That night, I had planned the perfect evening for Megan and me. I set the table carefully, lit some candles, and waited with a heart full of hope. I was looking forward to a quiet, cozy night together.
A few hours later, the door opened, and Megan stepped inside, holding the arm of a man I didn’t recognize. He looked older than me, tall, well-dressed in a polished suit, with a confident smile that seemed to fill the room.
“Mom, this is Grayson,” Megan said, her voice a bit too high-pitched.
“Erica, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Grayson said smoothly, extending his hand to me. His grip was firm, but something about his smile didn’t feel completely genuine.
“Likewise, Grayson. Megan didn’t mention you were bringing a guest,” I replied, forcing a polite smile.
Megan laughed, but it didn’t sound natural. It was more like a nervous chuckle. “I thought it would be a nice surprise.”
Grayson’s eyes swept the room like he was evaluating the place. I could tell he wasn’t paying much attention to me. He was too busy inspecting everything else. I felt a wave of discomfort wash over me.
I sat down across from them, the silence between us growing heavier by the second. I tried to break it.
“So, Grayson,” I started, “what do you do for work?”
“Finance. Investments,” he replied smoothly, his eyes never leaving his glass as he took a sip. It felt like he wasn’t really interested in the conversation, or me for that matter.
“Finance, huh?” I murmured, glancing at Megan, hoping to steer the conversation elsewhere. “And how’s university going for you, Megan?”
Megan shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Mom… maybe university isn’t everything.”
My heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean?” I asked, trying to stay calm. “We worked so hard to get you there, remember?”
With a soft sigh, Megan looked at Grayson and then back at me. “With Grayson, I feel free. He understands me in a way no one else does.”
My frustration was bubbling up inside me. “And how long has… this been going on?” I asked, my voice tight with disbelief.
Grayson stood up suddenly, adjusting his cufflinks with a faint, dismissive smile. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll step outside for a moment,” he said, and just like that, he was gone, leaving us in awkward silence.
The rest of the evening was a blur of uncomfortable moments, the sound of forks clinking against plates, and the pressure of trying to fill the silence with small talk that never quite worked. Despite everything, Megan seemed to expect that I would warm to Grayson, as though nothing was wrong.
Then, suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door. Megan opened it to reveal a young woman standing on the doorstep. Her face was flushed, her eyes red-rimmed like she’d been crying for hours.
“Rachel?” Grayson whispered, his voice suddenly sharp.
The woman’s gaze locked onto him with fiery intensity. “You!” she shouted. “You promised me! You told me I was the only one!”
Grayson’s face drained of color. “Rachel, please… not here. This isn’t the time…”
“Not the time?” Rachel interrupted, her voice rising higher. “I had to track you down! I put a GPS on your car because I couldn’t get a straight answer from you!”
Rachel’s words exploded into sobs, and I saw Megan’s face twist in confusion. I felt a strange rush of relief. This was the truth Megan needed to see, even if it was painful.
“Is this true?” Megan’s voice was ice cold. “You lied to me?”
Grayson’s attempt to explain was weak. “Megan, listen. It’s… complicated. I didn’t mean to…”
“Complicated?” Megan shot back, her voice laced with anger. “You thought you could just keep lying? How many others are there, Grayson?”
He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. Megan was done. She stepped forward and pushed him toward the door, her hands firm on his chest.
There was a sickening thud as Grayson fell, crumpling onto the pavement outside. My hands flew to my mouth in shock. He didn’t move, and I froze, unable to look away.
The doctor at the hospital later said Grayson wasn’t in any condition to go far, at least for the time being. Normally, I would’ve suggested he stay at a hotel, but the town’s only hotel was closed for repairs.
What happened next caught me completely off guard. The next morning, Megan made up her mind to leave without a word. She didn’t even glance back at Grayson or ask how he was.
“You’re better at this, Mom,” she said flatly, slipping Grayson’s bank card into her bag. “I never loved him. I was just using him for the money, and he didn’t care. He liked showing me off like a trophy. It was all just business between us.”
Her words hit me hard. Even though I had suspected that their relationship wasn’t real, hearing her admit it so bluntly was like a punch to the gut. And just like that, Megan was gone, leaving me alone with Grayson.
Days passed, and when Grayson had finally recovered enough to sit up, I realized that something had changed. I was in love with him. I had never expected this to happen, but he was a man who had just needed someone to truly care. And I, too, had been missing something in my life, someone to share it with.
I found Megan a few days later at a small café downtown. We had been given a tip by one of her friends. When she saw us, her eyes turned cold.
“What are you two doing here?” she demanded.
Grayson smiled calmly, his voice steady. “We just wanted to talk. Maybe have a coffee together?”
Megan rolled her eyes but didn’t walk away. “Fine. Five minutes.”
We sat down at a table. Megan crossed her arms, her eyes flicking between Grayson and me.
“Why are you even here, Grayson?” she asked, her voice sharp. “Is this some attempt to act like a father figure?”
“No, Megan,” Grayson said softly. “I’m here because I care about you. I want you to have the chance to figure out what you really want, without pressure from me or your mom.”
“Well, I already know what I want,” Megan said, her voice bitter. “I have enough money on your card to get by until I find someone else. Someone younger this time.”
“Megan,” I said quietly, my voice filled with concern, “we’re here to remind you of who you are—someone who’s always been brave, smart, and independent. You don’t have to give up on your future.”
“Fine,” Megan muttered, “but don’t expect any miracles. I’m not going to just fall in line because you two showed up out of nowhere.”
A few days later, I received a call from Megan. Her voice sounded different.
“Mom… maybe you were right,” she said, sounding tired. “I don’t have access to Grayson’s card anymore, and I can’t find a place to stay. None of these men take me seriously. I miss my old life… my friends… the campus.”
She paused, and I could hear the weight of her words. “I’m so sorry. I think I want to go back to college. I promise I’ll try this time, Mom.”
I felt a rush of relief wash over me. The Megan I knew, the one full of potential, was starting to come back.
As I hung up, I looked at Grayson. He was smiling at me, his eyes full of pride.
“I love you,” he said, his voice warm and sincere. “We’ll get through everything together.”
