My Turn to Keep Him
It was my fifth year with Ethan, my sugar
daddy.
The big shot, the guy who ran the city, had
just gone belly–up.
To make sure I’d be okay, he bought me this
beautiful house his last asset.
QUOZO
Looking at Ethan, with absolutely nothing left,
I ruffled his hair.
“You silly guy,” I said, “after all this time, now
it’s my turn to take care of you.”
- 1.
I was soaking in the tub of the mansion Ethan
^
had just bought me, when my phone started
blowing up. “Hey, Riley, you okay?”
“Riley, did you see? Ethan’s company went
bankrupt!”
“Riley, if you’re bummed, let’s go out and
have some fun.”
I scrolled through the messages and then
checked Twitter. It was all over the trending
list.
So that’s why Ethan hadn’t called for days. It
wasn’t that he’d moved on. He’d just been
dealing with a huge mess.
I lathered up, taking a deep breath.
Halfway through my bath, the phone rang.
- 2.
ᄀ
“Riley! Ethan’s broke! Who’s gonna protect
you now? Dad’s sick, you need to come home
and help with his care. Maybe then he’ll let
you come back. Or you’ll have to figure out
where you’re gonna live.” It was my half-
sister, Heather’s, voice, dripping with
satisfaction.
Dad was sick, huh? I should probably go see
him. “Fine, I’ll come say goodbye to Dad. As
for taking care of him, Heather’s your girl.”
After all, he had always favored her.
Since Ethan wasn’t calling me, I’d go to him.
See how he was doing.
I made his favorite BBQ ribs, packed them
Г
www
Just as I reached his office, I heard voices.
“Ethan, we should get married. My dad would
definitely throw some money your way as his
future son–in–law, to help you get back on
your feet.”
Ethan’s cold voice replied, “No, thanks,
Tiffany. I think you should leave.”
“Is that woman really so great? Is she worth
watching everything you worked for go down
the drain? Have you even thought about your
mother? Nobody cares about you now except
- me. You’re still hung up on her!” Tiffany’s
voice rose, cracking with anger.
Ethan didn’t hesitate. “This is my problem,
Tiffany. Please don’t get involved.‘
く
I kicked the door open, my high heels clicking
on the floor. “Honey, I missed you! I got you
your favorite ribs.”
Ethan smiled, ruffling my hair.
I opened the container and started feeding
him. Tiffany, fuming, slammed the door on her
way out, muttering, “You’ll regret this, Ethan!”
- 3.
I told Ethan my dad was sick.
He looked me in the eye, serious. “Do you
want to go see him? If you don’t want to, we
don’t have to.”
“Of course, I’m going. He was so cold leaving
<
Mom, now he’s getting what’s coming to him.
I want to see it.”
Ethan started packing his stuff. “I’ll come with
you.”
I stared at his red–rimmed eyes. “Honey, is
there anything you need to tell me?”
He hesitated, then shook his head. He
couldn’t bring himself to tell me the extent of
- it.
I smiled, running my fingers through his
messy hair.
He stopped me, holding my hand. “Riley, I promise, once I’ve worked everything out, I’ll
tell you.”
く
- 4.
Tiffany went back to her ex, a jerk named
Chad, and they got engaged.
Together, their families were actively trying to
destroy Ethan.
I went out for some retail therapy, wanting to
buy some treats for Ethan. He looked like he
was running on fumes.
I had barely stepped into the mall when Chad
stopped me, dragging me to a quiet corner.
“Riley, Ethan is done, broke and selling
everything he owns. Do you regret not being
with me?”
く
No matter how long it had been since I saw
Chad, he was just as slimy.
When my Dad left and my Mom died of a
broken heart, I went to a bar.
I drank too much and got really drunk.
Chad, smoking, with a girl on each arm, had
found me.
“Hey there, young thing, you’re cute! I’ll keep
you, no worries.”
“Leave me alone,” I had said, finally showing
some spunk.
Chad pressed in, I had no room to run, I was
backed against a wall.
“Leave me alone,” I had said, finally showing
some spunk.
Chad pressed in, I had no room to run, I was
backed against a wall.
I was ready to give up, no one cared about
me anymore. No one was going to help me.
Mom was gone.
