Holiday Hoax: Chapter 26

Nothing I do gets Georgia off my mind. Working out doesn’t work. Pacing my penthouse doesn’t work. I can’t eat or sleep, and it doesn’t matter how many times I’ve gone to her house or texted or called her. She won’t give me the time of day. She wants nothing to do with me, and it’s starting to sink in, making me crazier.

I finally go to work, hoping she’ll be there. I know it’s a long shot, but I have to try. So I get to my office early in the morning.

My gut drops when I turn the corner and see her empty desk. I step into my private office, and it dives even further.

The keys to my truck and the security card to get into the building sit on my desk. It’s like a final rip to my heart. Victoria walks in, inquiring, ‘Sebastian, what are you doing here?’

I spin, admitting, ‘I don’t know.’

She studies me, then states, ‘You look like shit.’

‘Yeah, I’m aware.’

She arches her eyebrows. ‘Mind telling me what’s going on?’

I sigh. I don’t even know what to say anymore. I finally confess, ‘I screwed everything up.’

‘Regarding…?’ she asks.

Numbness sets in. I offer, ‘With Georgia.’

Shock fills her face. ‘What did you do?’

I hold my hands in the air and, in a defeated tone, answer, ‘I honestly don’t know. Everything was amazing, and now she won’t talk to me. She fled my parents’ house the night we got back. And I just don’t know what to do.’

Victoria tilts her head, thinking, then asks, ‘Have you gone to her house?’

‘Victoria, I’ve done everything. I’ve texted her. I’ve called her. I’ve gone to her house. I’ve banged on the door. Her neighbor has threatened me too many times to count that she will call the police and have me arrested. That’s how many times I’ve shown up,’ I confess.

Victoria’s lips twitch.

‘This isn’t funny,’ I blurt out.

‘Well, I never thought I’d see it,’ she mutters.

‘What?’

‘You finally met your girl,’ she claims.

I groan. ‘I need to get out of here.’

She jerks her head backward. ‘You’re not staying to work since you’re in town?’

‘No,’ I state.

‘Are you going back to your parents’?’

Dread fills me. I don’t even want to think about how upset my parents will be. I followed Georgia, and I’ve been ignoring all of their phone calls and text messages, as well as my siblings’, for the last two days. I grumble, ‘Don’t ask me about them.’ I brush past her, step into the elevator, and leave.

Obsessed, I swing by Georgia’s and knock on the door again. Nobody answers. I finally give up and return to my penthouse, feeling like I’m going crazy.

When I walk in, my chest tightens. My father and mother are there, along with Alexander. He gives me a sympathetic look and the hairs on my neck rise.

This isn’t going to be good.

What do I even tell them?

My mother doesn’t waste any time. ‘Sebastian, what’s going on between you and Georgia?’

I stay quiet, debating how to fess up. Then again, I don’t know what’s wrong between Georgia and me.

‘We deserve answers,’ my father declares.

Alexander shifts uncomfortably on his feet.

Why did they bring my brother?

Because my father’s going to take away my CEO position.

No, he won’t. He knows I’m the only one capable and willing.

Does it even matter anymore?

‘Sebastian, where’s Georgia?’ Mom repeats.

I shake my head, confessing, ‘I don’t know.’

‘What do you mean you don’t know? She’s your wife,’ my father states.

‘I don’t know,’ I repeat and scrub my hands over my face, feeling like I’m on the brink of a nervous breakdown. Yet I shouldn’t feel sorry for myself because obviously, I’ve done something wrong that Georgia’s this upset with me.

My father booms, ‘Stop stalling and start talking, Sebastian! We aren’t getting any younger!’

I finally give in. And once I start talking, I can’t stop. I admit, ‘I convinced Georgia to become my fake wife.’

The blood drains from my mother’s face. ‘What?’

Alexander’s eyes widen, and my father’s glare deepens.

