𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐎𝐒

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟕

GRAYSON

"That's the stupidest idea. Why should we go on a date?" I ask my dad. To fill you in on this mess Stella and I fell in, there was a charity ball my Dad is hosting and we had to go as a couple.

"Isn't she your girlfriend?" Shit, I forgot the act. I nodded slowly. "As we speak her fathers telling her about this. She doesn't have a choice either. Tomorrow, you pick her up in a car and bring her to the party."

I nodded. Stella and I are supposed to fake date for a night. I knew lying about us was a bad idea. This is insanity.

Walking out of my Dad's office, I took a step past my parent's bedroom, the door slightly opened. My eyes found my mom who was crying on the bed. I tensed and hesitated. Why the fuck is my mom crying?

I opened the door, feeling worry grow in me. I took a few steps in and she turned to find me. Her face fell and her face formed to nervousness. My mom was extremely young, so I could read her easily. She had me at only nineteen. Now she was thirty-six. She and my dad were very in love, so I doubt he'd hurt her.

"Mom? What's wrong?" I clenched my jaw. She was always there for me, so it felt like a sin to leave her alone. She was the amazing woman who raised me. She taught me how to treat a lady. My mom always appeared as strong and kind, she always hid her weaknesses from me so I wouldn't worry about her.

"I'm fine, I'm just exhausted. You should go get a suit ready for tomorrow's event. You are the son's hostess." She smiled, erasing her tears.

"Mom, I'm not a kid. I'm old enough to listen to you. Is there a problem between you and Dad?"

"Grayson, no." She kissed my cheek when I sat on the bed. Her phone rang and I could see her tremble. Without permission, I grabbed her phone. A recent text message, I opened it.

'You shouldn't have married a Meadows, I don't care if he gave up his company for you. He practically manipulated you, you were nineteen. I'm, not your mother, don't wish me happy birthday, our relationship ended.'

I connected the dots easily. My grandma's birthday is today, even though I never met her I knew about her. My mom decided to text her happy birthday, but my grandma didn't approve.

"Grayson, you know I love your Dad. He's the only one who cared about me, and still does." She said. I believed her, mostly because she always felt safe, and as a child, I'd be sleeping next to them, my dad would always wake up and kiss my mom's forehead and whisper everything he loved about her, every night.

"How did he manipulate you?"

"Nonsense, he didn't. My mom thinks that because your dad and I have different ages, he was twenty-six while I was nineteen. My family was strict, they think he corrupted me. It's not true." She explained.

"I would believe he corrupted you too, I love Dad. But according to newspapers, he was a player and a man who went to clubs with women every night, and suddenly he stopped because of you. I don't get it." I threw her phone on the bed.

She played with the hem of her floral, summer dress and shook her head. I heard footsteps behind me, I turned my head to find my Dad.

"That's wrong to say, Grayson. When I met your mother, people thought I manipulated her, maybe I corrupted her but I enjoyed loving her. We both grew up in messed-up families. Something you don't know is my father beat me, I never got to spend Christmas, Thanksgiving, or my birthday with them. Your mother had strict parents, she needed to escape, and they abused her mentally." My Dad paused, glancing at my Mom who had tears rushing down her eyes. But he began again.