"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" My father asked my mother, he had so much concern plastered on his face for her. "It's not too late to back out Love."
"Yes." She confidently nods. "It's what needs to be done right now, so let's just get it over with."
To be honest she didn't seem phased at all that she was about to answer for her past to the media. My father is the one who seems more worried about it. Although that may just be because he doesn't want her stressed out right now.
"Okay." My father grabbed her hand and led the doors leading out of Tipton Enterprises where the reporters were waiting for a statement.
Scarlett and I followed behind them. We wanted to show our support and prove that no matter what our mother's past is, we love her. Kaydence Tipton is a good fucking person and if the media wants to try to spin that differently then I'll make it look like my father's the one who's been playing nice.
The doors opened and everyone went silent as my father and mother stepped in front of them. Scarlett stood by mother while I stood next to my father. The reporters fell silent, normally they would start asking all their questions at once but when it comes to Damon Tipton, they know to not speak unless they've been called upon.
My father cleared his throat, ready to address everyone. "I'm well aware of the things being said about my wife in the last twenty-four hours. While there is some truth to it, I can assure you my marriage has been nothing but real."
The reporters stay silent while writing down his words.
"The truth is, Kaydence used to be a sex worker." My father continued. "She wasn't doing it because of drugs or anything like that, she was doing it because she had no other choice. Her mother was sick and dying in the hospital. She needed money to pay for all the treatments but due to lack of experience no one was willing to give her a job."
My father paused for a moment, thinking of what to say next.
As he did, my eyes locked with Isabelle's. She was in the crowd off to the side watching everything that was going on. We agreed that she would give me her support from the side because we want the media to see how united our family is.
A reporter slowly raised their hand into the air, getting my father's attention. They practically gulped as my father and I both looked in their direction.
"What's your question?" It was obvious in my father's voice he was pretty much daring the reporter to ask.
"Mr. Tipton, before you got involved with Kaydence Tipton, wasn't she dating your nephew at the time?" The reporter's voice slightly shook as he asked, like even he knew this was a question that was the equivalent of playing with fire.
"You would be correct." My father's voice slightly darkened. "Now, I'm an honest man so I have no problem telling you my nephew was a different man back then than he is now. The relationship he had with her wasn't good and they ended up breaking up, causing her to return to the streets she once worked to try to save her mother."
"What do you mean your nephew was a different man?" Another reporter chimed in, trying to get more information.
My father's eyes darkened as he looked at the one who dared to talk. "What my nephew dealt with over fifteen years ago doesn't matter. I've given you all the information regarding him that is relevant to this story and I will not be giving you anything else on him, understood?" His tone was stern and dark, letting the reporter know not to push it.
The report visibly gulped and looked a little paler now. "Understood Mr. Tipton."
"Regardless, my past doesn't define me." My mother took over. "Damon and I ran into each other and he offered to help me so I could be off the streets. What started as a nice gesture turned into what it is now. We've been married fifteen years and we have two wonderful children and another on the way, what we have is real."
My father wrapped an arm around my mother and pulled her closer. "Let's be honest, Kaydence was the first woman any of the tabloids have seen me with. She is and will always be the love of my life, anyone who can't see how much we love and care about each other must be blind."
My mother nodded her head as she agreed with him.
"My wife's past is the past, it doesn't define her. I guarantee that none of you can say you wouldn't do the same for a parent. God knows I would have done anything if it meant saving my own mother." My father referred to my grandmother who passed away when he was ten years old.
None of the reporters had anything to say. They nodded as if they agreed with him as well, which is what we had expected.
"Kaydence Tipton is an outstanding mother, wife, daughter and fashion designer." Everything she's worked for has been all her, I've only helped get her started." My father continued. "We all have our pasts, I'm sure some of you have done some things you don't want brought up to the public. Either way, we've decided to address this only once as we don't want to dwell in the past."
Without another word, my father turned around and headed back into the building with my mother. Scarlett and I followed behind them.
We went up to my father's office and waited. We knew it was a matter of hours before the stories broke on it. Isabelle joined us upstairs after the media had left to go back to their offices.
"The first one's in." Scarlett spoke, breaking the silence in the room.
My father got on his computer and pulled up the article. We all got behind him and read through it along his side. Once we finished with that one, others began pouring in. We looked through them all, seeing what all they had to say.
Everyone was actually pretty understanding and receptive. Nothing negative was said about my mother and just as Scarlett predicted there were even a few references to the movie Pretty Woman.
Everyone seemed to relax. Elise may have intended to try to destroy us but in the end we made it work for us. Nothing she could say about my family at this point could harm us, not that there's anything left for her to dig up.
I glanced over to Isabelle. She was handling this all like a champ as well. After being mad for a minute she's seemed to calm down about what Elise did to her. She's trying to remain level headed about this by not letting her anger get to her.
But I'm not, I'm fucking livid about it.