Straightening Affairs - 12. Chapter 12

Ryan waited until he was far enough from Michael’s apartment before he pulled out his phone and dialed the number. It rang twice before a familiar voice answered.

“Is everything going according to plan, Ryan?” Her voice was calm, calculated.

“Yes,” he replied. “But there’s a complication… Sarah wants kids. She’s already brought it up with Michael, and he’s not happy about it. This could throw a wrench in everything we’ve been working on.”

A pause, and then a low chuckle filled the line. “Let them go through with it.”

Ryan blinked, surprised. “What?”

“Listen to me,” she continued, her voice cold but confident. “I have a plan, one that will work to both our advantages. Let them have their precious family. When everything comes to light, Sarah will be so disgusted, so revolted by Michael, that she’ll want nothing to do with him. She won’t even let him near those bastard children.”

The words sent a chill through Ryan. He knew Michael’s mother had always been controlling, but this went far beyond what he’d expected. He could barely believe what he was hearing.

“So you’re saying… once she knows… you think she’d really keep him from his own kids?”

“Of course,” she replied smoothly, a trace of triumph in her voice. “Sarah will feel betrayed in the worst way possible. She won’t just leave him; she’ll make sure he’s cut out entirely. Those children won’t even matter to her once she learns the truth.”

Ryan swallowed, feeling a strange mix of excitement and dread. He had signed up for manipulation, but this was on a whole other level. “All right. I’ll keep doing my part. I just didn’t expect… this.”

She laughed softly, almost as if she were amused by his hesitation. “You just do what you’re supposed to. Nudge him, push him, make him think he’s making all these choices himself. Meanwhile, I’ll handle the rest. And when this all unravels, Michael will come back to me, alone and broken, exactly as it should be.”

“Understood,” Ryan replied, though his voice wavered slightly.

“Good,” she replied with an air of finality. “You know how to handle him, don’t you? Keep pushing, but don’t let him catch on. Make him believe he’s choosing this path all on his own. And keep your little details to yourself. I don’t need the specifics.”

Ryan forced a chuckle. “I thought you wanted to know everything.”

She gave an irritated sigh. “Enough, Ryan. Just don’t mess this up. Remember, I get what I want, you get what you want, and everyone’s happy. Now, don’t call me. I can’t risk having your little boyfriend catching wind of this.”

“Got it,” he said, regaining his composure. “You’ll have no reason to worry.”

The line went dead, but her words lingered, echoing in his mind. With a slight smirk, Ryan slipped the phone back into his pocket, satisfied and a bit disturbed. The game was in full play, and he was finally beginning to understand just how far Michael’s mother would go to get exactly what she wanted.