Page 126 of The Contract Marriage

My voice turns icy. “No. You and your mom hoped the delayed rescue would kill her.”

“Nonsense! You just imagined everything because you were upset your mother passed away and needed to blame someone!” Deena shouts.

“You’re just jealous that I have my mom, while you don’t,” Brielle adds.

“The only reason I don’t is because you murdered her.”

“You crazy bitch!” Deena screams. “We should’ve committed you!”

“Shut up, Dee!” Hugh shouts, then turns to me, an ingratiating smile on his face. “Look, Olivia. I know you’re still grieving for your mother, but… She was never in the best of health. There’s no guarantee that if Deena had called 911 sooner, she would’ve survived.”

“But she definitely died because Deena chose not to call,” I counter, my voice low and tight. I look at the security team. “Please take them outside.”

They drag the trio out. Deena and Brielle start cursing, while Hugh displays a bit more intelligence. “I’m your father!”

How many times is he going to say that? I ignore him and start walking out into the garden. The men follow with the despicable three. I stop at the broken fountain and inhale the scent of stagnant water. “Remember this place?” I say softly.

“What?” Hugh looks confused.

Of course. He probably forgot about Pochi the day he turned her into ashes. How dare he forget and live his life guilt-free? It’s tempting to get in my car and run him over, just to show him the kind of pain my dog must’ve been in. “I’m sure Brielle remembers it.”

Deena pastes on a fawning smile. “Olivia, we’re family. Think of your sister—!”

“When did Mom have my sister?”

“What?”

“You said think of my sister. Who would that be? Mom only had me as far as I know.”

Hugh huffs a breath. “You know perfectly well that Brielle—”

I snort. “Has nothing to do with me. She’s your daughter.”

His voice grows tight. “You’ve made your point, okay? You’ve humiliated us enough. Don’t be cold, Olivia. It isn’t attractive.”

I chuckle. “Oh, you think I should be generous? Continue to support your mistress and her daughter with my mother’s money?”

“Olivia!”

“Hugh, you should’ve expected this when you betrayed my mom—and our family.”

“I loved your mother!”

“No, you loved her money. Her greatest mistake was marrying you.”

“If it weren’t for me marrying your mother, you wouldn’t exist.”

“And my greatest regret in life is having you as my father. Listen, Hugh. I’m not a Desmond. The blood that flows in my veins is the Whitmore blood. My lawyer is already working on changing my name.”

“This isn’t over!”

I scoff. “It’s not? Really? What are you going to do? Have me fall down the stairs just like Mom? Run me over like Brielle did to Pochi?”

His breathing grows audibly loud. Deena turns whiter than the flowers behind her. “Are you trying to send us to jail?” Her voice shakes.

“You can’t do that! You have no evidence!” Brielle screams.

I ignore them. “This is where you killed my dog, Brielle.”