The Wrong Side of Midnight (12 page)

A year later, Earl met with his technology department. Laying his plans out for everyone to see, it was clear he'd found a less expensive and faster way to melt steel. His idea would save millions. The amazing
machine was built the following year and sold all across the nation. Earl was on his way to take charge and make the world a better place.

Sylvia wasn't having any part of it. She couldn't make her husband stay home no matter how hard she tried. She knew Earl loved his daughter and wanted to build a wonderful empire for the future Burlington generations. Even though she desperately wanted him to stop traveling and working so much, she was unwilling to cut back on her luxurious lifestyle. Sylvia continued to spend, and Earl continued to travel. One day, she packed her bags and hopped on the plane right beside her husband.

At first it was just for a week or
two here and there. But soon enough, Sylvia wasn't going home after traveling abroad to see Earl. It was okay though. She promised to spend the summers back in Michigan, all holidays, and one weekend per month. That happened until Chloe turned two, then slowly over the next couple years, the visits disappeared…But that was okay, too. She promised to call every day and talk with Chloe and would promptly fly home if she was needed. That rarely happened.

Sylvia hated being a mother. It was her biggest fear in life. She loved the idea of having a child and could even say she loved the little girl. But Sylvia had no idea how to bond. When Chloe began to treat
Lois like the mother figure, she knew the best thing to do was keep away. Wasn't it better this way? As Chloe aged and realized that her mother wasn't coming home, she began to ask questions. Lois explained the best she could.

As Burlington Enterprises grew, so did the attention of the press. Photographers and reporters frequently hung around the estate. After Earl was contacted by his secretary regarding staff complaints at the house, he quickly installed a security system, gates, guards, and twenty-four hour surveillance at his home. The first kidnapping threat came when Chloe turned four. When Lois called Earl after phoning the police, Sylvia answered the phone.
Lois demanded she come home to her child and protect her, and be a decent mother. Sylvia told her in no uncertain terms to ever call directly again. The office knew how to reach them after all.

Earl was informed of the threats, due to a police leak that ended up in the newspaper. He was furious, and also unaware that his wife had any knowledge of the crime. That was the beginning of Chloe's secluded life.

Sylvia and Earl had many arguments over their daughter's welfare. She made all kinds of promises but never kept them. When Chloe turned eighteen, Sylvia was more than sure a mother wasn't necessary. She turned out just fine
after all. That didn't fly with her husband.
A husband
.
Yes, that was the answer to all her problems. She needed to find her daughter a husband and get her out of that house.

The search began. She had Earl's secretary fax
her a
list of who was who in the social circle of wealthy families. She went through every name until she found a family with a rich son her daughter's age. It took her a couple of minutes to discover the Lauer's had attended one of their benefits. The first phone call was made, asking for a donation for a medical facility in Africa. Sylvia called a few weeks later to thank Mrs. Lauer for their one hundred thousand dollar check. After a long
chat about family, fashion, and Chloe being single and of age, the ball was set in motion.

Twenty-one-year-old Edmund Lauer, with the skinny body and pinched face like his father's, showed up at the Burlington house to visit Chloe. After Earl investigated the young man and was assured that his daughter was safe, she was allowed to go on her first date to a very expensive restaurant, transported by a limo with two guards.

Earl and Sylvia flew home, and the engagement was arranged. Yes, Edmund was the one. Sylvia had a photographer come in to take a picture for that event too. Their flight left at four in the morning, and when Chloe got up to make breakfast for
her parents, they were flying high above the Atlantic Ocean.

∞  ∞  ∞  ∞

Becky walked out of Chloe's hospital room after a few minutes so Matthew could spend some time alone with her. The tubes in her head were gone, but all the loud, scary equipment remained connected to her. No matter how bad she was bruised, battered, and bandaged, he stayed by her side and never once thought of bailing. Becky had grown so fond of that roofer she first met in what seemed like years ago. They talked all the time. The more she
learned about him and his love for her friend, the more she understood why Chloe went to extremes to help him and why her heart was so broken when they broke up. Matthew, Becky knew, was a keeper.

The loud sound of high heels clicking on the hospital tiles made her head turn in the opposite direction. A voice loudly filled the air the moment the heels stopped clicking. Becky would know that voice anywhere.

"I demand to speak with a doctor. My daughter was in an automobile accident. Page him immediately and let him know the Burlington's have arrived."

"Are you Chloe's parents?" asked the unit clerk, who was clearly
intimidated.

"I don't have time for this. Get the doctor here." Sylvia tapped her manicured nails impatiently on the desk. She turned and twisted her face in the direction of a laundry bin in the hall and then straightened her suit and fluffed her hair.

