Room-maid(18)

It made me slightly more sympathetic to think that she behaved the way she did because she was ill, even if she wouldn’t acknowledge it. But it also infuriated me that I’d grown up the way I had, thinking it was normal for your parents to say things like my love has to be earned.

Mom’s story about her shopping excursion with her boring friends continued on through the appetizers and on to our main meal. The vein in the top left of my forehead had started to throb and I wondered how much longer I was going to be subjected to this before somebody explained what I was doing there.

Because I hated sitting there all nervous, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Despite her talking about something inane, I could still feel her disapproval radiating toward me. It was agony. I would have preferred the lions being set loose into the arena at the beginning of dinner instead of anxiously anticipating their release.

Then, as if in direct response to my anxiety, Vanessa said, “So are we not going to talk about the black sheep in the room?”

I knew what the “right” thing to do here was. I was supposed to hang my head and feel ashamed of my choices. I wasn’t supposed to respond and should just let them humiliate me for blemishing the precious Huntington name.

That didn’t really work for me anymore. “Here we go. I don’t know how I’ve managed to survive the last few months without your constant criticism.”

Vanessa narrowed her eyes at me. “Criticism is just an unpleasant way of telling the truth. Something nobody else at this table seems to want to do.”

“Whatever. Being a teacher doesn’t qualify me for black-sheep status.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Violet agreed. Part of me wanted to believe that she was sticking up for me, but I knew it was because she wanted to get the upper hand in an argument she and Vanessa had been having since, I suspected, they were forced to share a womb.

“Right.” Vanessa nodded, her attention now focused on her twin. “I suppose that’s reserved for someone who just got out of rehab for the fifth time.”

“Or maybe it’s for someone who has a husband with so many mistresses they could populate their own small country,” Violet hissed back. Believe it or not, this was what passed for mostly civil in our family. I wondered whether I should go over and take away their knives.

“Helping people is not a bad thing.” I wanted to stand up for myself and I wasn’t going to let my sister belittle my career choice.

Vanessa decided to turn her venomous wrath on me. “You could take over the philanthropy division at Daddy’s company. You could help a lot more people than you ever will in your little job.”

I was about to explain the numerous issues with her suggestion when my mother imperiously told us to be quiet. While my father and brother-in-law were ignoring all of us and focusing on their steaks, Violet’s date looked both horrified and concerned. I wanted to tell him to run far and run fast.

Coughlin appeared with an extra place setting and put it on the table next to me. What was happening?

“You’re about to be really sad that you put that cheap garbage on your hair,” Vanessa whispered at me, and I wondered what she knew that I didn’t.

“What’s wrong with my hair?”

“If your sister doesn’t want to pay for life’s necessities, it’s not something we need to concern ourselves with,” my mother sniffed. I decided not to tell her that visiting her hairstylist once a week was not an actual necessity.

Instead I was too caught up as to who would be joining us. A reporter? Was that why I was here? To sell my father’s image as a loving family man? Or were Frederica and my mother back on good terms? Some new business partner who needed to be impressed?

“Constance! So good to see you. Ronald, how are you, sir?”

As my mother stood up to greet her guest, I realized that it was so much worse than anything else I had considered.

It was Brad. Here. Kissing my mother hello.

I only barely registered Vanessa smirking at me as blood rushed through my ears, making it impossible to hear.

What was happening?

My mother told Brad to have a seat. Next to me. And she was smiling.

Suddenly, I knew. I knew what was going on.

I saw him reach inside his coat pocket as he approached me, confirming my worst fear. The lion had finally been set loose.

Bradford Beauregard Branson IV was going to propose to me.





CHAPTER SIX

How had I not recognized that this was a trap? That my mother had lured me here so that Brad could ask me to marry him in front of my family? The two of them had put me in a position where I couldn’t say no. Frederica had said they were all expecting an announcement any day now. Was it because she knew something I didn’t?

Something that felt akin to hate bubbled up inside my chest, pouring into the rest of my body like angry molten lava. I was so furious with them both that I didn’t know how to calm myself down.

Instead, I did the unthinkable. I was rude to a guest.

I stood up without excusing myself, throwing my napkin on the table. I headed toward the kitchen, the anger nipping at my heels with each step I took. How could they?

“Madison!” Brad calling my name only made me walk faster. I’d get someone on the staff to call Julio or I’d eat the cost of an Uber back to my apartment.

“Wait.” His voice was right behind me and then his hand was on my arm. I jerked it away.