“Not back home with my family?” Holly asked with a sarcastic sweet tone.
“Well… yes, of course.” Holly could tell that had never entered her mother’s mind.
God, her mom was cold and unfeeling. In the nearly two weeks Holly had spent with Nancy, Holly saw how she loved her family and had some of that warmth aimed at her—a stranger who’d walked in off the streets.
“We gave you time off to get yourself together. By the way you’re dressed in rags, it hasn’t happened. Times up.”
“What do you mean,times up? Are you not even going to consider my idea?” She looked at her father for an explanation. He was signalling for a drink.
Her father wasn’t often home when they were growing up, but when he was, she remembered times when he’d give her and Ruth lots of his attention. Sometimes he’d come into their rooms and sit on the floor dressed in a suit much like the one he was wearing and play dolls with them. That was until their mother kept telling him he was too busy to waste his time with silly games with the girls. That’s what the nannies were for. Holly guessed he must have eventually lost interest because he stopped playing with them or gave into his wife’s demands. Probably the latter. Although her father owned and ran an international chain of hotels, it was his wife who controlled him.
“You’re an Ainsworth and part of the companyandfamily. There’s no time for anything else. You need to stop being an embarrassment to yourself and to us and join the business where you belong. There’s nothing for you here in Sydney. If you thought you could make it without our influence, you failed.”
Holly stiffened, her heart rate picking up speed. “I have not failed.”
“Oh?” Her mother’s eyes widened with mock interest. “Please share how successful you are.”
“I got a job doing makeup on a major movie set.” And got fired, but she didn’t need to share that part.
This earned her an eye roll. “You and your makeup. We’re offering you a career not a hobby.” She took a dainty sip of Dom Perignon, her white gold, diamond tennis bracelet sparkling under the crystal chandelier.
Holly was tired of trying to tell her mother differently. This was something they’d never see eye-to-eye on.
“A job working with Oliver. Can’t you understand how hard that is for me?”
Her mother shifted in her chair and fingered the pearls around her neck and her cheeks flushed pink. “Oliver has left the company.”
“What? You let the son you always wanted walk away?”
Her father coughed into his hand then said, “We asked him to leave.”
“As in fired? Why?” Her mouth fell open. What had she missed these past five months?
“To be perfectly honest, well,” her mother lowered her voice, “we caught him embezzling money. He stole millions to fund his gambling addiction and… other things.” Holly could only imagine what theother thingswere.
“Why haven’t I heard anything about this? I would’ve seen something on the news. Has he been charged?”
Her mother lifted her chin. “Because of our relationship with his family, we haven’t pressed charges. It would dirty their name if it was made public and we don’t need that kind of negative publicity.”
Now it all made sense. Oliver’s dishevelled appearance, how desperate he was to get back together after no contact for months. He’d lost his job and a shitload of money with it. And he wanted Holly to take him back so he could cement himself into the family name and money again. She kind of felt a little sad for him. The feeling past in under a second.
Holly rested back in her chair and laughed.
“I hardly think this is a laughing matter.” Her mother’s gaze narrowed and was razor sharp. “He could have ruined us.”
“Maybe if you’d listened to yourdaughterand believed me when I told you he couldn’t be trusted you wouldn’t be in this mess.”
“Pfft.” Her mother waved the comment away. “He only cheated on you. We didn’t judge his character on that.” And ignored her suspicions that he was stealing money.
Even after all these months, their lack of support was still a jab to the heart with a blunt object. Tears pricked the backs of her eyes but there was no way in hell she’d let them fall.
“Well, however you judged his character, he’s now bit you on the arse,” Holly snapped unable to hold back the anger.
Her mother gasped. “Holly, our company took a huge hit. You could show some compassion.”
Oh, that was rich. Showthemcompassion? When they never considered or cared about Holly’s feelings. There was no point rehashing the past, her mother only saw whatever she wanted. Holly would never be good enough unless she dressed appropriately, acted in a manner her mother approved, married the right man in the right social circles—theirsocial circles and worked in the family business.
She was only good enough if she followed their rules.
