Faux Vows, True Desires

"Mom, Dad's been poisoned. Kent said he couldn't do anything. Now only you can save him."

Keith knew his mother's aloof demeanor all too well, so he blurted out his words in one breath, not giving her a chance to interrupt him.

Janice's voice remained cold. She retorted, "I'm not a doctor, Keith. There's nothing I can do. I can't save your father."

Before Keith could reply, she continued, "The Blue family has its own hospital, with top-notch doctors from all over the country. What sort of poison could your father possibly have that they can't cure? Is it cyanide?"

"Mom, Dad's been poisoned with an aphrodisiac."

Janice was speechless.

Well, he might be fifty in her eyes and quite the old geezer, but to others, he was the patriarch of the Blue family, well preserved, not old at all but rather mature and stable.

She wondered how many women were vying for a spot in his bed.

And there was Madeleine, eagerly wanting to usurp her position.

She was willing to let them be, but the old man was reluctant to divorce, binding her to him for some reason.

Perhaps he didn't want to divorce her back when she was mentally unstable, considering her only nephew Hayes was the only family she had left. But now that she had regained her sanity and found her daughter, she was capable of taking care of herself.

With her children by her side, she wouldn't starve even if she left him.

He despised her for her past mental instability and for her aging appearance and had found Madeleine, who was only two years older than their own children. Why was he still holding onto her after two years of mutual resentment?

It would be so much better if they simply parted ways and left each other be.

"Who poisoned your father?" Janice's words were laced with sarcasm, "Your father is the patriarch of the Blue family. His bodyguards are with him every minute of the day, except when he's eating or sleeping. Only someone he deeply trusts could possibly get the better of him. Was it Madeleine who poisoned your father? Perhaps this is a game they're playing. Keith, you should stay out of your father's affairs." Perhaps Nathan was getting old, unable to satisfy Madeleine, so she gave him something to boost his stamina.

although an adult and aware of the birds and the bees, found it awkward to discuss these

Swallowing his embarrassment, he pleaded with his mother over the phone, "Mom, Dad hasn't touched Madeleine all these years. It's because he

Janice paused.

assumed that after her mental breakdown, there would be a constant stream of women in Nathan's

were still attracted to him like flies to honey. She had expected that Nathan's life would

twenty-six and had

and beautiful Madeleine, Nathan was indeed quite the

I only found out recently that Dad really hasn't

everyone says Madeleine will replace me. Who would dare to spread rumors about his private life without his consent? Keith, I'm going back to Pinehurst tomorrow morning. I need a good night's sleep, so I'll end the conversation here. Don't worry about your father. Even if he's been poisoned, he won't die.

made her son beg her

divorcing Nathan, she didn't want to be with him again. For twenty years, she had been

when he was not even thirty, at the prime of his

Janice paused, unsure whether these fragmented memories were real or just fragments

intimate with her while

had no memory of it, but sometimes vague and ambiguous

"Mom!"

Keith's voice was low.

his boss to die, he better stop

Janice hung up

"Mom, Mom.."

twice, but he couldn't prevent

act as an antidote for his father? In that way,

remained celibate all these years,

the case, why did

should have a

past,

was a