting anywhere with her son. They’d likely had the same argument over and over again. A lose-lose situation at its finest. “And you.” She pointed her finger at me. “You are in breach of contract.”

“What?” I gasped.

“You’re sleeping with my son!”

“Mother, you know that has nothing to do with Natalie’s work,” Penn said plainly. “You’re only upset because of me. Let’s talk about this reasonably.”

“There’s nothing reasonable about you anymore, Penn. You’re not my employee, but she is. So, stay out of this.”

“I assure you that all the work has been done to your standard. I’ve been here the entire time. I’ve made every appointment. I’ve hit every deadline. The decorator should be here in a matter of hours to discuss the final plans for the deck. You might not like that I have been with Penn, but I still got the job done.”

The mayor narrowed her shrewd eyes. “Pack up your things and get out of my house.”

“But—”

“You’re fired,” she said flatly.

“Mother, why are you doing this?” Penn asked in anger.

She just kept her eyes on me. “Now.”

I swallowed and fought back tears. Fired. I was…fired. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. I didn’t know what to do, what to think. I could just stand there and stare at the mayor in horror as those words rang over and over again in my mind.