‘Why on Earth would you do something like that?’ Mom questions.

I answer, ‘I didn’t want to deal with you pushing all of the Dallas socialite wannabes on me. Plus, I didn’t want the whole town talking about my failed relationships.’

Hurt and dismay fill Mom’s expression. ‘So, you lied to us?’

My insides quiver. ‘Yeah, I did. I’m sorry.’

‘No, you’re not,’ my father asserts.

‘Yes, I am,’ I declare.

My father scowls. ‘What are you sorry about? Are you sorry you convinced a nice woman to do something for your selfish benefit?’

Bile crawls up my throat. I swallow it down and claim, ‘Yes. All I have is regret, and I wish I wouldn’t have done it.’

‘Why would Georgia agree to something like that?’ Alexander asks.

My gut dives again. ‘Because I offered her money.’

‘But Georgia doesn’t care about money,’ my mom states.

‘Yes, I know. But she wanted money for her cupcake bakery. I offered her a hundred grand, and she negotiated a million. I thought she was another greedy woman trying to use me for my money. I didn’t know what she wanted it for,’ I admit.

‘She’s nothing of the sort,’ Mom professes.

A wave of shame overtakes me. ‘I know that now. She’s not anything like it. I didn’t know she had plans to franchise her cupcake business, which made sense why she got me up to a million. But I know that doesn’t even matter.’

The room turns silent, filling with more tension.

I add, ‘I don’t understand why she left the ranch and won’t talk to me. Everything was perfect between us in Iceland.’

Mom drills her blue eyes into mine, making me cringe inside. She finally shakes her head, steps as close to me as possible, and jabs me in the chest. ‘I never thought the day would come where I would say you disappointed me, but you have. I’ve always been proud of you, Sebastian, but I have to say, this is beneath you.’

I swallow hard, wishing there was some moisture in my mouth because it’s so dry. All I can utter is, ‘I agree.’

She sizes me up again, tsks, and turns to my father, announcing, ‘I’ll be in the truck when you’re ready to leave.’ She throws darts at me with her glare, then leaves.

The tension only grows after she departs. My father continues scowling like he wants to kill me. Alexander’s sympathy has turned to disgust.

My father finally states, ‘I’m naming Alexander CEO.’

Alexander asserts, ‘No, you’re not.’

Shocked, my father spins to him. ‘Excuse me?’

Alexander lifts his chin higher. ‘I am not moving my children to Dallas.’

‘You don’t have to. You can come into the office a few days a week,’ my father claims.

I snort, interjecting, ‘Do you have any idea what goes on here, Dad? It’s not the same company as when you stopped coming into the city ten years ago.’

He snaps his head toward me. ‘I suggest you be quiet before I throw you out on your ass and cut off your trust fund.’

I shut my mouth, my insides continuing to quiver, and I try to regulate my breathing. I don’t put it past him to do that. And I wonder how I screwed up so badly, when a few weeks ago I almost had everything I ever wanted.

It’s not worth it without Georgia next to me.

He turns back to Alexander. ‘I can’t trust him. I need you to step up.’

Alexander shakes his head. ‘No, Dad. My kids have lost enough. I’m not moving them to Dallas, and I won’t travel here a few days a week, coming back and forth, so I barely see them. They don’t have a mother; all they have is me.’

‘That’s not true. They have the rest of us,’ my father states.

‘It’s not the same. I’m their only parent, and I am not stepping into the CEO’s shoes. I never wanted that position anyway. This is what Sebastian wants. He’s the one who’s capable of fulfilling the role. He’s the one who should have it, no matter how stupid he is.’

‘Thanks,’ I mutter.

‘Yeah, no problem. But you know you’re a jackass for doing what you did to Georgia,’ my brother hurls.

‘Noted.’

My dad stands there, not used to being told what’s going to happen from one of us. We normally just do what he says. He finally spins and assesses me. I think he’s going to cave, but then he throws another wrench into the situation. He informs me, ‘I will not have somebody running our legacy who can’t be trusted. I’m not stepping down as CEO.’