Becky lost all reason. "Oh my God!" she yelled.

Matthew moved quickly out of the lounge and ran to Becky's side. Before he could ask any questions, the heels began clicking on the tile more quickly in Becky's direction, and he turned to look at the perfectly groomed, older couple.

Sylvia's face distorted in disgust again when she began to eye Matthew up and down, a disheveled
looking man in her opinion. "Becky, my word, I had no idea you were with anyone…"

"This is Chloe's boyfriend, Sylvia.
He's
been here around the clock to sit at
your daughter's
side since her accident." Becky wanted her words to sting.

"Well I'll go take a look and see how bad it is. People can have quite an imagination when describing injuries when they're under stress. Hopefully I can find a doctor who doesn't like to keep people needlessly waiting."

Becky watched Sylvia saunter down the hall towards Chloe's room. When she walked inside, Becky hurried to stand in the doorway. The sickness she felt made her want to
rip the woman to pieces. Sylvia glanced at the machines, looked momentarily in the direction of the bed, and never once touched her daughter.

Sylvia pushed past Becky and spoke over her shoulder as she walked away. "We'll have to call a plastic surgeon. Her face looks absolutely ruined!"

Matthew was losing the battle to remain cool, and Becky had already lost it.

"Her
looks
?!"
Becky's fists clenched at her sides. "You should be concerned with her
life
!"

Sylvia didn't even flinch. She turned to Matthew. "What is your name, young man, and what family are you from?"

"My name is Matthew Sharp." Against every grain in his body, he offered his hand.

Sylvia glanced down at the large, calloused hand. "You look like an auto-mechanic. Please tell me my daughter can do better than this?"

Putting down Matthew was the last straw for Becky. "
Get out
! Just get the hell out of here and don't come back! We're her family! You showed up, not out of love, but because this horrible accident made the papers. You would have been mauled by the press had you not have flown here!"

"Chloe is our daughter, and we aren't going anywhere. Isn't that right, Earl?"

Earl ignored Sylvia and walked
with his head hung low to his daughter's room.

"You've never had anything to do with Chloe. You've done nothing but crush her heart for twenty-four years! You don't belong here playing the role of a loving mother."

Matthew was afraid Becky would pound the woman to the ground. "I think Becky and I have everything under control. You're probably tired from the flight."

"What are you after, Matthew?
Money?
We can give you money if you just go away. You'll ruin her reputation, and her status will soon follow. You couldn't
support
our daughter, so it has to be money. Think of the children she would have with you. They'd be mongrels for
God's sake."

The pleasantries left him instantly. Matthew took two steps before Becky grabbed him.

"Earl and I are exhausted from the plane ride, so we're going to head home and have Lois prepare us something. I need to shower and get cleaned up. Feel free to do the same, Matthew. Becky, darling, do call if Chloe wakes up. Hopefully they'll remove all those….
tubes
."

"It'll be a cold day in hell before I call you! You gave up your right to be her
family
!"

"Earl! Let's go, dear."

Earl stepped out of his daughter's room with tears glistening on his cheeks. "Go on, Sylvia, I'll call for a car."

"Yeah, go on home, Sylvia. Enjoy cooking your dinner. Lois walked out of that place long ago."

"
What
?!"

She smiled at her triumph, grabbed Matthew's hand, and walked towards Chloe's room.

Becky was warned about keeping her voice down on the unit. Sylvia, however, was asked to leave.

Chapter 11

"She was raised by
that
?"

"No, Matthew, Chloe was raised by nannies and Lois.
Her parents never there.
They traveled constantly, not even bothering to talk to her when they called, let alone visit. She's spent her life being held captive in that mansion. Anyone who stepped an inch inside her circle was investigated, even me. She wasn't allowed to freely leave the estate, she
fled
. If it wasn't for Lois, Chloe wouldn't be half the woman she is today."

"Why did she lie about it all?"

"She hid her reality from me, and I'm her best friend. My family is wonderful, my boyfriend is
loving
…I had everything Chloe wanted. She lied out of embarrassment. All along I knew her parents traveled all the time, but I believed they were still very much a part of her life. They weren't. Being abandoned by two people who're supposed to love you unconditionally, and being forced into an arranged engagement, broke her. Admitting something to another person makes it real,
ya
know? She knew if she told
her
truth it would make the wounds cut deeper. If you saw her on the street, you wouldn't know that Chloe is worth billions. She has a lot of stock in Burlington
Enterprises, as well as a trust fund. That would make any other person ecstatic and willing to put up with any kind of treatment, but not her. She only wants to be loved for who she is. She doesn't buy expensive gifts for herself, but uses her wealth to help people who deserve it. I got a glimpse of that when she bought the Impala."

