The next morning, Kevin was up early eating his breakfast.
"You got home pretty late last night," Vivian noted, sitting down at the table, hardly glancing at the newspaper in front of her.
"I went out to eat and then I went bowling," Kevin truthfully replied while continuing to eat his breakfast.
"Heather bowls?" Vivian asked, not believing her ears. "Interesting image!"
"No, not Heather," Kevin said looking up. "I went with Layla Mills last night."
Vivian looked interested when he said that. "Why didn't you go with Heather?"
"She went to Boston for a few days," Kevin replied as he stood up and headed over to the sink.
"Boston?" Vivian knew she just saw her yesterday morning. "Did you know she was going there?"
"It was very last minute. Lalie didn't even know about it until she got home. I went over there to pick Heather up and Lalie told me she had gone away. We decided to go out for dinner," Kevin explained the whole story.
"I just hope Heather suddenly doesn't have a business trip to go to on your wedding day and forgets to tell you about it," Vivian tried to manipulate Kevin.
Kevin laughed, "That wouldn't happen, Mom," as he walked over and picked up his briefcase. "The wedding is going to show our love for one another," he said as he left for work.
"Like hell it will," Vivian put her hand under her chin and raised her eyebrow. Suddenly, she got up and headed up the stairs.
Lalie and Marcia were talking when Kevin waved at Lalie and went into his office.
Lalie smiled at him and looked at Marcia, who had her jaw agape.
"Did you see the way he waved at you like that?" Marcia said in a girly tone.
"Calm down, Marcia," Lalie replied in a relaxing tone. "He's engaged to my sister, Heather."
"No wonder why you said he's a close friend of the family!" Marcia figured it out.
"That's why," Lalie answered. "Well, I have to get this program running so I could send out these files. I'll talk to you later, okay?"
Marcia nodded and went back to her desk just as the elevator doors slid open and Vivian came waltzing out.
"Lalie?" Vivian walked up to Lalie's desk, who was trying to get the program running.
"Hi, Mrs. Neelan. Kevin's in there, if you want to talk to him," Lalie pointed at his office door.
"I'm here to see you, actually. You can call me Vivian," Vivian spoke softly as she sat down in the chair.
"Me? What's on your mind, Vivian?" Lalie asked, trying to look at Vivian and the keyboard at the same time.
Vivian settled into her seat and tried to find a subtle way to get the information she wanted. "I didn't know Heather left town for a few days. Kevin told me that you two went out last night. Did you have a nice time?"
Lalie nodded while still typing at her computer. "We went to a buffet and then bowling. He is so much fun to be around!" she enthused.
"Well, I'm glad," Vivian said while watching Lalie pop a disk into her computer.
"He came looking for Heather… but… you know about that," Lalie typed something in her computer and moved her mouse around.
Vivian knew this was the time to get her plan in motion. "Aren't you so glad for Kevin and Heather? They were acting like high school sweethearts that night!"
Lalie gave Vivian a strange look and stood up to walk over to her filing cabinet to pull out a document. "I am glad for them," she lied.
Vivian walked over to Lalie. "It seems like they knew each other forever. Kevin hasn't even had another girlfriend since they broke up at that prom," Vivian added.
"Hold this," Lalie started clearing off some paper and other objects on top of her filing cabinet so she could slide it open.
Vivian held on to what Lalie gave her and said, "It's remarkable how strong their relationship is and how much Kevin believes in it. Has Heather had any other boyfriends?" Vivian knew Heather had one when she had told Heather to meet Kevin again.
"Um, there was one not too long ago," Lalie struggled to get her cabinet open while still clearing objects off the top. "Hold this, please!"
"Lalie!" Vivian cried out as she was holding everything Lalie was giving her.
Lalie stopped and looked at Vivian and innocently asked, "What?"
"Please, listen to me!" Vivian cried out in desperation.
"I am, but I am at work, you know," Lalie tried to reason with her.
"I know and I am sorry about that," Vivian put everything in her arms down on Lalie's desk.
"It's okay," Lalie politely said. "I'll take my break now, I guess. What was the last thing you said?"
