The Secrets Underneath the Lies

Chapter 4. Nightly Runs

It was like clockwork. When I left Giselle's, she received a text message from Clayton, wanting to talk. He didn't like how their therapy session ended and wanted to remind Giselle of their love for each other. Clayton didn't want to break up and neither did Giselle but after sitting down with me all these questions were roaming through her head. She wasn't completely blindsided because like everyone else in the town, she had heard the rumors. But at the end of the day, that's all they were, rumors. In her line of work, she knew. She knew that if you had a federal officer knocking on your door, then there's some truth to those rumors. The Feds don't just approach people based off hearsay, this is in conjunction of years of research and investigatory work.

Giselle had to follow her heart, and she convinced herself that she knew Clayton, and there was no way he contributed to such egregious crimes. Sure, he was a privileged white man in the South, but that didn't automatically label him a terrible person. We don't get to pick our family; we're born into such obligations. It was around 10 p.m. when Giselle got to the Roads plantation. She heard the rocks knocking against her tires as she drove down the dirt road. She parked within the circular driveway and was greeted at the door by the butler, Hershel.

She smiled. "Thank you, Hershel."

"No, problem. Ms. Brown. Mr. Clayton is in his study." He announced.

Giselle had been no stranger to the Roads mansion. She had spent many nights there throughout the years. The entire staff knew who she was, and she was always welcomed with open arms. When she first met Clayton, with his success as an attorney and how he was labeled one of the richest men in America, it was a shock when she found out he still lived with his father. That is until her first visit to the house. Immediately, she was marveled by the antebellum architecture and once inside she realized how huge it truly was. Walter had his own wing of the house, with a separate entry, kitchen, and bathrooms, so they never saw each other unless it was family dinner or a party.

She knocked twice awaiting a response. "Come in."

She walked in and saw Clayton sitting behind his cherry wood handmade desk. It was a family heirloom that had been in the house for over a century. She watched as he acknowledged her presence while rolling back in his office chair. He turned to her as she came around the desk, taking a hold of her soft brown hands. "Hey baby," he initiated the conversation first, and she returned the introduction with a simple smile.

Giselle took a second to look over his physical state. He looked worn out and she noticed the stack of papers and files on his desk. Giselle couldn't determine if the tiredness in his eyes was from work or their relationship. Either way, she knew the trouble of both and how some days it rips her apart. In this moment she just wanted him and wanted him to know that.

"I missed you," she said taking a seat on his lap.

He placed his forehead on hers, and while he rested there for a few seconds, Giselle heard a low, "sorry."

"It's okay," Giselle responded.

"No. No it's not, we're engaged, Giselle. We should never go days without talking to each other." Clayton explained.

"I didn't mean to leave you at the doctor's office. I was just too upset to spend any more time there. It really bothers me that you think you know what's best for me more than I do." Giselle tells him.

She continues. "I know I'm not the typical woman you were used to dating, Clayton. I don't come from a privilege life, my family is not a part of some high-class society, and I'm not a white woman. I'm not used to playing this whole 'damsel in distress' act while a man swoops in takes all my worries away. I really need you to understand that!"