Presented by SHANNON MUIR’S INFINITE HOUSE OF BOOKS
SPONTANEOUS CHOICES SHORTS features short serialized fiction by author Shannon Muir, that may be later released as part of e-book or print collections. In 2019, these serials will appear every second and fourth Thursday (and fifth Thursdays as they occur).
This week continues a new serialized story, “A Second La Chance,” about a young woman who originally hoped to have the children of a wealthy spoiled man to get paid off to leave him, but ends up with more than she ever bargained for when deciding to take a chance to start a new life for herself.
This is part 3 of 16.
“You’ve got us on the edge of our seats. Tell us more, Rikah!”
At that moment, I’d hoped the host would say that this would be the tease to a commercial break. I really didn’t want to go into this in a lot of detail. For that matter, I didn’t want to get into any more trouble with the LaChance family. Edmond embarrassed them enough, especially after exposing who I was then. They thought us marrying would buy both our silences. I’d been willing to play by the rules; Edmond hadn’t.
“Edmond hated his family forcing him into a life he didn’t want. It’s as simple as that. So he made my situation completely public to embarrass his parents even more than myself or any children we might have together. It all revolved around Edmond. His parents paid me to leave him, and I said as long as I get the kids as part of the deal, I was for it. I’m not at liberty to disclose the deal’s exact terms.”
Those terms included finding me the financiers to start up my company, the one I’d thought I’d come on the show to promote to begin with.
The host slumped back in the host chair.
“Aw, too bad. Well, when we come back from commercial, we’ll find out how Rikah got a second LaChance to build the life she wanted. Get it, LaChance?”
I tried not to audibly groan. The host wasn’t the first one to make this joke, and after a while it got old quickly. I couldn’t wait to talk about my current life, and passions, and projects. For my family’s sake, I needed to make use of this fame Edmond granted me while I had the chance, and turn it around.