Almost Paradise(Bowie#1)[Complete]

Chapter 41: The Bribe

Chapter 41

It was a long drive, at least it felt like it. Finally, she was pulling up to the house, and using the intercom, they let her through. She got out of the car and walked up to the door, Mr. Bennington was standing there as it was opened and she stepped inside. " Anabella, please come have a seat," Mr. Bennington said to her.

"Okay," she said and went in to sit on their couch.

Mr. Bennington sat in the sofa chair across from her," Honey, I understand that you are young and wish to provide for your baby," he said to her.

" Mr. Bennington, what does all of that have to do with the DNA test? I mean...it shows that Bowie is Clay's I'm sure," she said softly.

" Clay's just been recruited to play ball for a California Pro Team. He'll be skipping his Senior Year, and College to advance his career. We can't have a scandal like this ruin the Bennington name. Surely you understand that" he said to her.

"So what are you asking of me?" she asked.

" I will give you a check in the amount of 100,000. You will take that money and never speak of Clay being that baby's father. His name will not go on the birth certificate. He is not to be bothered about sending you monthly payments. Is that clear?" Mr. Bennington asked her.

"You're paying me off to make me and Bowie disappear?" she questioned.

"Precisely..." he said.

She slowly shook her head," That's....that's...evil. Only an evil man would do something like that! She's your granddaughter! An innocent life!" Anabella said upset.

" I don't have a granddaughter yet Anabella. You can take the money and leave or you can just leave, but either way, it ends here," he told her.

Anabella stood up from the couch," I wouldn't accept bribe money from you, even if it would save my life," she said as she turned to walk to the front door to get out of here. Now she could see exactly why Clay was the way that he was. Why he only used her for sex and nothing else, she wondered why he had even said he loved her later on, it had to be a lie to keep her satisfied.

"Fine, then just be gone, not a word, stay away from Clay, don't mention him, as far as he's concerned, he no longer exists to you..." he said.

Anabella didn't bother answering as she left the Bennington Estate. They were all evil, the entire family. If Clay ever had a mother, she wondered how evil that woman was too. She got in her car and left, just driving, and driving. She drove for the rest of the afternoon and through nightfall. By the time that she got back to town, it was around 7 pm. She pulled into the parking lot of the diner and got out to go inside. It was just Joe and Grace. Joe saw her come in and it was another slow summer night. Anabella walked up to the counter, where Joe was refilling the napkin dispenser on the counter," Mon Cherie, why do you look so sad?" he asked softly.

"I need..." she said softly, struggling for the words.

" Hold on a minute," he said and walked around the counter and over to Grace.

**~

"Grace, you can go home now," Joe said to her.

Grace looked at him funny," But we don't close till 10 pm," she reminded.

" I've got it, I can handle the floor," he told her.

" Joe, I don't think that your father will like this," she said to him.

" Well my father has told me that I can make any decision I see fit per shift," he said to her," So I'm telling you that you may go home early tonight. It's slow," he said.