“What?” My other aunt asked. “It was a simple question. Adele got into that school because of her abilities, but she nearly got kicked out because she decided to stop dancing. It was a silly risk. I’m stating a fact.”
“It wasn’t,” I argued quietly. “And I didn’t almost get kicked out. I would have applied for loans if I needed to, but they offered me an alternative academic scholarship considering my grades.”
Sophie dabbed her lips with a linin napkin. “I don’t see why you’d need either. I told you I could help pay for school given the circumstances. Your father would have but…”
I swallowed. “Yes, well, I told you I didn’t need the help. I was raised to do things on my own, which is why I denied his help too.”
Sophie didn’t say anything else, but Lydia smiled to herself as she poked at her food. She jumped in after a few awkward moments of silence. “I hate to bring it up, but there was a reason I wanted to come and talk to you both today.”
Sophie’s eyes rolled. “Shocking.”
I eyed her for a moment when she wasn’t looking before glancing back at Lydia with interest. Whatever was on her mind was serious because she had a sheepish look on her face.
“What is it?” I asked lightly.
Setting her fork down, she looked at both of us before sighing. “I was reached out to by a reporter from The Times. They have new information regarding your father, Della.”
My heart dropped. “What?”
Sophie set her napkin down. “How on earth could they still be digging up information on him? It’s done.”
It’s done. Those two words were so final that they hurt. I wasn’t sure I wanted to believe them, even if she was partly right. It’d been months since he was buried, why would the press be reaching out to anybody? And why Lydia?
I was hesitant when I asked, “What did they want?”
Sophie shook her head. “Does it really matter, Adele? Whatever they say can’t be any good, especially not for us.”
Lydia disregarded her sister’s comment and focused solely on me. “He said there was a list being published of the names of the people Anthony stole from. Apparently, it’s extensive.”
We already knew that my father had harmed a lot of people, but during the trial it was considered sealed evidence so nobody could be named publicly. Speculation buzzed in the city, in certain social circles, about something like this coming to light. But after so many months, I figured it was over.
“Why now?” I whispered, frowning.
Lydia reached over and took my hand. “I can only think that they want to give victims justice in a way that outs Anthony. I’m sorry, Della, I know how hard this has to be for you.”
“For all of us!” Sophie said abruptly. “I can’t believe they’re going to put our name out there again. It isn’t right.”
How can she even say that? “What about the people he hurt, Sophie?” I questioned, staring at her with unblinking eyes. She gaped at me. “It isn’t fair for them.”
“They were given hefty sums of money for compensation. Some more than they lost after Anthony was convicted. Why do you think they took everything from you?”
Jaw ticking, I pushed my plate away. “I don’t like the thought of Dad’s name being in the papers again either, but we can’t ignore the people, his victims, that deservingly put him there.”
“You act like he was a murderer,” Sophie scoffed at me.
I didn’t have the energy to argue with her, so I turned to Lydia. “What else did this reporter say? Did he mention when they were going to publish it?”
“Tomorrow.”
I blinked. Tomorrow. That was…soon.
“We’ll sue.” That came from Sophie.
“We have no grounds,” Lydia told her calmly, being the voice of reason that I couldn’t be. “These things were bound to happen.”
Angered, Sophie stood. “But why? Anthony is dead for Christ’s sake! It isn’t like he can hurt them any further.”
Closing my eyes, I felt her words like a stab straight through the heart. Why did she have to be cruel? Even if it were true, she didn’t need to be so abrupt about it.
“No,” Lydia agreed, “but that doesn’t mean the truth can’t still come out. Plenty of people have demanded documents be made public since the trial ended.”
“He wanted money, didn’t he? The reporter. He must have asked for something in return to make the story go away.”
I cracked my eyes open to see what Lydia’s reaction was. She looked