Page 250
Chapter 250 of "Tempting Venom" starts with unexpected events: For the most part, the boyfriends barely stuck around, and I donât remember their names... Find out more!
For the most part, the boyfriends barely stuck around, and I donât remember their names or faces.
But one of them did.
His name was Claude Lavoie.
He was Momâs kind of long-term boyfriend. He worked with money as a partner in a wealth management firm and talked about other peopleâs money a lot.
And Mom loved that. But what she loved more was the access to the plush lifestyle and the privileges sheâd lost after the divorce. Claude used to tell her she deserved a lot more than what Dad gave her.
He was tall, presentable, and had a trainerâs body. He talked in a suave voice, wore the right clothes, said the right words, and ate the right food.
But I never liked him.
The first time I met him, when Mom brought him to our house, he had a strange look in his dim brown eyes. It was different from how her other boyfriends looked at me. They were either disinterested or faked interest; one of them even pretended to be fatherly, like Dad.
Not Claude.
The first time he met me, he didnât even attempt to put on a show. He just assessed me.
After that, I feltâŚscared around him, and I didnât know why.
Mom loved him, though. She was happy with him, and all her friends fawned over him. He was charming and good-looking and had everyoneâs attention and trust.
Not mine.
I just hated it whenever he touched me. His hand would press on my shoulder for too long, or he would try to sit me on his lap when Mom wasnât there, which gave me a weird feeling.
When he kind of moved in with us, I threw a tantrum andtold Mom I wanted to go back to Dadâs. She got drunk and started crying.
âYouâre just like your papa, Preston! Youâve become as unfeeling as he is. You have the heart to leave Mommy all alone?â
I didnât.
Also, Dad had an annoying girlfriend at the time, and I thought he wouldnât want me there.
He never really asked me to move back in, so I thought heâd truly abandoned us like Mom said.
All these years, Iâve been thinking that maybe I shouldâve insisted back then. When Claude moved in, I shouldâve moved out.
Because thatâs when it all started.
The lingering touches lingered more, and he often came into my room while I was doing homework.
Heâd steady my shoulders and lean in from behind. Heâd push my hair from my eyes and say I looked so pretty. Like a cute, little girl.
It made me feel sick.
But I didnât say anything to Mom, because I was so scared sheâd start crying again or say it was my fault she was sad and miserable all the time.
I was just scared sheâd abandon me like Dad did.
So when Claude snuck into my room at night, when I heard the low creak of the door and the floor under his weight, I bit my lip. When he touched my face and made these ugly noises, I pretended to be asleep.
When he whispered, âYouâre so fucking pretty, Preston,â as my face was smeared with hot jelly water, my lips trembled, but I kept them shut.
âYouâll stay quiet for me, yes?â He cleaned my face withfingers that burned me everywhere they touched me. âWith a face like that, itâs your fault I canât control myself.â
After that, Claude came to my room every night for more than a month.