Daddy's Little Pet | 18+

|The Confrontation|

RENEE

"It'd be in your best interests if you left, Robert. She isn't interested in seeing you."

I pressed my ear to the bedroom door, my chest tightening as Nicole and Robert's spat grew louder with each word.

The argument had begun a few minutes ago when Robert arrived and, luckily for me, Nicole answered the door.

He'd demanded to see me, wanting to talk, and she'd flatly refused.

Then he'd tried to explain that he was here to apologize and make amends, but Nicole wasn't budging.

She was hurt and angry on my behalf, and rightfully so.

"I won't. I'm not leaving until Renee tells me she doesn't want to see me herself." Robert spoke up, his voice firm, persistent, and determined.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but she won't. Leave, Robert. I'm doing my best not to be impolite here."

"Nicole, please stop making this so difficult." He begged, sounding so desperate that my heart ached for a split second.

Nicole made a noise of disgust. "I shouldn't make this difficult. Says the man who's made my best friend's life a living hell. After all the humiliation she's endured and the damage this scandal has caused, you dare to say I'm making this hard. You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"God, Nicole! I know I messed up. Worse than I could've imagined. If I could turn back the hands of time, I would. But I can't. So, please..." His voice broke, and he pleaded, "Let me see her."

My heart twisted painfully hearing how defeated and broken he sounded. My eyes started to burn, and I blinked away tears.

I should stop listening. If I knew what was good for me, I'd have dragged my shaky feet back to bed, grabbed my AirPods, and blocked their voices, hoping Robert would heed Nicole's warnings and leave.

But I didn't move an inch. I remained rooted to the spot, my lips quivering and tears welling up at the sides of my eyes.

"All I want to do is see her. I want to stroke her strawberry blonde hair and tell her everything will be fine. I haven't seen or spoken to her since Saturday night, and it's driving me crazy. I'm not sleeping. I can't eat. I can't think clearly. This... it's... it's unbearable for me. You might not believe me when I say I've been sobbing. Nicole, please just let me see my girl. Please help me."

Robert's words slashed through my heart like shards of glass, and the tears welling up in my eyes fell silently down my cheeks.

It was excruciating. This pain. It was unbearable, and it felt like a million tiny needles dug into my heart and ripped it apart.

"No! No!" I mumbled, my voice cracking as I began wiping my tear-stained face with shaky hands.

This couldn't go on forever. I needed to face him, so I stepped forward, hand on the doorknob, as if on instinct.

'Renee, what do you think you're doing?' The voice in my head asked. 'Have you forgotten the humiliation? The fact that you lost your job yesterday because of him. Or should I remind you that Dylan, your ex-boyfriend, is his son? Think, young lady. There will be no turning back once you step out that door!' The voice warned me, and I stumbled slightly, my hands leaving the knob.

It was so tempting. I desperately wanted to listen to the voice in my head and walk away from the door. Ignore Robert's heartbreaking pleas and stay in the room.

But what would happen then? If I don't talk to him now and give him a piece of my mind, when will I? When would I find the strength and courage to do it?