"Did she love me or just want to help me? I need to know."

"I thought Chloe was in love with Edmund. She pretended enough to fool even me. I guess you get used to creating a perfect life when you have to so desperately hide your real one. After she saw you on the roof, she was smitten."

"Smitten? What, with my
looks?"

"Yeah, she was definitely attracted to you, but she was well aware that beauty's only skin deep. Edmund looked like a weasel, but Chloe didn't care about that. She hated him because he was mean and controlling. Her wealth and status was all he wanted…that and a beautiful woman on his arm. The day she met you is when I found out what was going on with everything in her life." Becky was silent for a few moments. She'll never forget the pain on Chloe's face that day at the pool.

"I tried to stop her from running out to the neighbor's to meet you. I'm guilty of seeing you as not being worthy based on your profession. I'm
so incredibly sorry about that. This whole experience has changed me."

"She followed me to Detroit just to meet me?" Matthew grinned shyly.

"She wanted to meet someone on her own to see if she could have a chance at love. Chloe wanted to meet you that day, and felt awful when you left before she could introduce herself. I don't know the details, but Chloe ended up in Detroit. That's the night you both met. She started to fall for you the moment she learned of how you care for your father. She saw your heart, and that's all she needed."

"She wanted to help us out of love?"

"When you found out who she
really was, she crumbled to nothing. There were a few times I was afraid to leave her side. She wasn't eating or drinking, and I had to force her out of bed. Chloe knew she lost you. That broke her heart. What hurt
her the
most was when you refused her help. Chloe wanted to be honest, but was afraid you'd want nothing to do with her, and then she wouldn't be able to help you."

"She tried to tell me. I wouldn't let her." Disgusted with himself, Matthew got up and walked into Chloe's room. Her father had left without saying a word to his daughter.
How can they treat her like that? How could I have been such a pride-filled, arrogant ass?
He walked in and kissed her bruised
face. The swelling had gone down some, but she still didn't resemble the woman he knew.
Her injuries are no comparison to the crushing blows she's endured her entire life, and I caused some of them.

Becky walked to the doorway and poked her head in. "Matthew? I've never gone this long without a shower in all my life. I'm going to drive home and get cleaned up and change my clothes. I'll be back in a couple hours."

"It's a long drive, Becky. Go on over to my apartment instead, and you can take a shower and make yourself at home. You'd probably feel more comfortable at Chloe's, but I don't have a key to her apartment anymore. In my top dresser are some
t-shirts and sweats if you need a change of clothes. They'll be a little big but they're clean." Matthew paused when a painful thought came to him. "You
wanna
hear something totally pathetic? I was embarrassed when I found out an heiress was in my run-down apartment."

"Well I never in a million years would have taken you up on your offer before this. Thank you. I'll get your father whatever he needs while I'm there."

Matthew nodded and smiled, while watching Becky walk down the hall.
She's good people.
He realized that money doesn't mean you are or aren't a decent person. He looked down at the love of his life and gently placed his hand on top of
hers.
I promise we'll be alright. Come back to me.

∞  ∞  ∞  ∞

Becky softly knocked on the door, and then put Matthew's key in the lock.

"Can I help you with something? How'd you get a key?" Conner reached for the phone.

"I'm Becky, Chloe's best friend. Matthew and I have been at the hospital around the clock, and to be honest, I'm starting to look and smell pretty gross. He said I could come here and shower and borrow a change of clothes. Is that okay?"

"Then that makes you family.
Come on inside. The towels are under the sink."

"Can I do anything for you while I'm here? Do you need groceries or any cleaning done?"

"I'm kind of hungry, but I can have John fix me something when he gets home from work."

"You don't need to wait for John. I'm just as hungry as you are! What would you like?" Becky found herself feeling excited about helping this man.

"Is pizza okay with you? There's a grocery store a couple of miles from here. Next door is a little pizzeria, and they're not too expensive." Conner reached in his pocket.

"My treat, because I eat like a
truck driver.
I'll take a quick shower and be out the door in fifteen minutes."

Becky loved to smell like a girl. Washing her hair with shampoo that smelled like a man would never have entered her mind, even as a remote possibility before. There wasn't any beautifully scented conditioner either, but that was okay too. The ceiling paint was cracked, the tub was rust-stained, and not once did she feel like judging them, or her current surroundings. All she felt was warmth and gratitude.

Matthew's clothes were exactly where he said they were. She was surprised at how neat his room was.
She threw on a pair of black sweats and a large t-shirt which came down to the top of her knees, and walked back out to the kitchen.

"Those don't look so bad."

