Page 88 of My Sweet Dollie, You Have to Love Me
“You make him out to be so bad—” Dollie pauses again, this time to wipe the sweat from her palms. “But if he were, you’d have left years ago. Oh, but then you wouldn’t have had anywhere to go, would you? You’re showing your true colors, and they are dark. I see through you. He’s told me everything, and maybe it’s something in your brain, or maybe it’s your childhood and all the trauma you suffered because you’re clearly ill—mentally ill, just like your brother.”
“Is she fucking serious? Give me that phone.” Annabelle stretches out a hand, but Dollie refuses.
“Still not done. I hope when you sell that house, you’ll be paying Shane back for everything he’s ever spent on you, because it’s a lot. You owe him a lot. You could do a lot worse than him. Yeah, what he’s done with other girls is bad, but it’s no worse than us having to see you look down on him and slate him on social media constantly. You’re not nice, Lancie. And your behavior is not nice!”
“I hope you dragged him to the fucking ground on social media. She can go next.”
“I literally just removed my relationship status and replied to Nyx when he asked what happened.”
“Fuck me.” Finally, Annabelle shoves the noodles away, and I don’t have to worry anymore about her spitting them everywhere. “Well, narcissistic mothers will raise narcissisticsons. Obviously, Shane’s behavior is learned… from the beast. Oops, I mean best. Is there any more?”
“A tiny bit. I hope this is the end, and he sees you for what you really are.”
I can’t have an opinion right now. Mostly because words can’t describe how much I hate this woman, and I’ve never even met the fucker.
Another buzz of my phone has me looking down to see the message there from my boss.
Valaria:
If you’re not here within the next ten minutes, I’d better hear that you’ve been in a car wreck or something. I am up to my eyeballs in customers.
Ambrose:
And yet, you’ve got time to fucking nag me constantly.
BTW, I’m on my way.
Well, I will be… shortly.
CHAPTER 21
Dollie—present day
Ireturn from the bathroom, checking every corner for an unknown shadow. There’s no one in my house except Annabelle. I find the reading room clean, and Annabelle, with her blinding smile, peeking around my phone, which she holds with both hands. She’s sitting on the edge of the chaise lounge and bubbling with excitement.
“Please, tell me you haven’t messaged Shane’s mother back?”
“No. Your monster-in-law doesn’t deserve a reply.”
“So, why the huge smile?”
“Oh, so you did notice the teeth. Do you like them?”
“They’re great.” I smile, hiding my regular, mediocre teeth.
“I got them done in Turkey last year. I’m thinking I’ll do a butt lift next.” She laughs, then snorts. Some things never change—like the laugh Annabelle hasn’t grown out of—which brings me a strange sense of comfort.
“Maybe by then, you’ll have told me what you’re smiling about.” I pluck the phone from her hands, cautiously glancing down at the screen.
The photo of Shane and me is still there, with smiles on our faces.
“If I were sure you’d have been okay with it, I’d have removed that. Replaced it with a theme of pretty colors or something pink.”
“That would have been fine by me. Where do I find these themes? Never mind. I found them.” I start browsing through the endless screen layouts, nothing in particular catching my eye as I scroll past lips, couples, and all the romantic stuff I don’t want to see right now.
I settle on a cupcake design.
“So, don’t freak out, and try to remember that not all guys are the same.”
