Chapter 5 - First Lie

• MAVERICK
• I was still shocked, trying to digest what happened in the city hall earlier. How could I be so stupid and trust those people with a year of my life? How could I be so naive? Maybe Heath was right that I was naive and gullible.
• I was about to take off my diamond wedding band and engagement ring, but it felt wrong when the truth was I was legally married to the billionaire’s son, Lake Winston. Was he rich, too?
• “Crap.” How old was he? He was not that old, maybe two or three years older than me, and I didn’t know anything about that guy besides he was dating that model influencer Natalie Wise. “Does she know?”
• “What does who?”
• “Nothing, Nana. I was just talking to myself.” I looked at her sitting on the passenger seat.
• “Are you sure you’re not busy?”
• “I won’t let you go to the hospital by taxi, Nana.” She had been diagnosed with hypertensive heart disease five years ago. So she had to visit her doctor every three months. “And what kind of person would I be if I let go to your doctor alone?”
• “Your mother doesn’t mind,” she said with dismay.
• “Well, she’s my mother.”
• We arrived at the hospital. After an hour of waiting, it was finally our turn. Dr. Webbs gave her a thorough checkup, and the nurse took a blood sample.
• “Do you feel any short of breath, Augustine?”
• “Don’t lie, Nana.”
• “Why would I?” she said defensively.
• Dr. Webbs smiled as he sat back on his chair. “I will know, Nana Augustine. You will continue your maintenance until I get the full blood work.”
• “Uh-huh. Maybe you can prescribe me a pill with all those medicines combined.”
• “There’s no such thing as that,” the doctor said.
• “Whatever. I feel like I’m getting more sicker.”
• “Nana, doctors are not magicians or God.” I helped her to her feet. “Thank you, Dr. Webbs.”
• “See you in a few months.”
• “No, thank you, doc. I know, Ricky. Can we go home now? Are you sure this will cover my insurance?”
• “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of the rest.” She did not even know I was crashing at Rocco’s couches for weeks. She had more to worry about than my personal problem.
• We finally got home. I cleaned up her house, and I made her some tea afterward. I came to visit her often. If only the school and Bazz were closer to the house, I might stay with her instead of renting an apartment. That way, I could watch her, but she was the one who forced me to get an apartment and get a life like every woman my age.
• “Just live the crap alone, Ricky! I can take care of myself,” she yelled from the living room.
• “You don’t even use the vacuum I bought for you.”
• After two hours of cleaning, I went downstairs, put her clothes in the washing, and changed her bed linen and blanket.
• “People these days. And don’t ever get that robot, or I will throw it outside the window. It’s ridiculous.”
• I laughed out loud. “Fine. I’ll be in the kitchen.”
• “Leave it to me, Ricky. Come and sit down with me.”
• Oh, boy. I went to her and sipped my tea. “Are you sure you’re using the dishwasher?”
• “Go on. Check it, and you’re the one paying the electric bills. Where’s your boyfriend anyway? Have you two broken up?”
• “Yup.” I didn’t feel the anger in my chest for the first time.
• “Good. He’s not good for you. You deserve a man with a brighter future.”
• “It’s funny you said that, Nana. He just told me I don’t think of my future.”
• “Well, glad you finally got out of that toxic relationship. Where do you stay now? You can come back once you finish your college. How many months more before you graduate?”
• “Five. I got a new apartment with a nice roommate. She also works at the Bazz.”
• “Maybe you should marry Rocco.”
• Nana just caught me when I was about to hide the rings on my finger. “Why are you wearing those rings? That’s the big rock you got there, Ricky. Is there something you wanna tell me about?” Lake went overboard with buying an engagement ring for his temporary wife.
• I’d never lied to her, but I wasn’t ready to tell her the truth and see the disappointment on her face.
• “This is Moissanite. I just purchased this online.” I looked at the engagement ring. The cushion-cut diamond looked like around 3 carats with two small side stones. And then there was the diamond eternity, which must have roughly cost him thirty grand or more.
