Chapter 19: Don’t Be So Sure About That

After Mr. Ford left, Crystal’s Father confronted her about the true identity of Nathan Davis. He believed that because she had signed away her rights to his fortune, that there must be something about him that she wasn’t saying- and Venessa’s constant grumbling only made matters worse. She had assumed that the expensive handbags that Mr. Ford had brought were for her, and it had been hard for her to watch when he’d taken them away with him. After all, there was one bag in particular that she had wanted for a very long time.

As she and her Mother watched Crystal leave from an upstairs window, Joyce complained to her mother, saying, “Mommy, did you see how arrogant that bitch was? Who would have thought that the presents would be for her! And that Principal Ford must be a fool, otherwise why would he have begged Crystal for help! After all, what could she do for him?!?!?”

“I agree,” Jessica murmured. “We invested in the university to help the little skank, and she didn’t even thank us! But at least she signed away her rights to Daddy’s assets, so we are finally done with her.”

Joyce: “Whatever. She wouldn’t have gotten much anyway.”

Jessica: “Don’t be so sure about that. Your grandpa liked her a lot when he was alive. I heard that he left a secret will that is supposed to be opened on her eighteenth birthday. If he didn’t leave her much, why would he keep it a secret?”

Joyce: “In that case, I am convinced that he left millions behind- and when Crystal learns the truth, it is going to drive her crazy! You are so clever!”

Jessica: “Of course I am! It wasn’t easy to talk your dad into asking Crystal to sign that contract, but now that it’s done, I can finally give your Father the son that he’s been asking for.”

Joyce was thrilled when she heard that she would have a new baby brother, and she hugged her mother, and she told her how much she loved her.

Meanwhile, outside their window, Evan and Crystal were talking. He’d caught her on her way out and was curious to know how things were going. She told him everything that had happened, he told her that she’d been a fool to sign away her share of the family fortune, and when they parted ways, they were both frustrated.

Evan told Crystal that she would come to regret her decision, and as she walked away, she couldn’t help but wonder- Will I regret my decision? Of course, for now, there was no way of knowing, so she tried to put the question out of her mind.

Crystal did know, though, that it felt good to have finally severed all ties with her Father. Now, if only I could do the same with Nathan - she thought glumly.

Crystal hadn’t gone far when she noticed that there was a piece of chewed gum stuck to the sole of her shoe. Gross-she thought as she began to scrape her shoe on the sidewalk in an attempt to scrape it off. Unfortunately, it did not want to come off. She had just about come to terms with the fact that she’d have to pull it off with her bare fingers when Carlos appeared with a tissue. “Let me,” he said, and then he hunkered down to remove the pesky piece of garbage.

Once the gum was off her shoe, Carlos stood up and walked the tissue over to a nearby trash can. Crystal watched him for a moment, and then, without even thanking him, she turned around and began to walk away. Before she got more than three steps from where she’d been, though, Carlos grasped her arm and gave it a good, hard squeeze.

Crystal turned around and, without hesitation, she slapped Carlos across the face. The street was quiet, making the slap sound very loud, and Crystal assumed he would let her go. But he didn’t. “Please let me go,” she said with a tone of voice that was indifferent and emotionless.

“I just want to talk,” Carlos said.

Crystal spat on the ground and said, “I don’t think we have anything to talk about.”

“Crystal,” he whined, “come on and... be reasonable.”

Crystal: “What do you want me to do? Go on dating you behind Joyce’s back, as if nothing had happened? No way! I’m not like you that way!”

Carlos: “Listen to me, Crystal. The reason why I’m with Joyce is that the Forster Group needs the Henry Group’s investment. Furthermore, I never wanted you to climb into Nathan’s bed. That was all Joyce’s idea. She said that she would invest one hundred million dollars into the Forster Group if I could get you to do that, so I hope you can see that I had no choice...”

Crystal stood akimbo and scowled at this pathetic man that stood before her. She looked straight into his eyes and said, “Fine. What’s done is done. So, what is this all about? What do you want?”

“C-C-Crystal...” Carlos stammered. “D Don’t... t-talk to me like that. I know that I’m very selfish, and I don’t expect to get your - forgiveness. B-But can you wait for me? When the Forster Group gets back on track, I’ll...”

As Carlos unrolled his proposal, Crystal’s jaw nearly hit the floor. She could not believe the gall of this man. She had once thought that no matter what happened, as long as they faced it together, everything would work out - but he had gone and fucked it all up!

After a moment of silence, Crystal smiled and said, “Okay. If you want me to wait for you, then I will wait for you.”

Carlos was so stunned by her reaction that for a minute, he could not react, but once he regained control of his faculties, he burst out into gales of joyous laughter. “Really?” he wondered. “Are you really willing to wait for me?”