Page 87 of Falling for Them

But there’s another person who is indirectly responsible—and that’s me, for being a shitty father and not raising him right.

Ella

The phone company’s office is located in a rundown strip mall.It consists of a single tiny room.Everything in it is beige—from the chairs, to the carpet, to the walls.The woman behind the counter, though, seems to be making it her personal mission to bring color to the place in the form of her person.Her lipstick is bright pink, and her pantsuit is an intoxicating shade of teal.

She gives me a commiserating smile as she swipes my debit card through the machine.“I know, it’s a rough time right now.I’m glad you’re able to pay now, though.”

“Me, too,” I say.“Thanks for understanding.”

She passes back my debit card…a debit card which has some freaking money in it, finally, becauseyes, I have finally gotten paid!I have just enough for rent, my phone and electricity bills, and some groceries, if I’m careful.

Before I leave the phone company, I check that the service is working on my phone.Can I make calls?Can I check my texts?

All seems to be in working order.Thank freaking goodness.While I’m staring at the screen, a text pops up from Joel.What the fuck could he want?

Frowning, I swipe to look at it.

At first, I’m embarrassed—for him.He sent me porn?Gross.Does he think it’ll turn me on or something?

And then I realize—this isn’t porn.This is a sex video.

A sex video ofus.

A low moan—my low moan—sounds over my phone’s speakers.Shit.There are people around.They could probably hear that.Thankfully, none of them look my way.If they did hear that moan, they’re politely ignoring it.

I can’t fucking handle this.I click the side button on my phone to turn off the screen.

I want to drop the entire device into the nearest trash can.It feels dirty.My heart feels as if it’s stopped beating entirely.Where did he get that video?Why is he sending it to me?

Cold horror washes through me.Because, of course.He must’ve made that video.I didn’t look at any of the details, but there was that time in his office.I even joked about him making a sex tape, and he pretended to be outraged at the very idea.

The whole while, he was filming us.

A large garbage can sits under the concrete walkway.I stumble over to it and grip the sides.

“Mommy, I think that lady’s going to throw up,” a child says.

I don’t look over, but I hear their footsteps quickening as the mother leads the child away.Smart of her.I’m dirty, filthy, damaged.

Not enough.

My phone vibrates in my hand.

Joel is calling me.

My despair quickly transforms into rage, and I answer the call.“What in the actualfuck, Joel?”

“You don’t like your movie?”he asks.

“No, I don’t.Destroy that.Now.”

“Sure, no problem,” he says, his voice light and easy.He sounds cheerful, even.“Consider it done.Of course, it’s already gone to the entire email list of Tyler Analytics.”

“You…no,” I gasp, my breath freezing in my lungs.“You didn’t.You wouldn’t.”

“Just like youwouldn’tfuck my dad?And youwouldn’tfuck fuckin’ Sebastian?If you act like a slut, Ella, I’ll out you as a slut.Stay away from me, stay away from my dad, and stay away from Sebastian.Should be easy, because I doubt they’ll want to be anywhere near you now.I know I can’t fucking stand the sight of you.”

A strangled sound comes from my throat.I don’t know what to say.He couldn’t have really shared that video with everyone in the Tyler building, could he have?