The front door opened, and I listened as footsteps approached.
I could feel his presence as he entered and stood a respectable distance behind me.
My father spoke, confused. “Why, this is unexpected. Rosie, you didn’t tell us you were bringing a guest.”
Beckham walked past me to shake my father’s annoyingly outstretched hand.
“Beckham Garcia. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hart.”
My spine pulled a bit straighter as a smile graced Beckham’s lips. Any outsider would have seen it as a friendly gesture. However, it made my skin crawl, knowing how fake it was as his sadistic eyes gave it away.
“Mr. Garcia,” my father replied with a smile, his gaze shifting between the two of us. “The pleasure is mine. Rosie, you should have informed us about your newest client joining us for brunch.”
“Rosenna extended the invitation a week or so ago, but I didn’t give her a set answer. My meeting for this afternoon was canceled, and I thought I might drop by. I hope I’m not intruding.”
My father shook his head. “Not at all, Mr. Garcia. We’re delighted to have you.” However, I could immediately tell something was off. Nancy seemed rather put off by Beckham’s presence, as was my father and Patrick.
Looking at their expressions, I had to silently thank Beckham, knowing he had prevented this get-together from turning into the intervention to “fix” my marriage with Gavin.
Patrick spoke after a moment. “Actually, maybe you could help us out downstairs. Eric and I were debating what wine to pull from the cellar. Maybe you could give us a hand.”
Beckham shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”
As my father and Patrick headed down, Beckham followed after them, not sparing me a glance; however, my heart fluttered again as he shamelessly ran his hand over my waist while he squeezed past me.
I would have sent the back of his head a glare. Yet, I was more concerned about whether any of the other women had noticed.
Thankfully, Nancy was helping Grace with the baby. However, as my eyes met my mother’s, my heart sank to my stomach: her eyes were locked directly on me.
Her gaze was scrutinizing as she took a sip of water, and as hard as I tried to make my face seem emotionless, it was pointless as she could see right through me.
Maybe I was overthinking this. Maybe she didn’t see anything.
As if she had read my thoughts, her gaze softened, and she looked away as if nothing had happened. And I, instead, stared at her, confused by her actions. However, my thinking was cut short as Nancy bitched once again.
“I can see why you have no time for your husband, Rosenna,” she began.
My mother and I snapped our eyes over to her as my breath hitched.
“I-I’m... I’m sorry?” I asked, my heart racing.
“Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? Of all the things you could be—a bad wife, a lousy cook, a disrespectful daughter-in-law—I never thought you’d be a gold digger. That’s the only reason you went out and found a random billionaire’s son to provide artwork for your gallery, right? I can only assume you were able to get him as a client by spreading your legs for him.” Nancy’s gaze pierced through me.
I felt as though the world would swallow me whole.
My mother, who was usually... well... who wasalwayssilent, placed a hand on my lower back.
“Nancy, that’s quite enough,” she interjected, her voice soft and low but laced with a steeliness I’d rarely heard from her.
Nancy’s eyes narrowed momentarily at us.
I placed my clutch on the table. “Who are you to make assumptions about who I am? All I’ve ever done is try to please Gavin and you. Nothing I ever do is good enough for you.”
“Obviously, someone is to blame for that. Do you think it should be the man who provides for his wife or the wife who couldn’t be bothered to value who he is?”
“Nancy—” my mother began, and Nancy glared at her as the rage inside of me started to build once again. Grace, who seemed to be in the middle of this, was quiet.
“Elise, my son deserves better than a woman who would put her business endeavors over him and their future prospect of growing a family.”
