The Carrero Effect - Falling for the Boss (Billionaire CEO)

They both sit and begin to eat; the silence is awkward and tense, but no one attempts to initiate conversation. The nurse looks around timidly before deciding staring at her plate is the best option and lowers her head. Finally, feeling my irritation rise beyond control, I break the glass-like atmosphere with a sledgehammer.

“Why are you here?” I blurt out, with not so subtle venom.

“I … We needed to talk about things, Emma.” She lowers her lashes, attempting to be coy, maybe even feebleness, but it only angers me. Putting her fork down and crossing her hands on the table she leans toward me.

“About what exactly? The fact that you’re screwing the man who loves to beat both of us up and tried to rape your only child?” I spit, harshly, taking delight in the nurse’s gasp of shock and the color rising up her cheeks.

I guess she didn’t know after all.

“Yes … Emma, he’s gone … I know what I did, I see what I did.” She tries to reach for my hand, but I yank it out of reach. Her voice has that air of victim that I hate.

How many times have I heard this bullshit? How many times has she pushed men away after they hit one of us, only to have him crawl back into her bed days later?

“Too little, far too late, Mother! You think you can just show up here and smooth it all over? Do you even know what he did while you were lying in a hospital bed?” My voice is raised and agitated; I need to regain a little control in this if we are to have it out. I hate that she always makes me break this way.

“No …” Her weak tiny voice betrays her nervousness, she’s afraid I’m going to tell her he succeeded this time. I catch that moment of doubt, casting my mind back to the look on her face when she caught him trying to hurt me once before … The fear he would want me instead of her. It makes me sick to my stomach, which only helps fuel my rage.

“He attacked me!” I snarl. “He’s just the same evil man he was eight years ago, nothing has changed!”

formulate the words, but I can read her like a book. All she wants to know is if he had sex with me. This isn’t about me or my getting hurt, it’s

prove his dominance over me, to scare me, and he did,” I

was always about her and her men. I just got in the way.

inside of me snapping so very easily. It’s like a damn just implodes and the waters crash free. I have been holding this in for weeks and

he’d killed him.” I break completely, screaming like a banshee, jumping to my feet, and sending the table

look as it clicks in her brain. The nurse tries to grab the cups to set them straight, without success, all the while her face flaming in

Momma! Jake did that to him … Jake beat him to a pulp for laying his hands on me … Someone who didn’t have any obligation to love or protect me. My boss! Not my mother … My mother never would’ve stood up for me in

lash out and beat her stupid face to

do to me?” I screech again, tears flowing down my face,

with rage and accusation, poised like she wants to hit me. She’s on her feet trying to bring her small wiry frame to my height

I click on what she said as I scramble to calm myself. “What do you mean he left? You said he was gone … You implied it was your

believe she’d make the decision on her own to send him

car wreck, told me it was over and left. I haven’t seen him since. You chased him out of my life … again!! I hope you’re happy this time, Emma,” she yells at me hatefully, unaware that she’s just incriminated herself with every word from that harsh

is deaf to what she

teen Emma, is unable to hold herself back any longer. All the recent weeks of agony without Jake built up, breaking my ability

out uncontrollably, snatching and throwing my plate of food at her blindly as tears overtake my vision, missing her head by an inch and smashing into the wall behind her with dramatic effect. Both woman squeal and jump in fright and I push the table hard onto its side, so it rolls over onto the floor, spilling everything else down with a horrendous

my chair ruthlessly so I hurt my foot, grabbing at my hair, almost ripping it out in

I left Chicago, so many years ago. When she pushed me to this stage of erupting and going insane and I ran away. I ran, to protect myself, and protect her, from this