"I've never worn something so comfortable in my life! I'm going now to get the pizza. Anything special you want on it?"

"I haven't had pizza in months. I usually only get cheese, it's cheaper, but I love all the toppings. Pick out your favorite."

"Be right back, Mr. Sharp."

"Conner, please."

Becky smiled and headed towards her Jaguar. She had to pull the sweats up when she walked so she wouldn't trip, but the string on the waist stopped them from sliding
off her body. She never once felt embarrassed about the way she looked. The people in the parking lot turned to stare when she climbed in her expensive car. Glancing in the rearview mirror, Becky smiled at her plain face and messy hair.

Traffic was a steady flow on the way to the pizzeria. Without even thinking, she stopped at the red light where she saw Chloe's car lying mangled on its side. Becky took deep breaths and tried to stay focused. Luckily, the light soon turned green and she was able to continue driving.

The pizzeria didn't have any other customers inside. An older Italian man took her order. Four large supreme pizzas, breadsticks, soda, salad, and cinnamon bread was
her first purchase. The one hundred dollar gift certificate to the pizzeria was the other.

"While you fix that, I'm going to run to the grocery store. I'll be back in a few."

"Give us thirty minutes."

Becky walked in, grabbed a cart, and started down the first aisle. She'd never grocery shopped on her own before in her life. Heck, she'd never stepped foot inside a small pizza place either. After the third aisle, she ran back down to the entrance, left her first cart with the manager, and then grabbed a new cart. She was having so much fun, but even better, Becky was helping Matthew and Conner.
I'm covering for
ya
,
chica
. Hurry and get better. I'll take care of
them, don't you worry.

Becky paid for the groceries and then purchased a five hundred dollar gift card to the store. When she got to the car, she realized there was no place to fit that many groceries, let alone the pizzas.

"Hey!" Becky waved to the cashier from the back of her car.

The cashier walked outside with a concerned look on her face. "Did I forget to bag something?"

"Do you guys deliver?"

"We can deliver groceries, but there's a fee."

"I'll pay double if these can be delivered right now. The driver can just follow me. Can I buy the service for a year for someone?"

"You sure can."

Becky had to make two trips to carry all the food from the pizzeria up to the apartment. Conner's face lit up.

"
Aww
, you didn't have to get all that food. How much was it? I can pay you back next week."

"Nope.
No way, this is my treat. I'll put the groceries away for you."

"Groceries?
I don't—"

The grocery delivery guy began carrying in the bags and setting them on the kitchen counter and stove top.

"Becky!"

"When you love someone—"

"You don't even know us."

"I love Chloe, and she loves you. Matthew has become like a
brother to me. That makes us family, just like you said."

Conner's cheeks glowed red. "It's hard for me to accept help."

"Pride has caused so much destruction between us all. It's time for that to stop." Becky reached in her bag. "You have John deposit this tomorrow in your account. I won't take no for an answer." Becky wrote out a check to Conner Sharp for twenty-thousand dollars.

"That's a lot of money. Thank you for your offer but I can't accept this…"

"I spend that easily just shopping for clothes." She handed him the gift cards and wrote down the grocery store and pizzeria phone numbers." Both will deliver anything
you need for free."

Conner took the check and reached up to wipe at a tear. Becky hurried and filled both their plates so he'd change his focus and not lose his composure and feel even worse. When they were done eating and the groceries were put away, she wrapped up the leftover slices and put some in the fridge and the rest in the freezer. She fixed up a big plate of food to take to the hospital for Matthew.

"You've been so kind, Becky…"

"Here's my number. You call me for anything you need…especially for company. I'll see you again soon, I promise." She bent down and kissed his stubble-covered cheek and then went out the door, never feeling
so happy, worthy, and free in her entire life.

∞  ∞  ∞  ∞

The doctor told Becky and Matthew that Chloe could come off the ventilator and that they'd be reversing the drug induced coma. He warned that she'd be in a lot of pain and was still facing another surgery, possibly more.

"That's great news, right? So she's out of the woods now?" Becky felt such an enormous relief.

"She could still develop infections and pneumonia. We'll also need to watch her for blood clots, but
barring any of those things, she should do okay. Before we take her off the ventilator, I'd like to get Chloe back in surgery to fix her nose. She won't be able to breathe correctly if we don't. Her jaw fracture isn't as bad as we first thought. It's not dislocated and should heal properly. She won't be allowed to use it fully while it's healing though. Her hand has a few breaks, and her leg has a serious fracture as well. Those'll take longer. When her hand heals more, we'll remove the pins. Do you have any more questions?"

"When she's taken out of her coma, will she be able to talk? Will she be…the same?" Becky had to know what to expect in order to help
her friend.