My entire life feels like it’s going away very quickly. I’ve now lost everything. I’ve lost the position I’ve worked so hard for and the only woman I’ve ever actually loved.

Dad studies me closer.

I finally ask, ‘Is there anything else?’

He gives me another disgusted look. ‘No.’ He leaves the room.

My brother steps closer. ‘I’ll talk to him. You should be CEO.’

‘I fucked up,’ I admit.

‘Yeah, you hit a new level. I suggest you go get your wife back. You’re a better man with her.’

I nod. ‘Yeah, I am. But I don’t know what to do.’

He crosses his arms. ‘Begging is a start, but I don’t know how to get you out of this, bro. You really did pull a dumb-ass move.’

‘You can stop telling me that now. I’m clear on how big I messed up,’ I assert.

He shakes his head, then pats me on the back and leaves.

If I had learned a few weeks ago that I wasn’t going to be CEO, it would have driven me nuts. It would have derailed me. But I can’t even think about that right now. All I can focus on is that I need to get Georgia back.

An hour passes with me pacing. I decide to return to her apartment. I get in my truck and easily reenter her building, reminding myself again that if she doesn’t forgive me, then I need to give her one of my condos. She cannot stay in this run-down place. I climb the stairs to avoid the rickety elevator and knock on her door.

The same nosy neighbor steps out, claiming, ‘She’s not home, but it’s clear she doesn’t want to talk to you, so go away for good. You really are becoming a stalker.’

I grumble, ‘Mind your own business.’

She snaps, ‘Like I’ve told you 18,000 times, I live in this building. You don’t. Now, I suggest you leave, or I’m calling the police. This time, it’s not a threat.’

Something tells me not to mess with this woman. I don’t need the police here. So, I give up and leave.

I sit in my truck and wait on the side of the road, hoping that Georgia will arrive. I’m there for several hours, replaying our time at the ranch, our wedding, the trip to Iceland, and when we returned home. It’s starting to turn dark when I finally see her.

A car pulls up. Georgia steps out of it. My heart thumps harder looking at her. Then my gut also dives.

Melanie opens the driver’s door and gets out.

Still, I rush toward them on the sidewalk, calling, ‘Georgia!’

She spins. Her bottom lip trembles. Her eyes are bloodshot and she orders, ‘Go away, Sebastian. I have nothing to say to you.’

My heart sinks. I reach for her, begging, ‘Please. We need to talk.’

Melanie steps between us, directing, ‘Go inside, Georgia.’

‘Georgia, don’t. We need to talk.’

Melanie spins so her back’s to me. She repeats in a stern voice, ‘Go inside, Georgia.’

‘Melanie, this isn’t your business. This is between my wife and me. Stay out of it,’ I warn.

Melanie huffs. ‘Wanna bet?’

Georgia’s eyes dart between Melanie and me.

‘Georgia, please,’ I beg.

‘Go home, Sebastian. I have nothing to say to you,’ she claims and disappears inside.

As soon as the door shuts, Melanie spins on me. ‘Do not ever step foot near her again. You picked the wrong woman to use for your fake wife.’

The hairs on my neck rise. ‘She told you?’

‘Yeah, she told me everything. Are you going to sue her for the little possessions she has? Maybe steal the few items she inherited from her grandma?’ Melanie seethes.

Shocked, I declare, ‘I would never do such a thing. I’m not that low of a person.’

‘Aren’t you?’ Melanie hurls.

‘No, Melanie. I’m not.’

She snarls, ‘You know what, Sebastian? Take your loophole and shove it up your ass.’

I freeze. Loophole?

She shoots daggers at me with her eyes and continues. ‘Don’t try to deny how you planned to screw Georgia over all along.’

Guilt reignites in my belly.

How does she know about a loophole?

