That night, I was looking forward to a quiet evening with Megan. I had set the table, lit the candles, and waited with excitement. I thought it would be the perfect chance to spend some time together, just the two of us. But when Megan walked in, her arm around the man beside her, everything changed.
“Mom, this is Grayson,” she said, introducing him with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Grayson was tall, wearing a sharp suit that looked expensive, and his smile was confident, almost too perfect. He looked older than me, and I couldn’t help but notice that he had an air of someone who had seen and done it all.
“Erica, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said, extending his hand toward me. His voice was smooth, like he had rehearsed this moment a thousand times.
“Likewise, Grayson,” I replied, trying to keep the surprise out of my voice. “Megan didn’t mention… a guest,” I added, forcing a smile.
Megan let out a little laugh, but it didn’t sound natural. “I thought it would be a nice surprise,” she said, her tone a bit off.
Grayson’s eyes scanned the room quickly, taking in everything, like he was evaluating whether the place was worth his time. I could feel the tension in the air, and I knew this wasn’t going to be the evening I had hoped for.
I sat down across from them, trying to think of something to break the silence that was starting to grow uncomfortable.
“So, Grayson,” I began, hoping to get some conversation going. “What do you do?”
“Finance. Investments,” he answered casually, taking a sip of his drink without bothering to look at me. His voice was smooth, and his tone made it clear he didn’t expect more than a polite response.
“Finance, huh?” I murmured, glancing over at Megan. “And Megan, how’s university going?”
Megan hesitated before replying, her eyes darting nervously. “Mom… maybe university isn’t everything,” she said, her voice carrying a hint of something I couldn’t quite place.
I blinked, feeling my heart sink. “What do you mean by that? We worked so hard to get you there, remember?”
Megan’s expression softened, but she didn’t seem sorry. “With Grayson, I feel free. He understands me in a way no one else does.”
I felt a wave of irritation rise inside me. “And how long has… this been going on?” I couldn’t help asking, my voice tight with frustration.
Grayson stood up suddenly, adjusting his cufflinks as if he had all the time in the world. “If you’ll excuse me,” he said with a polite smile, “I’ll step outside for a moment.”
The room fell into a strange silence as he walked away. Megan didn’t seem upset at all, and she kept her eyes fixed on her plate, not really eating. I could tell she expected me to soften toward Grayson, to accept him. But I wasn’t ready for that, not yet.
Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door, breaking the stillness of the room. Megan stood up quickly, her face turning pale as she opened the door.
Standing there was a woman—young, with tear-streaked cheeks and eyes red from crying. She looked as if she had been through a storm of emotions.
“Rachel?” Grayson’s voice was barely a whisper, his face draining of color when he saw her.
“You!” Rachel spat, her voice full of anger. “You promised me. You told me I was the only one!”
Grayson’s face turned pale, and he took a step back, clearly shocked. “Rachel, please… not here. This isn’t the time…”
“Not the time?” Rachel’s voice cracked with rage. “I had to track you down! I even put a GPS on your car to find you! You wouldn’t answer my calls!”
Her words broke into sobs as she clutched her chest, desperate for some kind of explanation. I could see Megan’s face twist in confusion, and for a moment, I almost felt relieved. This was the truth, raw and painful, and it was finally coming to light.
“Is this true?” Megan’s voice was sharp, full of disbelief. “You lied to me? All this time?”
Grayson opened his mouth, but no words came out. Megan’s eyes were burning with anger, and she stepped forward, pushing him toward the door.
“Grayson, how many other women are there?” she demanded, her voice growing colder with each word. “You thought you could keep lying to me?”
He didn’t answer, his face a mixture of guilt and frustration. Megan didn’t wait for him to explain. She shoved him outside, and the sound of him crashing to the pavement was sickening.
I gasped and pressed my hands to my mouth, unable to look away as Grayson lay motionless on the ground.
Later, the doctor at the hospital assured me that Grayson would be okay, though he would need some time to recover. Normally, I would have suggested he stay at a hotel, but our town’s only hotel was closed for repairs.
But Megan’s response caught me off guard. The next morning, without so much as a glance at Grayson, she packed up and left. There was no goodbye, no words of comfort or even a single question about how he was doing.
“You’re better at this, Mom,” Megan said flatly, slipping Grayson’s bank card into her bag as she spoke. “I never really loved him. I was just using him for his money. He didn’t care about me; he just liked showing me off. It was all just business for him.”
Her words stung deeply, even though I had suspected their relationship was never as real as she had made it seem. Hearing her admit it so bluntly cut deeper than I expected. And just like that, she was gone—leaving me alone with Grayson.
Time passed, and Grayson slowly recovered. By the time he was back on his feet, I found myself falling for him. I never expected it to happen, but it did. He was the kind of man who needed real companionship, someone to share his life with—just as I had been missing someone too.
One afternoon, Grayson and I tracked Megan down at a small café downtown. Her friends had told us where to find her, and we hoped she would listen.
“What are you two doing here?” Megan asked, her voice cold as ice.
Grayson smiled gently, not fazed by her attitude. “We just wanted to talk. Maybe have a coffee together?”
Megan rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed. “Fine. But only five minutes.”
We sat down at the table, and Megan gave us both a long, hard look, her gaze flicking between Grayson and me.
“Why are you even here, Grayson?” she finally demanded. “Is this some kind of attempt to act like a father figure?”
“No, Megan,” Grayson said softly, his voice steady. “I’m here because I care about you. And because I think you deserve to have the space to decide what you really want, without anyone pressuring you.”
Megan laughed bitterly. “I already know what I want. I’ve got enough money on Grayson’s card to get by until I find someone else. Someone younger this time.”
I felt a pang in my heart, but I kept my voice calm. “Megan, we’re here because we believe in you. You’ve always been smart, brave, and independent. I don’t want you to throw that away.”
She looked away, clearly conflicted. “Fine. But don’t expect me to fall in line just because you two showed up out of nowhere.”
A few days later, I received a call from Megan.
“Mom… maybe you were right,” she said, her voice softer than I had ever heard it. “I don’t have access to Grayson’s card anymore, and I can’t find a place to stay. None of these guys take me seriously.
I… I miss my old life. I miss my friends, the campus.” She paused before adding, “I’m sorry, Mom. I think I want to go back to college. I promise I’ll try this time.”
I felt a surge of hope and relief. The Megan I knew was coming back. She was ready to rebuild her life, and somehow, Grayson’s steady influence had helped her find her way.
As I hung up the phone, Grayson smiled at me, his eyes full of pride. “I love you. We’ll face everything together,” he said, his voice full of confidence.
And for the first time in a long while, I believed him.
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