Page 18 of Caramel Apple Cupcake

She turned to her father. “Am I your child, too?” At his blank stare, she shook her head in disappointment. Harper stood from the table and looked at RJ. “Well, now we know. As I said the last time I was here. Don’t call me. I won’t be picking up again.”

“Wait, Harper,” RJ spoke up. “Why am I getting blamed? I didn’t know either.” It was true, he didn’t. He was only a child. But he must have picked up on how their father treated her. Nature vs. Nurture, after all.

“I’m not saying I’ll never speak to you again, RJ. I’m simply saying you need to give me time. Plus, I’ll be going out of town.”

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“I’m going to visit our cousin Camille in Boston. I hear she just had a new baby. Her husband treats her like she walks on water. It’ll be good for me to be around people who don’t hide who they really are.”

“You will not go see those people,” her father spat.

There was a fleeting, petty thought of calling him his name, Rodney, just to see how he would react. “Why do you care?”

“They have no home training. Camille’s father is…” He was so flustered at the thought of her going up there, his words would not come out.

“I know exactly who her father is. But after tonight, I still have questions about my own.” It was a low blow, but she was hurt. “Listen, I don’t mean to hurt either of you, but clearly, this was a secret that needed to come out. When you’re readyto be honest with me, we can talk again. But until then…” She shrugged her shoulders and made her way to the door.

Behind her, she heard her father’s voice. “You’re still my child. It was just… difficult.”

She turned to look at him, nodding. “Yeah, just imagine how it felt for me.”

After exiting the house, she took a deep breath and walked to her car. Unlocking her phone, she called the one person who could make her feel better. Anders.

“Hey, babe. Done so soon?” he asked as soon as he picked up.

“I need you,” she said. Her voice hitched with unshed tears, which she knew he could hear over the line.

“Come to me, princess. My place is closer to your parents’ house. I’ll meet you there. Use the key under the mat to let yourself in. I’m on my way now.”

Chapter 10

Harper sat on the cold, unforgiving metal hood of her car, staring out into the all-consuming darkness. The night sky was barren, not a single star shining to offer her solace in this moment of turmoil. She was supposed to be at Anders’ house, waiting for him to come to her. But as she drove there, a surge of emotion overtook her. Anger. Betrayal. Resignation. And now, disappointment. Everything in her life had been carefully constructed on a foundation of lies.

The burning question that weighed heavily on Harper’s mind was what she should do next. Should she continue down the path that had been laid out for her? A future dictated by expectations and familial legacy? The thought of giving up her hard-earned law degree, pursued solely because her father told her that’s what Bryans did, crossed her mind.

They were a family of lawyers; skilled litigators who excelled in their careers. So Harper did what everyone expected from her. Even if her father didn’t always show he cared, he would surely have no choice but to be proud when she walked across that stage at graduation. Right?

Yet his absence from the ceremony spoke volumes. Her mother and brother were there, but not her father. Perhaps it was because of his demanding schedule as the managing partner of a prestigious law firm.

As she reflected on her past, a heavy sadness settled in the pit of Harper’s stomach. His parting words before she left the house echoed loudly in her head: “You’re still my child. It was just… difficult.”

Difficult didn’t even begin to cover it. A lone tear escaped down Harper’s cheek. She hastily wiped it away, berating herself for still being so invested in their expectations and deceptions.

Just then, Harper’s phone began ringing incessantly. Anders had been trying to reach her for thirty minutes. With a heavy sigh, she knew she couldn’t avoid him any longer. Bracing herself for the conversation ahead, she picked up the phone and swiped to answer.

“Hey.”

Angered and frustrated, Anders’ voice crackled through the phone. “Hey? That’s all you got? Hey? I’ve been stressing out, wondering where the hell you are. And all you say is Hey? Are you shitting me right now?”

Harper felt tears welling in her eyes as she listened to his words. His usual confident tone was laced with worry, and it only made her feel worse. She hadn’t shed a single tear when she found out about her parents’ life-altering secret earlier that evening, but hearing Anders’ concern for her was her breaking point.

“I’m sorry,” Harper choked, struggling to regain control of herself. What else could she say? There were no words that could make this situation better.

She heard movement on the other end of the line, a sense of urgency in Anders’ actions. “Where are you? Are you hurt? Why didn’t you come to me? Wait, it doesn’t matter. I’m coming to you. Just tell me where you are.”

For a moment, Harper wanted to tell him not to bother, that there was no need for him to drive tonight. But then his concern made her hesitate. “Anders, listen,” she began, trying to calm her breathing. “Tonight was… rough. I found out some things.”

She trailed off, unsure if she should reveal the secret that had been kept from her for so long. He wasn’t part of a founding family like hers, but he still knew many people in town. Would he accidentally let something slip? Would it ruin her mother’s reputation and damage her father’s business? But then Harperremembered how much she still loved her family, despite their flaws and mistakes. They were still her family, after all. She may not want to be around them right now, but she also didn’t want them to get hurt.

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