Page 64 of Little Liar
“No,” she grits out. “Do you know how much you embarrassed Xander? You left him at the altar in front of his friends and family.”
“He’s made his embarrassment very clear in all of his threatening messages.”
“What do you expect? You left him at the altar!”
She’s so deluded that she’s completely ignored the fact he’s threatening me. I honestly didn’t think she’d help me anyway.
“I don’t care,” I reply, typing nothing. “Did you forward any important emails on to me?”
Her glare makes me want to shrink in my chair, but I roll my shoulders and try to remain calm.
Anxiety bubbles all over my body, and the bad butterflies are going wild—Mom rarely yells at me, so when she does, I always shy away and automatically apologize.
However, I won’t give in this time. I won’t marry Xander, no matter how much she shouts at me for turning my back on her. It’s the first time I’ve made my own decision, and I’m dreadingthe backlash. If his family can get over it and move on, maybe my mom will too.
Xander’s anger tells me he’ll struggle to get over it. But maybe if I keep ignoring him, he’ll vanish and go to someone else.
Mom is scowling at me.
She was the perfect mother growing up. The mom I always wanted. Needed. But when she first mentioned to me that it was perfectly normal for rich families to marry other rich families to combine their wealth, she told me I’d be marrying a prince, and I’d be treated like a princess.
Obviously, I was initially excited. I was sixteen and being told I’d be spoiled and loved forever, without needing to go through the process of falling for someone, was so attractive.
Until Mom told me I had to have sex with them—she even talked me through it all and how it would be sore my first time, that I’d bleed, but I couldn’t tell a soul, not even Malachi or my dad. She told me that they’d be mad and think I was dirty, a disgrace to the Vize name. I’d be looked at differently, and my brother wouldn’t be my friend anymore.
The night I lost my virginity, I lay in bed with Malachi while he held heat packs to my body. I wanted to tell him. I was dying inside having to keep the grooming to myself, but I had no choice.
Parker wasn’t gentle. He didn’t even look at me while he did it.
But Mom was proud of me when I walked out of the room. She smiled and hugged me, then said she was certain he was the one.
I was already falling for Malachi—though being told I had to marry someone else safeguarded those emotions, because it’s not as if I would’ve ever had the chance to marry him and be happy. Mom and Dad fully adopted us both. They were legally our parents.
At the time, I had no idea how that worked with adopted siblings, but I knew it was wrong on so many levels.
We had no chance from the moment I got my first good butterfly from him. Even when I realized he had an interest in me beyond possessiveness, I did everything I could to hold him as far away from my heart as I could, but it was impossible.
He crashed his way into my love for him, and he’s still there.
From the moment he asked me to teach him how to kiss, I was doomed. I knew I wouldn’t ever get over him, and the fact I was forced to date just made knowing it worse. Call me selfish, but I jumped at the opportunity to have any closeness with my brother—it was only going to be for a short time anyway.
Those eight years he was locked up, I hated myself. I should’ve taken Dad to hospital and run with Malachi. Or even better, I should have sat down with him when I overheard the girls in the locker room and got the truth from him.
I shouldn’t have silenced him. He’s been silenced his entire life. Maybe I deserve Xander’s threats. Karma really is a bitch.
Mom’s still standing in front of my desk, tapping her foot like I’m some insolent, misbehaved child in trouble for pulling someone’s hair. I want to ask her for help—Malachi isn’t doing well, and I need her or my dad to tell me what to do, but I can’t ask her.
It’ll have to be Dad.
I’m scrolling through my emails—one came in five minutes ago from him, asking to arrange dinner since I haven’t replied to any of his messages. That could be my opener to get some information about Malachi and how they handled him when he was spiraling.
Plus, I haven’t seen my dad since the wedding. He was going to try to get me out of it—maybe he’s found a way?
Usually, I help Dad out with Molly. When Mom is too busy, I like to care for him—he needs a lot of help with some things, and he has physiotherapy three times a week. My little sister is learning, so she’s been helping while I’ve been gone.
I glance up at Mom. “Did you take Dad for his appointments last week?”
“He’s capable of going himself.”
