Chapter 16

Renee’s POV

I stare back at Debbie in shock. What did she just say? I flash my eyes to Eric. What did he say? Maybe Eric knows more than he’s letting on. The idea quickly takes root and realizations begin sprouting. That would explain why he’s being so nice to Debbie.

But, it doesn’t explain why he hasn’t outed me yet.

“I only said that to get rid of those girls,” Eric quickly explains. My mind flashes back to when Eric was pointing at those women who were staring at him.

Suddenly rage fills me. My knuckles crack as I clench my fists at my side. So, Eric doesn’t know anything and he still finds it necessary to insert himself as Debbie’s father figure.

Why would Eric care if other women stare at him? And most of all, why would he use me as a scapegoat? Someone who’s simply just his employee.

I ought to be nothing to him and instead, he thinks he has the right to barge into my life and say and do whatever he wants! And am I just supposed to go along with that? I’m fuming as I harden my gaze at Eric yet somehow I’m able to keep my calm as I sternly tell him to back off.

“Thank you for all you’ve done today, I know Debbie greatly appreciates it but you shouldn’t say things like that. Not even as a joke,” I tell him. Although, what I want to say is even though Eric doesn’t think of anyone but himself.

Comments like the one he made are not fair to Debbie. She wants a father more than anything and Eric playing around with that idea like it’s nothing could seriously damage her heart even more. Of course, I don’t mention any of that with Debbie standing right here.

I watch as Eric’s tongue slides across his teeth. I suddenly get the feeling that he’s going to make me regret that I said anything at all.

“You look exactly like my ex-wife,” Eric says matter of fact, but I catch the hint of suspicion in his tone. His reply catches me off guard.

My eyes flicker to Debbie who’s lost interest in the whole conversation and is running her fingers along the pink frosting, licking them, and then doing it again. I think about telling her to stop, but decide it’s pointless.

Laughter from the amusement park filters over our way, and the sound of someone being joyful at a moment like this almost feels impossible. The fact that people can live their life freely without someone like Eric creeping into it must be an amazing feeling.

Suddenly, that desire consumes me. All I want is to be free of Eric. I wanted him long ago and he never wanted Annie. He can’t just decide to be involved in Renee’s life just because he wants to.

And if it takes rejecting him a second time for that to get through his thick skull, then fine.

I look back at him and swallow the bile in my throat. His arrogance, his entitlement. All of it comes slamming to the forefront of my mind. It hits me like that car five years ago. These attributes are the very reason I left him in the first place.

That, and the fact that he never loved me. So why is he so interested in Renee now?

If Eric wants to discuss this now, then so be it.

“Yes,” I sigh. “I’ve heard about your ex-wife dying five years ago,” I tell him in a way I’m sure he’s heard many times, with just enough sympathy to sound like you care but really haven’t given it a second thought since hearing the news.

Eric slowly steps towards me, closing the gap between us so that his face fills my entire vision “Five years ago her friends told me she was dead,” Eric narrows his eyes. “Lately I’m beginning to think that she’s alive and standing right in front of me,”

I swallow the lump in my throat. It takes me a minute to muster a reply under Eric’s harsh gaze.

He doesn’t know anything, I repeat to myself several times until I’m forced to believe it.

“I am not your ex-wife,” I tell him as flatly as I can, despite the slight tenor running through my body.

“I’ve already ordered a paternity test for Debbie,” Eric tells me, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. “We’ll see soon enough,”

“You what?” My jaw drops open. I thought this may happen, but I expected he would’ve confronted me about it first, not go off and have the test done without me knowing. I shake my head. I should’ve known better than to assume I know Eric’s actions.

Eric doesn’t have the chance to respond because Andrew comes running down the pavement calling out for Eric. He must’ve picked up on Andrew’s scent and that’s why he decided to suddenly bring all this up now. He knew Andrew would be here soon with the results.

I keep my eyes trained on Eric, watching him take delight in the scene unfolding. My heart slams against my chest. I should’ve better prepared for this moment the second I found out that Eric is president of Blue Moon Group.

“Go to the car,” I tell Debbie, still looking at Eric.

“She should be here for this,” Eric states.

“I want to stay!” Debbie whines running over to me covered in icing.

“No,” I tell her perhaps too harshly but I can’t help it. “I am your mother and I am telling you to go to the car. Now.” Tears build up in her eyes. I don’t mean to be harsh to Debbie but her defiance is reminding me too much of Eric.

“I’m her father and I think she should be here,” Eric argues back and I spin on my heels.

“You are not,” I growl. Debbie runs away crying. And I know all of this is pointless. Andrew is here now and about to blatantly catch me in my lie.

We turn to Andrew who looks between us both. He hangs his head in respectful sorrow. “The results are negative, Alpha.”

The sky is quickly turning dark now, and I’m sure my skin is as pale as the moon as I feel the blood drain from my head.

I force myself not to react. Eric looks sharply at Andrew, disbelief written across his face. “Are you sure?” He asks. Andrew nods in confirmation. I release a pent-up sigh of relief, but I still don’t quite understand how this can be. I’m certain Debbie is Eric’s child.

My head is spinning. Still, I don’t let myself appear confused.

Eric approaches me and I hike my head high as though I had nothing to hide in the first place. I can tell he doesn’t trust me. He isn’t going to give this up. I guess now I know where Debbie gets her determinism from.

“You must really believe the world revolves around you,” I tell him, truly disgusted. “Rumors about you and Mia fly everywhere, yet you insist on barging into my personal life and inserting yourself where you don’t belong.” I poke my finger at his chest.

“Maybe it’s exactly where I belong,” Eric says his voice cold and his nostrils flaring.

I laugh. “You’re obsessively searching for your dead ex-wife. Well, you know what? If she came back from the dead, I’m sure she would let you know she’s glad to be rid of you,” I don’t wait for a reply. I turn around and walk away.