Melanie continues, ‘And then you’re so twisted that you made her believe that you actually cared about her. What kind of sick bastard are you?’

‘I do care about her. I love her! But why would she think—’ I freeze, and goose bumps pop out on my skin.

She overheard the conversation with Huck.

Melanie’s face turns into a smirk. ‘Yeah. You know what you did.’

‘Listen, you have this wrong. Georgia has this wrong. Huck, my attorney, called me. He told me if I signed the annulment but Georgia didn’t show up on January 2nd, she’d be in contempt of our contract. I didn’t want to explain to him over the phone that I no longer cared about the loophole,’ I admit.

My confession only makes Melanie angrier. She accuses, ‘You can’t help yourself in your web of lies, can you?’

‘I’m not lying.’

‘Sure you aren’t. And pigs fly too, don’t they, Sebastian!’ she shouts.

I try again. ‘I swear, Huck didn’t know he wasn’t looking for a loophole anymore. And I hadn’t thought about it since before the wedding. I was trying to get him off the phone instead of going into a long conversation about my change of mind.’

Melanie scoffs. ‘But when you signed the agreement, you did want a loophole, didn’t you?’

The truth hangs in the air. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so sick.

She snarls, ‘Admit it, Sebastian.’

‘Yes. Originally, I did. But I would never do that to her. All I want is my wife back,’ I admit.

‘You wanted a loophole. You would have screwed her over without even thinking twice. This entire time, you were in cahoots with your attorney to avoid paying Georgia the money that she earned…the money you agreed to. So don’t tell me you would never do that to her!’ she hurls.

I shake my head, so ashamed, but I still add, ‘I don’t feel the same way anymore. I haven’t since before I married her. Yes, those were my intentions, but they aren’t anymore, I promise you. When I talked to Huck the other day, he didn’t know how I feel.’

She snarls, ‘God, Sebastian, you make me sick.’

‘I’m telling the truth,’ I claim.

Melanie’s brown eyes turn wilder. ‘Do you ever listen to yourself? You just admitted that you had a woman sign a contract to marry you and go into a fake marriage. She was supposed to spend a month with you, with your family, and get to know everybody. And everything she did, she did for you. She negotiated a fair and square settlement amount. And then you, from day one, were trying to screw her out of it. All the while claiming to have feelings for her. Do you see how sick that is?’

‘I’m a horrible person. I know it was wrong, but it doesn’t change the facts. I don’t just have feelings for Georgia. I love Georgia,’ I declare.

‘Rot in hell, Sebastian. And whatever you do, you stay away from her, or you’re going to have me to deal with,’ she threatens.

‘She’s my wife. You can’t keep her from me,’ I claim.

Melanie’s face turns almost purple. She lowers her voice and steps forward. ‘She may be your wife, but in a few weeks, she won’t be. Don’t make me tell you again, Sebastian.’ Melanie spins and goes inside, slamming the door.

I want to crawl into a hole and never come out. My entire life is in a collapsing brick building. There are only a few floors between us, yet I’ve never been farther from getting what I want.

For the first time in my life, I don’t care about my career, or success, or anything else. All I want is my wife back.

And I’m Sebastian Cartwright, a man who always gets what he wants. But I don’t know how to fix this or save the one thing that makes me happy. And that’s my marriage.

Georgia’s the only person who never wanted anything from me. All she asked for was there to be no lies between us and for me to be honest about how I felt about her. Now, she thinks my feelings were false. She believes our marriage was fake.

Nothing is less true. Not a moment since marrying her did I feel like anything between us was a sham. There wasn’t a second where I wanted January 2nd to come so I could alleviate her of her duties.

I’ll do anything to fix this misunderstanding between us. Yet I’ve never been so unsure about how to make something happen.

I stare at the building for a long time, willing her to come to the window. She never does. And the more time that passes, the deeper the truth sinks in.

I’ve lost her forever.