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I, on the other hand, don’t care that I’m yelling at my own mother at the biggest social event of the year. I’m not the one who should be concerned about how I look right now.
“Why did you invite Lance Bradbury?” My palms burn as my nails sink deeper into the skin. My stomach flips, and I tremble in the ruffled silhouette of my dress.
Two months ago, she blamed me for my ex-fiancé cheating on me at my own wedding shower. Going on and on about the sceneImade. Well, now she’ll get to be the star of the show.
Mom looks away, dragging the coordinator back to us with a simple glare. “Get everyone out of the room, now.” The woman pulls her clipboard close to her chest and shuffles the guests and harpists out of the Terrace Room.When the space is abandoned, Mom huffs. “Do you want to calm down before speaking to me?”
“No. Frankly, I would like to continue yelling at you until you find it in yourself to actually listen to me,” I say plainly. A weight lifts from my chest at the confession. “Was this your plan all along? To put me and Matthew through hoops just to parade Lance around? Can you honestly tell me this ridiculous Gold Coast expansion means more to you than I do? It’s not even your company!”
“This is my family, Molly, and I have always done what I can to protect all of you,” she bites. Deep lines etch into her forehead, and her lower lip quivers.Her once-impenetrable façade is crumbling, revealing the vulnerable woman beneath it all.
“You can’t make decisions regarding my life without me anymore,” I bark.
She takes an unsteady step back. “I’m looking out for what’s best for you.”
“What’s best for me or foryou? What’s riding on this Australian resort? Seriously.”
My mother pauses, bewilderment flooding her eyes. She looks at me as though she barely recognizes me. “It’ll give your father the opportunity to retire.”
Dad’s never brought up wanting to retire before. Ray Greene has given his life to On Cloud Nine. He’s been CEO for over fifteen years. There’s absolutely no way he’d be interested in stepping away now. My cousins are barely in their thirties; taking over as co-CEOs would be too soon.
She’s just playing another one of her games.
“And? What does that have to do with me? Dave and Larson just told me that funding for the expansion has been secured. You don’t need to use me as your little pawn anymore.”
She stares back at me in confusion.“What?” she whispers.
My father struts into the ballroom. His polished black dress shoes brush against the red carpet, and his tuxedo, tailored to perfection, makes him look like a general who’s returned home from a victorious battle.
However, there’s nothing to celebrate here.
“There you are, Ray.” A nerve swells in the brow above my mother’s right eye.
“What’s going on?” he interjects.
I turn to him, my hands flying to my hips. “Did you find funding for the expansion in Australia?”
“Yes, just this morning. We had an investor come in on the condition that we continue to preserve the lands we purchased,” he says, eyeing me behind his glasses. “How do you know about that?”
“You have?” My mother’s voice cracks, and she reaches for her pearls, counting each one with her fingers.
“Yes, Vivian, I haven’t had a chance to tell you—”
“Can I marry Matthew and get my trust?” I ask sternly.Their lack of communication is not my problem.
I’m over this charade.
“If you marry that man, you’ll feel like an outsider for the rest of your life. You do not want that. Trust me,” Mom croaks. “Everything we do is for you, and Matthew Hudson is not someone we would choose.”
Ha!I almost laugh out loud. I get it now.
My mother lives in a world of grandeur, expecting everyone to play a supporting role in her existence. My heart thumps against my rib cage.
She’s a narcissist. How have I not seen this before?
“You have the funds for the resorts. I have a love match. What more do you need from me?”
“For you to have the life we’ve always planned. To never have you feel on the outskirts of society. That’s where you’ll be if you choose someone from outside of our world.” Her voice shakes. “You’ll be a constant outcast with that man. He’s a nobody. No name, no legacy, no way to support you.”