• “Huh. That looks real.” I could see in her green eyes that she did not buy it.
• “I wish. Who would give me a ring if I don’t have a man in my life?”
• “Well. You should go. Do you have work today?”
• “Nope. I’m off, but I have assignments to do.”
• “Then go ahead.”
• “Do you still have groceries?”
• “Ricky, get out and have some fun.”
• I rose from the chair and kissed her on the cheek. “I love you, Nana. Call me if you need anything.”
• My drive back took me a while, and I wondered where I should go— to my apartment or his penthouse. Where was his penthouse, anyway?
• The kiss, though. It was weird, in a good way. It felt like it was meant to happen like we were in love or a real couple ecstatic to get married. It just felt right, to be precise.
• My phone suddenly rang in my bag. It was probably Rocco.
• I answered it. “I’m off today. What do you want?”
• “Mrs. Winston?”
• Shit. I checked the screen. It was Owen. “I’m sorry, Owen. I thought you were my boss. Please call me, Maverick or Mave. Mrs. Winston makes me old.”
• “I’m sorry, ma’am.”
• “Fine. Whatever. How can I help you, Owen?”
• “My boss wanted me to check up on you. He’s still stuck in the meeting.”
• “Oh, I’m good. I just came back from my grandmother. I was heading to my apartment.”
• “He wants you to be at the penthouse. He has your things prepared.”
• “Meaning?”
• “He got everything covered.”
• “Is he always like this? Getting in control of everything?”
• “Pretty much, ma’am.”
• “Why didn’t you tell me about him?”
• “You kept interrupting me, ma’am.”
• “Stop calling me, ma’am. And I’m going to the penthouse if you don’t mind giving me the address.”
• “I’m sending you the address right now.”
• After I received the address, I saved it on my car’s GPS nav. It took me almost an hour to get to one of the tallest residential towers in Manhattan. The Central Tower stood tall before me, and I didn’t know what to do, where to park my car, which definitely didn’t belong here, or where to go next.
• A knock on my window interrupted my thoughts. It was a valet asking me to move away. That was when I noticed a Cadillac behind me.
• “Shit.” I drove away to find a parking space when I almost hit someone. “What the hell?”
• It was Owen. This time, he left his suit jacket. He looked attractive and young. “Are you trying to run me over?” He got in the car. “Let’s go and turn right. Boss has a private parking area.”
• “I’m so out of place. I honestly didn’t know what I was thinking and what the hell I got myself into.”
• “You’ll be fine.”
• I looked at him briefly. “So this is not the first time your boss asked you to find him a wife?”
• “I have a list of candidates, but he turned them all down, even the woman—”
• “He’s dating.”
• “Boss doesn’t date. I don’t call it dating. They hooked up, no strings attached, and both parties are aware of their positions.”
• “Wow.” I didn’t know it stung knowing my husband was still having hookups with another woman. Despite our clear arrangement, and we both agreed to be in an open relationship while we were still married, as long as it would remain disclosed, it still didn’t sit right.
• There was a clause that we could agree on sleeping together as long as it was consensual, and that was before finding out I was marrying the son.
• I parked my car beside the Audi R8, which should have belonged in the junk shop. “He collects cars. Why should I be surprised?”
• “He collects, but he never shows off.”
• “Are you allowed to say terrible things against your employer?”
• “Of course.” He helped me out and led me to the private elevator door, which was unlocked with the keycard.
• As soon as the door shut, classic rock music played. This was an advanced elevator, but it took a while to reach the penthouse.
• It brought us to the hallway, and Owen unlocked the double door. It caught me by surprise how massive the penthouse was. It was welcoming, with high ceiling walls making the entirety look generous, spacious, and cozy with a modern interior design.
• The massive floor-to-ceiling window overlooked the skyscrapers and city park. There was a staircase at the corner to the upper level, but what caught my attention was the neutral color of the walls, which contrasted with the upholstery, rugs, and different detailing of the furniture.
• I expected masculine color, but Lake just kept on surprising me.