Stay the Night

Chapter 50

February 6th, 2004

Karrin followed her mother back to the guest cottage, fully aware she was about to receive the tongue lashing of a lifetime. She knew her mother always had ambitions for her, and Michael was now standing in the way of those dreams. Additionally, with her mother being a professor at her university, she knew the humiliation of her dropping out in her last semester only fueled her rage.

Her mother shut the door behind them, folding her arms as she glared at Karrin. "I did not raise you to be an idiot."

Karrin lowered her eyes. "I know, mom."

"So, do tell me," Her mother started circling her, the echo of her high heels radiating throughout the college. "What did he say to you that made come to the decision to drop out of your dream college in your final semester? Because I know for a fact you didn't think of that shit on your own."

"How would I practice law if we're going to be together?" Karrin asked quietly, screwing her eyes shut as she waited for the impending blow-up.

It didn't come.

Her mother chuckled. "Well, isn't that sweet? You two are going to be together and you won't ever be able to leave him because you won't have a damn thing of your own. Just precious."

"It's not like that--"

"Then tell me, what's it like?" Angelica leaned into her daughter. "Because right now, I'm looking at an old man's newest plaything whose only hope at having an income is to lay on her back and hope he shoots straight!"

Karrin gritted her teeth. "He loves me."

Her mother burst into sarcastic laughter, shaking her head. "Yeah, I bet his wife thought the same thing."

Karrin backed away from her mother as an attempt to block out the grating laugh. "You don't know the situation mom--"

"Oh, I know the situation. Anyone with a little common sense knows the situation." Her mother spat. "He got bored of his wife, she's past her expiration date, and now he's got a little p.y.t sitting right up under his nose and you fell for it."

Karrin huffed, growing agitated at her mother's insistence that Michael would just so casually discard her when he was talking wedding plans.

"I bet he's already got your wedding planned out." Angelica continued as if she plucked the thoughts right from Karrin's brain. "And soon you'll be giving him his sixth child, I suppose. Guess they say third time's the charm."

Karrin wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to comfort herself. "What does this have to do with law school?"

"Everything. Because you're giving up your dreams for a man who can't even put you second, let alone first." Her mother paused to take a breath. "Then you're going to be living in the public eye, everyone thinks they're still married and you're just the nanny. What do you think people are going to say when you two announce your relationship...even you two even get that far."

"Who cares what people are saying if we care for one another?" Karrin shot back. "I don't care! I don't care about any of it. He's shown me more love in the past couple of months than Andrew did in the four years we were together."

Angelica shook her head, clearly pitying her daughter. "If you want to learn the hard way, I can't stop you."

Karrin grimaced. "Well, I guess I'll just have to prove to you that you're wrong."

She stalked past her mother towards the door. She paused and turned back to her mother.

"Enjoy your stay, mother."