The Bad Boy Next Room (Charlie and Taylor) novel Chapter 48

“Please tell me that Amber’s in jail,” Charlie asked after pulling away from Taylor.

Taylor continued holding Charlie on one side. He nodded and said, “Including Grandpa’s political rival, Harrison Witmore. He wanted to run for governor, but now, he and those who implemented the spying are locked up.”

“When it all came crashing down for them, I remember Amber begging me for mercy. She cried and kneeled before me, saying she was forced into it. As it turned out, her parents worked for Harrison Witmore. They were normal people, but from what I understood, they had financial problems and saw Mr. Witmore’s offer as a way to save themselves from debt.”

“But she had a choice,” Charlie said. “She could have come clean and asked for your family’s help.”

With a nod, Taylor agreed. “That’s what Grandpa also said.”

“Mr. Witmore and the Collins were charged with invasion of privacy and defamation. Additionally, Amber was sentenced for abuse and exploitation of persons with disabilities, plus misrepresentation,” Taylor gulped before adding, “Grandpa did not hold back. He was angrier for Tristan and me.”

“But of course, while that was a scandal in town, Grandpa had to protect us. He shut down every news report about it and warned people against talking about it. So, after a few months, it all died down completely.”

“Our family took a step back—us, the Wests, and the Dawsons - Tanya’s side of the family. Only my grandparents have attended public functions since then. I’ve kept a low profile. My mom refused to take a more prominent role in city hall. Tristan was homeschooled for a year. Then, we put more effort into teaching Tristan about social cues.”

“Most teens my age weren’t particularly interested in political news, so many never really recognized me as the governor’s grandson. Adults, especially those living with persons with disabilities, sympathized with Tristan so much. As the years passed, one or two occasionally expressed their sentiments about what happened,” Taylor shared.

“And that’s it. That’s my story,” Taylor concluded.

“Was Amber your first girlfriend?” Charlie asked.

Shaking his head, Taylor answered, “Technically, yeah. If that even counted.”

“So, you never dated before Amber?” Charlie clarified.