Page 1 of Pleasing Him
1
Lily
This is so embarrassing. My period came unexpectedly today, and I have a feminine pad in my locker. But I couldn’t get to it in time, and now there’s a bright red splotch on the back of my white dress.
I know what you’re thinking:why was I wearing a white dress on a day when I was expecting my period to come?
But that’s the problem: Iwasn’tthinking, and that lack of foresight has gotten me into a lot of trouble over the years. After all, my life’s kind of been a shitshow recently. After my mom passed, my stepdad shipped me off to finish high school at a ritzy boarding school in New York. It was awful to leave the comforts of home, but Lionel couldn’t manage a teenage girl by himself. Not when both he and I were reeling with grief from my mom’s death.
So I arrived at the Spencer School for Girls and it was okay at first. School is school no matter where you go, and at first, I joined the student body unnoticed. Classes were okay, my teachers seemed decent, and even the other girls were reasonably nice to a newcomer.
But then I went a little berserk. I’m not sure what happened, but I think it was the grief doing it to me. Or maybe it was the fact that I’d departed Minnesota abruptly, without any kind of adjustment period. No matter the reason, my mom left me a sizable trust fund in her will, and I started spending it like crazy. Again, I can’t tell you if it was from sorrow, shock, or just plain immaturity, but I started blowing money on stupid stuff like weed for me and my friends; expensive designer clothes; nights out at lavish clubs; and over-the-top meals at fine dining establishments. Pretty soon, I’d blown through everything I had, and when tuition came due, there was nothing in the bank. I could have asked my stepdad for help, but I was too embarrassed. Instead, I dropped out of high school and began living in a run-down apartment in a dicey neighborhood, all the while working three jobs to make ends meet. My different positions sucked, but at least I made enough to cover my bills.
Unfortunately, even three jobs isn’t enough to survive in New York. This city is expensive, so no way did I have any savings, much less a rainy day fund. As a result, when a medical emergency struck, my already-strained budget was blown to smithereens. Even crazier, I’d suffered nothing more than a sprained ankle. But a trip to the ER is pricey, and my twisted ankle saddled me withsix figure debt. It was mind-blowing. There were so many calls and letters from the hospital, and then the collection agency, that I stopped answering my phone because of the crushing shame and guilt. I was in a very darkplace, and the depression was like a relentless monkey that rode on my back each day.
But eventually, I shook free of the weight. One day I went to the neighborhood library to borrow some books, and there were pamphlets on a side table discussing the pros and cons of personal bankruptcy. Like many other unfortunate Americans, I began to consider the possibility of filing, even though I was utterly mortified. I’ve always thought of myself as a person who pays her bills. I understand my responsibilities, and would never try to duck or disclaim them. I’m an honorable person, or so I tell myself.
But there was no other path forward, and I ended up declaring personal bankruptcy. Shame nearly brought me to my knees. I was humiliated and embarrassed, and my eyes brimmed with tears when I spoke before the judge. But she was kind and fair, and granted my petition, discharging my debts in the process. It was a wake-up call because I’ve heard that medical bills are the primary cause of financial ruin for many Americans. But I never thought it’d happen tome.
Unfortunately, the bad news didn’t stop there. I lost my apartment during the bankruptcy process, and simultaneously, the restaurant where I was waitressing closed and my babysitting gigs dried up. There was only one option at hand: to return to Minnesota with my tail between my legs, throwing myself at the mercy of my stepfather.
I didn’t tell Lionel I was coming home. Instead, I showed up unexpectedly on his doorstep, and the man of the house was utterly livid when I was directed into the drawing room. His handsome features were ominous, that square jaw locked.
“Hi Daddy,” I greeted, trying to smile even as my knees trembled. “Long time no see.”
His fists curled until his knuckles were white, and I swear, if Lionel could have breathed flames, then he would have. But instead, the man of the house managed to speak in a near-normal voice.
“Why are you here?” he demanded. “You haven’t graduated yet, so what are you doing in St. George?”
I managed to look penitent.
“Well, Spencer is really expensive, and I know I was supposed to pay the tuition bill, but I ran out of money. I tried, Daddy, I really tried. I got a job, and—”
“What happened to your trust fund, Lily?” he cuts me off brusquely. “Your mother left you a generous sum. That should have covered your tuition many times over.”
I shoot him a sheepish smile.
“I know, but Manhattan is expensive,” I reply. “A dollar in New York doesn’t even cover half of what it does in Minnesota.”
Lionel glowers, his blue eyes so piercing that my knees grew weak.
“Your mother left youmillions,” he bites out. “What happened to those funds exactly?”
I merely shrugged in a non-committal manner.
“I guess I spent it on things I shouldn’t have: nights out, expensive champagne, caviar from the Black Sea. But I’ve learned my lesson,” I said in a quick tone. “I swear, Daddy, I have. I’m not the same woman anymore, and I know that I needto save my money. It’s just that ... well, I don’thavemoney anymore.”
His black brows raise.
“Notany?”
I shake my head solemnly so that my brown curls sway.
“I’m so sorry, Daddy, but I had medical bills, and I tried to pay them, I really did. But the money ran out, and then I filed for bankruptcy, and then my wages were going to be garnished as part of the court order, but I lost my job before they could be—”
Lionel holds up a big hand, his handsome face strained.
“You filed for bankruptcy?”
