Page 38 of Mark

“Why is everyone treating me like a woman scorned,” I cry. “I’m. Over. It. This isn’t about the fucking wedding. It’s not about her marrying my ex. I stopped caring the day they announced they were together. The only one carrying it on is Esther and you. And at this point, I don’t know who is feeding who the bullshit. Believe Esther. I don’t care. But I will not be here for the wedding.”

“You just needed an excuse to get out of it, didn’t you,” Mum accuses. “But you had to try and ruin it before.”

“Maggie,” Dad soothes, pulling her back.

Tears gather in my eyes. “I’m talking to you but you aren’t listening to my words. Just like you didn’t when I tried to tell you how wrong it was that they were together. It’s like you only listen to your own opinion or Esther’s. I am done trying to prove I don’t care. I’m done arguing about things that I got over from day one. I’m done explaining myself.”

“Come, child,” Nanna orders, reaching for me. I lean into her touch, close to breaking. Until now, I was happy to let them think what they wanted. I think deep down, I knew no matter what I said, they wouldn’t believe me.

“Mum,” Dad warns when she tugs me away. “We aren’t done talking about this.”

“Yes, you are. That girl has had the wool pulled over your eyes for far too long, and you are so blinded by it that you don’t see what this is doing to your other daughter. Because you have two, if you haven’t forgotten,” Nanna begins, and I know she’s not done because she takes a breath to compose herself. “Not one of you have put yourself in Freya’s shoes. What Esther has done is wrong, and instead of scolding her, you congratulated her. You both have siblings. Imagine if Alley had got into a relationship with Mitch, or if Damion slept with Maggie, and you were forced to watch it play out. Our Freya has not only watched it, but she got over it. Yet you continue to treat her like she hasn’t. I don’t know how she has kept herself from exploding because if I were her, you’d all have your arses whooped.”

I see Mum share a look with her sister, Alley, and my dad with his brother, Damion, and both hang their heads. I hope it’s because they are now realising just how callous Esther has been, but my luck has never been that good.

“That’s it, everyone take perfect little miss Freya’s side,” Esther wails. “I’ve tried everything to please you.Everything. Is it too much to ask for you to be happy for me?”

She storms off, and predictably, Mum and Danny follow.

“Are you okay?” Nanna asks.

“No.”

Dad clears his throat. “A wedding is meant to be a happy time. I’m not taking Esther’s side, but maybe for a few days, you could at least try. She’s only going to get married once, Freya.”

“I don’t need to try anything, Dad. I’ve done it. I’m here. Yet she and Mum are constantly telling me I need to get over it even though I’ve repeatedly been saying I’m over it for over a year now. I thought you and Mum knew me better. If a woman can take my man, she’s welcome to him. I don’t want someone like that. And I would hope you and Mum wouldn’t want that for me. I’m not fragile. I’ve put up with a lot of shit and let it go over my head. But it builds, and all that pent-up tension and anger, it needs a release. Then conveniently, that is all you guys focus on. My reaction to their actions.”

“She’s probably worried for you. It hasn’t been easy for her either. Danny did date you first.”

“Have any of you actually heard me plead for him back? Have you heard me say anything to Esther about having him first? Have you heard me bring up past moments or even taunt her? No. But what you have heard is her tell me how he chose her, how good he thinks she is in bed and that she’s the best he ever had. You were there when they were telling you about the chain I bought him for Christmas one year going missing. And you were there when she returned all his photos of us to me. I’ve not done any of that. Yet no one spoke up for me. No one told her to stop. I already erased everything, including the memory of our relationship, and if she didn’t constantly remind me, I would actually forget we dated for three years.”

He lowers his gaze, his expression full of sorrow. “I’m sorry, Noodle. I didn’t even realise that was happening.”

“Well, now that you do, go repeat it to your wife because I will not have Freya upset,” Nanna warns before turning to me.“And you aren’t going home. We deserve this holiday. We can pretend none of them are even here.”

“Mum,” Dad warns.

“Go away,” she snaps, and tags me by the hand, leading me away. “We’re going to get some cocktails by the pool.”

“It’s half nine in the morning,” I point out.

“Then we’ll have some non-alcoholic ones until noon.”

“Thank you for always being there for me.”

“Always. I love Esther, don’t get me wrong, but she isn’t you. She reminds me too much of my sister Ethel. Always up to no good that one; yet she always managed to get herself out of shit by pinning it on others. Did I tell you she robbed a bank in the seventies and blamed it on husband number two?”

My lips twitch because there’s always a story where her sister is concerned. “No. You didn’t.”

“I’ll tell you about it later,” she promises. “But back to my point, you are a lot like me. I had no one in my corner, but you do. You have me and you will until I take my last breath.”

“You don’t plan on staying with me in the afterlife?”

She waves me off. “Goodness no. I’m going to meet my Bert at Heaven’s Gates and have some much-needed sex, before we go haunt some fuckers. Don’t worry, Esther is on that list.”

I laugh, throwing my head back. “I love you, Nanna.”

“I love you too.”

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