15
“Crazy! You’re crazy!”
My dear dad was furious.
He glared at me, his cheek swelling rapidly,
his face a mask of disappointment.
“Get out, Olivia! I disown you!”
Classic line.
Too bad I wasn’t a fragile flower.
I’d learned early on that being nice got you
nowhere. Being obedient got you killed.
<
I’d learned early on that being nice got you
nowhere. Being obedient got you killed.
My mom had been nice, obedient. It drove her
to suicide, and paved the way for Janet and
Sarah.
I sipped my tea, smiling.
“Dad, are you confused? This is my mom’s
house. I own half. If anyone’s leaving, it’s your
mistress and her bastard.”
“Bastard?”
Janet, pale and furious, turned to my dad, her
<
My pui unu
والدها
LU
voice shaking, “I stayed with you all those
years, no complaints, endured the whispers and stares. Now, finally, I’m your wife, and your precious daughter calls me a mistress and my daughter a bastard.”
She glared at me, her voice cold, “I’m your father’s legally wedded wife. Sarah’s not a bastard. We’re a family. You’re the one who
needs to leave. You’re the embarrassment.”
I almost laughed.
I set down my teacup, looking her in the eye, “If you’re done, shut up. I’m talking to my dad.
You’re not relevant.”
r
My dad wanted to yell, but he glanced at the
bodyguard, a wall of muscle in front of me,
and swallowed his words.
Janet, seeing his silence, stood and left.
She wasn’t smart or clever. Her only skill was
patience.
Fifteen years of waiting, until she was
practically over the hill.
She signaled to Sarah, and they went upstairs
together.
My dad stormed out, his birthday party
I started upstairs, then stopped outside
Michael’s room.
His door was open.
I peeked inside. A white suit jacket hung on
the door.
Michael always wore casual clothes. He rarely went out, because of his health. Why did he
have a suit?
He came out of the bathroom, toweling his
hair dry.
<
nair dry.
“Olivia.”
He smiled.
I suddenly understood, “You went to the
party?”
He nodded. “I overheard Sarah saying you
didn’t have a date. She wanted to embarrass
you.”
I frowned, trying to remember. “I didn’t see
you.”
He smiled. “I was on my way over, but then I
<
saw Ethan. I figured you didn’t need me, so I
came back.”
He smoothed the wrinkles on the suit jacket.
“I’ll save it for your birthday.”
He paused, then looked at me, “Olivia, at your
birthday party?
this year… can I, as your
brother, have this dance?”
It was a strange request, but I nodded.
“Okay.”
A small thing. Months away.
But he seemed happy.
<
But he seemed happy.
He was acting strange today.
<
