Chapter 16: A Nobody Like Her

Sarah’s skin burned with irritation. “Maybe when it comes to you, I have nothing to say.” Silence greeted her. Sarah gulped and fidgeted as she waited. Every second that ticked past felt like a time bomb counting down to the ultimate explosion. Suddenly, he sighed and Sarah started to panic. Alarm bells rang inside her head. “You know what? You’re right. When it comes to me, you have absolutely nothing to say.” William paused for a moment. “Then again, it’s usually because you have your mouth occupied when you are with me.” Sarah grasped at his crude comment. She could almost feel steam racing out through her ears. Her eyes bugged out and she fisted the sheets in her free hand. “Trust me,” she hissed, “my mouth has better things to do—bigger— things.” She couldn’t believe she had said that. She cringed, feeling like an idiot. William would know better than anyone else what experience she had in that department. A bitter laugh escaped his lips. “Whatever you say, baby. But I think we both know that is a lie.” “I hate you,” she replied with a tremble in her voice. “Now, that one, I believe.” His response was so cold that she felt the need to have the last word no matter what. “I have no idea what I saw in you.” She aimed below the belt. “You live in a different world with fast cars and no morals.” “Oh yeah, and you are living a dream, are you not?” he snorted. “You’ve shackled yourself and won't even allow yourself to see the light of day. Give me a break!” Sarah gulped. “I live a life that I chose. It is exactly what I wanted it to be. And unlike you, I don’t force myself into other people’s lives when I am not wanted. I respect boundaries.” Sarah heard a bitter snicker from William’s end. “You have it all figured out then, right? You’re so well put together,” he was condescending. “So perfect. I apologize for intruding on your perfect life.” Sarah didn’t like where the conversation was going. He grunted maliciously before he stabbed her in the chest with his next words. “You were so bored that you didn’t know what to do with yourself. Anyone with half a brain cell can tell you are faking everything in your life when it comes to important things. You hate me because I see through your act—unlike the safe people you have surrounded yourself with.” He paused, letting the words sink in. “And when I am with you, I expect you to be real with me. But you don’t know how to do that, do you? And that terrifies you, doesn’t it?” Sarah gasped softly. Her hands started to shake as the words hit her in the stomach. He was so wrong. He had to be wrong. Sarah shook her head back and forth as if to convince herself that William was gravely mistaken. Anger consumed her in place of panic, it was her go-to emotion when she faced William and his attempts to crumble all her walls. “Well, you might want to keep your distance from a boring nobody like me, then.” She could hear herself say the words, but she couldn’t actually comprehend what she had just uttered. “Excuse me?” The tone of his voice made her shiver. She had his attention, alright. “You can keep your high and mighty attitude and let it keep you warm at night,” she snorted. “I don’t appreciate your attempt to save me when I never needed saving, to begin with.” This time, William laughed out loud. “Well, maybe if you held your head high and acted like you are acting with me right now, I wouldn’t need to creep around and try to save you. As for calling me high and mighty… I am warning you to never use those words ever again. I don’t appreciate criticism from someone who doesn’t know me.” “Fuck you!” she snapped. “I can say whatever the hell I want. You don’t know me. Yes, I don’t know you and I don’t want to know you.” “Then tell me face to face, damn it. I am not a toy you can drag around,” he growled out. There was a distinct sound of a click before the line went dead. Sarah blinked down at the phone in complete shock. Did William just hang up on her? Why did she scream at him over something so trivial? She could have just explained from the very beginning and nothing would have gone wrong. But there was definitely something wrong with her. She just had no idea what the hell it was. - - - - - “President Colton, your father has called you to the main house today,” Luca said promptly said after William hung up the phone on Sarah. William furrowed his brow but didn’t look up from the glass of wine in his hands. “And why does he want that?” he asked. “Does he have another impossible mission for me?” “It seems that he is entertaining some guests tonight and he wants you to attend along with him.” William finally looked up. “He has never called friends over in such a setting. Is it anyone I know of?” Luca shook his head. “You don’t personally know them and as a matter of fact, neither does the Chairman.” William raised a brow. “It’s his friend’s wife… Vera Kincaid.” “Vera…Vera…” He couldn’t place the name but he certainly knew it. “Yes, Vera Kincaid. Phillip Stone’s wife.” This shocked William. “Doesn’t my father dislike the woman? Why has she suddenly popped up again? What does he plan on doing?” Luca shook his head. “I don’t know, President. It could be a ploy to pull out more information or it could be Vera Kincaid trying to bridge the hostility by bringing up old matters.” “Bringing up old matters?” William repeated, confused. “Don’t you remember? Mr. Phillip once jokingly said that he wanted his daughter to marry you. I believe Mrs. Kincaid has planned something along those lines for you.” William wound his fingers together and a critical look flashed past his eyes. “Is that so?” he said to himself. “It seems my father is giving me another ‘chance’ to find out the truth.”