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“Oh, my poor girl.” She yanks the bunny ears from on top of my head and drops them amongst a tray of empty glasses that a server carries past us. “Did you think I wanted Rogue Maddox to grace my event with his presence?”
“Well, I…” It seemed logical to me that Rogue would confront her when I told him about her messages. Wasn’t that what she was hoping for?
She smiles tightly. “We don’t allow riffraff. You know that.”
“You were manipulating me.” It takes every effort to keep my gaze locked on hers. She wanted me to react to her threats, because I have always reacted to them by being obedient.
“It would have been a lot easier if you’d made the right decision in the first place.” She brushes a lock of blue hair behind my ear, acting motherly for the people around us. Her friends and associates who believe that she is that version of a mother.
“This is because you felt slighted?” At the hospital when I woke up… when she tried to convince me to go home with her instead of Rogue… she was almost nice. But I knew what I was looking at was a pretense. I didn’t forget the way she’s always treated me, and I chose him over her.
“What kind of mother would I be if I let my daughter’s disrespectful attitude stand without a challenge?” She threads her arm through mine, forcing me to walk with her. “Your brother would never treat me like you do.”
“My brother…” What he did to Rochelle Kitt… the fact that he’s most likely going to get away with it if Nicole has anything to say about it. “Is a monster.”
“Your brother is misunderstood,” she whispers as she leads me toward a group of middle-aged men standing around like penguins. “And this court case Rochelle Kitt has foolishly demanded will prove that. Now, please try to be polite while we talk to these patrons. Their contributions will make a huge difference, and I won’t have you ruining it with your inability to socialize properly.”
“No.” I try to pull free of her.
“Your father would be so disappointed in you.” Her words cut the way she intends them to.
Maybe he would think I could try harder, because he was the peacekeeper. How many times did he plead with me to go along with what she wanted; to keep her happy? But I have to believe he wanted more for me than to be some pawn. “I’m not here for you to parade around. I’m not the wayward daughter trying to make peace this time.”
“You’re here for some other reason?” She stares down her nose. “Care to enlighten your mother?”
“Stop contacting me,” I say. “Stop threatening my husband. Leave us alone.”
“He’s not your husband,” Nicole snaps.
“Yes, he is.”
“You don’t really believe that.” Nicole gives me a pitying look. “Deep down you know that I’m right. Rogue Maddox tricked you into marriage in order to control you.”
“T-that’s n-not t-true.” There have been times when I feared that was the case. But he loves me, doesn’t he? I’m sure of it. He’s shown me how far he’ll go to make me happy.
“Oh, it isn’t?” Nicole taunts me even as she takes both my hands in hers and smiles at me like she’s proud of me. “T-then w-why are you st-stuttering? You always do that when you can’t make your own mind up. Ever since you were a little girl. I should know. I raised you.”
“It’s not true.” I find my voice and conviction. “I married him because I love him.”
“You love him?” Her smile turns sad.
“I do.” I truly do.
“Oh my girl.” Nicole pulls me in for a hug.
Perhaps it’s the fact that I’ve wanted my mother to care about who I am for so long that allows me to believe for a second that this hug means she’ll let us be this time. That she’ll put aside her own objectives and let me make my own choices. I hug her back like I used to when I was a child. “Thank you for understanding.”
“You’re welcome.” She ends the hug. “But it’s time for you to do the right thing and let Nathaniel annul this ridiculous marriage.”
“What?” I press my hands to that space between heart and stomach. I knew she couldn’t be trusted. It was foolish to hope that she could see a different path than her own.
“Nathaniel.” Nicole summons her lawyer from somewhere behind me. “Tell Ivy what you need from her in order to file the annulment.”
“I’m sorry, Ivy,” Nathaniel says as he hands me the flute of champagne he was carrying so that he can reach inside his jacket and pull out a folded piece of paper. His gaze is surprisingly sympathetic. I could almost believe that he means his apology as he unfolds the paper before handing it to me. “I hope you won’t think of me too unkindly over this.”
I stare at the papers he handed me. Paperwork to be filed in order to annul the marriage. I drain the champagne from the glass that I’m holding and then flip through the documents. There’s also a copy of our marriage license application.
"All I need is your signature,” Nathaniel tells me. “I’ve marked where.”
