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“Although I have advised her against it, Miss Anderson has proposed that she will return the money under certain conditions,” Harold goes on. I also didn’t like this idea one bit, and it broke my heart to learn the lengths Imogen will go to in order to try and repair her family. But what she will learn is that unfortunately sometimes we’re just not on the same page as the people we share DNA with. As much as we may want it.
“And those conditions are?”
Harold turns to look at Imogen and gives her a chin lift.
“I want to start afresh,” Imogen says, her voice small. She’s lost the anger and bitterness I heard a moment ago. “I want to try and have a relationship with you, Mom. No matter our differences, we’re family, and I never wanted to fight with you over money.”
“What are you proposing?” Laura interjects.
“Family counselling,” Imogen says. “I’ll give back the money if Mom agrees to go through counselling with me to get our relationship back on track.”
I stare at Sandra Anderson across the table. I’ve never felt rage toward a woman like this in a very long time. Even my messy breakup with Claudia. That I can handle. What I can’t handle is the look on her mom’s face. Like Imogen just slapped her.
“You have to be kidding?” she snorts. “Counselling?”
“Yes,” Imogen says, and I’ve no idea, as long as I live, how she manages to keep calmness to her tone. “I think it will be good for us. To work out where we went wrong and how we can have a relationship…”
“You think I’d even consider that after everything you’ve put me through?”
Imogen blinks once, twice, and my heart truly does break for her. “You’re the one threatening me with legal action, Mom. I’m the one who shouldn’t want anything to do with you, but I’m holding out hope here that we can salvage our relationship once we get over the whole money thing…”
Sandra blinks a couple of times in confusion. “How many sessions are we talking about?”
I want to slap the bitch.
Harold looks down at his file. “We propose one session a week, for twelve months.”
“Twelve months!” Sandra spits. Not quite the reaction we were hoping for. “You have to be kidding me?”
So this is all just about money. Not that I didn’t know that already, but Imogen wanted to see for herself if there were any redeeming qualities. I guess she knows now.
“I think a better reaction, if you truly wanted a relationship with me, would be a little less shock horror and a little more I can get on board with that,” Imogen says, her tone flat. “Or maybe that’s just me.”
“That’s called bribery!” Sandra throws back.
“No, it’s called I’ll do anything to try and get my mom back,” Imogen says. “But maybe I never really had her in the first place.”
“You’re being dramatic, Imogen.” Sandra shakes her head.
“So that means you don’t agree?”
“It means you’re not going to coerce me into doing something I don’t want to do because you’re holding money over my head. We both know we have nothing in common and you’ll turn this disagreement into your own personal narrative to make me look bad.”
“Excuse me if I may,” I interrupt, not able to help myself any longer. “But you’re doing a pretty good job of making yourself look bad without any help from Imogen.”
Sandra’s eyes narrow on me as I stare at her coldly. “And who, exactly, are you?”
My eyes meet Imogen’s and she smiles at me. I smile back, unable to help myself.
“I’m her boyfriend, and I can’t honestly believe that I care more about this woman than you do and I’ve only known her for a short time.”
“You need to stay out of it,” Sandra fires back. “You know nothing about this family.”
“I know enough that I’d never put money in place of an actual relationship,” I say, levelly. “Money can’t buy everything, Mrs. Anderson.”
Her nostrils flair.
I really don’t like this woman.
