Blackmailed by the Billionaire Brewer by Rachel Lyndhurst Read Free Book Online

summarize, I’m being blackmailed by the one-night-stand who turns out to be my new
     boss, and I feel totally stressed. Got any ideas how I can make it all go away?”
    Melanie slid her fingertips over the screen of her iPhone. “The definition of the
     verb blackmail is to demand money from someone in return for not revealing compromising
     information about them or to force someone to do something by using threats or manipulating their feelings.”
    “Not helping so far, darling.”
    “He’s not demanding money from you, is he?”
    “There’d be little point in that now, would there? He’s a millionaire and I’m broke.
     But he is using threats, the temp agency, and the things I allegedly told him when
     I was drunk that could affect my business, remember? Not to mention the panties he
     hasn’t given back, God help me, and anyway, he admitted he was blackmailing me.”
    Melanie put her phone slowly down on the table and pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Fair
     enough, but it’s just a word, really. If you take a step back and look at this with
     a cold, clear heart, it’s the nicest form of blackmail imaginable.”
    “What? Judas!”
    Melanie shrugged. “Sometimes the truth hurts, and sometimes we can’t even see it until
     somebody points it out. That’s why you called me here today, isn’t it? For some perspective?
     For some candid advice?”
    What a shitty day this was turning out to be. “I guess so, but—”
    “But nothing. You were attracted enough to this guy to have a one-night stand and
     it was hot, so he’s not repulsive. And he’s not demanding you become his sex slave
     for a month. You’re flat broke, and this job will pay over three times what you could
     possibly earn temping. You get to have a brand new wardrobe and attend a bunch of
     awesome events instead of counting beans in a back office with a bunch of nasty women
     and bitter men. And the business opportunities will be amazing! Use this to your advantage.
     Make it work for you.”
    “It’s humiliating! He’s manipulating me.”
    Melanie suddenly looked stern. “He’s not doing anything that you didn’t willingly
     allow Stanley to do. Stanley never helped you in any way at all. He dragged you down
     and shoved your face in the dirt, remember?”
    Piper felt her cheeks heat—the truth did hurt. “I wish people had told me how much
     they hated him when we were together.”
    “Nobody wanted to hurt you, Pipes,” Melanie said softly. “And would you have listened?”
    Piper sighed. “No, I wouldn’t. I’d have dumped everyone in a rage and Stanley would
     have had me completely isolated from anything that distracted me from him.”
    “That’s what real manipulators do. It got to the point where he’d be derogatory to
     you in public and you wouldn’t even defend yourself anymore. It hurt me to have to
     stand by and keep my mouth shut.”
    “Thanks for sticking with me, Mel. Those were some bad years. I can’t believe I let
     him crush my self-esteem like he did. He even ran me down in front of his boss, for
     God’s sake.”
    “You can see it now, that’s the important thing, and now it’s time to move on. Move
     upward. You’re free from him and all the toxicity of that relationship.”
    “So the upshot of what you’re saying is that I should go along with what DeLeo wants
     me to do and just grin and bear it?”
    “I say it could be a whole lot worse and you might actually enjoy yourself.”
    “Jesus, that’s what he said!”
    “Looks like you’re outvoted then.” Melanie drained the last of her coffee and slipped
     the strap of her purse over her shoulder. “And I have a hunch that the wedding of
     the year you’re going to in a couple of weeks is one of my commissions because we
     have pink beer at the banquet. You might even recognize the coral tealight holders
     you sold me. So I’ll see you there, looking fabulous and very expensive at the bankable
     brewer’s expense.”
    Piper