Page 84 of Her Counterfeit Christmas
She grabs a spoon and scoops a bite of cheesecake for herself. “You better fill me in.”
I don’t like talking about my problems, but I must need to get this off my chest because, after swearing them both to secrecy, I tell them everything. About how I knew Layla before this week, all I’ve learned about her financial situation, and the marriage agreement she has with Spencer. I pause as people come in and out with dishes, but pick up again when we’re alone.
“This is too easy,” Brady says with an unsympathetic shrug. He drops his plate in the sink. “Tell her about the millions of dollars you have from selling your bag business. I bet you have more money than Spencer does. She’ll marry you instead.”
Susan looks from Brady to me. “Bag business?”
Brady doesn’t give me a chance to answer. “Yeah, Owen started a company with a designer friend of his. Boudron. Have you ever heard of it? Because everyone else has. I saw Zendaya in a TikTok ad last week.”
Susan’s eyes widen. “You own Boudron? Ms. Rheta said you owned a landscaping business.”
Even Susan has heard of Boudron. The new marketing manager knows what she’s doing.
I give her a weak smile. “I sold my half of Boudron and bought a landscaping company to keep me busy.”
She nods as she takes in the information. “And Layla doesn’t know? I agree with Brady. Tell her what you can offer her, and she’ll see she has another option.”
“No.” They don’t understand. “I don’t want her to choose me because of my money. I want to give her money to helpher and then have her choose me because I’m who she wants.”
By the way Brady is giving me the side-eye, he’s not impressed with my reasoning. “Don’t be a tool.”
I tap him on the back of his head. “I’m still your older brother. Be nice.”
He scoots further down the counter so he’s out of my reach. “I’m not being mean; I’m being honest. I don’t get you and money. You have so much of it, but you drive the same car you did when you started the bag business. You live in a fifty-year-old house with only one bathroom. You had the money to fly us out to Maine in first class, but we squished into economy. You couldn’t even splurge on business class. Look at me! I’m six feet tall! But you’re cheap. You act like it’s a sin to spend money.”
It’s a new level of low when my fourteen-year-old brother lectures me on finances. “I’m frugal, not cheap. I spend money.”
Brady levels a look at me. “No, you don’t. It’s like you’re ashamed to be rich. Since we’ve been here, it’s obvious everyone thinks you’re poor. No one knows Boudron is yours. Layla hugs her bag like it’s a pet. Spencer gave one to Tori for Christmas. It’s really cool what you’ve done, but you let everyone look down on you, and I don’t get why.”
This is the most I’ve heard Brady speak about anything other than a book in a long time and it’s unfortunate it’s to rag on me.
“Because money doesn’t matter,” I say.
My brother is not impressed. “Only someone who has money can say something so stupid. It obviously matters to Layla.”
“Money doesn’t give my life value,” I amend. “Not having money doesn’t devalue Layla, but she seems to think it does. She’s acting like she’s a commodity to be bought. I promised her I would help her. Repeatedly. She doesn’t want my help. She doesn’t want me.”
I’m pouting, but I can’t seem to stop.
Susan pats my cheeks again. “Taking money from Spencer will not break him. Maybe she thinks you’re a landscaper like I did and didn’t accept your offer, because she believes taking money from you will harm you financially.”
“I don’t want to be chosen because of money,” I say stubbornly. “I want her to choose me because she loves me.”
Susan tisks and shakes her head. “It sounds like she doesn’t have the space in her life to worry about love. She might not feel like she has a choice. Tell her the truth and give her that choice. If she still chooses Spencer, at least you’ll know you tried everything and so will she.”
It’s not that I don’t understand what Susan and Brady are saying, but I don’t agree.
“I’ve always respected how Mom gave up everything to be with Dad,” I say. “The absence of money didn’t stop them from being together.”
“Your dad didn’t come with a bucket load of debt,” Susan says. “You’ll have to decide what you want to hold on to more: Layla or your hate for this family.”
“I don’t hate this family.”
“Ha!” Brady says.
“Anymore. I don’t hate this family anymore.” This week has given me the chance to forgive and see the good inpeople I’ve villainized for years. “Susan, what do my feelings for this family have to do with Layla?”
“It seems to me you do everything you can tonotbe an Eccleston. Every attribute you associate with them, you do the opposite. You quit the firm to become a businessman. This family shouts to high heaven that they’re the best corporate lawyers. You hide what you’ve accomplished. You don’t buy flashy cars or a big house or vacation homes. If Spencer is wooing a girl because he has the financial means to do so, you refuse to do the same.”
