The King's Deception

“That boy is mine.”

He’d known it the first moment he met Gary Malone. Everything reminded him of himself as a teenager. And—

“He has my gray eyes.”

“My ex-husband’s are gray.”

“There you go. Lying again. I remembered your ex-husband’s name. In fact, I’ve come to hear it many times since you and I were together. He was quite the agent. But I pulled his jacket yesterday. His eyes are green. Yours are blue.”

“You’re delusional.”

“If I am, why are you shaking?”

He’d located her with a quick check of the Georgia State Bar directory. Their talk in the mall had been brief and light. She’d mentioned that she was now a lawyer so it had not taken much to find her. He’d appeared unannounced, wanting to catch her off guard. She’d at first informed the receptionist that she was busy, but when he told the woman to pass on that he’d “just see her at home,” he was led to her office.

“You’re a sorry, useless bastard who likes roughing up women.”

Their breakup was not without consequences. She’d rebuked him with no warning or provocation. Which hurt. He’d actually cared for her. More than most. He’d always been partial to the unhappily married ones. They were so giving, so grateful. All you had to do was pretend you cared. She’d been no different. Convinced that her husband was cheating on her, she’d wanted reciprocity and eagerly gave herself.

“I made a huge mistake with you,” she said. “One I prefer to forget.”

“But you can’t. You have a reminder every day, don’t you?”

He saw that his assessment was correct.

“It’s the only part of my son I despise. God help me.”

“There’s no need to feel that way. And, by the way, he’s our son.”

Her eyes flashed hot. “Don’t you say that. Don’t you ever say that. He’s not our son. He’s mine.”

“What about your ex-husband? I’m sure he has no idea.”

Silence.

“Maybe I’ll tell him.”

More silence.

He chuckled. “This is obviously a sore spot with you. I can understand that. Seeing me in that mall had to have been a shock.”

“I was hoping you were dead.”

“Come on, Pam. It wasn’t that bad.”

“You broke my ribs.”

“You broke my heart. Just up and told me to get out and never come back. And after all the sweet times we shared. You surely didn’t expect me to just walk away.”

“Get out of my office.”

“How long was it after that you found out you were pregnant?”

“What does it matter?”

“Did you know when you broke it off?”

She said nothing.

“I … should have … ended the pregnancy then and there.”

“You don’t mean that. Aborted your child? That’s not you.”