Chapter 36

Judy’s POV

I could not believe I actually agreed to this. I stared at myself in the mirror with a frown. I was wearing a female business suit that seemed to have aged me a few years. Matt was right when he said that I could pull off being his mother. For a moment, I had doubts that I could be too young, and the teachers would never fall for it. But those doubts slipped away when I grabbed one of my mother’s business attires and slipped it on.

I glanced at the clock and sighed; I only had a few minutes before my Uber arrived and took me to Matt’s school. I wasn’t even sure what it was he did that got him in trouble. I should have asked so I could better prepare my response. It had to be the response of a parent though; I had to be angry with him and give him a stern talking to.

I ran my fingers through my hair, wondering if maybe I should put my hair in a low ponytail instead of leaving it down. I swallowed the lump in my throat and shook my head; no… if I can’t pull off being his mother, then my next bet is to seduce the teacher. Or so Nan would tell me if I were to tell her what I was up to today.

The honking outside indicated that my Uber was there. I took a deep breath before giving myself one more look in the mirror. Satisfied with my attire, I grabbed my purse off my bed, shouldered it, and quickly left the room.

I was surprised that my mother was in the living room when I got downstairs; and even more surprised when I saw that she was sipping on a cup of coffee. When she saw me, she gave me a small smile and motioned for the kitchen with her head.

“I brewed some coffee if you’d like some,” she offered.

“You brewed the coffee yourself?” I asked.

She raised her brows at me.

“I’m capable of brewing coffee, Judy,” she told me, her tone flat.

I blinked a few times.

“I didn’t mean it like that, Mom. I just meant you haven’t really been up to doing anything lately is all,” I told her. “I’m glad you’re out of bed.”

“I figured it’s time that I start making some changes in my life and I can’t do that if I’m stuck in my room all day, can I?” She asked, taking another sip of her coffee.

I smiled and walked around the couch to hug her. As I wrapped my arms around her, her body seemed to have stiffened. But it only lasted a moment because soon she was relaxing and resting her head on my shoulder.

Then she lifted her head to look at me with a frown.

“Are you wearing my clothes?” She asked.

I swallowed and gave her an awkward laugh.

“I have an interview,” I lied. “I needed something professional to wear.”

“Would this job be good paying?” She asked.

I nodded.

“Maybe even enough to pay off Dad’s debt,” I told her.

Her face lit up.

“I have a meeting with his lawyers today to discuss some other options they may have found,” she told me. “I’ll keep you posted on what I find out.”

I nodded.

“I’ll be home a little later and we can talk then,” I assured her.

The honking outside grew more constant and I knew if I didn’t go outside right now, the Uber driver would drive away without me.

“I have ot go,” I told her, kissing her cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you, Judy,” she said thoughtfully.

I quickly ran out of the house and into the backseat of the Uber. The ride was quiet as we reached the school and as the Uber driver parked, my anxiety only grew more intense. I thanked him and slipped out of the car.

When I walked into the school, the halls were quiet. I assumed most students were in class. It didn’t take me long to reach the main office because it was near the school's front entrance. The receptionist, a young blonde woman, was typing away on her computer, barely paying attention to anything going on around her. She barely spared me a look as I stepped in front of her desk.

I had to clear my throat a couple of times for her to acknowledge me finally. She sighed and lifted her gaze to meet mine.

“Can I help you?” She asked, raising her perfectly trimmed brows.

“Yes, I’m here to speak with the principal,” I said, taking in the blonde in front of me.

“And who might you be?”

“Judy Landry,” I lied. “I’m Matt’s mom.”

She narrowed her eyes at me, taking me in from my toes to my head before she let out a bark of laughter. She had to sit back in her seat and hold her stomach while she continued to laugh; my cheeks burned hot. She could see right through me because if I was Mrs. Landry, that meant I was married to Gavin Landry, and everybody knew that Gavin was an eligible bachelor and a playboy. I should have thought that through before speaking, but now that the lie was out there, I couldn’t exactly take it back.

“You’re Gavin Landry’s wife?” She asked. “The Gavin Landry?”

“Yes,” I said, folding my arms across my chest. “Is there a problem?”

“Only that Gavin Landry isn’t married and if he were to get married, it wouldn’t be to a nobody like you,” she said, narrowing her eyes at me. “Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“I think I was called to this parent/teacher conference because my son got in trouble,” I said, raising my brows.

“Look, I don’t know who you think you are, but you are certainly not a Landry. You don’t even look like you’d be Matthew Landry’s mother. You look like an overgrown toddler in your business suit. You are pathetic and weak and not suitable to be a Landry,” she said through her teeth.

“Lucy, is there a problem out here?” A man asked from a nearby doorway. The plaque on the door read: Principal Thorne.

He was Matt’s principal and the one I needed to meet with.

“No, sir,” the woman, Lucy, said, her eyes still digging a hole into my face. “This woman was claiming to be Mrs. Landry. How pathetic does she sound?”

Principal Thorne looked me over carefully, his thin lips thinning even more as he took me in. I felt uncomfortable under his scrutiny and suddenly I just wanted the ground to open and swallow me whole.

“You are Mrs. Landry?” He asked, narrowing his eyes at me. “I wasn’t aware that Alpha Gavin, the most powerful Lycan Chairmen in the world, was married since his fated mate died years ago.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and kept my gaze steadily on his.

“I am his wife, yes,” I lied, hating that I didn’t even sound convincing to myself.

This made Lucy laugh even harder.

“She sounds so stupid,” Lucy chuckled. “Look at her; Gavin would never marry someone like her. She’s a nobody. No pack has ever even heard of her.”

Principal Thorne looked me over again, almost as if his wheels were turning.

“You sure are a looker though,” he said, wiggling his brows at me. My entire face turned hot as I stared at him in disbelief. Was he making a pass at me? “Perhaps we can forget about this whole thing if you make it worth my while. I have a few minutes before my next meeting.”

He winked at me, making bile rise in my throat.

“A girl like her is only good for one thing; spreading her legs,” Lucy chuckled; she stared at me like I was nothing more than a bug she had just stepped on.

“You think so?” Principal Thorne asked as he stepped closer to me; I was rooted to the ground, unable to actually move. He reached over and brushed a strand of hair out of my face; his touch against my skin burned and I would have slapped him if he wasn’t Matt’s principal. “Then perhaps she should prove it to me first. I might even let Matthew off the hook.”

“Gavin Landry is going to lose his shit when he finds out that this imposter is pretending to be his wife. Everybody knows that Gavin is a single man, and he would never be caught seen with someone like this bitch. You should be ashamed of yourself for trying to trick us.”

Just as I was about ot step away, Principal Thorne grabbed my arm and started to yank me toward his office.

“For wasting my time, you can make it up to me,” he said as he continued to pull me along with him. I struggled against his hold as Lucy chuckled and grabbed her phone. She started to take pictures of the situation.

“Let go of me,” I ordered, my wrist turning red from his hands.

“Not before I get what I want,” the principal sneered.

Panic struck me suddenly; was this the man who looked over the students? He was a complete monster! How dare he lay a hand on me like this!!

The door of the main office swung open, and we all froze when a couple of the Silver Crescent Gamma warriors walked in along with Beta Taylor. My heart fell deep into my stomach upon seeing them, knowing that the next person who walked through the door would be Gavin Landry.

I was busted and this was going to be so humiliating.