Page 4 of Without Judgment

It was beginning to sink in why he was here. Why he was looking at me with calculation and assessment.

“It was your brother’s idea to call him. Mine to make it worth his while to drop everything and be here for the next couple of weeks. You know I wouldn’t trust just anyone. He’ll ensure he’s with you whenever you leave the house. I expect you to take this very seriously.”

“Of—of course. But what about what I told you earlier? The thing.” Although it occurred to me that Mason probably knew all about the video, I didn’t want to mention it in front of him. “Can we finish our discussion in private?”

My father shook his head and gathered his briefcase. “No. Like I said, it doesn’t matter. Unless you have a way of proving it isn’t you, nobody will believe you. Our best defense is to play the jilted fiancée card. Make Edward the bad guy here and really play up the angle that you’re a good girl who ended up the victim. It makes more sense than spending the energy trying to disprove the video.”

“The only thing I’m the victim of is his lying.”

“This isn’t up for debate.”

Right. It was only my life.

“Make sure Mason has your calendar. That includes plans with your friends, shopping, or whatever.”

I cringed at the way my father made my life seem vapid and superficial. Was that how he really viewed me?

My eyes met those of Mason.

He still hadn’t spoken a word, and yet judgment was apparent in his gaze.

So be it. Judge away. Clearly, even my own father didn’t have trouble doing that.

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