CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Cheryl's POV

I had only attended that wedding so I could see with my eyes the folly Craig was about to commit himself to. I was not necessarily feeling scorned but I had promised myself that I would get my pound of flesh back, if I got the man I loved back too I wouldn't mind.

Looking back at all that had happened, it was still so hard for me to believe that Craig chose that thing over me. Okay, okay, she was beautiful, I knew, but she had no class.

She had been so basic when she had first arrived at the Craig mansion that I didn't pay her any mind. She didn't come off as a competition and although Craig and I had hit a rough patch in our relationship at the time, I figured we would get over it and come out alright.

Imagine my shock when I found out Kim was pregnant for him! I mean in all of the time Craig and I were together, I never got pregnant. A small part of my mind wished I had also gotten pregnant, maybe that way I wouldn't have lost him.

All that was in the past now. The only important thing was the way forward from all this mess. When I met up with Nicholas yesterday, we discussed and threw around a couple of ideas. My only problem with Nicholas was he too protective of a woman who didn't even give him a trying chance.

How could he still be so in love with her that he didn't want her harmed in any way? How funny!

"Cheryl, Cheryl darling, would you come downstairs?" This was why I never stayed home.

My mom could never spend an hour without asking me to sit with her. My mom and I couldn't be more opposite. I honestly had no idea how we got along so well whenever I was home.

All through this Craig saga, she had been my one go-to person. She had called, consoled, advised, thrown in a threat here and there when she found out Craig and I were no longer together. When I got home yesterday she had wanted all the tea but I promised her I would tell her all the juicy details of it she would let me rest up first.

The house wasn't what it used to be when I was much younger. The decor at the house was quite antique. My mom was an avid collector and she would have quite the stroke if ever had to pass up on something she really wanted.

Yesterday when I got home, I noticed a significant change in the ambience of the whole house. It felt like she had renovated the whole space and was moving towards minimalist decor. I usually had nothing to say but I was quite impressed with the new design and so I mentioned it to her when I finally got downstairs to sit with her.

"Mom, you stopped collecting? Where are all your antiques? I queried gently.

"You know the trend these days, it's slowly moving away from clutter to minimalism and I'm totally here for it."

I chuckled gently. It was so typical of my mom to want to identify with every fad and I didn't blame her. Since my dad passed, I knew it was difficult for her and any distraction was welcome.

She had literally spent the past two years begging me for a grandchild like I was going to magically get myself pregnant.

"You didn't tell me Craig finally married that young woman you mentioned earlier," she chided, "You let me see that in the paper and I was really sad."

She paused as if waiting for me to respond but continued when she realized I wasn't ready to talk.

"You know I love you right? And you know you're one of the most beautiful and intelligent women I know. Craig literally shot himself in the foot when he chose someone else, regardless of the situation he had been facing."

I had lied to my mom. She really wanted me and Craig to work so badly, so when all my plans fell through, I'd told her Craig was only getting with Kim because she had a baby with him.

She had eaten up that lie and I never wanted her to know the truth. I loved my mom so much plus I didn't want her pity. After all, I was going to get my man back.

"Mom, I told you they only got together because of the boy. That's a marriage on paper only. I'm the only one he wants but he just had to do right by his son."

She was nodding so I knew I was on the right track.

"He promised me, so I know I wouldn't have to worry. He'll definitely do right by me."

At this point, I knew she wasn't buying it anymore because what the fuck was I saying? It wasn't believable but I was grasping at any straws I could.

This whole situation hurt me. It put me in positions that made me uncomfortable and I will make Craig pay for every second of pain and embarrassment he had caused me.

"Are you saying they would get a divorce so he can marry you later?" My mom probed.

"Mom, I don't have all the details but I promise you have absolutely nothing to worry about."

I was getting uncomfortable and I was more than ready to be done with that conversation. My meeting with Nicholas was in an hour and I needed to get ready. I was late to our last meeting and I didn't want to give him the impression that I was unserious or not committed to our common goal.

"Hey Mom, how about we finish this conversation when I get back? I have this meeting in an hour and I don't want to arrive late." With that and only a little resistance, I excused myself and was back in my room in a flash.

——————————————————-

NICHOLAS POV

"Yes I'm certain..... yeah I'm sure. Every bit of it is correct, yes thank you. It was nice doing business with you too." I heard the click of the telephone finalizing my conversation with the celebrity gossip columnist that I'd reached out to.

If Kimberly thought she could eat her cake and have it, then she needed someone to wake her up. She'd just managed to mess with the wrong person.

By the time this column aired, she'll know just how much she fell from from grace.

My phone was ringing again. Some days, I hated being the director at my construction company. Oh, it was only Cheryl I bet, to remind me to be early for our meeting today as though she wasn't the late one last week.

"Cheryl, how are you doing today?"

"Oh, skip the small talk I have no strength for that today," she hissed. Cheryl had a way of being so darn direct it bordered on rudeness.

I wanted to have the littlest possible thing to do with her. I knew I needed her to act on my revenge but I also knew she was a snake.

"So I changed the venue. Let's meet at Del Rose. I want to increase the chances of the new couple seeing us together. I want to further buttress the impression that we are seeing each other," she said.

I nodded involuntarily even if she couldn't see me.

"Okay, time is the same?"

"Yes, same time. Bye."

I got to Del Rose early, earlier than I was the last time. As expected, I had to wait a good thirty minutes before Cheryl showed up.

She had a way of being dramatic. When she entered, everyone craned their necks to see her entrance. Cheryl thrived on drama because she had no business throwing her waist like that as she knew eyes were on her.

"Hello, darling." She made a show of hugging me tightly to herself and pushing her breasts in my face in the process.

I gently extricated myself, gave a fake white smile, and went in with, "Such a pleasure to see you again."

I was tempted to further emphasize the point by kissing her hands, but I wasn't in the mood.

"I sent the columnist for celebrity gossip an incriminating piece of information about Kim. It should get aired by the next weekend and I believe that should start her celebrity wife problems bright and early," I cut straight to the chase.

I was beginning to learn Cheryl's no-nonsense straight-to-the-point approach.

"You did?" She asked in a violent whisper that almost had me rolling.

"Yeah, I did. Now hit me with the game plan."

"It's simple. We'll kidnap Kim, ship her out of Paris. You're in love with her so clearly you'll go with her to keep her safe." She gushed and continued "In the time that Kim is gone, Craig will be distressed and that's where I come in...my job will be to console him."

She gave me one of her evil laughs that sent goosebumps down my spine.