Page 68 of The Forever Promise

“Well, you don’t have to,” she snorted. “My husband’s done enough. I mean, hey, why not? I’ve stayed by his side for years. Through the drinking, the DUI, and the first affair. I forgave him. Why not shit on me some more? I’m just soaccessible.”

She laughed, a bitter sound. “And now he has an affair with someone young enough to be his daughter—and she’s pregnant. She’s married to someone we’ve known forever. So why doesn’t everybody just come after me with a pitchfork, burn me at the stake and call it a day?”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Jones.”

“Don’t be sorry for me, honey. I’ve got more money than God. I’ll show him someday. Someday…” Mimi Jones blinked and peered around. She suddenly seemed lost. “I’d really like to find the bar. Do you remember where it is?”

“Sure, I can take you there.” I started toward her, but she waved me off.

“I’m fine—I’ve had lots of practice.” She straightened herself again and smoothed her hair. “You know, I shouldn’t take it out on you. You must be just miserable. They really are a rotten family, aren’t they? I’ve known Gene since I was a girl, and he’s always been a snake. Those boys aren’t any better. Y’see the way Bryce is with my Felicia? Won’t even look her in the eye. And now Gene has her doing all this press—”

I held very still, waiting for her to continue.

“—and I think she’s doing it to get him back, but it’s never going to work. It’s like her father and me. Once you get hurt that bad, it’s never better. Never.” The bitterness in her voice was absolute, irrevocable.

She stumbled off. I ought to help her back to the party, but she seemed intent on weaving her way back by herself.

Mimi’s words rang in my ears.Gene has her doing all this press. She’s doing it to get him back. Once you get hurt that bad, it’s never better.

But… Who had hurt who? The way Mimi made it sound, Bryce was the bad guy. Maybe she just didn’t know the truth, that Felicia had been the one to cheat. But what about the rest of it? Was Gene Windsor behind Felicia’s current participation in all the drama?

Did that mean Bryce was, too?

Bryce himself returned a minute later, still with a glower on his face. “Olivia’s not happy that we’re leaving. I just texted her.”

“Tell her I feel sick,” I said quietly. It was the truth.

Bryce waited until security had escorted us back to the boat and left us alone before he spoke. “What exactly,” he asked as he poured himself yet another drink, “is the problem, Chloe?”

“I don’t know.” My eyes pricked with tears. “But I’m feeling upset that you talked to Felicia again. And you seem really… I don’t know.”

“So you don’t know what’s wrong withyou, and you don’t know what’s wrong withme?” He glared at his drink.

“That sounds about right…”

“And yet you dragged me out of the party before my brothers arrived or dinner was even served,” Bryce continued. “My father donatedone milliondollars to the Nguyen’s charity so that they’d host this party at the last minute. How do you think he’s going to feel that we only stayed for fifteen minutes?”

Normally, disappointing Bryce would make me want to cry. But his anger, coupled with the bourbon wafting from his breath, only made me mad. “Like I said, you didn’t need to leave.”

“But if I didn’t, it would look bad.”

“I think it already looked bad.” I tried to keep my voice light. “But I’m sure that was all part of the plan.”

“So what if it was, Chloe? I don’t understand why you’re acting like this.”

“Maybe because you’ve been acting like a dick ever since you woke me up this afternoon?”

He sighed. “I think we should re-implement the no-talking rule. I say we start now—and this time, it applies to you.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.” He knocked back the drink.

Where was my husband? This was the Bryce I’d met the day I’d married him—Bad Bryce.

I shouldn’t say more, but I couldn’t just stand there. Sadness bubbled up inside me, threatening to spill over. “I don’t understand why you’re treating me this way.”

He paced near the windows for a minute, not looking at me. Another heavy silence descended upon us.

---