Page 65 of Liberating Lily

“She told me my father was meant to make a run for the White House but then he grew ill and couldn’t. I guess she was living that through me. But I still don’t understand it.”

“It’s because you’re not an evil bitch,” he told her.

“Why do you suppose Rick agreed to it? He never seemed to care about me, and he just jumped from Clem to me. Why didn’t he want someone he could love?”

“I doubt that Rick is capable of love,” he told her. “And there was obviously some deal made.”

“Mother is broke and so is Rick’s family, so it can’t have been about money?”

“But remember, neither of them seemed to know about the other’s financial woes. They kept it quiet. Your mother probably thought that marrying you off to Rick would settle her finances, as well as putting you in a position of power, which meant that she would be in power.”

Right, because her mother was easily able to manipulate her due to the drugs she’d been given.

How could her own mother be so evil?

“Rick’s family’s financial issues have come about slowly over the past year or so.”

“Did he tell you that?” she asked.

“No, he didn’t tell me. I have some insider knowledge. Rick has developed quite the gambling addiction. And his father likes special massages. Not that the massages ate away at his fortune, but buying off people who knew about them so he could keep his clean image did.”

“What if all of this was just a dream, though? How do I tell what is real and what is make believe? I can’t believe I forgot all of this.”

“Remember that Devil’s Breath can cause amnesia. And it can alter your memories.”

God, she hated this so much. It was terrifying.

“It’s so scary. What else am I missing?” A shudder of fear ran through her as she tried to search for memories, but her head began to ache.

“Don’t force it, baby. It’s better if it comes naturally. Some things might come back to you, but you have to get used to the idea that some things never will.”

She really hated that as well. But maybe it was better if she couldn’t remember some things. Part of her wished that she hadn’t remembered this.

“What else am I going to remember? What else has she done to me, Harvey?”

Fuck.

What kind of evil person did this, especially to their own child?

But there was plenty of evil in the world, wasn’t there?

There was nothing he could do to her mother to make up for what had happened to Lily.

But he could ensure that nothing bad ever happened to her again.

Part of him hoped that the rest of her memories didn’t return.

“I just feel like I was violated,” she said in a soft voice, as though she was ashamed.

Harvey wrapped his arms tighter around her. “Just remember that none of this was your fault.”

“Clem might not see it that way. Do you think she’ll ever forgive me?”

“I think Clem is one of the best people I’ve ever met, and I know that if anyone will listen to you and believe you, it’s probably her. She has to know what your mother is like, right?”

“That’s true,” she said.

“I think you’re going to need to talk to someone about all of this, baby. You can tell me anything, and you should. But you probably need the help of someone who is qualified.”