Chloe sipped on the water and nibbled on the toast. Becky dragged her out to the balcony and spoke firmly to her friend. She wasn't about to let Chloe sink lower.
"I'm staying with you for a few days and don't even think you have a say so. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you're going to be okay. I know your heart's broken, and you've never lost a guy you were in love with before. Trust me when I say you'll get over him. You should allow yourself to feel the pain, but you can't let it destroy you."
"Becky, it hurts losing Matthew. More than I thought it would. I'm mostly devastated knowing he and Conner are over there still struggling. They don't even have enough food. Did you know that Conner isn't even getting decent medical treatment? He could die, and he's all the family Matthew has left."
"Look, you have to give guys time for things to sink in. In the meantime, you have me."
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Becky continued to ask a million questions and had become her shadow. It was getting irritating. Chloe was eating, drinking, going outside, and had planned to go back to work the next day. Five days of being babysat was enough.
"I'll go, but you have to promise me you'll answer the phone when I call you and you'll take care of yourself."
"Thank you, Becky. You can call and check on me anytime you want."
After Becky left, Chloe took a long hot shower and decided to refuse to go down without a fight. Her mind was spinning, trying to come up with a plan…If I can get Matthew to love me again, he'll accept my help.
Chloe had no idea how complicated that would become.
Chapter 7
Lois knew where Chloe was living and that she was involved with someone. She'd followed Becky one evening to some old apartments in the Detroit projects. Instantly she was tempted to haul her back home, but when she saw her with a smile on her face while holding hands with a young man, a relief settled in. At least she could have a chance at a normal life outside of the estate gates. The thought of Chloe having to escape to find love and friends was eating away at her soul. She'd spent her share of time pacing the mansion halls trying to find a way to help the heiress. For some people, wealth and power meant happiness. Chloe wasn't one of them.
Trying to be a mother figure and nurturer all of Chloe's life wasn't easy. She worked the hardest at trying to keep the young woman's spirit up. Lois knew she could never fill the shoes of a mother, but there wasn't anyone else who'd try. She knew she'd probably lose her job, but was willing to risk it, especially since Chloe seemed to be standing on her own two feet. She set her alarm for one-thirty in the morning and then walked to the phone.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Sylvia Burlington took one last look at herself in the mirror before heading to the dig site for more photographs. What she really wanted to do was go back to bed. Standing out in the heat all day with a thousand bugs and foul smells was sure to make her photograph poorly. She couldn't seem to keep the scowl off her face. There wasn't a single quiet place she could go to get some peace and unwind some. Outside the windows she could hear children running around which made her think of her daughter, and that's the last thing she wanted to do. The phone began to ring loudly in the other room. Her last nerve was breaking.
"Get that, Earl!" She listened as his footsteps moved to the parlor. Sylvia was confident she wouldn't have to yell again and make her headache worse. Earl felt it necessary to talk extra loud on the phone, especially if it was long distance. She shut the bathroom door with her foot and held a cool cloth to her forehead.
"Lois! What a pleasant surprise. I hope nothing's wrong. Is Chloe okay?" Earl's body tensed.
"Sir, forgive me for this, but I have some uncomfortable things to say. You've been very good to me over the years, but you and Mrs. Burlington have treated me better than your own daughter."
"My daughter has everything she could ever want. What's this about, Lois?"
"She wants parents…parents who love her, want to talk to her and, more importantly, want to be with her."
"We're in Africa doing important work and you know this. My wife calls and speaks with Chloe a few times a week, but I haven't spoken with my daughter in quite some time. When I come to the phone, I think she hangs up, and it breaks my heart, really. But if you are so concerned about her, why haven't you called before this? I question your motive."
"Your wife speaks to me only. When Chloe comes to the phone to talk with her mother, it's Mrs. Burlington who hangs up on her child. I was given the orders to call the office for emergencies only, never your private number. There's nothing I'm risking now by dialing you direct."
"You may call here anytime you wish, and you know that. She hasn't been speaking with Chloe?"
"You may as well have a seat, sir. This will be a long conversation, and I plan to tell you everything. Then I will pack my bags, because your daughter doesn't even live here anymore."
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Sherry reached over and held Chloe's hand as she placed the newspaper article on the table. "This is how Matthew and his father found out. Reporters are such hounds."
"I never meant to hurt anyone," sobbed Chloe.
"Wipe those tears off that pretty face. I've known Matthew all his life, and he has a good heart and good head on his shoulders. He'll come around."
"They both need the money, and Matthew needs the truck, Sherry."
"For being so young, you have a heart of gold. It'll work out, I promise."
They hugged at the door before Sherry left, and then Chloe ripped up the newspaper and threw it in the trash.
The next morning, Sherry glared at Matthew as she handed him a cup of coffee.
"What's that look for? What did I do?"
"Why did you walk out on Chloe like that? I went upstairs and spoke with her. She's still the same sweet girl."
"The same sweet girl who lied and manipulated me, not to mention my father, so we could become her project? I refuse to be viewed as a pathetic cause. We're not a charity case for anyone, and when I met her, she said she needed a job and an apartment. She acted like one of us. The truth is she'll never be one of us. Do you know how embarrassed and humiliated she made us feel? Don't you think I feel bad enough for not being able to take care of my dad the way I should? That I'm not college educated, and that the business is barely hanging on? She hit us below the belt. For that, I'll never forgive her. I wish you'd just kick her out." Matthew left without allowing the older woman to get a word in edgewise.