Page 58 of This Much Is True
“Anjelica Grace.”
“Hi. It’s Laina.”
“Hey, how are you doing? Everything okay?”
“Yeah. I’m just trying to wean myself back into the real world.”
“Probably a good idea. Did you see I called or is this a coincidence?”
No censure. No anger. No frustration.Anjelica was definitely the right person to call first.
I sit at the table. “I saw you called. Although I was going to call you anyway. What’s up?”
“I’ve been working with public relations to keep a handle on things. The hubbub has started to die down. Well, it did start to die down, but your ex-fiancé decided to stoke the fire this morning.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. “What do you mean?”
“Tom and your father were at a charity golf tournament this morning. According toExposé, Tom was quoted as saying you got cold feet, and the wedding would likely happen privately.”
He what?
I swallow down my parched throat. “What in the hell is he talking about?”
“That answers my question.”
“Which was ….”
“If something had changed and you forgot to let us know.”
I laugh angrily. “Anjelica, I assure you, I will not be marrying Tom Waverly anywhere at any time.Ever.”My hands shake. “And, of course, my father was standing right there, giving credence to Tom’s bullshit. I can’t …”
I take a deep breath before I continue with my thoughts. Because if I do what I want, a tsunami will be left in its wake.
But the longer I sit with the idea of firing my father as my business manager and removing him from every part of my business, the more it makes sense.
The more urgent it feels.
How many times have I asked for a break? How many times has he executed a contract despite my insistence that I didn’t want to be on a project? How often has he talked down to me and washed over concerns I raised about safety and money?
And now he’s playing golf with Tom? In a charity golf tournament like either of them have a heart. When I refused to marry the asshole.
I hate them both so much.
It’s not just the anger boiling inside me, though. I feel so …. betrayed. If Anjelica had said that my dad had reached out numerous times to make sure I was okay, I’d probably feel lessunhinged now.But, no. He’s playing golf with the man I just walked out on as if I just got cold feet.
How would he know? There certainly wasn’t a missed call from him or Mom on my phone.
He doesn’t care about me as a person, and he can fuck right off.
I’m done.
“Can we schedule a meeting as soon as I return to Nashville?” I ask.
“When are you getting back?”
My heart is heavy. “I’m not sure. I’ll be there by the first of the week.”
“Is Monday afternoon good? Say, around three?”
