Love, Honor, and Betray by Roby, Lawson (ebook reader ink txt) 📕

“Well, you can just tell Daddy that he’s dead wrong, and that having an affair is the least of my worries,” she hurried tosay. “I would never do that to Curtis again. I would never deceive him that way. Regardless of how bad things are betweenus.”

“I know, sweetheart, and I’m really glad to hear that.”

There was a second or two of silence and then her mother said, “So have you had a chance to sit down and talk to Curtis moreabout your situation?”

“Not really. I mean, we’ve argued a couple of times but that’s pretty much it. Oh, and before I forget, Mom, can you believeAunt Emma is now Curtina’s full-time babysitter? Can you believe Aunt Emma would betray me this way, knowing how much I don’tlike that child?”

“I can believe it. I’ve never truly understood my sister, and this just proves she doesn’t have an ounce of family loyalty.She and I have had our differences for years now, but Emma is definitely a different bird. Always trying to do the right thing,even if it hurts someone else. I’m really sorry that she’s doing this, sweetie.”

“All I know is that I’m through with her. She’s my aunt, and I love her, but after this, I won’t be speaking to her for agood while.”

“I don’t blame you.”

With there still being this sisterly rift between Charlotte’s mom and Aunt Emma, Charlotte knew her mother would quickly takeher side. It was the reason Charlotte had brought the whole babysitting story up. She’d been planning to tell her mom aboutit anyway, but she decided to do it now as a means to get her off of that your-dad-thinks-you-might-be-messing-around topic.

“But back to you and Curtis. What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know, Mom. I honestly don’t. At first, I thought there was a chance, but now I really don’t see it.”

“So that’s it?” Her mother sounded a little upset. “You’re just going to give up on being married to a good man like Curtis?Without even putting up a real fight?”

Noreen had always been very proud of the kind of lifestyle Charlotte and Curtis lived, and she also took pride in tellingeveryone who was anyone that the Reverend Curtis Black was her beloved son-in-law. So Charlotte knew her mother didn’t want to consider the possibility of divorce. Not to mention, she knew Noreen enjoyed all the monetarygifts Curtis regularly blessed his mother-in-law and father-in-law with. Charlotte knew her mother wanted her to be happy,but she also loved the perks as well.

“Mom, my hands are tied, so unless you know what I can do, then . . .”

“There has to be something. Something that will make this problem of yours go away. And maybe your only choice is to giveCurtis an ultimatum. Maybe the only chance you have is forcing him to choose between you and Curtina, once and for all.”

“I’ve already done that to a certain extent.”

“No, I mean letting him know, nicely and calmly and not in an angry rage, that if Curtina stays then you’re going to leavehim for good. Because if Curtis really thinks you’re serious about leaving him, I think he’ll choose you. He’ll choose hiswife and be fine with visiting his daughter whenever he can.”

Charlotte wanted to believe her, but she didn’t see it. “I don’t know, Mom.”

“I know it’s a gamble, but what other options do you really have?”

Charlotte sighed with frustration. “I guess you’re right. Although, it’s not like I really want to move out of our house orbe without Curtis, so what if he calls my bluff?”

“It’s possible, and if he does, then you might have to leave to really get his attention.”

“I don’t know. I’ll have to think long and hard before I confront him with this.”

“I understand that. I will say this, though. You and Curtis have dealt with so much marital strife and public humiliationthat I don’t think he would want to risk having any of you go through that again. He wouldn’t want that for either of you,and he certainly wouldn’t want to embarrass Alicia and Matthew again.”

Charlotte changed lanes and drove through the I-Pass toll area. “Maybe.”

“Well, either way, you can’t keep going on the way you are because I know you’re miserable.”

“I’ll figure out something,” Charlotte said.

“I hope so. I really do.”

Charlotte and her mother chatted for a few more minutes and then hung up. She pondered all that her mother had just said.But it wasn’t long before she tossed Curtis and his daughter out of her mind. She wasn’t about to let either of them ruinthe rest of her day or the wonderful time she was going to have in Oakbrook. She was going to enjoy herself and worry aboutthem later.

Chapter 14

There was no place like Neiman Marcus, and Charlotte felt better already. Just the idea of stepping foot inside their departmentstore was enough for her. She didn’t even have to buy anything and would still be happy. But she was going to buy something, starting with the three Armani pantsuits she’d just finished trying on and was now ready to pay for.Gilda, her assigned shopping consultant, had taken them from the dressing room and was now ringing them up.

“Such beautiful choices,” Gilda told her. “All of them are so very much you.”

“Why thank you.”

“You’re quite welcome. Okay, then, that’ll be thirty-six seventy-eight.”

Charlotte pulled out her American Express card and passed it across the counter. The total had come to just under four thousanddollars, so now she wished she’d tried on a skirt suit. She still had some more shopping to do in both the jewelry and shoedepartments, though, not to mention a couple of other stores she was planning to go in before leaving, so she would just shopfor skirt suits another time.

She signed for her purchases and waited for the consultant to place her suits under plastic.

“Also, just so you know,” Gilda said, “we’re going to begin carrying a couple of new designers next month, so I hope you’llstop back in.”

“I