The mood board is one for Vera and Daddy Jim. Song for the chapter: New Rules by Dua Lipa. Three rules that Vera needs to forget Alistair now, as painful as it seems:

One: Don't pick up the phone
Two: Don't let him in
Three: Don't be his friend

Vera

Friday, June 17

There it was, the latest tweet on the Lester Harbor Daily Twitter account.

Oliver and Erin Scott announce pregnancy news! Lester Harbor's elite couple is expecting a baby. Read more: www.lhdaily.com/stories/scott-baby-news #scottfamily #babynews #news #goodnews

I clicked on the link and read the article about Oliver being the father of Erin's child. He reminded me of Alistair, with the same crooked smile, but his hair was curlier and darker. To the world, Oliver and Erin epitomized the perfect couple who had it all-wealth, success, and love.

What a load of bullshit.

This was a typical cover-up, a family scandal behind closed doors, while the Scotts fed the media bullshit and lies.

The Scotts were brilliant at public and media relations. I didn't go to college to have shit for brains. After all, I graduated with a business degree, majoring in media communication before studying law. Interestingly, Alistair Scott kept quiet and disappeared from the media.

Smart move, Alistair.

As for Erin, I believed that she revealed the truth about her baby's father to me because I stood between her and Alistair. She wanted to get rid of me, and if I leaked the fact to the media, I would seem like a gold digger who wanted money from the tabloid.

I mean, look at some of the most prominent men of our time. When ex-mistresses leaked the truth to the media, nobody believed them.

Well, what good was it to waste my thoughts?

I knew one sure thing: Alistair Scott, Lester Harbor's playboy, had played me.

"Vera, sweetie, are you okay?"

"Huh?" I looked up from my phone screen and quickly wiped away a stray tear.

"You seem distant lately," Sapphire said, standing at the foyer entrance. I had invited her for a girls' night in; we hadn't seen each other since she moved into an apartment across town. She still refused to talk to Julian.

"I'm fine," I lied, clearing my throat.

"No, you're not. You're lying."

"Busted. Guilty as charged." I shook my head and sighed. "It's a long story."

Sapphire sat down and placed her hand on mine. "Tell me. I'm here for you."

"I know I shouldn't, but I keep thinking of Mister Z."

Saph tucked loose tendrils of hair behind my ears. Her deep-blue eyes stared intensely at me. "Stop it! Whoever this Mister Z is, you have to forget him. Is he thinking of you right now?"

I shook my head.

"Is it worth thinking of him?"

"Nah, he's not worth it."

"That's my girl!" Saph cheered, then kissed my forehead. "Now, what would the Vera, who I know, do when a man tries to steal her heart?

Hmm, what would Vera do? The corners of my lips slowly curved up into a mischievous grin

"Well, there's Jim Goldman, who I dated a while ago. He texted me this afternoon, asking if I was going out tonight. He's with a few work colleagues at Tango right now."

"You mean Daddy Dearest with the big cock?" Saph asked. Her feline eyes were now round, like saucers.

"Yep. That guy," I quipped, biting my lower lip. Jim was a fit and handsome silver fox in his mid-fifties who knew how to please a woman.

"Saph, you're a genius!" I blurted. "Jim's on the prowl, and I need to get over Mister Z."

"What are you thinking, Vera?"

"I'm thinking of having a piece of Jim's meat!"

"Oh, my God, Vera!" Saph sputtered in fits of giggles. She sucked in a deep breath, exhaled, and patted my hand. "Come on! Put on your best dress, and we're going to Tango for a drink!"

***

Tango Nightclub, 8.15 p.m.

"Hey, Jim!" I called, rolling my hips to one side, as I approached a man with a beer in his hand. He was with his friend at the bar. I felt confident in my red leather skirt and a matching bustier, accentuating my slim waist and round hips.

The shade of my lipstick? Scarlet.

"Wow, Vera!" The solicitor exclaimed. Jim interviewed me for a position at his law firm after I had graduated from college, but I didn't get the job. He called me afterward to apologize, and we ended up having dinner first, then fucked each other for dessert.

"Jim, this is my friend, Sapphire," I said after Saph nudged me.

"Nice to meet you!" She stretched her hand to shake Jim's big, strong hand.

"Good to meet you too. Vera, you remember Mark from the interview," Jim said, directing his gaze at a younger man with dark hair and thick eyebrows.

"Yes, it's great to see you again." I nodded in Mark's direction. His eyes traveled up and down Sapphire's slender frame.

"Would you like a drink, ladies?" Jim asked, directing his gaze at me.

"Why, of course, darling," I replied, stroking his shoulders. "Saph likes Long Island iced tea and I'll have a Pornstar Martini."

The next thirty minutes were interesting, to say the least. Saph was the perfect wingwoman, keeping Mark engaged in light conversation.

Jim's hand was firm on my lower back while I breathed in his musky cedarwood scent. The air was ripe with our heated sexual energy. His sturdy fingers pinched my ass cheek-he played my body like an expert musician with a guitar.

Oh, this guy was begging to be fucked. His gray eyes begged with the eagerness of a virile, hot-blooded man who was ready for some action in the bedroom.

"You're so fucking beautiful and sexy like a goddess," he murmured, pressing his hard bulge into my skirt. "Would you like to spend the night with me, beautiful?"

"Yes, I'd like that very much," I purred, feeling Jim's big boner.

"Vera!" Saph called out. "I need to leave! I just got a message from my boss, and he needs help with the media. The Daily called him for an interview."

"On a Friday night?"

