Excelsior

Chapter 20: More threats

Chloe's situation didn't get any better. Anyone would be mistaken for thinking that not having to pretend all the time would be a relief; instead, this had become a heavy burden on her shoulders. Her mind wondered about what her classmates were saying to the point that she began distrusting her friends, who she thought that knew about the gossip and didn't tell her anything.

She was in Meryl's car with Diane, and felt lonely in spite of their company. She Heard her talking, and sometimes, she couldn't believe they could be her friends. Those thoughts distances herself.

They parked and as they were entering a restaurant, Chloe came back for her purse while worrying about her friends could say in her absence. As she went to the place again, she bumped into a man.

"Watch out!" he said in an arrogant tone.

He looked up and puffed out his chest while he continued his way with a fair woman holding his arm. Chloe stared at him for a moment since he looked familiar. She had seen that man with a hat in the media before, and he was the same that Sabrina and her friends had seen in the club some weeks before.

Chloe came in and sat at her friends' table. A few tables back, there was none other than Mrs. Selma Lowell having a heated conversation with Mr. Thomas Roth, the chairman of the club's board of directors. The man, naturally, would not have accepted the invitation, yet, Mrs. Lowell had been smart enough to use Mr. Wilson to get the information she needed. He frequently checked his watch, hoping that Selma would leave before her companion arrived.

They were both quiet. It was evident that Mr. Roth didn't feel safe with Selma, and if it weren't because he had already asked her intentions before, he would have asked again because her answer hadn't satisfied him.

After they ordered, Selma took out her phone. Mr. Roth frowned.

"So how's Elizabeth?" she asked with indifferent while checking the gadget.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me right." She looked at him with bold eyes.

"I have no idea what you mean, Mrs. Lowell."

She showed him her phone.

"Elizabeth? Your bastard daughter that your wife has no idea about?"

Mr. Roth could not pronounce any word.

"You know, I deeply envy her mother. She is with no doubt one of the luckiest employees: she got involved with her boss, ended up pregnant and the father, instead of avoiding any responsibility, helps her financially to raise her daughter."

There was a brief moment of silence.

"Well, not avoiding my responsibility was a big mistake. I had always known that the truth would come out anytime -it's always like that in these situations, and in any circumstance. For a reason, I tried to think the opposite, and it was inevitable" his eyes wiped. "It was a big mistake, the truth prevails."

"Why not avoiding it?"

"I would feel guilty."

Selma laughed.

"That is not possible, Thomas. Men like you feel no remorse. It's pathetic! Did you feel guilty of cheating on your wife, the woman you've sworn to love? You lie to her and sell to her, the woman that you're supposed to love, and to the society that has given you everything a fraud with total indifference. What I think is that you somehow wanted that girl, maybe because you loved your mistress, and now you'll pay for you recklessness.

He nodded.

—Eso no es posible, Thomas. Hombres como tú nunca se sienten culpables, no son hombres suaves, ¡es patético! ¿Te sentiste culpable al engañar a tu esposa, a la mujer a la que has jurado amar? En lugar de eso le mientes y le vendes a ella, a la mujer que se supone que amas, y a la sociedad que te ha dado todo, con total indiferencia. La verdad nunca impera si se esconde bien. Lo que yo creo es que usted si quería a esa hija, tal vez porque amabas a tu amante, y ahora pagarás por tu imprudencia.

"I would like to say the same about your friend, Harold Du Pont."

"What do you want, Selma?"

"I want you to give me my membership back, the one you unfairly canceled at the request of Mr. Du Pont with no refund.

"That is not happening."

The waiter served them a water.

"No?" she crossed her arms.

"Society has already labeled you as a vicious ill woman. A social climber. If you want to make a scene, do it. I dare you, Selma."

"I am glad you say so."

She took out a folder from her bag.

"Because it's the perfect excuse to use the trick under my sleeve," she continued, "What do you think about this birth certificate with you name on it? Or this copy of that juicy check you gave to Mrs. Myers?" she showed him some papers. "It is an exorbitant salary for a simple human resources employee."

After checking the papers for a while, he threw them to the table.

"I'll have your membership approved today. Tomorrow you can enter the club."

"Ha, that's not enough. I deserve being paid for damages and your insults. You're going to give me the exact amount of that check."

"Do not be ambitious, Selma."

"We could agree on you giving me that amount on monthly payments for twelve months, yet, you'll have interests to pay. Deal?"

Mr. Roth closed his eyes and sighed.

"Deal."

"Thank you. Anyway, I have to meet someone, so please tell the waiter to send my meal to my table. You'll pay for it, right? Fantastic!" She smiled broadly. His teeth contrasted with his red lipstick. "How generous of you! I'm going."

She took her bag and went to another table to send Mr. Wilson that her meeting turned out successful. Some minutes later, he entered the restaurant and sat at Mr. Roth's table, as they had scheduled.

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Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed. English is not my native language, so any feedback, suggestion or advice to change the grammar would be really appreciated.