Vivian acted like she did not remember her last question. "What was it now? Oh, about Kevin not having any girlfriends. You said Heather had a boyfriend not too long ago?"
"Right before she started seeing Kevin again, she had just broken up with someone," Lalie explained.
"Why?" Vivian tried getting information.
"I'm not too certain on the details," Lalie truthfully replied. "Next time you see Ted Sherman, ask him!" she laughed.
Vivian took a deep breath. That's what she needed: A name to Heather's former boyfriend. Vivian fake laughed and said, "What does he do for a living?"
Lalie thought about it for a minute. "I think he owns Down Under Bar And Grill on the boulevard."
"Wow, a restaurant owner," Vivian acknowledged. "Well, I better get going. Thanks for the chat, Lalie!"
"Okay, Vivian," Lalie smiled, "Take care!"
Vivian hurried and left the office before Kevin saw her there. All she had to do later was stop at the Down Under Bar and Grill.
Later that afternoon, Kevin was coming back into the office building after going out for a meeting.
"Did your Mom find her way up okay?" Brenda looked up at Kevin, having directed Vivian to Kevin's floor earlier.
"My Mom was here?" Kevin asked in a confused tone.
"Yes, she was," Brenda explained. "She said she needed to talk to you about something. It was earlier this morning."
"I never saw her," Kevin confirmed. "Thanks," he said as he headed up the elevator.
Brenda looked just as bewildered as Kevin did. Why had her job become so difficult since he and Heather got together?
Kevin stepped off the elevator and approached Lalie's desk area.
"Lalie, Brenda just told me the strangest thing," Kevin started.
"What happened?!" Lalie asked with an interested tone.
"She said my Mom was here earlier looking for me. Brenda even told her to get on the elevator to this floor. Do you know anything about that?" Kevin questioned.
"Oh, yeah," Lalie replied with a nod. "She told me that she was here to see me, though!"
"What did she say?" Kevin asked.
"She was just asking me about what we did last night and then she talked about you and Heather and left, basically," Lalie explained, not deliberately leaving out the part about Heather's ex-boyfriend, Ted.
"Strange! Why didn't you tell me she was here?" Kevin politely asked.
"It didn't seem like anything earth-shattering. She was just interested about where we went last night, I figured she'd tell you later about it," Lalie replied.
"Strange about her coming here!" Kevin laughed, "I'll let you get back to work."
Kevin walked back into his office and shut the door. Moments later, his phone line rang.
"I was hoping you'd be back from lunch by now," a voice on the other end chimed in.
"Mom? I just found out you were here this morning. What happened?" Kevin asked, taking off his jacket.
Vivian paused and then spoke again. "I figured you were busy so I didn't want to disturb you. I had a nice conversation with Lalie, very nice," Vivian replied, mischievously smiling to herself on the other end.
"She told me about that," Kevin said.
"Anyway, I called to tell you that I won't be home tonight but there's some leftovers in the refrigerator if you want that," Vivian explained.
"Okay. Or, maybe I'll stop at Burger King or something. Where are you going?" Kevin asked.
"A friend and I are going to this restaurant downtown," Vivian lied. "I shouldn't be that long but just thought I'd let you know."
"Okay, Mom. Have a good time and I'll see you tonight!" Kevin said as he prepared to hang up his end of the line.
"Bye!" Vivian exclaimed.
At the Neelan home, Vivian was dressed in a black skirt and long sleeve shirt.
"I'll have to tell Ted the truth for the most part... once he finds out, well…" Vivian laughed as she headed out the door.
Vivian drove in her car and arrived at the Down Under Bar And Grill. Ted was sitting at the bar, but she did not know that when she walked in.
"Can you tell me where I can find Mr. Ted Sherman?" Vivian asked the host when she walked in.
The host pointed to the only man sitting at the bar. Vivian looked at him for a minute and walked over and sat on the stool next to his.
"Creme de menthe," Vivian requested of the bartender.
"How about that team?" Vivian tried to start conversation by looking at the TV screen in the corner with some baseball game on. She had no idea who they were, but it was worth a shot!
"If they lose this game, it's their third in a row," Ted noted as he held up his glass.
"That's terrible," Vivian tried to sound interested as she looked at the screen and then looked at Ted.