"Yeah, politics is more than a nine-to-five job, and there's an election coming soon."

"Vera and I are about to leave. We'll walk out with you to find a cab," Jim said to Saph, then glanced at his friend. "Mark, I'll see you on Monday."

After we walked out of the nightclub, Saph hailed a taxi, which pulled into the side of the street. "Here's my ride," she sang, hugging me lightly. "I'll see you soon, Vera, and it was nice to meet you, Daddy Jim. You both have a fucktastic-whoop, I mean fantastic time!"

Shit! I couldn't believe Saph said that.

"You've been naughty," Jim growled, plundering my neck with red-hot kisses.

"Oh, why's that?" I asked, feeling his swollen erection press against my body.

"Because you never returned my calls," he said, rubbing my backside in sensual circles.

"Oh, sorry. I was busy."

"Would you like to play with Daddy Jim tonight? Hmm?" Jim teased.

"Oh, yes, please, Daddy!"

"You dirty little girl!"

Jim could no longer hide his prominent bulge-it was time to leave town and check into his place, a seaside home with a spectacular ocean view. It also had a special room of kinky sex toys, where the walls were adorned with large images of nude couples copulating.

I looked forward to handcuffing Daddy Jim, sitting on his face, and making him lap up my juices. Only after that, I might let his meaty cock dig deep inside one of my holes.

Daddy Jim's meat was my sweet treat.

***

Sunday, June 19

The buzzing sound of the doorbell woke me from my mid-afternoon sleep on the living room sofa. The disturbance of an unexpected visitor was the last thing I needed after a hot weekend with a man who mastered the art of sex.

"I'm coming!" I yelled, striding toward the door as the buzzing continued. "There's no rest for the wicked," I grumbled, opening the door.

Two puppy-brown eyes stared at me.

Erin Everton-Scott.

"What are you doing here, and how do you know where I live?" I questioned, placing one hand on my left hip. I glanced at her perfect hair and manicured nails. Alistair must have a penchant for tall women because Erin and I were roughly the same height⁠-five feet and nine inches.

"I have my ways," the brunette answered, casting her eyes at my checkered pajama pants. In contrast, she wore a pair of light-pink leggings and off-white trainers.

"I want to raise the white flag and call a truce," Erin said.

"Come inside." I gestured toward the living room.

That was my first mistake-believing Erin. She'll say one thing but mean another.

"How's the pregnancy treating you?" I asked, eyeing her growing baby bump. "Any nausea?"

Erin's seemingly innocent eyes studied mine. "Oh, sweetheart, I've only had light morning sickness and a little dizziness. Aside from that, I'm peachy-perfect."

Sweetheart. Alistair had called me sweetheart, and I had stupidly let him play me. That was my second mistake.

"Oh, poor Vera. You look upset. Your face looks like it's been hit by a truck."

"It takes a lot more to upset me than a homewrecker, honey," I lied, masking the pain. "So, does your husband know that the baby isn't his?"

Erin let out a high-pitched laugh, making me feel uneasy.

After clearing her throat, she continued her story. "Oliver, Alistair, and I have come to an agreement. Oliver's name will be on the birth certificate as the father of my child, and we are sticking with our marriage. However, he accepts that I'm rather, to put it politely, polyamorous."

"Wow, you are living the life," I jabbed. "Polyamory requires informed consent from all parties. So, was Oliver informed, and did he consent before you and Alis-"

"Vera, shall I remind you of who I am?" Erin snapped, glaring at me. "I am a Scott and you owe me your respect. The Scotts are a tight-knit family, so Oliver knows the truth. He and Alistair love me. Oh, you didn't know?"

That was my third mistake⁠-not knowing Alistair's heart.

I straightened my shoulders and glared at Erin. "Stop fucking with me and get to the point."

"You'd better be careful because they say that expectant mothers are vulnerable," Erin warned, patting her growing belly. "You wouldn't want to harm Alistair's child, would you now?"

"You're married to his brother."

"And I'm having Alistair's baby. I love him and he loves me."

"Now, you must be stupid or a liar because why would you tell me that?" I questioned. "I could go to the media and tell them who the father of your child is. Wouldn't that ruin your marriage?"

"Honey, nobody would believe you. They'll think you're a common whore trying to make a quick buck out of the Scott name. Alistair dated you a few times. So what? He fucked you because you were easy. He thought of me when he was screwing you. Didn't you know that?"

"Why would he do that?"

"Because he told me. He can't have me, so he uses other women to release his-"

"But I thought you said you were polyamorous." I knew now that she was lying. Narrowing my eyes, I asked, "What do you want from me?"

Erin tilted her head and curled her lips into a smile. "Hmm. I can see that you're upset," she said. "Your hands are shaking. Wow. I didn't think it was so easy to get rid of pestilence. That is what you are to me-pestilence."

"It's time for you to leave my apartment," I ordered. Trying to hold it together, I gave Erin a hard stare. However, my knees started to shake, and I felt nausea creeping up my throat.

Her plastic smile widened. "Alistair mentioned something to me."

"Oh, he did?"

Her eyes narrowed. "He wants you to stay out of his life."

"Get out!" I immediately grabbed Erin's arm and shoved her out of the door before she had time to protest.

Pregnant or not, Erin Everton-Scott was not welcome in my home.

A/N: Things aren't looking good for Vera, and it's just the start of more to come. If you were Vera, what would you say to Erin?

What did you think of New Rules by Dua Lipa? I hope Vera sticks to them for now because Alistair's not thinking about her now. Sorry, Vee!

How did you deal with a past breakup?