Page 74 of An Unexpected Everything
Pushing those thoughts from my mind, I grabbed the ice and gave it to Mason as both Sam and Sydney took care of him. The twins seemed to be on the same wavelength, not even speaking to each other as they soothed each other’s hurts and Mason’s as well.
Weston wrapped his arm around my shoulders and sighed. “I’m going to kill him.”
Damn it. I loved this man. “You aren’t. You’ve raised two beautiful and strong girls that can handle anything. And one of them has great taste.”
“Mason’s okay.”
“We heard that, and thank you,” Sam shouted, and I pressed my lips together, holding back a laugh as Weston just scowled.
“Well then. That’s one way to begin graduation day.”
“I’m sure there have been worse days out there.” I paused. “Not much worse.”
I shook my head and went to grab something off the counter when I realized that there was a letter with my name on it on the counter.
“What’s this?” I asked, my throat tightening.
“It was from the lawyers. Hudson dropped it off earlier.”
“He didn’t say anything,” I said softly. “Is it from him?”
“It’s not from William.”
With a shaky hand, I reached out and broke the seal, wondering why it felt like this was something I should burn.
Isabella,
You were always my favorite. At least of the girls. You always did exactly what I needed you to.
And I will always be grateful for that. But you have to make sure you keep your heart and your choices on the right path.
I made wrong choices over my life, but it was because they were the choices I needed to make at the time.
You are decent at what you do. Mediocre at best. However, I know that you can achieve certain things.
You will always strive to be better than you are, and that is why I never let you be one of the other Cages. The ones that I put in positions of power. Because I knew you would fail.
You were always good at taking care of your siblings. So find a way to be a good mother. A good homemaker.
Because that is what you will be best at.
Loren Cage.
I blinked at the letter, remembering that Aston, Phoebe, and Ford had each gotten one as well. Each with nonsensical rambling words of an asshole who was a narcissistic prick.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Weston shouted as he moved closer.
I held up my shaking hand, trying to let the rage leave my body. Weston immediately froze, and I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to deal or think in this moment. It was as if the man had seen beyond the grave and found the exact moment I had let the doubts of my future seep in. He’d always been good at that and now he’d done it again.
My father had never respected me. Had never truly thought much of me.
He wanted me to be a homemaker. To walk away from the career I had wanted. And to make the choices he had given me. And I wasn’t even sure I had the capability to figure out what choices that he had wanted for me versus the ones I wanted for myself.
Because I loved Weston Caldwell. And if that meant defying my father, changing how I focused on my career, and leaning into the man that I loved, then so be it. I just needed to hope to hell that Weston wouldn’t leave again. That he loved me back.
And that I wasn’t doing this all to spite the father who never loved me at all.
Chapter Seventeen
