Cruel Beloved

“Carla…”

I hold my hand up and shake my head. “If you’re going to spew your lies at me, you better make them good. Otherwise, this vodka will end up all over you.”

“Where’s your husband?”

I laugh at him. “You mean my fake husband?” He looks at me, confusion plastered all over his face. “Carry on, you don’t have long, my patience has already gone.”

“I didn’t expect you to find out like this.”

“Don’t you mean you didn’t expect me to find out… at all?” I spit that last bit right back at him and take another big mouthful of vodka.

“Will you stop drinking, so we can talk?”

I shake my head. “Carry on… with your lies.”

“So, you’re just going to take his word for it.”

I scoff at him. “You pretty much admitted it to me on the phone, Father. Who do you think I am?” I say, shaking my head. “You need to leave. I have to pack up and move. And you being here isn’t helping or getting it done quicker.”

“Why are you moving?”

“Why did you have an affair?”

“Your mother left me. I met Katrina, and it was instant. I loved her. We even planned on keeping the baby. I was going to tell you, but it all happened so fast. The baby died. Katrina fell apart. And then your mother asked me to come back, so I did.”

As he finishes talking, the door flings open, and Whiskey walks in with my purse in his hand. He pauses, and when he sees my father, both of them straighten their backs.

Another mental note: Lock the damn door.

“Gerald,” Whiskey says with anger seething from the single word.

“What’s going on with you and my daughter?”

Whiskey’s eyes flick to me.

I lift the bottle of vodka, nodding to him, then take another sip. It’s going to my head and I’m well on my way to being drunk.

“She was a very sweet form of revenge,” he says, his eyes leaving mine to look to my father.

“Revenge?”

“You ruined my life. Ruined my family’s life, and killed my father.”

My father doesn’t even flinch. “Your father did that to himself.”

“He came to see you before it happened.”

“He did,” my father replies. “And I will tell you the same thing I told him. I loved your mother, but sometimes love isn’t enough.”

Whiskey’s eyes flick to me.

“Yeah, love is never enough,” I muse.

“Lies,” Whiskey says back to me.

“Why is she saying this marriage is fake?” my father asks.

“I blackmailed her into marrying me so I could take your most prized possession and ruin it like you ruined mine.”

I gasp at his words.

Father takes a step forward to me. “You blackmailed my daughter?”

“You should leave, Gerald.”

“No. I want to know what you did to her.”

“He taped me having sex with him,” I say.

Whiskey didn’t think I would say it, but honestly, my care factor has gone.

Completely.

Out the window with any semblance of self-respect that I had with it.

“You what,” my father screams, turning his angry eyes to Whiskey who is staring at me.

I shrug, watching the two of them, lifting the bottle to my lips to cover my smirk.

“This is what you blackmailed her with to marry you?”

“Don’t act like you care, Father. I know you don’t. I destroyed the evidence today. You are fine,” I say with an eye roll.

He turns to face me, his hand running through his hair. “Of course I care. I care for you, Carla.”

My back hits the wall, dizziness taking over me. “You’re a superb liar.” I take another sip from the vodka bottle.

“You’ve had enough, don’t you think,” Whiskey says.

“You can leave now,” I wave Whiskey off, then look to my father. “You can leave too.”

“I love you, Carla,” my father says.

I harrumph at him, not believing one word that man says. “The only thing you love in this life, Father, is your stupid reputation, which is what got me into this position in the first place,” I say to him as a hiccup leaves my mouth.

“You could have come to me instead of marrying him,” he seethes.

“Yes, because you’re the easiest person to talk with. Father, I have to make appointments to see you,” I reply. “Does Mother know you fucked Whiskey’s mother?” His eyebrows raise at me using Whiskey’s last name. I’ve only ever called him Corton around Father.

“Yes. Yes, she knows.” He wipes his brow. “It’s why she never approved of your marriage.”

Oh, well that makes sense. I just figured it was Mother being a bitch. But she never liked Whiskey due to who his parents are.

“It’s not Whiskey’s fault you couldn’t keep your dick in your pants and had to fuck his mother, ruining his life.”

Whiskey smirks.

I give him a pointed look as I speak to him next. “But it is your fault that you fucked me over. I had nothing to do with any of this. You came in and ruined my life. You turned it upside down and made me have feelings for a man I will never trust.”