"Want me to pay for your drink? I have no one else to treat nowadays," Ted said with a saddened tone.
Vivian rubbed his arm. "Sure, lonely? I think I know what's troubling you, Ted. I'm Vivian."
Ted looked puzzled that she knew his name. "How did you my name?"
"I just do," Vivian whispered suggestively. "And I know why you're feeling like that."
Ted laughed in disbelief, "Try me. If you're right, then I'll pay for another crème de menthe!"
"Better take out that wallet then," Vivian teased. "Your problem is one name: Heather Mills."
Ted widened his eyes when she said Heather's name. "I don't know what to say," he said, speechless, as he picked up his glass.
"The reason why you're not wining and dining Heather tonight or any night is because… well, you're looking at the reason," Vivian addressed, looking straight into his eyes.
Ted almost dropped his glass on the desk as he stared at Vivian in disbelief.
"Don't believe me?" Vivian tried getting a response.
"What do you mean that you're the one responsible for Heather breaking up with me?" Ted asked puzzled, shaking his head at Vivian in disbelief.
"You see, I told Heather to see my son again once because he couldn't get over her. All I needed her to do was show him that she wasn't in his league. I told her if she wanted to hold on to this account, that could make her very wealthy, that she'd take this offer. Needless to say, she did. Instead, she went back on her word after she saw what my son does for a living. She's only after him for his money and that account at her job. And now, my son and Heather are engaged to be married as soon as possible. He thinks she's the love of his life but Heather and I know the truth," Vivian made her speech, full of half-truths and lies.
Ted's eyes widened and his jaw dropped with every word Vivian just spoke. "YOU were the one responsible for Heather breaking up publicly with me at that restaurant?"
Vivian nodded. "It wasn't supposed to be like that. If she only saw him once to show him that they're not right for each other like I said then she still would have been on your arm," she lied. "She could have declined my offer. I was only thinking about my son's future," Vivian partially told the truth. "By the way, Ted, this wasn't the first time that Heather publicly broke up with someone. She did it to my son also, a while back."
Ted said in shock, "She could have declined but she didn't. She was never really in love with me. Money is more important to her!"
"And the power and respect that comes along with it," Vivian added.
"I don't believe it," Ted put his hand on his forehead. "It was all for money!" Ted slowly looked up at Vivian. "Thank you!"
Vivian couldn't believe what he just said. "Thank you?"
"Thank you for showing me what kind of person Heather was, the kind that would throw away something, that I thought was good, for wealth and power. She didn't think twice about throwing our relationship away if it meant she benefits financially," Ted explained with an angry tone.
"She's a gold digger," Vivian firmly said. "That's why she broke your poor heart that night at the restaurant… it was all about money and that account."
Ted ran his fingers through his hair. "And now she's getting married for money."
"No, she's not," Vivian looked at Ted right in the eye. "I'm stopping the wedding with, hopefully, your help. I think it's time Heather Mills gets taught a lesson she'll never forget. You should see the way she deliberately gloats around me, it's sickening!"
Ted thought about this for a minute. "With my help? I don't know, Vivian. Stopping a wedding like that?"
"Oh, come on. We're talking about the woman who embarrassed you in front of a dining room full of people and broke your heart. Was that very tactful? She could have at least done it in private. She deserves whatever she gets after what she did to you and also to my son that time," Vivian tried to persuade Ted. "I won't be able to do this without your help. Don't you want to see her get what she deserves for doing that to you?"
Ted rose off the stool and stood in the middle of the bar. "What are your suggestions?"
Vivian smiled contently. "You're in?"
"Yes," Ted simply replied with a one-word utter.
Vivian and Ted shook hands.
"Heather is a professional under pressure, though. You should have seen that Oscar worthy performance that night at the restaurant. I'm sure you've seen her acts too," Ted was sure of that.
"Have I," Vivian laughed. "Don't worry, Ted. What I have planned, she won't be able to get out of."
Ted turned around and looked at Vivian interestedly.
"Ted, by the time we're through with Heather Mills, her own two feet won't be enough to support her," Vivian folded her arms and raised her eyebrow as Ted looked at Vivian and nodded.
Chapter 25
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