Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 25833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Do I know the real Jason? They say you make a few enemies getting to the top, but what if Jason made a lot of enemies? What if he was ruthless, brutal, and did whatever it took to build his company up to where it is now? And what if that included dumping chemical waste and polluting the drinking water of innocent people along the way?
And what kind of man would that make him?
“No,” I curse at myself as I feel a splinter sink itself into my heart. “Please, no.”
The splinter sinks deeper, twists and wrenches to the side, paining me as I think about the man I thought Jason was, and the man Jason may be now that this news has just come to light.
My phone rings. My heart leaps, and I answer it instantly.
“Jason!?”
“No,” my mother’s voice replies in a tone that I really don’t need right now. “It’s your mother.”
“Mom, now is really not a good time–”
“Yes, your father and I saw the news, but we’re calling to let you know your grandfather’s condition has worsened. You may want to consider taking some time to go down to the hospital to see him soon…”
As she’s speaking, I see Jason’s car pull into the driveway. I see his face through the windshield. His eyes are locked on me as he pulls up just in front of me.
“Mom, I’ve got to call you back.”
I hang up as he parks and steps out of the car. I barely even know how to react as he walks up to me. My heart is racing, and a thousand thoughts are running through my mind with such speed I can barely even get ahold of one of them.
“I’ve been calling you,” I finally manage to say, waving my phone at his face. “Many times. Couldn’t get ahold of you, though.”
“I’m so sorry, I’ve been crazy busy dealing with…something.”
“Let me guess. Ignoring chemical waste disposal regulations and poisoning the water supply of Southern Connecticut?”
Jason’s face drops when he hears this. I guess he was hoping I hadn’t seen the TV today. Or gone on any Internet news sites.
He nods slowly and looks at the ground. “So you heard.”
“How could I not hear, Jason? You’re one of the most famous men on the planet. Did you think you could hide this from me?”
“No, I wasn’t trying to hide–”
“Remember my grandpa, Jason?” I snap, aiming a finger in his face. “The only one in my family who ever believed in me? The one with cancer? Well, he lives in Southern Connecticut, right in the area that your company was dumping its waste chemicals. And I just got a call from my mom saying his condition has worsened, and I should go visit him while I still have a chance.”
“Lucy, I can explain.”
“I have to go,” I reply, brushing past him to my car. The splinter in my heart twists, pushing deeper, causing a pain in my chest as I open the door and slide inside. Part of me is telling me to stay, but I just can’t. Not now. Not after what I’ve seen. Not after what my mom just told me.
I close the door as Jason shouts something at me that I can’t hear. I slide the key into the ignition, start the car and slam my foot on the gas. The tires spin and kick fancy rocks up behind me as I pull out of the driveway.
And that’s when the tears start.
This wasn’t how it’s meant to be. This wasn’t how any of it wasn’t meant to be.
I guess that’s what I get for not sticking to my plans.
10
LUCY
The hospital where my grandpa is staying always kind of reminds me of the hospital from Scrubs minus the humor. Kind of rundown, a little bit shoddy, and not exactly state of the art or overloaded with money. The doctors there always seem like they are distracted, too busy, or just kind of waiting for my grandpa to die. At least that’s the impression I get when I go to visit him, which I admit, hasn’t been since before I got pregnant.
I am a little bit embarrassed by that, but he has always told me that I shouldn’t worry about coming to see him and that he didn’t want me to see him weak like he is now. So when he sees how pregnant I am, and I see his face and eyes light up, it makes me feel just so happy inside.
“Lucy, dear, that’s just so wonderful,” he says with a smile.
“Thanks, Grandpa.” I smile back, taking his hand in mine. I try to ignore just how frail it feels compared to how it felt when I was young and he used to play ball with me in the back yard.
“Your mother tells me you’re playing piano again?”