She gave me the perfect in to start a conversation. “Has Mandy talked about a date yet? I know she wants a destination wedding, so I’m not sure how that affects timelines.”
“We don’t have a date, but we’ll be doing it at the club,” my mother said, tight-lipped.
“Oh. I thought she wanted to get married in Italy.”
“Things change.” The pointed glare she sent my way would have had fourteen-year-old Nat shivering in her astronomically expensive pumps. I’d never been a heels girl, but that didn’t matter to my mother.
“Oh. Well, I’m sure it’ll be nice here, too.” Though I’d be sure to talk to Mandy about her actual feelings regarding her wedding venue.
My mother nodded and turned to Dean.
Seeing an opportunity, Jack jumped at his chance to talk to me. “Can we take a minute to?—”
“You know, Natalie, I’m surprised you even came,” Dean interjected, just above a whisper. The rest of the table seemed tied up in their own conversations, but I heard him loud and clear.
I turned away from a dumbfounded Jack and faced my stepfather’s barely restrained rage. His fists were clenched at his sides, his rigid posture and previously guarded stare had become dangerous. He zeroed in on me as though I were the cockroach who dared to cross his path.
My heart shriveled, and I hated the way just a comment like that could make me feel like I was ten years old and coming home with a report card that wasn’t all A’s. I treaded lightly because staying neutral around them had always been best. “It was last minute, but I made it work.”
That little vein on the side of his forehead twitched, and I knew I was in for it. “That’s not what I meant. You haven’t been a part of this family for a long time. Why are you here?”
I returned his shitty question with a glare. “Because she’s my sister. The next thing you’re going to say is I’m not allowed at the wedding.”
My mother took over. “We’ll see if you get an invitation.”
My mouth dropped open. “Wait a minute.” I barely got the words out. “You just said you were proud of me.”
“We’re not going to tell our closest friends what a stain you have been to this family’s reputation. They think you’re tied up in the London offices.”
Now I wished my social accounts had my full name on them. I’d always thought keeping my real identity separate from Naturegirlnat was because of safety and the fact that I wanted to have something based on my own merits, but I was starting to wonder if I’d been hiding behind it. For them.
“You’re an embarrassment. What did you think we were going to do? Say our daughter is being groomed to take over the company while our other daughter is frolicking through the woods?” Dean added as if my life were a punchline to a joke.
I looked down at the julienned carrots on my salad and swallowed back the lump in my throat. I didn’t think I’d be able to hold back the tide of tears on the verge of cresting, much less get words out.
“What is wrong with you?”
I turned to find an enraged Jack in the stare-down of his life before pivoting back to my mother, who, for the first time, had some fear written on her face as she glanced at our tablemates, whose ears were starting to perk up.
“Who the hell are you?” Dean asked, doing a cold, judgmental once-over and deciding that Jack was unworthy of his time. That was something we had in common.
Jack ignored the question. “Nat has nothing to be embarrassed about.” He took my hand and squeezed. “She’s the hardest working person I know. She’s built her brand all on her own and has more than a million people interested in what she puts out into the world. She’s brilliant and kind. She’ll drop anything to come to the aid of people who need her. You shouldbe proud of her, not disparaging your own daughter. I can’t believe you call yourself parents.”
I’d thought the warm feeling spreading throughout my chest was the sign of a heart event, but it turned out that having someone jump to my defense in a way no one had filled me with satisfaction. It was invigorating.
“You’ll forgive me for ignoring the opinion of a man I don’t even know,” Dean countered.
Jack bulldozed right over him. “Really? Because it seems like appearances are all you care about.”
“It’s time for you to go, Natalie, and take whoever this is with you.” Dean shot daggers at Jack, and I wished my dad were here and not some sorry excuse for a stepfather.
“What’s going on?” Mandy came up from behind our parents. I was so mortified about being told to leave that I hadn’t noticed her standing behind them. “Why are you telling Nattie to go?”
My mom jumped in. “She’s making a scene, honey. The last thing we need is to bring her failures to the forefront of your party.”
Mandy was taken aback. “Failures? What are you talking about?”
“That girl has been falling short since she was a child,” my mother said. “That’s why we’re so proud of you.”
